Red blood cell distribution width as a non-invasive marker for the assessment of inflammation in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

• Published in: Hepato-gastroenterology Vol. 62; no. 138; p. 393
• Main Authors: Dogan, Serkan, Celikbilek, Mehmet, Zararsiz, Gokmen, Deniz, Kemal, Sivgin, Serdar, Guven, Kadri, Gursoy, Sebnem, Ozbakir, Omer, Yucesoy, Mehmet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece 01.03.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Alanine Transaminase - blood; Area Under Curve; Aspartate Aminotransferases - blood; Biomarkers - blood; Biopsy; Clinical Enzyme Tests; Erythrocyte Indices; Female; gamma-Glutamyltransferase - blood; Hepatitis - blood; Hepatitis - diagnosis; Hepatitis - pathology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - blood; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - diagnosis; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - pathology; Predictive Value of Tests; Retrospective Studies; ROC Curve; Severity of Illness Index
• ISSN: 0172-6390
• DOI: 10.5754/hge14991

The aim of this study was to assess the association between red cell distribution width and inflammation in biopsy proven non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Fifty four subjects with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and thirty nine controls were enrolled for the study. Liver biopsy specimens were scored by using non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score by a single experienced liver pathologist. Red cell distribution width was higher in the severe inflammation group in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (p < 0.05). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the predictive performance of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transferase and red cell distribution width in identifying inflammation in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis were 0.55 (0.41-0.68), 0.51 (0.37-0.64), 0.53 (0.39-0.67) and 0.73 (0.59-0.84) respectively and the differences of these values between red cell distribution width and other parameters were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). To determine the grading of inflammation, the specificity for using the red cell distribution width as an indicator in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis patients was calculated to be 73.3%, with 79.5% sen- sitivity. Red cell distribution width was a sensitive and specific method for the assessment of the inflammation in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.