Contrast-enhanced MRI of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the presence of cirrhosis

Abstract

An early detection of HCC is crucial to increase the curability of the disease, and hence new hepatocyte-targeted magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents have been developed to improve the delineation of the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Gadolinium complexes with enhanced liver targeting are prepared and evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The relaxivity of the new Gd complexes is 5-6 mM(-1)s(-1) and the intracellular concentrations of these Gd complexes in liver cells are significantly higher than that of the clinical contrast agent (Gadoterate meglumine). As compared with Gadoterate meglumine, one of the Gd complexes GdL has a high intracellular concentration, which results in a 23.5% and 39.2% increase in the R1 and R2 respectively in MIHA cells (Figure 1). The percentage increase in relaxivity is higher than that of the HepG2 cells, indicating the GdL gives a stronger signal in hepatocytes.