SAN FRANCISCO, November 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The utility of imaging biomarkers in NASH is the focus of several abstracts accepted for presentation, here, at the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease's The Liver Meeting® 2018, November 9-13, 2018 (Booth #611). Three abstracts - two selected as Posters of Distinction - highlight the use of Perspectum Diagnostics' LiverMultiScan to identify, stratify and predict clinical outcomes of NASH.

The study, "Liver cT1 predicts clinical outcomes in patients with chronic liver disease, equivalent to liver biopsy," (Abstract #1042 - Poster of Distinction: Saturday, November 10: 2pm-7:30pm, part of the session, Imaging and Noninvasive Markers of Liver Disease), demonstrates the performance of multiparametric MRI imaging in predicting clinical outcomes in liver disease. Research demonstrated further evidence that corrected T1 (cT1) can predict clinical outcomes in a larger cohort of patients with varying liver disease etiologies. Patients underwent multiparametric imaging (T1, T2* mapping (iron) and MR spectroscopy (fat). LiverMultiScan software was used to obtain cT1 maps of the liver and calculate the mean cT1 value from three regions of interest. cT1 significantly differentiated between all-cause mortality, liver-related mortality and liver event-free survival. Results showed that cT1 was as predictive for liver-related events as histology.

"Identifying high risk NASH patients using reliable, cost-effective non-invasive markers is critical for streamlining care pathways, enriching populations for clinical trials, and eventually prioritising patients for approved therapies. Multiparametric MRI, combining key phenotypic measurements in a single test, has the potential to fulfil a number of diagnostic purposes," said Professor Jonathan Fallowfield, University of Edinburgh.
"Learning how to use non-invasive technology in the evaluation of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a really big issue for clinicians. This pooled analysis is therefore of interest because it helps us learn more about the use of multi-parametric MRI and we can start to see the strengths and weaknesses of the technology. This helps us plan ahead about how to implement this new technology in clinical practice," said Professor Gideon Hirschfield, from the University of Toronto.

In the study, "Multi-parametric MRI as a composite biomarker for NASH and NASH with fibrosis," (Abstract #1677 - Poster of Distinction: Sunday November 11, 8am-5:30pm, Part of session #1292: NAFLD and NASH: Clinical I), researchers evaluated the utility of these MRI metrics, in combination with serum markers, for the stratification of NASH patients. Participants underwent multiparametric MRI, from which cT1 and PDFF were calculated, alongside measurement of fasting glucose. Results showed that cT1 is an effective biomarker for identifying NASH patients with significant fibrosis. PDFF and cT1 in combination performed well for stratification and when used in composite with serum biomarkers this was increased, highlighting the diagnostic utility of multiparametric MRI when used in conjunction with serum markers of metabolic disease.

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