Serum Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2-binding protein expression predicts disease severity in chronic hepatitis C patients

Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2 binding protein (WFA+-M2BP) has recently been developed as a promising liver fibrosis glyco biomarker. We assessed its efficacy in evaluating liver disease severity in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in Taiwan. The association between WFA+-M2BP and histological features was evaluated among those CHC patients underwent liver biopsy. We also aimed to clarify the factors determining the performance of WFA+-M2BP in CHC. A total of 229 CHC patients were consecutively recruited. The mean value of WFA+-M2BP in patients from F0 to F4 was 1.68, 2.23, 3.45, 3.48, 3.77 respectively (linear trend P = 0.008). Linear regression analysis revealed that alanine aminotransferase (odds ratio [OR]: 0.03, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.02-0.05, P < 0.001), AST (OR: −0.1, 95% CI: −0.02 to −0.01, P < 0.001), and liver fibrosis (OR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.01-0.59, P = 0.043) were the independent factors correlated to serum WFA+-M2BP level. The optimal cutoff values of WFA+-M2BP for fibrosis stages F1, F2, F3, and F4 were 1.42, 1.61, 1.42, and 2.67, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the platelet count (OR/CI: −0.009/0.986-0.996, P = <0.001), r-glutamyl transferase (OR/CI: 0.007/1.000-1.013, P = 0.036), and WFA+-M2BP (OR/CI: 0.187/1.057-1.374, P = 0.005). We concluded that WFA+-M2BP is a competent noninvasive marker for liver fibrosis assessment in CHC patients.