Highlights
- We introduced a portable ambient light-compatible spectroscopic probe
which could non-invasively analyze Raman scattering and reflectance of
human liver specimens.
- Both biochemical and histopathological approaches were applied to
validate the spectroscopic probe.
- Histopathological evaluation covered minimum-to-severe global and
macrovesicular steatosis, surpassing previous spectroscopic studies.
- A dual-variable prediction for precise differentiation between global
and macrovesicular steatosis offers the potential for enhanced,
real-time, and quantitative liver assessments in clinical settings.
Evaluation of minimum-to-severe global and macrovesicular
steatosis in human liver specimens: a portable ambient
light-compatible spectroscopic probe
Hao Guo, Ashley E. Stuec, Jason B. Doppenberg, Yun Suk Chae, Alexey B.
Tikhomirov, Haishan Zeng, Marten A. Engelse, Boris L. Gala-Lopez, Anita
Mahadevan-Jansen, Ian P.J. Alwayn, Andrea K. Locke, and Kevin C. Hewitt
Abstract: This study presents a portable spectroscopic system
compatible with ambient light to assess hepatic steatosis (HS) and
macrovesicular steatosis (MaS) in human liver specimens. Traditional
assessment methods for MaS are limited, prompting the need for
non-invasive alternatives. The study utilized a two-stage approach on
thawed snap-frozen liver specimens. Biochemical validation compared fat
content from Raman and reflectance intensities with triglyceride (TG)
quantifications, while histopathological validation contrasted
Raman-derived fat content with pathologist evaluations and an algorithm.
Analysis of 16 specimens showed a positive correlation between
spectroscopic data and TG quantifications. The Raman system
differentiated various degrees of global HS and MaS in an additional 66
specimens. A dual-variable prediction algorithm classified significant
discrepancies (≥10%) between algorithm-estimated global HS and
pathologist-estimated MaS. This study demonstrates the viability of a
portable spectroscopic system for non-invasive HS and MaS assessment to
enhance real-time donor liver assessments during recovery to improve
transplantation outcomes.
Abbreviations used in this paper : AUROC, area under the
operating characteristic curve; HS, hepatic steatosis; LT, liver
transplantation; LUMC, Leiden University Medical Center; MaS,
macrovesicular steatosis; MiS, microvesicular steatosis; OR, operating
room; ORO, Oil Red O; ROC, receiver operating characteristic; SD,
standard deviation; TG, triglyceride; VUMC, Vanderbilt University
Medical Center