Liver Stiffness Values in Persons with Normal Histology.

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) is crucial for assessing liver disease.
• Normal LSM is often defined by liver function tests or absence of fibrosis, rarely by liver biopsy.
• Defining normal LSM based on liver biopsy is essential for accurate diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the distribution of LSM values in individuals with normal liver histology.
• To establish reference values for LSM in a biopsy-proven healthy liver cohort.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of liver donors between September 2020 and September 2021.
• Included 63 liver donors meeting eligibility criteria.
• Performed liver stiffness measurements using M and XL probes.

Main Results:

• 37 donors (58.7%) had normal liver biopsies; 26 (41.2%) had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
• LSM in the normal histology group was 5.01 ± 1.99 kPa (M probe) and 5.34 ± 2.25 kPa (XL probe).
• Good correlation (r=0.73, P<0.001) was observed between M and XL probe LSM values.

Conclusions:

• The established normal LSM values for biopsy-proven healthy livers are approximately 5.01 kPa (M probe) and 5.34 kPa (XL probe).
• These findings provide critical reference points for interpreting LSM in clinical practice.