Soluble B7 ‐ H6 as a Novel Diagnostic Biomarker for Post‐Hepatitis B Cirrhosis: A Clinical Value Study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of soluble B7-H6 (sB7-H6) as a biomarker for post-hepatitis B cirrhosis (LC) and to compare its performance with conventional non-invasive biomarkers, including FIB-4 and APRI. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted with 159 patients diagnosed with HBV-related liver diseases, including 77 with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 82 with post-hepatitis B cirrhosis (LC). Serum sB7-H6 levels were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The diagnostic performance of sB7-H6 was evaluated through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The diagnostic accuracy of sB7-H6, both alone and in combination with FIB-4, was compared to the traditional biomarkers APRI and FIB-4. RESULTS: Serum sB7-H6 levels increased progressively with disease severity, with the highest levels observed in the LC group. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for sB7-H6 alone in diagnosing cirrhosis was 0.87, which was superior to both APRI (AUC = 0.75) and FIB-4 (AUC = 0.79). The combined model of sB7-H6 and FIB-4 demonstrated improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.92, with sensitivity of 85.4% and specificity of 88.0%. CONCLUSION: Serum sB7-H6 is a promising, non-invasive biomarker for diagnosing post-hepatitis B cirrhosis, outperforming traditional biomarkers such as FIB-4 and APRI. The combined model of sB7-H6 and FIB-4 provides superior diagnostic accuracy and holds significant potential for clinical use in the early detection and risk stratification of liver cirrhosis in HBV-infected patients.