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Correlation of Native Liver Parenchyma T1 and T2 Relaxation Times and Liver Synthetic Function Tests: A Pilot Study

Authors :
Ute Lina Fahlenkamp
Jan Kunkel
Katharina Ziegeler
Konrad Neumann
Lisa Christine Adams
Günther Engel
Sarah Maria Böker
Marcus Richard Makowski
Source :
Diagnostics, Vol 11, Iss 6, p 1125 (2021)
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2021.

Abstract

MR relaxometry increasingly contributes to liver imaging. Studies on native relaxation times mainly describe relation to the presence of fibrosis. The hypothesis was that relaxation times are also influenced by other inherent factors, including changes in liver synthesis function. With the approval of the local ethics committee and written informed consent, data from 94 patients referred for liver MR imaging, of which 20 patients had cirrhosis, were included. Additionally to standard sequences, both native T1 and T2 parametric maps and T1 maps in the hepatobiliary phase of gadoxetate disodium were acquired. Associations with laboratory variables were assessed. Altogether, there was a negative correlation between albumin and all acquired relaxation times in cirrhotic patients. In non-cirrhotic patients, only T1 values exhibited a negative correlation with albumin. In all patients, bilirubin correlated significantly with post-contrast T1 relaxation times, whereas native relaxation times correlated only in cirrhotic patients. Evaluating patients with pathological INR values, post-contrast relaxation times were significantly higher, whereas native relaxation times did not correlate. In conclusion, apart from confirming the value of hepatobiliary phase T1 mapping, our results show a correlation of native T1 with serum albumin even in non-cirrhotic liver parenchyma, suggesting a direct influence of liver’s synthesis capacity on T1 relaxation times.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20754418
Volume :
11
Issue :
6
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Diagnostics
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.6fcf26e0ba244b7786455fd3f00e02b8
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11061125