Serum Fibroblast Growth Factor 19 as a Biomarker in Hepatitis B Virus-Related Liver Disease

Background: Past research has found that fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) is associated with several hepatic disorders, such as alcoholic liver disease and primary biliary cirrhosis. However, there is currently a lack of relevant studies on the relationship between FGF19 and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver disease. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the role of serum FGF19 as a new biomarker for HBV-related liver disease and provide scientific data to show the clinical value of this biomarker. Methods: A retrospective study included 37 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 33 patients with HBV-related cirrhosis (HBV-cirrhosis), and 32 patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC). Furthermore, 33 normal people were randomly selected as healthy controls. The serum levels of FGF19 were measured by ELISA. Results: Serum FGF19 levels were increased sequentially in the CHB group, HBV-cirrhosis group, and HBV-HCC group. Furthermore, serum FGF19 levels positively correlated with alpha-fetoprotein, prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl-transferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bile acid, serum markers for liver fibrosis, ascites, cirrhosis, Child-Pugh classification and model for end-stage liver disease sodium (MELD-Na) score, while negatively correlated with platelet count, prothrombin activity, and albumin. The diagnostic threshold of serum FGF19 for HBV-related HCC was 165.32 pg/mL, with a sensitivity of 81.25% and specificity of 58.57%. Conclusions: Serum FGF19 levels are positively associated with cholestasis, hepatocyte damage, and liver fibrosis but negatively correlated with liver synthetic function and liver functional reserve in HBV-related liver disease. Diverse changes in serum FGF19 may be used as a predictive marker for the progression of HBV-related liver disease. In addition, serum FGF19 has a potential role in monitoring carcinogenesis in patients with HBV-related liver disease.