CLUE: liver fibrosis detection & assessment with MRI
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Detection and Assessment of Liver Fibrosis Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging
IRAS ID
221075
Contact name
Ralph Sinkus
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 27 days
Research summary
Chronic liver disease is listed among the top 5 causes of premature death in the UK. The health issues associated with chronic liver disease are mostly due to scar tissue in the liver, known as liver fibrosis. When liver fibrosis is present, the tissue becomes stiffer, so that the liver feels more firm than normal. Fibrosis is graded according to the degree of stiffness, i.e. by assessing how much normal liver tissue has been replaced by scar tissue. While manual palpation is used to assess the stiffness of tissue in other parts of the body (e.g. breast), this is often impossible in liver due to it’s location underneath the rib cage.
Until recently the only option to assess the liver for fibrosis was a liver biopsy, which is a procedure in which a small needle is inserted into the liver to collect a tissue sample. This sample is investigated under a microscope. Biopsy is so far the most reliable procedure, although it is invasive, painful and in rare cases leads to major bleeding.Our study aims to detect and assess the different stages of liver fibrosis, by “feeling” the stiffness of the liver, using a non-invasive technology, a new type of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) which will be combined with Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE). MRE is an emerging technique in clinical practice that uses low frequency sound waves to assess the tissue’s biomechanical properties, such as stiffness. The images can be captured using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
If proven useful, the new MRI scan will enable doctors to test whether a liver is scarred and if so how much scar tissue is present. This would allow doctors in the near future to choose the most appropriate therapy without having to perform an invasive liver biopsy.
REC name
London - Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/2115
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jan 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion