Back to search

FORNY20-FORNY2020

KVAL: Quantitative ultrasound imaging for characterization of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

Alternative title: Kvantiativ ultralydavbildning for karakterisering av fettleversykdom

Awarded: NOK 0.50 mill.

Fatty liver disease that is not caused by excessive alcohol consumption is becoming more common. The disease is characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver, and in patients with untreated fatty liver disease, the condition can eventually lead to inflammation, the formation of scar tissue and a significantly increased risk of chronic liver disease or liver cancer. Globally, it is believed that around 24% of the population has fatty liver disease, and the number is rising. Early diagnosis of these patients is important because treatment in the form of lifestyle changes or drug or surgical obesity treatment can reverse the condition and thus reduce the risk of permanent liver damage. Today, there are no methods that can easily and painlessly measure the percentage of fat in the liver, which makes it difficult to diagnose the condition or to follow the development over time. In this project, we have tested a newly developed ultrasound method that can estimate the percentage of fat in the liver. We have carried out a laboratory study in agar-based materials with different levels of added fat, as well as a preclinical study in an animal model. The experiments with material samples showed that the ultrasound method could estimate the fat content with good accuracy. In the animal study, the level of fat in the liver was measured in rats that were given from 2 to 6 weeks of a high-fat diet, and compared with rats on a normal diet. The measurements were compared with analyzes of total fat content, and the results show that there is a large degree of correlation between estimated fat content based on ultrasound measurements and fat content measured with a standard method. A natural next step will be to further develop the method, so that it can be tested in patients with different degrees of fatty liver.

NAFLD patients are at increased risk of liver-related as well as cardiovascular mortality, and NASH is rapidly becoming the leading risk for progression of NAFLD towards indications for liver transplantation. The population at risk of developing progressive liver disease creates a challenge to the healthcare system in terms of screening for this evolving epidemic. As with several other diseases, an early diagnosis is of utmost importance. This project has shown that a novel ultrasound techniques which has been developed in the collaborative medical technology environment at NTNU, SINTEF and St. Olavs hospital, is cabable of estimating liver fat content in a robust manner in lab experiments and in a preclinical model. With quantifiable measurements and characterization of NAFLD with ultrasound, we enable new and efficient ways to diagnose and monitor this widespread disease. The methodologies developed can potentially also be applied to a broader spectrum of diseases.

Funding scheme:

FORNY20-FORNY2020