The related research on quantification evaluation of renal interstitial fibrosis and renal elasticity measured by real-time shear wave elastography

Abstract

Objective To investigate quantification evaluation of renal interstitial fibrosis and renal elasticity measured by real-time shear wave elastography(SWE) in CKD patients. Methods Forty healthy volunteers and 90 CKD patients were examined on lower pole of the kidney by SWE. All CKD patients underwent renal biopsy, Masson staining and PAS staining were used to calculate the percentage of interstitial fibrosis (IF) by computer aided quantitative analysis. The CKD group was divided into three groups based on IF percentage, the IF percentage 50% as severe group.Young′s modulus and pathology results of each group were compared. Correlation of Young′s modulus value of renal cortex with renal IF were analyzed. Results Young′s modulus at the lower pole of right renal cortex was statistically significant different from other groups(χ2=55.521, P 0.05). ROC curves analyses indicated that the AUC, cut-off value, sensitivity and specificity for SWE differentiating renal IF in control group and CKD group were 0.871, 6.90 kPa, 76.67%, 90.00%, those in mild and moderate groups were 0.778, 9.50 kPa, 58.33%, 85.11%, those in moderate and severe groups were 0.850, 11.1 kPa, 80.00%, 85.70%, respectively. The Young′s modulus of renal cortex has positively correlated with renal IF(r=0.371, P<0.001). Conclusions SWE technology is an effective method to assess the different degree of renal fibrosis, it can be used to distinguish mild from severe renal fibrosis, but it is difficult to distinguish the mild from moderate fibrosis. Key words: Elasticity imaging techniques; Kidney diseases; renal interstitial fibrosis