Significance of ICGR15 and EHBF in evaluating liver reserve function among patients with chronic hepatitis

Objective To investigate the clinical values of indocyanine green ( ICG) retention rate at 15 min ( ICGR15) and effective hepatic blood flow ( EHBF) in evaluating the liver reserve function among patients with chronic hepatitis. Methods Eighty- two patients with chronic hepatitis were included in the study. ICGR15and EHBF were measured by pulse dye densitometry before treatment, and alanine aminotransferase ( ALT) , total bilirubin ( TBil) , albumin, prothrombin activity, and cholinesterase were also measured. ICGR15and EHBF were monitored among mild, moderate, and severe patients, patients with normal ALT and abnormal ALT, and patients with normal TBil and abnormal TBil. The predictive values of ICGR15and EHBF for patients' conditions were analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic ( ROC) curve. The continuous data were expressed as median ± interquartile range. Comparison between more than two groups was made by Kruskal- Wallis H test; comparison between two groups was made by Mann- Whitney U test. Results ICGR15and EHBF showed significant differences between mild and severe patients and between moderate and severe patients ( H = 5. 0 and 12. 0, P < 0. 05 for both; H = 25. 0 and 29. 0, P < 0. 05 for both) . There were no significant differences in ICGR15and EHBF between the patients with normal ALT and those with abnormal ALT ( U = 135. 5, P = 0. 089; U = 146. 0, P = 0. 155) . ICGR15and EHBF also showed significant differences between the patients with normal TBil and those with abnormal TBil ( U = 68. 0, P < 0. 05; U = 84. 0, P < 0. 05) . The areas under the ROC curve of ICGR15, EHBF, ALT, and TBil were 0. 434, 0. 497, 0. 622, and 0. 521, respectively, in mild patients, 0. 969, 0. 075, 0. 900, and 1. 000, respectively, in moderate patients, and 0. 861, 0. 161, 0. 759, and 0. 950, respectively, in severe patients. Conclusions ICG clearance test is an accurate method for quantitatively assessing the liver reserve function and is helpful for taking timely, effective intervention. This test is of great clinical significance.