title: Liver dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for staging liver fibrosis in a piglet model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) could monitor progression of liver fibrosis in a piglet model, and which DCE-MRI parameter is most accurate for staging this disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen piglets were prospectively used to model liver fibrosis and underwent liver DCE-MRI followed by biopsy on the 0, 5th, 9th, 16th, and 21st weekends after modeling of fibrosis. Time of peak (TOP), time to peak (TTP), positive enhancement integral (PEI), maximum slope of increase (MSI), and maximum slope of decrease (MSD) were measured and statistically analyzed for the monitoring and staging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As fibrosis progresses, TOP and TTP tended to increase, whereas MSI, MSD, and PEI tended to decrease (all P < 0.05). TOP, TTP, and MSI could discriminate fibrosis stage 0 from 1-4, 0-1 from 2-4, 0-2 from 3-4, and 0-3 from 4; PEI could distinguish the above-mentioned stages except 0-3 from 4; and MSD could distinguish stage 0-3 from 4, and 0 from 1-4 (all P < 0.05). For predicting stage ≥1, ≥2, and ≥3, the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of MSI was largest among all parameters; for stage 4 AUC of TTP was largest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DCE-MRI has the potential to dynamically stage progression of liver fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Sichuan Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging, and Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Tian-wu
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hong-jie
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Nan-lin
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Li-ying
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chun-ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xian-yong
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jiani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA
keywords: dynamic contrast-enhancement; liver fibrosis; magnetic resonance imaging; stage