Daily high-dose aspirin does not lower APRI in the Aspirin-Myocardial Infarction Study

Abstract

Antiplatelet agents reduce liver fibrosis by inhibiting platelet activation and platelet-derived growth factor production. Previous cross-sectional epidemiological studies suggest that the use of aspirin is related to reduced liver fibrosis. The Aspirin-Myocardial Infarction Study (AMIS) aims to examine this relationship in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. The existing clinical trial of aspirin was conducted to study the benefit of one gram aspirin daily among 4 524 individuals who had experienced at least one documented myocardial infarction. The aspartate aminotransferase (AST)-to-Platelet Ratio Index (APRI) was calculated at baseline and annually from the platelet count and AST levels. Participants in the AMIS trial had a mean baseline APRI of 0.34±0.36, and only 1% individuals had APRI scores higher than 1.0, a common cutofffor cirrhosis. The daily use of aspirin was associated with an increase, rather than a reduction of APRI, by 0.007 per year (95% CI 0.002-0.015, P=0.12). The use of aspirin did not significantly affect platelet counts. In a sensitivity analysis of individuals with probable significant fibrosis at baseline (APRI≥0.7), the aspirin group had a sustained reduction in APRI over time, although this change was not significant compared to that in the placebo group. In the AMIS trial, the daily use of high-dose aspirin did not significantly affect APRI, a surrogate index of liver fibrosis. This study highlights the need for de novo clinical trials to investigate the potential benefit of antiplatelet agents on liver fibrosis.