OBJECTIVETo estimate the correlations between functional MRI (fMRI) parameters and the severity of chronic liver lesions of hepatitis B patients.

METHODS47 hepatitis B patients [6 with chronic hepatitis, 41 with cirrhosis (14 with Child-Pugh class A cirrhosis; 12 with class B cirrhosis; and 15 with class C cirrhosis)] and 10 normal volunteers, referred for measurements of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the liver, perfusion imaging parameters, portal flow parameters and serum markers of hepatic fibrosis were included in the study. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with different b values and b value remainder was performed. Time to peak (TP), maximum slope of increase (MSI) and distribution volume (DV) were measured with dynamic contrast material-enhanced MR imaging. Portal velocity and portal flow with phase contrast (PC) were measured. The patients' serum hepatic fibrosis markers, including hyaluronic acid (HA), type-III-procollagen (PC III), laminin (LN) and type-IV-collagen (C IV), were measured and analyzed together with the fMRI results.

RESULTS(1) The mean ADC3 in Child A, B, C cirrhosis patients was significantly lower than that in the controls (P < 0.05 in Child A, and P < 0.05 in Child B). (2) There was a significant increase of time to peak and a decrease of maximum slope of increase (P < 0.01) in the Child A, B, C patients than in the normal controls. (3) There was a significant decrease in portal velocity in cirrhotic patients as compared to that of the controls and chronic hepatitis patients (P < 0.01). (4) The mean HA in Child A, B, C cirrhosis patients was significantly higher than that in chronic hepatitis patients and in the controls (P < 0.01); The mean LN in Child A, B, C cirrhosis was also significantly higher than that in chronic hepatitis patients and in normal controls (P < 0.01); The mean PC III in Child A, B, C cirrhosis was significantly higher than that in the normal controls (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONfMRI parameters can reflect some changes of the livers, therefore fMRI parameters are of value in clinical diagnosis and treatment of chronic hepatitis B patients.