Assessment Of Therapeutic Effects On Hepatic Alveolar Echinococcosis With Contrast-enhanced Ultrasonography

Objective: To assess the therapeutic effects of an Liposomal albendazole(L-ABZ)via a contrast-enhanced ultrasonographic method by comparing the results before and after treatment in Wistar rats.Methods: Rats with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis(HAE)were randomly assigned to two groups(A,control group;B,experimental group).In group A,no treatment was given to the rats after infection with Echinococcus multilocularis,and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography(CEUS)was performed 3 months later.In group B,L-ABZ was administered intragastrically,and ultrasonographic images were taken before and after treatment.The size of the focal lesion,the width of the infiltrative belt surrounding lesions and the average gray-scale ratio of image of the CEUS of the infiltration region to that of the nearby liver tissue,and microvessel density(MVD)stained with Immunohistochemical staining(IHC),were analyzed statistically.Results: In group A,27 HAE lesions were detected in 23 rats with the CEUS.And in group B,15 HAE lesions were detected in 15 rats with the CEUS.A positive correlation was detected between the average gray-scale ratios for the CEUS images and MVD in control group(r=0.238,p <0.05)and after treatment(r = 0.514,p < 0.05).Conclusion:The average gray-scale ratio of images of CEUS of the infiltration region and the nearby liver tissue,and the density of microvessels stained with IHC were both reduced after treatment,suggesting that CEUS is a robust method for evaluating the therapeutic effects of anti-HAE drugs.