title: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy for the measurement of hepatic iron concentration.
abstract: The potential application of fine-needle aspiration liver biopsy in the documentation of hepatic iron overload has been assessed in iron-loaded rats. Fine-needle aspiration and standard liver biopsy specimens were obtained from three groups of animals supplemented with oral and parenteral iron for 2 to 6 mo. The mean dry weights of standard and fine-needle biopsy specimens were 7.41 +/- 0.77 (+/- S.E.M.) and 0.57 +/- 0.54 mg, respectively. Hepatic iron in fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens correlated significantly with hepatic iron in standard liver biopsy specimens as measured by biochemical determination, computerized image analysis and histological grading (r greater than 0.9, p less than 0.001). In conclusion, we have shown that fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the liver can obtain sufficient tissue for biochemical measurement of the hepatic iron concentration in an animal model of iron overload. The clinical applications of fine-needle aspiration liver biopsy in human beings with iron overload is currently being investigated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Flinders Medical Centre, South Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olynyk
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fudge
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pulbrook
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mackinnon
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D007501:Iron