1. Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore;2. Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Singapore;3. Biosystems and Micromechanics IRG, Singapore‐MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore;4. Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore;5. Institute of Laser and Optoelectronics Technology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, P.R. China;6. Department of Pathology, National University Hospital, Singapore;7. Guangdong General Hospital, Guangzhou, P.R. China;8. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA;9. Division of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA;10. Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA;11. School of Computer Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore;12. Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore
Abstract:
Liver surface is covered by a collagenous layer called the Glisson's capsule. The structure of the Glisson's capsule is barely seen in the biopsy samples for histology assessment, thus the changes of the collagen network from the Glisson's capsule during the liver disease progression are not well studied. In this report, we investigated whether non‐linear optical imaging of the Glisson's capsule at liver surface would yield sufficient information to allow quantitative staging of liver fibrosis. In contrast to conventional tissue sections whereby tissues are cut perpendicular to the liver surface and interior information from the liver biopsy samples were used, we have established a capsule index based on significant parameters extracted from the second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy images of capsule collagen from anterior surface of rat livers. Thioacetamide (TAA) induced liver fibrosis animal models was used in this study. The capsule index is capable of differentiating different fibrosis stages, with area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) up to 0.91, making it possible to quantitatively stage liver fibrosis via liver surface imaging potentially with endomicroscopy.
