Author information
1Servicio de Ecografía, Fundación Favaloro , Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2Servicio de Hepatología, Programa de Trasplante Hepático, Hospital Alemán, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
3Servicio de Hepatología, Programa de Trasplante Hepático, Hospital Alemán, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: rmastai@hospitalaleman.com.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
The introduction of noninvasive liver stiffness (LS) determination has heralded a new stage in the diagnosis and treatment of liver fibrosis.
AIM:
We evaluated the effect of food intake on LS in patients with different degrees of liver disease.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
We evaluated 24 patients (F≤1, n=11 and F> 1, n=13). LS (Fibroscan®) and portal blood flow (PBF) (Doppler ultrasound) were studied before and 30min after ingestion of a standard liquid meal.
RESULTS:
Food intake increased PBF (51±10%, p<0.001). Splanchnic hyperemia was accompanied by a significant rise in LS (from 7.8±3.3 to 10.3±4.1kPa, p<0.001). These increases were similar in patients with minimal fibrosis(F≤1) and in those with more advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis (F>1). Hemodynamic and LS values returned to baseline pre-meal levels within 2hours.
CONCLUSION:
LS increases markedly after ingestion of a standard meal, irrespective of the degree of fibrosis. Our results strongly suggest that LS should be measured in fasting conditions.