Accuracy of Noninvasive Diagnostic Tests for the Detection of Significant and Advanced Fibrosis Stages in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Literature Review of the US Studies.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this systematic literature review (SLR) was to evaluate the accuracy of noninvasive diagnostic tools in detecting significant or advanced (F2/F3) fibrosis among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) in the US healthcare context.

METHODS

The SLR was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science, with an additional hand search of public domains and citations, in line with the PRISMA statement. The study included US-based original research on diagnostic test sensitivity, specificity and accuracy.

RESULTS

Twenty studies were included in qualitative evidence synthesis. Imaging techniques with the highest diagnostic accuracy in F2/F3 detection and differentiation were magnetic resonance elastography and vibration-controlled transient elastography. The most promising standard blood biomarkers were NAFLD fibrosis score and FIB-4. The novel diagnostic tools showed good overall accuracy, particularly a score composed of body mass index, GGT, 25-OH-vitamin D, and platelet count. The novel approaches in liver fibrosis detection successfully combine imaging techniques and blood biomarkers.

CONCLUSIONS

While noninvasive techniques could overcome some limitations of liver biopsy, a tool that would provide a sufficiently sensitive and reliable estimate of changes in fibrosis development and regression is still missing.