Abstract: Objective To investigate the correlation between clinical parameters and the stage of fibrosis measured by liver biopsy in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).Methods A total of 87 patients with CHB were recruited and divided into 2 groups according to the stage of liver fibrosis. The clinical parameters including age, sex, and laboratory test results (blood routine, liver function, hepatitis B virus (HBV) serum makers, HBV DNA quantification, prothrombin time, alpha fetoprotein (AFP), fibrosis indexes, etc.) were compared between the 2 groups. The parameters different between the 2 groups were used as variables in a binary logistic regression analysis to investigate the risk factors. The correlation between the stage of fibrosis according to the liver pathology and the risk factor was investigated. Results There were significant differences in platelet count, HBeAg titer, glutamyl transpeptidase, direct bilirubin, globulin, albumin/globulin ratio, pre-albumin, prothrombin time and fibrosis indexes between the 2 groups. Logistic regression analysis suggested that prothrombin time was a risk factor for liver fibrosis development (P=0.001, odds ratio = 2.80, 95% confidence interval: 1.53~5.10). The Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that there was a linear relationship between prothrombin time and liver fibrosis degree (P=0.000, CC=0.404).Conclusion Prothrombin time is an independent risk factor for liver fibrosis development in CHB patients, and has a linear relationship with the stage of fibrosis in the liver pathology.

Key words: Prothrombin time, Chronic hepatitis B, Stage of liver fibrosis, Risk factor, Linear relationship