Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis for the Evaluation of Hepatic Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Infection

• Published in: Digestive diseases and sciences Vol. 53; no. 7; pp. 1957 - 1960
• Main Authors: Antaki, Fadi, French, M. Margaret, Moonka, Dilip K., Gordon, Stuart C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.07.2008; Springer
• Subjects: Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Chi-Square Distribution; Diagnosis, Differential; Electric Impedance; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Hepatitis C virus; Hepatitis C, Chronic - complications; Hepatology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Liver Cirrhosis - diagnosis; Liver Cirrhosis - etiology; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Oncology; Original Paper; Other diseases. Semiology; Pilot Projects; Transplant Surgery; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis; Chronic hepatitis C; Liver; Fibrosis; Bioelectrical impedance; Hepatic fibrosis; Human; Obesity; Nutrition; Nutrition disorder; Hepatic disease; Metabolic diseases; Infection; Viral disease; Gastroenterology; Digestive diseases; Impedance; Nutritional status; Viral hepatitis C
• ISSN: 0163-2116; 1573-2568
• DOI: 10.1007/s10620-007-0071-3

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a non-invasive technique that measures electrical resistance ( R ) and reactance ( X c), which are then used to calculate phase angle ( PA ). The aim of this pilot study was to assess whether BIA can differentiate between minimal and advanced hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection. Twenty patients with HCV participated in this study, and were divided into minimal (Metavir 1) and advanced (Metavir 3 or 4) fibrosis groups. We obtained BIA measurements ( R and X c) in several axes and calculated PA from each pair of measurements. We found no statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to PA , R , or X c for the whole body, the trunk or the right upper quadrant measurements in any axis. Mean whole body PA was 7.0 and 7.1 ( P  = 0.9) in the minimal and advanced fibrosis groups, respectively. Bioelectrical impedance analysis did not demonstrate the ability to distinguish between minimal and advanced degrees of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic HCV infection.