Clinical value of T2* in staging liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases: a preliminary study

ZHANG Jing; ZHAO Hong; YANG Liuqing; HUANG Rui; LIN Xiaorui; LIU Rujun; BEI Jinling

doi:10.19300/j.2017.L4460

Abstract：Objective To investigate the clinical value of T2*in staging liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases. Methods A total of 66 patients (male n=42, female n=24;median age 40 years) with chronic liver diseases during December 2012 to December 2015 were analyzed retrospectively and divided into S0 group (24 patients), S1 group (20 patients), S2 group (11patients), S3 group (6 patients), and S4 group (5 patients) according to the fibrosis stage. All the patients underwent conventional magnetic resonance imaging. Breath-hold multiecho T2*-weighted imaging were obtained, and T2*values were calculated. Statistical analysis of the measured T2*values of the 5 groups,the Spearman rank correlation analysis was applied for correlation analysis. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was applied for T2*values comparison among multiple groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was applied for further comparison between each two groups. The ability of T2* value in predicting the degree of hepatic fibrosis was tested with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results T2*values showed significant difference among the five groups (H=28.954, P<0.001). Further comparisons showed significantly different between each two groups (P<0.05), with an exception between S3 and S4 groups (P>0.05). Different degree of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis was negatively correlated with T2*values (rs=-0.665, P<0.001). The areas under the ROC curve for T2*values of no liver fibrosis (≥S1), moderate (≥S2), and severe liver fibrosis (≥S3) were 0.988, 0.814, and 0.812, respectively. With Yonden indexes of 96.8%, 69.3%, and 54.2% corresponding to the three degrees fibrosis, respectively, the indexes achieved sensitivities of 100%, 79%, and 91.7%, and specificities of 96.8%, 90.3%, and 57.1%, respectively. Conclusion T2*measure in quantitative assessment of liver fibrosis stage has a certain clinical values.