Polymorphisms in the Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide Genes Influence Liver Parenchymal Enhancement in Gadoxetic Acid-Enhanced MRI

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to investigate whether genetic polymorphisms of the organic anion transporting polypeptides influence hepatic enhancement in gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI. Patients & methods: We analyzed the genotypes of SLCO1B1 388A>G, SLCO1B1 521T>C, SLCO1B3 334T>G and NR1H4 -1G>T and calculated the mean quantitative liver–spleen contrast ratio, as an index of liver parenchymal enhancement, in 226 patients with liver disease. Results: Multiple linear regression analysis using the mean quantitative liver–spleen contrast ratio as the dependent variable revealed that not only Child–Pugh score, but also SLCO1B1*1b haplotype (β = 0.12; p = 0.04), were significant predictors of liver parenchymal enhancement. In addition, SLCO1B3 334T>G (β = -0.18; p = 0.03) was a significant predictor when the data were analyzed in a subgroup of 117 patients, excluding the carriers of NR1H4 -1G>T, who reportedly exhibit reduced transcriptional activity of SLCO1B3. Conclusion: These genetic variants, as well as hepatic function, may contribute to individual differences in hepatic enhancement with gadoxetic acid.

Original submitted 4 March 2013; Revision submitted 10 July 2013

Keywords::

• gadoxetic acid
• gene polymorphism
• magnetic resonance imaging
• transporter

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Y Ozaki, M Amano, M Mogami and H Shiokawa for their technical assistance.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

The authors utilized Textcheck (www.textcheck.com) for the editing of the English in this manuscript. No specific funding was received for this writing assistance.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.