Assessment of liver fibrosis using T1 mapping on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance

Background: Few studies have investigated the value of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced T1 mapping in exact fibrosis staging, especially its correlation with hepatic molecular transporters. Aims: To investigate the diagnostic value of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced T1 mapping in staging liver fibrosis and its relationship with hepatic molecular transporters. Methods: Thirty rats were divided into the carbon tetrachloride-induced fibrosis groups and a control group. Tl-mapping was performed before and 20 min after administration of Gd-EOB-DTPA. The T1 relaxation time and reduction rate (Delta%) were calculated, and their correlations with the degree of fibrosis, necroinflammatory activity, iron load and hepatic molecular transporters were assessed and compared. Results: Hepatobiliary phase T1 relaxation time (HBP) and Delta% were different between each adjacent fibrosis subgroups(P=0.000-0.042). Very strong correlations existed between fibrosis and both HBP and Delta% (r=0.960/-0.952), and multivariate analyses revealed that fibrosis was the only factor independently predicted by HBP (P=0.000) and Delta% (P=0.001), comparing to necroinflammatory activity and iron load. The expression of the organic anion transporting polypeptidelal (Oatplal) was significantly correlated with HBP and Delta% at both mRNA (r=-0.741/0.697) and protein (r=-0.577/0.602) levels. Weaker correlations were found for multidrug resistance associated protein2 (Mrp2). Generally, both transporters showed decreasing levels with increasing degrees of fibrosis. Conclusion: Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced T1 mapping may provide a reliable diagnostic tool in staging liver fibrosis, and can be regarded as a useful imaging biomarker of hepatocyte transporter function. (C) 2017 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.