Quantitative histological-hemodynamic correlations in cirrhosis
Open Access
- 23 November 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Journal of Hepatology
- Vol. 55 (4), 1146-1153
- https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.24805
Abstract
We have previously shown, in a semiquantitative analysis of liver biopsies showing cirrhosis, that thickness of fibrous septa separating cirrhotic nodules and small size of cirrhotic nodules correlated independently with portal pressure (as determined by the hepatic venous pressure gradient; HVPG) and were independent predictors of the presence of clinically significant portal hypertension (PH). This study aimed to confirm these results using quantitative analysis of these biopsies using digital image analysis. Biopsies of 42 patients with cirrhosis and HVPG measurements within 6 months of the biopsy were included in the study. The following parameters were scored quantitatively and without knowledge of HVPG results: total fibrosis area, septal thickness, nodule size, and number of nodules per millimeter of length of liver biopsy. Fibrosis area was the only parameter that independently correlated with HVPG (r = 0.606; P < 0.0001). Correlation was significant, even among patients with clinically significant PH (r = 0.636; P < 0.005). Fibrosis area and nodule size were both independently predictive of the presence of clinically significant PH (r = 0.57; P = 0.003). Conclusions: On quantitative analysis, fibrosis area was the parameter that correlated best with HVPG and the presence of clinically significant PH. Beyond pathophysiological implications, this also has methodological implications that are discussed in this article. (HEPATOLOGY 2012)This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit:
- Is hydrophobia necessary for the hepatologist prescribing nonselective beta‐blockers in cirrhosis?Journal of Hepatology, 2011
- Now there are many (stages) where before there was one: In search of a pathophysiological classification of cirrhosisJournal of Hepatology, 2009
- Computer-assisted image analysis of liver collagen: Relationship to Ishak scoring and hepatic venous pressure gradientJournal of Hepatology, 2008
- Histological subclassification of cirrhosis based on histological–haemodynamic correlationAlimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2008
- Liver stiffness measurement predicts severe portal hypertension in patients with HCV-related cirrhosisJournal of Hepatology, 2007
- Sampling variability of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis CJournal of Hepatology, 2003
- Sampling variability of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis CJournal of Hepatology, 2003
- Automatic quantification of liver fibrosis: design and validation of a new image analysis method: comparison with semi-quantitative indexes of fibrosisJournal of Hepatology, 2000
- Correlations between sinusoidal pressure and liver morphology in cirrhosisJournal of Hepatology, 1994
- Reduction of the increased portal vascular resistance of the isolated perfused cirrhotic rat liver by vasodilatorsJournal of Hepatology, 1985