title: [Fractal analysis of liver fibrosis].
abstract: This study realized by two different study groups use of Fractal geometry to quantify the complex collagen deposition during chronic liver disease. Thirty standard needle liver biopsy specimens were obtained from patients with chronic HCV-related disease. Three mu-thick sections were cut and stained by means of Picrosirius stain, in order to visualise collagen matrix. The degree of fibrosis was measured using a quantitative scoring system based on the computer-assisted evaluation of the fractal dimension of the deposited collagen surface. The obtained results by both study groups, show that the proposed method is reproducible, rapid and inexpensive. The complex distribution of its collagenous components can be quantified using a single numerical score. This study demonstrated that it is possible to quantify the collagen's irregularity in an objective manner, and that the study of the fractal properties of the collagen shapes is likely to reveal more about its structure and the complex behaviour of its development.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Patologia, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Roma. marco.melis@uniromal.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nardoni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bosco
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grizzi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dioguardi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melis
mesh_terms: D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis*; D017709:Fractals; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen