Validation of a New Point Shear-Wave Elastography Method for Noninvasive Assessment of Liver Fibrosis: A Prospective Multicenter Study

Evaluation of meniscal elasticity using shear wave elastography in obese children and adolescents: a preliminary cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Musculoskeletal problems such as pain, joint pathology, increased risk of fracture, and the development of structural deformities are common in childhood obesity. Increased mechanical stress on the knee joint leads to degenerative changes in the cartilage and meniscus. Meniscal elasticity values increase in meniscal degeneration. Shear wave elastography (SWE) is an ultrasound-based imaging technique based on the principle of measuring tissue elasticity.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the changes in meniscal stiffness and thickness that can be caused by obesity in children and adolescents using SWE.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this prospective cross-sectional study, the menisci of obese (n=44) and age- and sex-matched healthy weight (n=44) children and adolescents were assessed by SWE. Meniscal elasticity was measured in kPa on the coronal plane. Independent samples t-test was used to compare meniscal elasticity values between groups. Additionally, Pearson's correlation test was used to examine the relationships between elasticity values and age, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI).

RESULTS

Meniscal elasticity values were significantly higher in the obese group than in the control group (P<0.001). In both groups, there was no significant difference in meniscal stiffness between the boys and girls or between the right and left sides. In the obese group, there were weak and moderate positive correlations between meniscal elasticity values and age, weight, and BMI (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in meniscal thickness between the obese and control groups.

CONCLUSION

Meniscal stiffness is increased in obese children and adolescents.

Can liquid biopsies for MASH help increase the penetration of metabolic surgery? A narrative review

This narrative review highlights current evidence on non-invasive tests to predict the presence or absence as well as the severity of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and liver fibrosis. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a common condition characterized by fat accumulation in the liver that affects 32 % of the world population. The most severe form of MASLD is MASH in which hepatocyte ballooning and inflammation are present together with steatosis; MASH is often associated with liver fibrosis. MASH diagnosis is determined by invasive liver biopsy. Hence, there is a critical need for non-invasive MASH tests. Plasma biomarkers for MASH diagnosis generally have low sensitivity (62-66 %), and specificity (78-82 %). Monocyte levels of Perilipin2 (PLIN2) predict MASH with an accuracy of 92-93 %, and sensitivity and specificity of 90-95 % and 88-100 %, respectively. This liquid biopsy test can facilitate the study of MASH prevalence in general populations and also monitor the effects of lifestyle, surgical, and pharmacological interventions. Without any FDA-approved MASH therapeutic, and with metabolic surgery markedly surpassing the efficacy of lifestyle modification, an accurate and reliable liquid biopsy could help more people choose surgery as a treatment for MASH.

Assessment of the skin with 2D-shear wave elastography in the systemic scleroderma and its correlation with pulmonary involvement

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to assess the skin involvement in systemic scleroderma patients (SSc) with 2D-Shear Wave Elastography (2D-SWE) and to review the corelation between skin elasticity and pulmonary involvement.

METHODS

Thirty SSc patients and 30 controls were examined using 2D-SWE. The demographics matched both groups. B-mode ultrasound (US) and 2D-SWE assessed skin thickness and elastography from the ventral side of the right forearm in each subjective. ROC analysis determined optimal group separation cut-off values. A rheumatologist applied mRSS for SSc patients. US, mRSS, and pulmonary involvement correlations were reviewed.

RESULTS

US parameter values (skin thickness, median kPa, median m/s) were higher in the SSc patient group (1.78 ± 0.36 mm, 22.15 ± 16.26, 2.60 ± 0.82, respectively) compared to the control group (1.55 ± 0.2 mm, 7.45 ± 1.84, 1.56 ± 0.2, respectively, p < 0.05). When the optimal cut-off SWE values for separating groups was determined as 10.5 kPa and 1.87 m/s, the sensitivity was 93% and the specificity was 97%. Pearson's correlation analysis showed a strong positive correlation between mRSS and median SWE values (kPa, r = 0.626, p = 0.001; m/s, r = 0.638, p < 0.001). There was no correlation between pulmonary involvement of SSc patients with mRSS and US parameters.

CONCLUSION

2D-SWE is a promising non-invasive method to evaluate skin involvement in SSc patient group. For pulmonary involvement we need more data with bigger patient groups.

Intra-individual comparison of twodimensional shear wave elastography techniques using plane wave imaging and the multi-beam technique: are they interchangeable in measuring liver fibrosis?

PURPOSE

This study compared two different two-dimensional shear wave elastography techniques-plane wave imaging (PWI) and multi-beam (MB) imaging-from the same vendor to evaluate liver fibrosis.

METHODS

In this prospective study, 42 patients with chronic liver disease who had recently undergone magnetic resonance elastography (<3 months) were enrolled, and their liver stiffness (LS) values were measured using PWI or MB. The LS values (kPa) were compared using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Inter-technique reproducibility and intra-observer repeatability were assessed using Bland-Altman analysis with 95% limits of agreement (LOA) and coefficients of variation (CVs). The cutoff values for predicting severe fibrosis (≥F3) were estimated using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, with magnetic resonance elastography as the reference standard.

RESULTS

PWI exhibited technical failure in four patients. Therefore, 38 patients underwent both examinations. The LS values showed moderate agreement between PWI and MB (CV, 22.5%) and 95% LOA of -3.71 to 7.44 kPa. The MB technique showed good intra-observer agreement (CV, 8.1%), while PWI showed moderate agreement (CV, 11.0%). The cutoff values of PWI and MB for diagnosing ≥F3 were 12.3 kPa and 13.8 kPa, respectively, with areas under the ROC curve of 0.89 and 0.95 (sensitivity, 100% and 100%; specificity, 65.6% and 85.7%).

CONCLUSION

The LS values significantly differed between PWI and MB, hindering their interchangeable use in longitudinal follow-up. Considering its low technical failure rate and better repeatability, the MB technique may be preferable for evaluating liver fibrosis in chronic liver disease patients.

Association between small dense LDL levels and hepatic fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

While patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) continue to increase worldwide, few hematological biomarkers are helpful. This study examined the potential of small dense low density lipoprotein (sdLDL) as a noninvasive biomarker for NAFLD and investigated the relevance of liver fibrosis. One hundred seventy two patients were enrolled: 121 NAFLD patients and 51 healthy controls. The lipoprotein profiles of NAFLD patients and controls were analyzed, and transient elastography (Fibroscan®) was performed to evaluate the degree of NAFLD. The liver biopsy results in some NAFLD patients were also analyzed. Age-gender matching was performed among the 172 patients, and a comparison with 46 NAFLD patients with the control group confirmed that the sdLDL (P < .001) is significantly higher in the NAFLD group. A liver fibrosis test performed on 121 NAFLD patients confirmed a positive correlation between the degree of hepatic fibrosis and the sdLDL/LDL ratio (R = 0.215, P = .017). The area under the curve of the sdLDL for the diagnosis of NAFLD was 0.734 (95% CI, 0.631-0.838), and the area under the curve of the sdLDL/LDL ratio was 0.730 (95% CI, 0.621-0.829). The sdLDL and NAFLD activity scores of the 11 NAFLD patients who underwent liver biopsy showed a positive correlation, but it was not statistically significant. The sdLDL was higher in NAFLD patients than in controls and showed a tendency to increase gradually with increasing degree of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. In particular, the sdLDL/LDL ratio showed a significant correlation with the degree of hepatic fibrosis, and the sdLDL measurement could be useful in NAFLD patients.

Quantitative Evaluation of Hepatic Steatosis Using Advanced Imaging Techniques: Focusing on New Quantitative Ultrasound Techniques

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, characterized by excessive accumulation of fat in the liver, is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. The current standard for the detection of hepatic steatosis is liver biopsy; however, it is limited by invasiveness and sampling errors. Accordingly, MR spectroscopy and proton density fat fraction obtained with MRI have been accepted as non-invasive modalities for quantifying hepatic steatosis. Recently, various quantitative ultrasonography techniques have been developed and validated for the quantification of hepatic steatosis. These techniques measure various acoustic parameters, including attenuation coefficient, backscatter coefficient and speckle statistics, speed of sound, and shear wave elastography metrics. In this article, we introduce several representative quantitative ultrasonography techniques and their diagnostic value for the detection of hepatic steatosis.

