Establishment of the early diagnosis by the non-invasive test in NASH and the NASH cancerogenesis

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K19823
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: Yamaguchi University
• Principal Investigator: HIDAKA Isao 山口大学, 医学部附属病院, 講師 (70593440)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 非アルコール性脂肪肝炎 / 線維化進展 / 非侵襲的診断 / 肝硬度測定 / 内臓脂肪 / RTE

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We studied it aiming at establishment of the diagnostic procedure of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with the noninvasive imaging device. We compared the non-invasive test with the tissue diagnosis by the liver biopsy. The Mean by Real-time tissue elastography(RTE) was significantly low level in comparison with the non-alcoholic fatty liver in NASH, and the LF index was significantly high level. Also, the visceral fat area (VFA) by Dual Scan was significantly high level, too. Furthermore, We tested it about the parameter that was useful for the differentiation of the fibrosis extension case. Even a fibrosis extension case was a similar result.
So, Noninvasive liver hardness measuring assembly RET and visceral fat area measurement are useful in NASH, the pickup of the fibrosis extension case.

Free Research Field

医学、臨床内科学、肝臓内科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

非アルコール性脂肪性肝炎（NASH）は近年増加傾向にある疾患であるが、ただの脂肪肝と異なり、線維化を呈する病態であり、進行すると肝硬変や肝細胞癌を発症する。本研究において、脂肪肝患者からのNASHの拾い上げに腹部超音波検査に搭載されている非侵襲的肝硬度測定装置による肝硬度計測や内臓脂肪の測定が有用である可能性を見出した。さらに研究を継続し、論文発表を目指すが、診断法として確立されれば、NASHの早期発見により脂肪肝からの肝硬変や肝細胞癌の発症抑制につながることが期待される。