Clinical Value Of Multi-echo Dixon Technology In Evaluating Liver Fat Content

Objective:To investigate the accuracy of multi-echo Dixon technology in quantifying liver fat content and its changes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with ~1H-MRS as a reference.A secondary goal was to explore the clinical application value of liver fat content and its changes by combining relevant laboratory indicators.Methods:Twenty-seven patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)were included in the initial stage of the study and their daily diet was intervened.Twenty-one of them were successfully followed up after 12 weeks,and were performed at baseline and 12 weeks.Liver magnetic resonance examination was performed to obtain the MRI-proton density fat fraction(MRI-PDFF)measured by multi-echo Dixon technology,and the MRS-proton density fat fraction(MRS-PDFF).Relevant laboratory tests were collected then we calculated homeostasismodle assessment insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR)and the fatty liver index(FLI).Bland-Alterman method and Pearson correlation analysis were used to test the consistency of the measurement results of the two technologies.The correlation analysis between MRI-PDFF/MRS-PDFF and clinical indicators were performed.Finally,correlation analysis of MRI-PDFF with different clinical indicators and the changes in MRI-PDFF with the changes in clinical indicators were performed.Results:MRI-PDFF and MRS-PDFF and the changes of them had good consistency and correlation(r=0.991,r=0.982,all P<0.05).MRI-PDFF was positively correlated with BMI,GGT,HOMA-IR,and FLI(r=0.414,P=0.032;r=0.473,P=0.013;r=0.600,P=0.001;r=0.492,P=0.009).There was a positive correlation between the changes in liver fat fraction measured by multi-echo Dixon and changes in BMI,ALT,AST,GGT,and FLI(r=0.570,P=0.007;r=0.576,P=0.006;r=0.807,P=0.00001;r=0.671,P=0.001;r=0.681,P=0.001).Conclusions:MRI-PDFF and MRS-PDFF had a good consistency and correlation in the evaluation of liver fat content and its changes,and had strong correlation with some clinical indicators and their changes.Multi-echo Dixon can be used as a precise technology to monitor the changes in liver fat content.It can be promoted in the clinic as a precise indicator for monitoring changes in liver fat content,and can become a potential indicator for efficacy evaluation in drug development of NAFLD.