ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Hepatobiliary Diseases
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1620649
Assessing the impact of liver fat fraction on portal hemodynamics in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease using MRI proton density fat fraction and MRI 4D flow
Provisionally accepted
- Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent condition with significant implications for liver and cardiovascular health. Alterations in portal hemodynamics due to hepatic steatosis remain poorly understood.Aim: This study aims to explore the correlation between liver fat fraction (FF) and portal hemodynamics in NAFLD patients.Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted involving 125 clinical suspected NAFLD patients. Liver FF was measured using MRI proton density fat fraction (PDFF). MRI 4D Flow was used to assess portal hemodynamic parameters, including flow velocity, flow volume, and portal area. Statistical analyses examined the relationships between liver FF and hemodynamic parameters.Results: Liver FF was negatively associated with portal peak flow velocity (r = -0.33) and portal mean flow velocity (r = -0.49), but was positively correlated with portal area (r = 0.39). No correlation was found in liver FF and portal flow volume (p = 0.114). Portal peak velocity demonstrated AUCs of 0.69 (95% CI: 0.57-0.82) for differentiating G0 from G1-3, 0.70 (95% CI: 0.60-0.79) for G0-1 versus G2-3, and 0.57 (95% CI: 0.44-0.69) for G0-2 versus G3. Portal mean velocity demonstrated AUCs of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.76-0.92) for differentiating G0 from G1-3, 0.78 (95% CI: 0.69-0.86) for G0-1 versus G2-3, and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.60-0.79) for G0-2 versus G3.Portal area demonstrated AUCs of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.70-0.78) for G0 versus G1-3, 0.78 (95% CI: 0.48-0.92) for G0-1 versus G2-3, and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.76-0.92) for G0-2 versus G3.Conclusion: Liver FF is a significant determinant of portal hemodynamics in NAFLD patients. These findings underscore the potential of integrating liver FF and portal hemodynamic assessments into clinical practice for detection and management of NAFLD progression.
Keywords: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Liver fat fraction, Portal hemodynamics, MRI, MRI 4D Flow, Hepatic Steatosis, Vascular dynamics
Received: 12 May 2025; Accepted: 28 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Li, Li, Li and Ju. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Shuai Ju, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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