Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Tropical Medicine

Background and aim: Research is continuous for imaging and laboratory tools that are more suitable for prediction of portal hypertension than upper GI endoscopy. Serum sCD163 correlates with HVPG and is a possible good indicator of portal hypertension. We investigated sCD163 as a non-invasive tool of predicting the presence and size of oesophageal varices against upper GI endoscopy as the gold standard as well as a stratification tool to identify patients who benefit from individualized surveillance or secondary prophylaxis. Results: sCD163 levels were higher in patients having large varices (p = 0.012), at risk of bleeding (p = 0.04) and the bleeding patients (p = 0.001). Higher portal vein and splenic diameters, APRI, FIB4, Lok{u2019}s score, Fibroindex and AAR but lower albumin levels, platelets count and platelet/spleen ratio, were significantly in patients with varices. Plt/spleen ratio had the best performance model in predicting varices using multivariate analysis with correct classification of 75.9%. Conclusion: Higher sCD163 levels were associated with large varices, risk of bleeding, and variceal bleeding. Platelet/spleen ratios performed better in predicting varices than sCD163

Issued also as CD