Table 2 Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic odds ratio of AI-assisted diagnosis of significant liver fibrosis (F2–4), advanced fibrosis (F3–4) and cirrhosis (F4) with subgroup analysis according to diagnostic modality (ultrasonography, elastography, computed tomography, clinical data) and population (at-risk population, general population)

Cirrhosis (F4)

Overall

11

0.78 (0.71–0.85)

79^a

0.89 (0.81–0.94)

95^a

0.72 (0.58–0.83)

93^a

0.92 (0.88–0.94)

82^a

31.58 (11.84–84.25)

93^a

 Subgroup: modality

  Ultrasonography

2

0.79 (0.73–0.84)

0

0.93 (0.90–0.95)

0

0.85 (0.79–0.89)

0

0.90 (0.87–0.92)

0

53.78 (31.99–90.40)

0

  Elastography

2

0.87 (0.50–0.98)

73^a

0.88 (0.85–0.91)

0

0.59 (0.42–0.75)

70^a

0.95 (0.93–0.97)

0

50.59 (4.05–631.72)

82^a

  CT

2

0.84 (0.80–0.87)

0

0.86 (0.43–0.98)

98^a

0.78 (0.32–0.96)

97^a

0.91 (0.88–0.93)

0^a

25.61 (0.71–920.47)

98^a

  MRI

1

0.76 (0.61–0.86)

–

0.76 (0.63–0.86)

–

0.72 (0.58–0.83)

–

0.79 (0.66–0.88)

–

9.99 (3.79–25.10)

–

  Clinical data

4

0.65 (0.58–0.72)

0

0.91 (0.74–0.97)

93^a

0.68 (0.41–0.87)

89^a

0.91 (0.87–0.94)

54^a

27.45 (3.59–209.65)

93^a

 Subgroup difference, Q

25.02 (p < 0.01)^b

14.95 (p < 0.01)^b

13.11 (p = 0.01)^b

20.57 (p < 0.01)^b

9.90 (p = 0.04)^b

 Subgroup: population

  At-risk population

7

0.80 (0.65–0.90)

84^a

0.90 (0.80–0.95)

93^a

0.67 (0.50–0.80)

89^a

0.94 (0.90–0.97)

75^a

36.78 (10.67–126.84)

90^a

  General population

4

0.80 (0.75–0.85)

34

0.87 (0.67–0.96)

96^a

0.79 (0.57–0.92)

94^a

0.88 (0.83–0.92)

60^a

24.89 (5.57–111.16)

95^a

 Subgroup difference, Q

0.00 (p = 0.99)

0.12 (p = 0.73)

1.01 (p = 0.32)

4.57 (p = 0.03)^b

0.16 (p = 0.69)

Advanced fibrosis (F3–4)

Overall

10

0.86 (0.80–0.90)

80^a

0.87 (0.80–0.92)

89^a

0.85 (0.75–0.91)

92^a

0.88 (0.82–0.92)

84^a

37.79 (16.01–89.19)

91^a

 Subgroup: modality

  Elastography

2

0.84 (0.74–0.91)

53^a

0.94 (0.77–0.99)

59^a

0.92 (0.49–0.99)

84^a

0.91 (0.88–0.94)

0

98.96 (5.06–1936.46)

87^a

  CT

2

0.89 (0.70–0.96)

90^a

0.87 (0.55–0.97)

95^a

0.88 (0.55–0.98)

96^a

0.87 (0.65–0.95)

88^a

45.86 (0.78–2698.17)

98^a

  MRI

2

0.78 (0.67–0.86)

0

0.79 (0.65–0.88)

0

0.85 (0.74–0.92)

0

0.70 (0.57–0.81)

0

12.21 (4.96–30.08)

0

  Clinical data

4

0.87 (0.79–0.92)

69^a

0.82 (0.79–0.92)

0

0.79 (0.75–0.83)

8

0.90 (0.83–0.95)

77^a

32.81 (17.05–63.15)

61^a

 Subgroup difference, Q

2.89 (p = 0.40)

2.82 (p = 0.42)

2.43 (p = 0.49)

18.76 (p < 0.01)^b

3.99 (p = 0.26)

 Subgroup: population

  At-risk population

6

0.86 (0.80–0.91)

71^a

0.87 (0.81–0.91)

77^a

0.82 (0.70–0.90)

91^a

0.90 (0.86–0.94)

73^a

36.70 (20.49–65.75)

67^a

  General population

4

0.85 (0.71–0.93)

84^a

0.86 (0.67–0.94)

88^a

0.88 (0.71–0.95)

92^a

0.83 (0.67–0.92)

84^a

29.78 (2.63–336.82)

96^a

 Subgroup difference, Q

0.05 (p = 0.82)

0.03 (p = 0.87)

0.41 (p = 0.52)

1.94 (p = 0.16)

0.03 (p = 0.87)

Significant fibrosis (F2–4)

Overall

8

0.86 (0.78–0.92)

91^a

0.81 (0.77–0.84)

39^a

0.88 (0.80–0.93)

90^a

0.77 (0.58–0.89)

95^a

26.79 (14.47–49.62)

77^a

 Subgroup: Modality

  Ultrasonography

2

0.90 (0.87–0.93)

0

0.82 (0.77–0.85)

0

0.83 (0.79–0.87)

0

0.86 (0.72–0.94)

80^a

37.53 (18.66–75.49)

48

  Elastography

2

0.73 (0.68–0.77)

0

0.87 (0.82–0.90)

0

0.92 (0.71–0.98)

79^a

0.62 (0.29–0.86)

95^a

18.84 (12.24–29.00)

0

  CT

1

0.76 (0.64–0.85)

–

0.68 (0.52–0.81)

–

0.80 (0.68–0.88)

–

0.63 (0.48–0.77)

–

6.79 (2.77–16.66)

  MRI

1

0.84 (0.75–0.91)

–

0.70 (0.38–0.90)

–

0.96 (0.89–0.99)

–

0.33 (0.17–0.55)

–

12.67 (2.92–54.96)

  Clinical data

2

0.96 (0.94–0.98)

0

0.78 (0.72–0.83)

0

0.83 (0.61–0.94)

90^a

0.93 (0.88–0.96)

0

80.11 (37.50–171.16)

19

 Subgroup difference, Q

76.00 (p < 0.01)^b

12.07 (p = 0.02)^b

9.08 (p = 0.06)

45.04 (p < 0.01)^b

20.79 (p < 0.01)^b

 Subgroup: population

  At-risk population

5

0.87 (0.74–0.94)

93^a

0.82 (0.77–0.86)

39^a

0.88 (0.77–0.94)

90^a

0.81 (0.60–0.93)

94^a

33.99 (15.73–73.41)

74^a

  General population

3

0.86 (0.77–0.91)

72^a

0.78 (0.77–0.87)

32^a

0.87 (0.74–0.94)

82^a

0.69 (0.34–0.91)

94^a

17.06 (4.06–71.69)

87^a

 Subgroup difference, Q

0.07 (p = 0.79)

0.43 (p = 0.51)

0.00 (p = 0.95)

0.51 (p = 0.47)

0.69 (p = 0.41)