Correlation Study Between Lumbar HAP Content and Hepatic Fibrosis Severity Based on Revolution CT Spectral Imaging

Abstract

Objective: To explore the correlation between lumbar hydroxyapatite (HAP) content and hepatic fibrosis (HF) severity, and verify spectral CT’s value in non-invasively evaluating HF-related osteoporosis. Methods: A total of 100 HF patients (25 cases per F1-F4 stage, diagnosed by liver biopsy/FibroScan) and 50 healthy controls were enrolled. Lumbar L2 HAP content was quantified via Revolution CT spectral scanning; dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) served as the gold standard for bone mineral density (BMD). Pearson correlation analysis and ANOVA were used for statistical comparison. Results: HF patients had significantly lower lumbar HAP content than controls (89.3±12.5 vs. 118.5±10.2 mg/cm³, P<0.001). HAP content was strongly negatively correlated with HF stage (r=-0.82, P<0.001), with the lowest value in F4 stage (64.6±7.2 mg/cm³) and highest in F1 stage (110.1±9.4 mg/cm³). Conclusion: Spectral CT can accurately quantify lumbar HAP content, which is strongly negatively correlated with HF progression. It provides a reliable non-invasive method for early screening of HF-related osteoporosis.