Duan Jinghao, Hu Chunhong, Luo Shuqian, Zhao Xinyan, Wang Tailing
College of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
PLoS One. 2013 Oct 21;8(10):e78176. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078176. eCollection 2013.
[corrected] Hepatic fibrosis can lead to deformation of vessel morphology and structure. In the present feasibility study, high-resolution computed tomography (CT) using diffraction-enhanced imaging (DEI) was used to represent three-dimensional (3D) vessel microstructures of hepatic fibrosis in rats and to differentiate different stages of hepatic fibrosis using qualitative descriptions and quantitative measurement of microvessels.
Three typical specimens at different stages, i.e., mild, moderate and severe hepatic fibrosis, were imaged using DEI at 15 keV without contrast agents. The correspondence between DEI-CT images and histopathological findings was determined. The 3D visualizations from different stages of hepatic fibrosis were presented using DEI-CT. Additionally, Qualitative descriptions and quantitative evaluation of vessel features, such as vessel trend, vascular distortion deformation, thrombus formation and texture features on the inner wall of the vessel, were performed.
DEI-CT produced high-resolution images of the vessel microstructures in hepatic fibrosis that corresponded to information on actual structures observed from the histological sections. Combined with the 3D visualization technique, DEI-CT enabled the acquisition of an accurate description of the 3D vessel morphology from different stages of hepatic fibrosis. Qualitative descriptions and quantitative assessment of microvessels demonstrated clear differences between the different stages of hepatic fibrosis. The thrombus inside the vessel of severe liver fibrosis was accurately displayed, and corresponding analysis can provide an exact measurement of vessel stenosis rate.
DEI-CT may allow morphologic descriptions and quantitative evaluation of vessel microstructures from different stages of hepatic fibrosis and can better characterize the various stages of fibrosis progression using high-resolution 3D vessel morphology.
肝纤维化可导致血管形态和结构变形。在本可行性研究中，使用基于衍射增强成像（DEI）的高分辨率计算机断层扫描（CT）来呈现大鼠肝纤维化的三维（3D）血管微观结构，并通过对微血管的定性描述和定量测量来区分肝纤维化的不同阶段。
对三个不同阶段（即轻度、中度和重度肝纤维化）的典型标本，在无造影剂的情况下于15 keV能量下使用DEI进行成像。确定DEI-CT图像与组织病理学结果之间的对应关系。使用DEI-CT展示肝纤维化不同阶段的3D可视化图像。此外，对血管特征进行定性描述和定量评估，如血管走向、血管扭曲变形、血栓形成以及血管内壁的纹理特征。
DEI-CT生成了肝纤维化血管微观结构的高分辨率图像，与组织学切片观察到的实际结构信息相符。结合3D可视化技术，DEI-CT能够准确获取肝纤维化不同阶段3D血管形态的描述。对微血管的定性描述和定量评估显示肝纤维化不同阶段之间存在明显差异。重度肝纤维化血管内的血栓被准确显示，相应分析可提供血管狭窄率的精确测量。
DEI-CT可对肝纤维化不同阶段的血管微观结构进行形态学描述和定量评估，并能利用高分辨率3D血管形态更好地表征纤维化进展的各个阶段。
