Bahl Manisha BS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Aliya Qayyum MD, Presenter: Spouse, Employee, Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV (Stentor)

Antonio C. Westphalen MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Bill Chu PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Phyllis Tien MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Raphael Merriman MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To investigate if opposed-phase liver signal intensity loss and visceral fat measurement at MR imaging are correlated with liver steatosis grade in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatitis C - increased visceral fat releases inflammatory mediators linked to the development of insulin resistance and liver steatosis in these patient groups, so that imaging biomarkers of liver or visceral fat could help in evaluating disease severity and response to therapy.

Committee on Human Research approval and patient consent were obtained, and compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was observed. Fifty-two patients (15 men and 37 women; mean age, 46 years; range, 12-68 years) with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (n=29) or hepatitis C (n=23) underwent contemporaneous MR imaging and liver biopsy. Liver biopsy was correlated with liver signal intensity loss on opposed-phase images (n=52)and visceral fat area (from 3 levels) on water-suppressed T1-weighted images (n=44) using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and recursive partitioning.

The number of patients with histopathologic steatosis grades 0, 1, 2, and 3 were 17, 16, 13, and 6, respectively. The mean liver signal intensity loss on opposed-phase images was 18.8% (range, -8.4-71.5%). The average visceral fat area was 105.7 cm2 (range, 11.4-353.1 cm2). Signal intensity loss and average visceral fat area correlated significantly with histopathologic steatosis grade (ρ = 0.78 and 0.77, respectively; p<0.0001). Liver signal intensity losses of <3%, ≥3 but <35%, ≥35 but <49%, and ≥49% corresponded to histopathologic steatosis grades of 0 (n=16/17), 1 (n=11/16), 2 (n=7/13), and 3 (n=5/6), respectively. A visceral fat area of ≥73.8 cm2 was associated with the presence of histopathologic steatosis in 41 of 44 patients.

Opposed-phase liver signal intensity loss and MR imaging visceral fat measurement may be used as biomarkers for the presence of liver steatosis.

Opposed-phase liver signal intensity loss and MR imaging visceral fat measurement may be used as biomarkers for the presence of liver steatosis.

Manisha, B, Qayyum, A, Westphalen, A, Chu, B, Tien, P, Merriman, R, Investigation of Opposed Phase Liver Signal Intensity Loss and Visceral Fat Measurement at MR Imaging as Biomarkers of Liver Steatosis.  Radiological Society of North America 2007 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2007 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2007/5010107.html