Journal article
Stereological Analysis of Liver Biopsy Histology Sections as a Reference Standard for Validating Non-Invasive Liver Fat Fraction Measurements by MRI
Tim G St Pierre, Michael J House, Sander J Bangma, Wenjie Pang, Andrew Bathgate, Eng K Gan, Oyekoya T Ayonrinde, Prithi S Bhathal, Andrew Clouston, John K Olynyk, Leon A Adams
PLOS ONE | PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE | Published : 2016
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Validation of non-invasive methods of liver fat quantification requires a reference standard. However, using standard histopathology assessment of liver biopsies is problematical because of poor repeatability. We aimed to assess a stereological method of measuring volumetric liver fat fraction (VLFF) in liver biopsies and to use the method to validate a magnetic resonance imaging method for measurement of VLFF. METHODS: VLFFs were measured in 59 subjects (1) by three independent analysts using a stereological point counting technique combined with the Delesse principle on liver biopsy histological sections and (2) by three independent analysts using the HepaFat-Scan® tec..
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Funding Acknowledgements
Resonance Health Ltd directly funded the cost of the MRI scans and the services of one pathologist who is not an author. Resonance Health Ltd provided support in the form of salaries for authors [SB, WP, AB], but did not have any additional role in the study design, analysis, or decision to publish. [WP] was involved in data collection (stereology and Hepafat-Scan (R)) and [SB, WP, AB] contributed to the preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the 'author contributions' section.