Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to explore the value of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) , aspartate aminotransferase- to- platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis index based on the 4 factors (FIB- 4) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio (GPR) in predicting the degree of esophageal varices (EV) in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). Methods 142 patients with LC underwent electronic gastroscopy, LSM was detected by FibroScan, and ARPI, FIB-4 and GPR scores were calculated. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and the area under ROC (AUROC) were obtained to determine the diagnostic efficacy. Results Out of the 142 patients with LC, the gastroscopy showed EV in 93 patients (G1 in 28,G2 in 30,G3 in 35) and non-EV in 49; the LSM, APRI, FIB-4 and GPR in patients with EV were (25.8±1.6)kPa, (1.5±0.1), (5.3±0.3) and (0.9±0.1), all significantly greater than 【(15.2±1.5)kPa, (0.7±0.1), (2.9±0.3) and (0.4±0.1), respectively, P<0.05】 in patients without EV; the LSM, APRI, FIB-4 and GPR in patients with severe EV were greater than those in patients without or with mild EV; the cut-off-value of LSM, APRI, FIB-4 and GPR in predicting EV≥G2 were 19.20 kPa, 1.9, 4.9 and 0.5, respectively, and their diagnostic sensitivities and specificities were 68.7% and 96.7%, 60.0% and 89.80%, 61.50% and 91.80%, and 60.0% and 85.70%, respectively. Conclusion The application of non-invasive approaches , such as FibroScan and serum index of APRI, FIB-4 and GPR might help clinicians to predict the existence of EV in patients with LC, which warrants further investigation.

Key words: Liver cirrhosis, Esophageal varices, Non-invasive liver fibrosis model, Diagnosis