title: Biliary tract enhancement in gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI correlates with liver function biomarkers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between gadoxetic-acid-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging measurements and laboratory and clinical biomarkers of liver function and fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred thirty nine consecutive patients with suspected liver disease or liver tumor underwent gadoxetic-acid-enhanced MR imaging. MR imaging measurements during the hepatobiliary phase included biliary tract structure-to-muscle signal intensity ratio (SIR). These measurements were compared with Child-Pugh classification, end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SIRs of cystic duct and common bile duct were significantly correlated with Child-Pugh classification (P=0.012 for cystic duct and P<0.0001 for common bile duct), MELD score (P=0.0016 and P=0.0033), and APRI (P=0.0022 and P=0.0015). The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve were: (74%, 88%, 0.86) with the SIR of common bile duct for the detection of patients with Child-Pugh class B or C; (100%, 87%, 0.94) with the SIR of cystic duct for MELD score (>10); (65%, 76%, 0.70) with the SIR of common bile duct for APRI (>1.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gadoxetic-acid contrast enhancement of cystic duct and common bile duct could be used as biomarkers to assess liver function.
authors: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.
authors: Yoshifumi
authors: Y
authors: Noda
authors: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan. Electronic address: gossy@par.odn.ne.jp.
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Goshima
authors: Radiology Services, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.
authors: Kimihiro
authors: K
authors: Kajita
authors: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Kawada
authors: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.
authors: Nobuyuki
authors: N
authors: Kawai
authors: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.
authors: Hiromi
authors: H
authors: Koyasu
authors: Department of Radiology, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Matsuo
authors: Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors: Kyongtae T
authors: KT
authors: Bae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D001659:Biliary Tract / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003287:Contrast Media; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA
keywords: Common bile duct; Cystic duct; Gadoxetic acid; Liver function; Magnetic resonance imaging