Child and MELD scores have a strong non-linear correlation with scintigraphic liver function index

Objectives Quantification of Tc-99m mebrofenin hepatocellular clearance rate (MHCR) can be used as a scintigraphic liver function index. This was correlated in the current study using contemporaneous Child and Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores, both of which are well-established clinical/laboratory indices of liver function.

Methods 104 patients (55±8.7 years old, 42% female) were evaluated for liver transplantation between 12/1/2010 and 7/30/2012 at our institution. The MHCR was corrected for each patient’s body surface area, cMHCR (unit = % per min per m squared), and correlated with MELD and Child scores using Pearson’s linear (r) and non-linear “power” (r[p]) correlations.

Results Patient characteristics (mean±s.d., range) included: cMHCR of 2.88±1.95, 0.57-9.77; MELD of 13±4.61, 6-30; Child score of 8±2.06, 5-14; INR of 1.38±0.36, 0.96-3.49; total bilirubin of 2.2±1.91, 0.3-13.5; and albumin of 3.5±0.49, 2.3-4.5. There was a strong negative relationship of cMHCR with both MELD (r=-0.534, p<0.0001 and r[p]=-0.704) and Child (r=-0.619, p<0.0001 and r[p]=-0.734) scores. There was no statistically significant difference between any of the r or r[p] values.

Conclusions cMHCR had a strong inverse power correlation with both Child and MELD scores, confirming the ability of this index to accurately reflect liver function. The linear correlation of cMHCR with both clinical/laboratory indices was moderate.