ObjectiveTo explore the significance of quantitative parameters of tissue diffusion included in the real-time ultrasound elastography (RTE), in diagnosing the degree of liver fibrosis. MethodFrom July 2012 to November 2014, liver biopsy being the gold standard for evaluating hepatic fibrosis stage, we performed RTE on 112 hepatitis patients and analyzed the elastogram we got. At the same time, we carried out quantitative analysis of tissue diffusion in these patients, and obtained the values of liver fibrosis index (LFI) of right liver parenchyma. Subsequently, we compared the biopsy pathological results with the values of LFI, and single-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) was adopted to compare the LFI among patients with variant degrees of liver fibrosis. If there were any discrepancies, least significant difference method would be adopted in order to compare one with the other from different groups. Finally, critical value of LFI of different-stage liver fibrosis was obtained with the help of receiver operator characteristic (ROC)curve. ResultsChronological liver fibrosis was classified into stage 0, stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, and stage 4, and their LFI values were 2.36±0.46, 2.38±0.45, 2.84±0.54, 3.16±0.59, and 3.69±0.55, respectively. ANOVA showed that the LFI values of different-stage fibrosis had significant differences (F=29.959, P<0.001). However, there was no difference between stage 0 and stage 1 (P=0.920), or between stage 2 and stage 3 (P=0.076). The area under the ROC curve for stage 0-1 and stage 2-3, stage 2-3 and S4 was respectively 0.784 and 0.799, and their critical value was 2.83 and 3.69 respectively. ConclusionsThe real-time ultrasound elastography is a feasible and non-invasive method in diagnosing the degree of hepatitis fibrosis and LFI has advantage in distinguishing different stage of liver fibrosis.