Comparison Between the Values of the Hepatic Uptake Rate Obtained by 2 Methods, Using Hepatobiliary Scintigraphy in Patients with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

Abstract

99m Tc-mebrofenin hepatobiliary scintigraphy has been introduced for the noninvasive assessment of liver function in the clinical setting and in experimental research. Methods: During a period of 2 y, 15 patients with fatty livers diagnosed as having nonalcoholic steatohepatitis underwent hepatobiliary scintigraphy using the radiopharmaceutical agent 99m Tc-labeled mebrofenin. After intravenous administration of 85 MBq of 99m Tc-mebrofenin, a dynamic image was acquired with the liver and heart in the field of view. In this study, a comparison between the values of hepatic uptake rate obtained by applying 2 methods in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-multiple-time graphical analysis (Gjedde-Patlak plot) and the differentiation between different regions of interest using hepatobiliary scintigraphy-was made. Results: The values of the uptake rate reveal that uptake obtained by applying the second method are significantly higher than that obtained by applying the first one (P 5 0.001). A strong positive association (n 5 15; r 5 0.92; R 2 5 0.84) was found between these measurements. From a Bland-Altman statistical test that was performed on the results we also found that 87% of the cases (13/15) were within 1.96 SD. Conclusion: The Gjedde-Patlak analysis method can be considered as an alternative technique to find and calculate the hepatic uptake rate.

Free mebrofenin clearance

“…In the period from t 1 = 150 s to t 2 = 350 s, this paper assumes that (1) whole-body free mebrofenin is in equilibrium with free mebrofenin in the camera FOV, (2) blood mebrofenin is in equilibrium with mebrofenin in volume of distribution, (3) blood mebrofenin is in equilibrium with plasma mebrofenin, (4) free mebrofenin in areas with different camera sensitivities, for example, chest and abdomen, are in equilibrium, (5) there is no loss of mebrofenin from the liver before t 2 , and (6) the liver is the only location in the body where mebrofenin is sequestered. Al-Shakhrah et al [8]. and Willowson et al [2].…”