title: Evaluating the severity of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with superparamagnetic iron oxide-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the utility of noninvasive assessment of human nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients using superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-enhanced MRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen NAFLD patients underwent SPIO-enhanced MRI. The values of tau, a time constant for an exponential approximation, were calculated using gradient-echo echo-planar imaging, and the values of %T2, a marker of the T2 relaxation effect of SPIO, were calculated using T2-weighted fast spin-echo images. Correlations between these values and the histological NAFLD activity scores were evaluated. The study protocol was approved by our Institutional Review Board and all patients gave informed consent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant relationship between the NAFLD activity scores and the tau values (r = 0.66, P = 0.002). The %T2 values were also significantly correlated with the NAFLD activity score (r = -0.58, P = 0.009). A cutoff tau value of 42.8 predicted "definitive NASH" (NAFLD activity score >or=5) with a specificity of 66.7% and a sensitivity of 99.9%, whereas a cutoff %T2 value of 32.5 predicted "definitive NASH" with a specificity of 72.7% and a sensitivity of 87.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Noninvasive SPIO-enhanced MRI may be helpful for identifying NASH patients among patients suspected of having NAFLD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kengo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Irie
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Teratani
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: Tamiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohkura
authors.forename: Toshifumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hibi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007501:Iron; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010087:Oxides; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D003911:Dextrans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D010087:Oxides; D007501:Iron; C065507:ferumoxides; D052203:Ferrosoferric Oxide