Serum cystatin C and cystatin C/albumin ratio for the evaluation of liver function in patients with cirrhosis

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyze the serum cystatin C (Cys C) and cystatin C/albumin (Alb) ratio in patients with cirrhosis and evaluate the role of serum Cys C in the evaluation of liver function. Methods: The liver function of patients was graded according to the Child-Pugh Score. According to the serum Cys C levels (determined with particle-enhanced immunonephelometric assay), the patients were divided into two groups: the high Cys C level group and normal Cys C level group. The correlation between the Child-Pugh grades/scores and the serum Cys C level, Cys C/Alb ratio were investigated. Results: The Cys C values were not correlated to Child-Pugh grades and scores. Besides, the Cys C/Alb ratio of both groups had a linear regressive relationship with the Child-Pugh scores. Ninety-seven percentage sensitivity and 100% specificity were achieved for the evaluation of liver function in cirrhosis patients with high serum Cys C level.

Cystatin C/albumin ratio for early diagnosis of esophageal varices in liver cirrhosis

“…[13] Other studies have indicated that serum albumin can predict the presence of EVs. [17] Based on the better correlation between the CAR and the CTP score compared to CysC, [10] we investigated the potential of CAR for early diagnosis of EVs in patients with cirrhosis, aiming to identify a noninvasive diagnostic method as EGD.…”

“…[13] Previous investigations have demonstrated that both CysC and the CysC/Albumin ratio (CAR) are positively correlated with CTP score and grading, with CAR showing better correlation with liver function compared to CysC alone. [10] However, there is currently a lack of research on the association between CAR and esophageal varices (EVs) in patients with liver cirrhosis. Thus, this study aims to analyze the relationship between CAR and EVs in cirrhotic patients, with the goal of further evaluating the potential role of CAR in the early diagnosis of EVs in cirrhosis.…”

“…[9] Studies have also revealed a positive correlation between CysC and CTP score and grading, suggesting its potential role in assessing liver function. [10] Furthermore, CysC has been associated with the degree of liver fibrosis [11] and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), [12] making it a valuable marker for reflecting the extent of portal hypertension. In patients with varices, CysC levels tend to be higher compared to those without varices ( P = .048), although no significant differences were observed among patients with different grades of varices ( P = .117).…”