Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to explore the correlation of liver Young's modulus by two-dimensional shear wave elastography (SWE) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)/platelet (PLT) ratio to liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods 120 patients with CHB were admitted to the Provincial People's Hospital, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region between May 2019 and May 2022, and all patients underwent liver biopsy. The liver Young's modulus was obtained by ultrasonography, and serum ALP and whole blood PLT counts were detected routinely. The correlation of ALP / PLT ratio and Young's modulus to liver fibrosis was determined by Spearman correlation analysis. Results Out of the 120 patients with CHB, the liver histopathological examination showed F0/F1 stage in 38 cases(31.7%), F2 stage in 32 cases(26.7%), F3 stage in 32 cases(26.7%) and F4 stage in 18 cases (15.0%); serum ALP, blood PLT counts, ALP/PLT ratio and Young's modulus in patients with F4 were (197.1±39.7)U/L, (114.2±35.1)×10⁹/L, (1.7±0.3) and (11.7±1.7)kPa, all significantly different compared to [(180.9±43.8)U/L, (137.1±38.6)×10⁹/L, (1.3±0.4) and (8.6±1.5) kPa, respectively, all P＜0.05] in patients with F3 or [(162.7±41.1)U/L,(154.6±39.8)×10⁹/L,(0.9±0.2) and (6.4±1.0)kPa, respectively, all P＜0.05] in patients with F2 or [(150.5±36.4)U/L, (181.7±37.2)×10⁹/L, (0.7±0.2) and (5.3±1.1)kPa, respectively, all P＜0.05] in patients with F0/F1; the Spearman analysis showed that the Young's modulus and ALP/PLT ration in patients with CHB were positively correlated to liver fibrosis staging (r=0.79, P＜0.05; r=0.75, P＜0.05). Conclusion The Young's modulus and ALP / PLT ratio in patients with CHB are correlated to liver fibrosis, which might help predict the liver fibrosis staging and warrants further clinical investigation.

Key words: Hepatitis B, Liver fibrosis, Shear wave elastography, Young's modulus, Alkaline phosphatase to platelet ratio