Normal liver elasticity values using acoustic radiation force impulse imaging: a prospective study in healthy living liver and kidney donors

Abstract

Background and aim: Although several studies have investigated the normal range of liver elasticity using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography in healthy volunteers, they could not strictly exclude the morphological and functional liver abnormalities. The aim of this study was to identify the normal range of ARFI velocity by recruiting healthy living liver and kidney donors who passed the full laboratory tests and imaging studies.

Methods: The study prospectively enrolled 108 healthy living liver (n = 42) and kidney donors (n = 66) who were admitted for transplantation between July 2010 to April 2011. None of the subjects had abnormal liver function test and imaging findings including conventional ultrasonography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.

Results: The mean age of the study population (58 men and 50 women) was 35.5 years, and the mean ARFI velocity was 1.07 ± 0.11 m/s (range: 0.79-1.27). ARFI velocity was not significantly different between subjects with body mass index (BMI) < 23.5 kg/m(2) and those with BMI ≥ 23.5 kg/m(2) (1.05 ± 0.12 m/s vs 1.07 ± 0.10 m/s, P = 0.518), nor was it significantly different according to age (P = 0.067) and gender (1.08 ± 0.12 m/s for men vs 1.05 ± 0.11 m/s for women, P = 0.085). Using the 5(th) and 95(th) percentiles, we determined the normal range and mean of ARFI velocity to be 0.85-1.25 m/s and 1.07 ± 0.11 m/s.

Conclusions: We identified the normal range of ARFI velocity as 0.85-1.25 m/s and found that it was not significantly influenced by BMI, gender, and age.