Hepatic Artery Doppler Haemodynamic Indices as Imaging Biomarkers of Disease Activity in Adults with Chronic Hepatitis B: Correlation with Viral Load and Serum Alanine Transaminase

Background: Hepatitis B is a common cause of chronic liver disease. Early features of fibrosis are detectable using ultrasound and Doppler imaging. Aims: This study evaluated relationships between hepatic artery Doppler parameters, serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) quantification (viral load) in seropositive adults with hepatitis B compared with matched healthy controls. Materials and Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study assessed grayscale liver ultrasound, hepatic artery Doppler indices, ALT and viral load among 143 asymptomatic hepatitis B-positive adults and matched controls. Liver size, echotexture, resistive index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), ALT and HBV DNA levels were measured. Data were summarised using mean, median and standard deviation. Chi-square and t -tests compared groups, while Pearson correlation assessed relationships among ALT, RI and PI, with significance at P < 0.05. Results: The study compared 143 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with 143 healthy controls. No significant differences were observed in liver span (13.0 vs. 12.8 cm) or echogenicity, but hepatic artery Doppler indices were significantly elevated in hepatitis B patients (0.69 vs. 0.61 for RI and 1.25 vs. 0.98 for PI). Elevated ALT levels and detectable viral loads were more common in patients on treatment. Doppler indices correlated significantly with ALT and the viral load, suggesting their potential role in monitoring hepatitis B progression. Conclusion: Doppler ultrasound remains a valuable non-invasive tool for assessing hepatic vascular changes among asymptomatic CHB-positive patients with RI and PI revealing those changes. Doppler indices correlated significantly with abnormal serum ALT and elevated viral load levels among hepatitis B-positive patients.