Soluble
B7
‐
H6
as a Novel Diagnostic Biomarker for Post‐Hepatitis B Cirrhosis: A Clinical Value Study
Kaiyong Chen, Luxuan Yang, Huaiwu Fu, Lei Cao, Zhu Li ABSTRACT
Objective
This study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of soluble B7‐H6 (sB7‐H6) as a biomarker for post‐hepatitis B cirrhosis (LC) and to compare its performance with conventional non‐invasive biomarkers, including FIB‐4 and APRI.
Methods
A prospective cohort study was conducted with 159 patients diagnosed with HBV‐related liver diseases, including 77 with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 82 with post‐hepatitis B cirrhosis (LC). Serum sB7‐H6 levels were quantified using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The diagnostic performance of sB7‐H6 was evaluated through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The diagnostic accuracy of sB7‐H6, both alone and in combination with FIB‐4, was compared to the traditional biomarkers APRI and FIB‐4.
Results
Serum sB7‐H6 levels increased progressively with disease severity, with the highest levels observed in the LC group. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for sB7‐H6 alone in diagnosing cirrhosis was 0.87, which was superior to both APRI (AUC = 0.75) and FIB‐4 (AUC = 0.79). The combined model of sB7‐H6 and FIB‐4 demonstrated improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.92, with sensitivity of 85.4% and specificity of 88.0%.
Conclusion
Serum sB7‐H6 is a promising, non‐invasive biomarker for diagnosing post‐hepatitis B cirrhosis, outperforming traditional biomarkers such as FIB‐4 and APRI. The combined model of sB7‐H6 and FIB‐4 provides superior diagnostic accuracy and holds significant potential for clinical use in the early detection and risk stratification of liver cirrhosis in HBV‐infected patients.