title: Correlation of single photon emission computed tomography parameters as a noninvasive alternative to liver biopsies in assessing liver involvement in the setting of HIV and hepatitis C virus coinfection: a multicenter trial of the Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group.
abstract: Performing a liver biopsy in patients infected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered the standard of practice to assess hepatic involvement but carries risks to patients. This pilot study was designed to identify single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) parameters that correlate with liver disease stage. HIV-coinfected and HCV-coinfected individuals undergoing a liver biopsy had a SPECT scan performed. The results showed that a number of SPECT parameters were associated with histologic changes in architecture, fibrosis, and cirrhosis, of which two SPECT parameters, the minimum pixel count for spleen region of interest and maximum pixel count for right hepatic lobe, correctly classified 39 of 46 SPECT/biopsy pairs. In conclusion, this pilot trial identified SPECT parameters that correlated with liver histology changes. A larger study is needed to demonstrate whether SPECT parameters alone or with other markers can provide information on fibrosis with the clinical significance obtained through liver biopsy.
authors.affiliation: University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96816, USA. bshirami@hawaii.edu
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shiramizu
authors.forename: Dickens
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Theodore
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bassett
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coel
authors.forename: Kenneth E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: Marshall J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Glesby
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alston
authors.forename: Dodi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Colquhoun
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Merigan
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Reichman
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berggren
authors.forename: Wendy Jo
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Burning
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brobst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D015497:HIV-1; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon