Role Of Plasma Von-Willebrand Factor In Children With Chronic Liver Diseases

Purpose Pediatrics with chronic liver diseases (CLD) face more significant clinical problems. The most reliable technique for detecting liver fibrosis is still liver biopsy (LB). Our investigation assessed Von-Willebrand Factor Antigen (VWF Ag) plasma titer as a probable non-invasive predictor for grading liver fibrosis in children with CLD. Methods 120 children participated in our case-control study, 60 of whom had CLD and the remaining 60 of whom were healthy. Hepatic etiology was histologically confirmed via LB. VWF Ag concentrations were determined in all participants using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results VWF Ag mean titers were significantly elevated in CLD cases in contrast with controls (581.4 ± 279 vs. 166.9 ± 78 ng/ml; P  < 0.001). There was a remarkable positive association amongst VWF Ag and total, direct serum bilirubin (TSB, DSB), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), liver span, portal hypertension, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease (PELD) score, and Child-Pugh score ( P  ≤ 0.05). Additionally, raised VWF Ag titer was observed among cases with more advanced fibrosis and elevated histological activity index ( P  ≤ 0.01). Conclusion VWF Ag can serve as a significant indicator of liver fibrosis severity in pediatric CLD cases.