Assessment of Liver Fibrosis by Transient Elastography Should Be Done After Hemodialysis in End Stage Renal Disease Patients with Liver Disease

The patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) are at greater risk of acquiring chronic hepatitis B or C and subsequently development of liver disease. The aim of the study was to assess liver fibrosis by transient elastography (TE) and look for factors associated with change in liver stiffness measurement (LSM) with one session of hemodialysis (HD).

Consecutive ESRD patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) with suspected liver disease were enrolled. They underwent LSM by TE before and after one session of HD. Bioelectric impedance analysis was done to evaluate the volume status at the time of TE.

Sixty-eight patients with mean age of 40 ± 14 years were included. There was a significant reduction in LSM after HD (18.5 [95% CI 14.8–23.1] vs. 11.2 [95% CI 8.8–13.7] kPa, p < 0.001), with a mean LSM reduction of 7.2 [95% CI 5.25–9.19] kPa. On stratification in two groups by net ultrafiltration during HD (> or < 2.5 liters [L]), change in LSM was substantially higher in patients when total fluid removed was > 2.5 L (8.6 [95% CI 5.7–11.5] vs. 5.1 [95% CI 2.9–7.5], p = 0.05). In 18 patients who underwent liver biopsy, LSM after HD performed better at detecting significant fibrosis, with area under receiver operating characteristics curve 0.71 [95% CI 0.46–0.97], versus 0.64 [95% CI 0.38–0.90], respectively. An LSM value of 12.2 kPa after HD was 71% sensitive and 74% specific for detection of significant fibrosis (≥ F2), while values less than 9 kPa ruled out significant fibrosis with a sensitivity and specificity of 37 and 100%, respectively.

LSM by TE decreases significantly after HD in patients with ESRD on long-term MHD. Hence, TE should be done after HD for accurate assessment of liver fibrosis.