Evaluation of T1ρ as a potential MR biomarker for liver cirrhosis: comparison of healthy control subjects and patients with liver cirrhosis

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare mean liver T1ρ values in patients with liver cirrhosis and healthy control subjects in order to evaluate T1ρ as a potential MR biomarker for liver cirrhosis.

Materials and methods: Ten healthy control subjects (mean age 42.7 years; 6 female, 4 male) and 21 patients with clinically diagnosed liver cirrhosis (mean age 56.5 years; 5 female, 16 male) were examined at 1.5 T (Magnetom Avanto, Siemens). T1ρ-weighted images were acquired using a 2D TurboFLASH sequence (TR/TE 3/1.31 ms, FA 8°, FoV 309 × 380 mm, resolution 2 × 2 × 6 mm, acquisition time 15s, slice thickness 6mm) with spin-lock preparation. T1ρ maps were calculated from five breath-hold measurements, performed with different spin-lock times (4, 8, 16, 32 and 48 ms). Mean liver T1ρ values of healthy control subjects and patients with liver cirrhosis were calculated and compared using Student t-test. In addition, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the utility of mean liver T1ρ values for the prediction of liver cirrhosis.

Results: Mean liver T1ρ values in patients with liver cirrhosis (57.4 ± 7.4 ms) were significantly higher than those of healthy subjects (47.8 ± 4.2 ms; p=0.0007). According to the ROC analysis at a threshold value of 50.1 ms the sensitivity and specificity of mean liver T1ρ in predicting liver cirrhosis were 90.5% and 90%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve was 0.90.

Conclusion: Mean liver T1ρ values in patients with liver cirrhosis were significantly higher than those in healthy subjects suggesting a potential role of liver T1ρ as a MR biomarker for liver cirrhosis.