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Inexpensive and simple non-invasive indexes for predicting liver inflammation are urgently required, but have been poorly studied in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with alanine transaminase (ALT) ≤2 times the upper limit of normal (ULN). A total of 356 CHB patients with ALT ≤2 ULN who presented at Huashan Hospital (n=181) and the First Hospital of Quanzhou (n=175) were enrolled and randomly divided into an experimental assessment cohort (n=238) and validation cohort (n=118) at a ratio of 2:1. Histological analysis of liver tissue was performed to determine the pathological stage according to the Scheuer scoring system. For the experimental assessment cohort, univariate and multivariate analysis identified aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and albumin (ALB) as independent predictors of liver necroinflammation [liver necroinflammation grade (G)≥2] in patients with ALT ≤2 ULN. Therefore, a novel index, the AST-to-ALB ratio (ATAR), was proposed, which had a better diagnostic performance [area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC)=0.721] than that of ALB (AUC=0.632; P=0.039 vs. ATAR) and AST (AUC=0.682; P=0.082 vs. ATAR). In the validation cohort, the AUC of ATAR (0.728) to identify patients with a G≥2 was slightly greater than that of AST (0.660; P=0.149 vs. ATAR) and ALB (0.672; P=0.282 vs. ATAR). Furthermore, a similar diagnostic superiority was also demonstrated in patients with ALT ≤1 ULN. Thus, ATAR may be a promising non-invasive surrogate marker for liver necroinflammation CHB patients with ALT ≤2 ULN and thereby determine whether anti-viral treatment should be initiated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the MRI features of primary Gallbladder Carcinoma and the diagnostic value of MRI. Methods The MRI manifestations of 102 cases with primary Gallbladder Carcinoma were analyzed retrospectively, All patients who received routine MRI plain and enhancement scan were performed DWI examination. Results There were 54 cases of mass-type, 20 cases of wall thickening-type, 26 cases of intrauterine-type, slightly low signal was showed on T1WI, slightly high signal on T2WI, high signal on DWI. There were 38 cases of hepatic infiltration, 31 cases of liver metastasis, 87 cases of cholecystolithiasis, 64 cases of lymph node metastasis, 57 cases of obstruction of common bile duct, 13 cases of ascites and 5 cases of abnormal pancreaticobiliary junction. Conclusion MRI has good value in diagnosis of primary gallbladder carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]