• Jia Xu, Xuan Wang, Yan You, Hua Dan Xue, Qin Wang, Shi Tian Wang, and Zheng Yu Jin.
• Department of Radiology,Beijing 100730,China.
• Zhongguo Yi Xue Ke Xue Yuan Xue Bao. 2018 Dec 20; 40 (6): 809-816.

AbstractObjective To investigate the value of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylene-triamine-pentaacetic-acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting different stages of liver fibrosis in rats.Methods Rat models of liver fibrosis were induced by carbon tetrachloride intraperitoneal injection for 4 - 12 weeks (n=45). The control group was applied with 0.9% saline (n=15). The MRI protocol contained both dynamic contrast-enhanced sequence (60 continuous scans within 3 minutes,including three pre-contrast measurements) and multiple hepatobiliary-phase acquisitions (every 5 minutes after contrast injection,60 minutes in total). METAVIR score was used to grade liver fibrosis:normal (F0),mild fibrosis (F1 - F2),and advanced fibrosis (F3 - F4). Liver perfusion parameters [transfer constant (K trans),extravascular extracellular volume fraction (Ve),initial area under curve (iAUC),maximum relative enhancement (REmax),and time of maximum RE (Tmax)] as well as hepatobiliary-phase parameters [RE at different time point,the decrease of RE (REchange=RE3 min - RE60 min),and elimination half-life of RE (TRE1/2)] were measured and compared with ANOVA analysis and Spearman rank correlation.Results Thirty-one rats completed MRI exams and were then divided into normal (n=10),mild fibrosis (n=10),and advanced fibrosis (n=11) groups. K trans,Ve and iAUC decreased as liver fibrosis progressed (r=-0.631,P=0.002;r=-0.503,P=0.017;r=-0.446,P=0.037). K trans and Ve showed significant differences among three groups(F=7.011,P=0.005;F=4.656,P=0.023). K trans and Ve were significantly lower in advanced fibrosis group than in normal group (P=0.001,P=0.009). There were statistical significant differences of Tmax,TRE1/2 and REchange among groups(F=6.633,P=0.005;F=5.493,P=0.010;F=5.343,P=0.014). Compared to normal and mild fibrosis groups,advanced fibrosis group had significantly longer Tmax and TRE1/2 (P=0.005,P=0.004;P=0.008,P=0.008)and significantly lower REchange(P=0.007,P=0.012).Conclusion Perfusion and multi-hepatobiliary-phase parameters such as K trans,Ve,Tmax, TREI/2 and REchange obtained from Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI,may be valuable for detecting and staging liver fibrosis.

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