Staging liver fibrosis after severe yellow fever with ultrasound elastography in Brazil: A six-month follow-up study

BACKGROUND

Yellow fever (YF) is a hemorrhagic disease caused by an arbovirus endemic in South America, with recent outbreaks in the last years. Severe cases exhibit fulminant hepatitis, but there are no studies regarding its late-term effects on liver parenchyma. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the frequency and grade of liver fibrosis in patients who recovered from severe YF and to point out potential predictors of this outcome.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We followed-up 18 patients who survived severe YF during a recent outbreak (January-April 2018) in Brazil using ultrasound (US) with shear-wave elastography (SWE) at 6 months after symptoms onset. No patient had previous history of liver disease. Median liver stiffness (LS) was 5.3 (4.6-6.4) kPa. 2 (11.1%) patients were classified as Metavir F2, 1 (8.3%) as F3 and 1 (8.3%) as F4; these two last patients had features of cardiogenic liver congestion on Doppler analysis. Age and cardiac failure were associated with increased LS (p = 0.036 and p = 0.024, respectively). SAPS-3 at ICU admission showed a tendency of association with significant fibrosis (≥ F2; p = 0.053). 7 patients used sofosbuvir in a research protocol, of which none showed liver fibrosis (p = 0.119).

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

We found a low frequency of liver fibrosis in severe YF survivors. US with SWE may have a role in the follow up of patients of age and / or with comorbidities after hospital discharge in severe YF, a rare but reemergent disease.

The Relevance of Noninvasive Tools To Assess Fibrosis in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a growing cause of chronic liver diseases worldwide, involving about 25% of people. NAFLD incorporates a large spectrum of pathological conditions, from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis and its complications include hepatic decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This progression occurs, over many years, in an asymptomatic way, until advanced fibrosis appears. Thus, the differentiation of NASH from simple steatosis and identification of advanced hepatic fibrosis are key issues. To date, the histological assessment of fibrosis with liver biopsy is the gold standard, but obviously, invasiveness is the greater threshold. In addition, rare but potentially life-threatening complications, poor acceptability, sampling variability and cost maybe restrict its use. Furthermore, due to the epidemic of NAFLD worldwide and several limitations of liver biopsy evaluation, noninvasive assessment tools to detect fibrosis in NAFLD patients are needed.

Shear wave elastography reveals a high prevalence of liver fibrosis in overweight or obese Hispanic youth

Background: Obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes are risk factors for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Inflammation and hepatocellular damage associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease lead to progressive non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis. Current tests to identify fibrosis (liver biopsy) are invasive and not conducive to serial examination. For that reason, we used the newer technique of shear wave elastogrophy (SWE) to detect fibrosis in overweight or obese Hispanic youth and sought to determine if carbohydrate tolerance or insulin resistance were associated with fibrosis in this high risk population. Methods: A total of 67 Hispanic youth (8–18 years of age) with overweight or obesity who were referred for multidisciplinary evaluation were included. SWE was used to identify those with suspected fibrosis. Results of SWE were then compared with glycohemoglobin (A_1c), insulin resistance (homeostatic model of insulin resistance), and biochemical parameters. Results: The prevalence of suspected fibrosis (SWE >5.10 kPa) in overweight or obese Hispanic youth was 62.7% (42/67). Patients with suspected fibrosis (SWE ≥5.10 kPa) had significantly higher levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and the aminotransferase to platelet ratio index when compared to patients without significant fibrosis (SWE <5.01 kPa). However, there were no significant differences between the groups in body mass index, A_1c, or homeostatic model of insulin resistance. Conclusions: SWE detected a high prevalence (62.7%) of suspected hepatic fibrosis in a group of high risk, overweight or obese Hispanic youth suggesting that SWE is a useful tool for surveillance and longitudinal studies.

Advances in Imaging of Diffuse Parenchymal Liver Disease

There are >1.5 billion people with chronic liver disease worldwide, causing liver diseases to be a significant global health issue. Diffuse parenchymal liver diseases, including hepatic steatosis, fibrosis, metabolic diseases, and hepatitis cause chronic liver injury and may progress to fibrosis and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma. As early diagnosis and treatment of these diseases impact the progression and outcome, the need for assessment of the liver parenchyma has increased. While the current gold standard for evaluation of the hepatic parenchymal tissue, biopsy has disadvantages and limitations. Consequently, noninvasive methods have been developed based on serum biomarkers and imaging techniques. Conventional imaging modalities such as ultrasound, computed tomography scan, and magnetic resonance imaging provide noninvasive options for assessment of liver tissue. However, several recent advances in liver imaging techniques have been introduced. This review article focuses on the current status of imaging methods for diffuse parenchymal liver diseases assessment including their diagnostic accuracy, advantages and disadvantages, and comparison between different techniques.

