Liver Assessment in Patients with Ataxia-Telangiectasia: Transient Elastography Detects Early Stages of Steatosis and Fibrosis

Background. Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare autosomal-recessive multisystem disorder characterized by pronounced cerebellar ataxia, telangiectasia, cancer predisposition, and altered body composition. Liver diseases with steatosis, fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma are frequent findings in older patients but sensitive noninvasive diagnostic tools are lacking. Objectives. To determine the sensitivity of transient elastography (TE) as a screening tool for early hepatic tissue changes and serum biomarkers for liver disease. Methods. Thirty-one A-T patients aged 2 to 25 years were examined prospectively from 2016-2018 by TE. In addition, we evaluated the diagnostic performance of liver biomarkers for steatosis and necroinflammatory activity (SteatoTest and ActiTest, Biopredictive, Paris) compared to TE. For calculation and comparison, patients were divided into two groups (<12, >12 years of age). Results. TE revealed steatosis in 2/21 (10%) younger patients compared to 9/10 (90%) older patients. Fibrosis was present in 3/10 (30%) older patients as assessed by TE. We found a significant correlation of steatosis with SteatoTest, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), HbA1c, and triglycerides. Liver stiffness correlated significantly with SteatoTest, ActiTest, HbA1c, and triglycerides. Conclusion. Liver disease is a common finding in older A-T patients. TE is an objective measure to detect early stages of steatosis and fibrosis. SteatoTest and ActiTest are a good diagnostic assessment for steatosis and necroinflammatory activity in patients with A-T and confirmed the TE results.

Automated summary

This study aimed to determine the sensitivity of transient elastography (TE) as a screening tool for early hepatic tissue changes and serum biomarkers for liver disease. The results showed that TE was able to detect early stages of steatosis and fibrosis. Furthermore, SteatoTest and ActiTest performed well in diagnosing steatosis and necroinflammatory activity in A-T patients, consistent with the TE findings.