Assessment of liver function of patients with HBV-related cirrhosis using T1 mapping on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the value of T1 mapping in Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI for the assessment of liver function with HBV-related cirrhosis according to the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score. Methods 158 patients with HBV-related cirrhosis were included in this prospective study, and divided into MELD score ≤10 (n=103) group and MELD score>10 (n=55) group. All patients underwent non-enhanced and Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI of liver, and T1 mapping was performed using Look-Locker sequences with the same scan parameters and geometry position (the level of porta hepatis) pre-and post-contrast at 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes after Gd-EOB-DTPA administration. T1 relaxation times of the liver were measured and reduction rates of T1 relaxation times (ΔT1) were calculated. Independent samples t test was performed to compare T1 relaxation times and ΔT1 between MELD score≤10 and MELD score>10 groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis were done to differentiate the diagnostic performance of T1 relaxation times and ΔT1 between MELD score≤10 and MELD score>10 groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyse the correction between T1 relaxation times, ΔT1 and MELD scores. Results T1 relaxation times pre-and post-contrast at 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes and ΔT1 post-contrast at 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes of MELD score≤10 group were (889.3±91.2) ms, (377.5±55.0) ms, (350.8±61.2) ms, (328.0±69.4) ms, (302.7±73.7) ms, (57.4±5.6)%, (60.4±6.5)%, (63.0±7.3)% and (65.9±7.8)%, respectively, and those of MELD score>10 group were (936.6±95.4) ms, (460.2±68.5) ms, (457.5±94.5) ms, (453.4±116.4) ms, (444.6±134.6) ms, (50.8±5.7)%, (51.3±7.9)%, (51.8±10.3)% and (52.8±12.2)%, respectively, and T1 relaxation times and ΔT1 at all time points were significantly different (P 10 groups were 0.638, 0.824, 0.832, 0.832, 0.830 and 0.795, 0.814, 0.820, 0.825, respectively. The correlation coefficients between T1 relaxation time pre-and post-contrast at 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes, ΔT1 post-contrast at 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes and MELD scores were 0.256, 0.499, 0.540, 0.538, 0.548, -0.412, -0.495, -0.507 and -0.527, respectively. Conclusions T1 mapping on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI is helpful for evaluating liver function with HBV-related cirrhosis. T1 relaxation times post-contrast on different time points were equally accurate as ΔT1. T1 relaxation times post-contrast and ΔT1 were superior to T1 relaxation times pre-contrast. Key words: Gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA); Magnetic resonance imaging; Liver function; Model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score