Two-Dimensional-Shear Wave Elastography with a Propagation Map: Prospective Evaluation of Liver Fibrosis Using Histopathology as the Reference Standard

Objective

The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate whether liver stiffness (LS) assessments, obtained by two-dimensional (2D)-shear wave elastography (SWE) with a propagation map, can evaluate liver fibrosis stage using histopathology as the reference standard.

Materials and Methods

We prospectively enrolled 123 patients who had undergone percutaneous liver biopsy from two tertiary referral hospitals. All patients underwent 2D-SWE examination prior to biopsy, and LS values (kilopascal [kPa]) were obtained. On histopathologic examination, fibrosis stage (F0–F4) and necroinflammatory activity grade (A0–A4) were assessed. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to determine the significant factors affecting the LS value. The diagnostic performance of the LS value for staging fibrosis was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and the optimal cut-off value was determined by the Youden index.

Results

Reliable measurements of LS values were obtained in 114 patients (92.7%, 114/123). LS values obtained from 2D-SWE with the propagation map positively correlated with the progression of liver fibrosis reported from histopathology (p < 0.001). According to the multivariate linear regression analysis, fibrosis stage was the only factor significantly associated with LS (p < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve of LS from 2D-SWE with the propagation map was 0.773, 0.865, 0.946, and 0.950 for detecting F ≥ 1, F ≥ 2, F ≥ 3, and F = 4, respectively. The optimal cut-off LS values were 5.4, 7.8, 9.4, and 12.2 kPa for F ≥ 1, F ≥ 2, F ≥ 3, and F = 4, respectively. The corresponding sensitivity and specificity of the LS value for detecting cirrhosis were 90.9% and 88.4%, respectively.

Conclusion

The LS value obtained from 2D-SWE with a propagation map provides excellent diagnostic performance in evaluating liver fibrosis stage, determined by histopathology.

Quantitative ultrasound radiofrequency data analysis for the assessment of hepatic steatosis using the controlled attenuation parameter as a reference standard

Purpose

This study was aimed to investigate the value of quantitative ultrasound (US) parameters from radiofrequency (RF) data analysis for assessing hepatic steatosis, using controlled attenuation parameter (CAP)-based steatosis grades as the reference standard.

Methods

We analyzed 243 participants with both B-mode liver US with RF data acquisition and CAP measurements. On B-mode US images, hepatic steatosis was visually scored (0/1/2/3, none/mild/moderate/severe), and the hepatorenal index (HRI) was calculated. From the RF data analysis, the tissue scatter-distribution imaging parameter (TSI-p) and tissue attenuation imaging parameter (TAI-p) of the liver parenchyma were measured. US parameters were correlated with CAP-based steatosis grades (S0/1/2/3, none/mild/moderate/severe) and their diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify determinants of TSI-p and TAI-p.

Results

Participants were classified as having S0 (n=152), S1 (n=54), S2 (n=14), and S3 (n=23) on CAP measurements. TSI-p and TAI-p were significantly correlated with steatosis grades (ρ =0.593 and ρ=-0.617, P<0.001 for both). For predicting ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3, the areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) of TSI-p were 0.827/0.914/0.917; TAI-p, 0.844/0.914/0.909; visual scores, 0.659/0.778/0.794; and HRI, 0.629/0.751/0.759, respectively. TSI-p and TAI-p had significantly higher AUCs than did visual scores or HRI for ≥S1 or ≥S2 (P≤0.003). In the multivariate analysis, the transient elastography-based fibrosis grade (P=0.034) and steatosis grade (P<0.001) were independent determinants of TSI-p, while steatosis grade (P<0.001) was an independent determinant of TAI-p.

Conclusion

TSI-p and TAI-p derived from US RF data may be useful for detecting hepatic steatosis and assessing its severity.