Deep learning enables automated scoring of liver fibrosis stages

Sci Rep. 2018 Oct 30;8(1):16016. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-34300-2.

Abstract

Current liver fibrosis scoring by computer-assisted image analytics is not fully automated as it requires manual preprocessing (segmentation and feature extraction) typically based on domain knowledge in liver pathology. Deep learning-based algorithms can potentially classify these images without the need for preprocessing through learning from a large dataset of images. We investigated the performance of classification models built using a deep learning-based algorithm pre-trained using multiple sources of images to score liver fibrosis and compared them against conventional non-deep learning-based algorithms - artificial neural networks (ANN), multinomial logistic regression (MLR), support vector machines (SVM) and random forests (RF). Automated feature classification and fibrosis scoring were achieved by using a transfer learning-based deep learning network, AlexNet-Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), with balanced area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) values of up to 0.85-0.95 versus ANN (AUROC of up to 0.87-1.00), MLR (AUROC of up to 0.73-1.00), SVM (AUROC of up to 0.69-0.99) and RF (AUROC of up to 0.94-0.99). Results indicate that a deep learning-based algorithm with transfer learning enables the construction of a fully automated and accurate prediction model for scoring liver fibrosis stages that is comparable to other conventional non-deep learning-based algorithms that are not fully automated.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Animals
  • Biomarkers
  • Biopsy
  • Collagen / metabolism
  • Deep Learning
  • Diagnostic Imaging* / methods
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / standards
  • Liver Cirrhosis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Liver Cirrhosis / pathology
  • Machine Learning
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Microscopy
  • Neural Networks, Computer
  • Rats
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Collagen