Platelet count reflects stage of chronic hepatitis C

Since the classification of liver disease is firmly based on morphology, liver biopsy continues to hold a central place in diagnosis and disease management. It might be helpful in the outpatient clinic if the stage of the liver disease could be evaluated using routine biochemical tests. This study was conducted to assess the histological stage of chronic hepatitis C using parameters measured in routine laboratory blood tests. Correlation between blood biochemical parameters and histological stage of chronic liver disease was analyzed in 498 patients with chronic liver disease admitted to our hospital, Correlation of histological staging of liver biopsy specimens of chronic hepatitis C and ten blood parameters was analyzed, showing that platelet count, prothrombin time, AST, r-GTP, AI-P, LDH, total bilirubin and albumin were significant by Kruskal-Wallis test. An analysis using proportional odds model showed that platelet count, prothrombin time, Al-P, LDH and albumin levels were significant factors for fibrotic stage of the liver. As platelet count is easily determined by a routine laboratory test, it is one of the important parameters for evaluating the stage of chronic hepatitis C. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.