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Predicting fibrosis progression in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients using the FAST Score: A paired biopsy study
1Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Marmara University, İstanbul, Turkiye
2Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Marmara University, İstanbul, Turkiye
3Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Marmara University, İstanbul, Turkiye
4Liver Research Unit, Institute of Gastroenterology, Marmara University, İstanbul, Turkiye; Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Turkiye
Hepatology Forum 2024; 5(1): 33-36 DOI: 10.14744/hf.2023.2023.0021 PMCID: PMC10809337
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Abstract

Background and Aim: This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of various non-invasive scores for identifying the progression of hepatic fibrosis over time in patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).
Material and Methods: We examined 69 patients with NAFLD who had undergone two liver biopsies at an average interval of 21.3±9.7 months. Progression and regression of fibrosis were defined as an increase or de-crease of at least one stage in fibrosis between the initial and follow-up bi-opsies, respectively. The Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4), NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS), Agile 3+, Agile 4, and FibroScan-AST (FAST) scores were calcu-lated at the initial biopsy.
Results: Comparison of paired biopsies revealed that 45% of participants (n=31) exhibited no change in fibrosis stages, 26% (n=18) experienced progression, and 29% (n=20) demonstrated regression. Multivariable lo-gistic regression analysis identified the FAST score as the only independent predictor of progressive fibrosis, with the odds increasing by 19% (95% CI: 8–38%, p<0.05) for each unit increase in the FAST score at the initial biopsy. No independent predictors for fibrosis regression were identified.
Conclusion: Higher baseline FAST scores were associated with an in-creased likelihood of fibrosis progression, independent of other variables. Thus, the FAST score could serve as both a diagnostic and prognostic tool for fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.