This site is intended for healthcare professionals
Journals
  • Home
  • /
  • Journals
  • /
  • Hepatitis
  • /
  • Longitudinal correlations between MRE, MRI-PDFF, a...
Journal

Longitudinal correlations between MRE, MRI-PDFF, and liver histology in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: Analysis of data from a phase II trial of selonsertib.

Read time: 1 mins
Published:1st Jan 2019
Author: Jayakumar S, Middleton MS, Lawitz EJ, Mantry PS, Caldwell SH, Arnold H et al.
Availability: Free full text
Ref.:J Hepatol. 2019;70(1):133-141.
DOI:10.1016/j.jhep.2018.09.024
Longitudinal correlations between MRE, MRI-PDFF, and liver histology in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: Analysis of data from a phase II trial of selonsertib


Background & Aims:
Non-invasive tools for monitoring treatment response and disease progression in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are needed. Our objective was to evaluate the utility of magnetic resonance (MR)-based hepatic imaging measures for the assessment of liver histology in patients with NASH.

Methods: We analyzed data from patients with NASH and stage 2 or 3 fibrosis enrolled in a phase II study of selonsertib. Pre- and post-treatment assessments included centrally read MR elastography (MRE)-estimated liver stiffness, MR imaging-estimated proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF), and liver biopsies evaluated according to the NASH Clinical Research Network classification and the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (NAS).

Results: Among 54 patients with MRE and biopsies at baseline and week 24, 18 (33%) had fibrosis improvement (≥1-stage reduction) after undergoing 24 weeks of treatment with the study drug. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of MRE-stiffness to predict fibrosis improvement was 0.62 (95% CI 0.46–0.78) and the optimal threshold was a ≥0% relative reduction. At this threshold, MRE had 67% sensitivity, 64% specificity, 48% positive predictive value, 79% negative predictive value. Among 65 patients with MRI-PDFF and biopsies at baseline and week 24, a ≥1-grade reduction in steatosis was observed in 18 (28%). The AUROC of MRI-PDFF to predict steatosis response was 0.70 (95% CI 0.57–0.83) and the optimal threshold was a ≥0% relative reduction. At this threshold, MRI-PDFF had 89% sensitivity and 47% specificity, 39% positive predictive value, and 92% negative predictive value.

Conclusions: These preliminary data support the further evaluation of MRE-stiffness and MRI-PDFF for the longitudinal assessment of histologic response in patients with NASH.

Lay summary: Liver biopsy is a potentially painful and risky method to assess damage to the liver due to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We analyzed data from a clinical trial to determine if 2 methods of magnetic resonance imaging – 1 to measure liver fat and 1 to measure liver fibrosis (scarring) – could potentially replace liver biopsy in evaluating NASH-related liver injury. Both imaging methods were correlated with biopsy in showing the effects of NASH on the liver.

 

Read abstract on library site

Access full article