von Willebrand factor is a useful biomarker for liver fibrosis and prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma development in patients with hepatitis B and C.

Background: Several noninvasive biomarkers are available for diagnosing liver fibrosis stage and predicting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in patients with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. However, these biomarkers are not sufficiently accurate. Recently, von Willebrand factor (VWF) has been related to angiogenesis and apoptosis. Furthermore, VWF is associated with hepatic spare ability and HCC.

Objective: We aimed to determine whether VWF is a potential biomarker for liver fibrosis and HCC development.

Methods: Two hundred and twelve patients with chronic hepatitis B and C were recruited. VWF antigen (VWF: Ag) levels in each patient were determined via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to determine the risk factor of HCC.

Results: The VWF: Ag levels were higher in patients with severe liver fibrosis stage and/or HCC development than in those without. The area under the curve of VWF: Ag for diagnosis of severe liver fibrosis stage was 0.721. Multivariable analysis showed that only VWF: Ag was a predictive biomarker for HCC development.

Conclusions: VWF: Ag is related to liver fibrosis and may be useful for predicting HCC development. VWF is a potentially useful biomarker to diagnose severe liver fibrosis and predict HCC development.