title: Computer-aided assessment of hepatic contour abnormalities as an imaging biomarker for the prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma development in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether a hepatic fibrosis index (HFI), quantified on the basis of hepatic contour abnormality, is a risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our institutional review board approved this retrospective study and written informed consent was waved. During a 14-month period, consecutive 98 patients with chronic hepatitis C who had no medical history of HCC treatment (56 men and 42 women; mean age, 70.7 years; range, 48-91 years) were included in this study. Gadoxetic acid-enhanced hepatocyte specific phase was used to detect and analyze hepatic contour abnormality. Hepatic contour abnormality was quantified and converted to HFI using in-house proto-type software. We compared HFI between patients with (n=54) and without HCC (n=44). Serum levels of albumin, total bilirubin, aspartate transferase, alanine transferase, percent prothrombin time, platelet count, alpha-fetoprotein, protein induced by vitamin K absence-II, and HFI were tested as possible risk factors for the development of HCC by determining the odds ratio with logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HFIs were significantly higher in patients with HCC (0.58±0.86) than those without (0.36±0.11) (P<0.001). Logistic analysis revealed that only HFI was a significant risk factor for HCC development with an odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 26.4 (9.0-77.8) using a cutoff value of 0.395.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The hepatic fibrosis index, generated using a computer-aided assessment of hepatic contour abnormality, may be a useful imaging biomarker for the prediction of HCC development in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
authors: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, 501-1194 Gifu, Japan.
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Goshima
authors: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, 501-1194 Gifu, Japan. Electronic address: masa_gif@yahoo.co.jp.
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Kanematsu
authors: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, 501-1194 Gifu, Japan.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Kondo
authors: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, 501-1194 Gifu, Japan.
authors: Haruo
authors: H
authors: Watanabe
authors: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, 501-1194 Gifu, Japan.
authors: Yoshifumi
authors: Y
authors: Noda
authors: Department of Intelligent Image Information Division of Regeneration and Advanced Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Fujita
authors: Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors: Kyongtae T
authors: KT
authors: Bae
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012709:Serum Albumin; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin
keywords: Cirrhosis; Gadoxetic-acid; HCC; Liver; MRI