Liver Fat Quantification: Agreement and Reproducibility of Ultrasound-Derived Fat Fraction Measurements Using 5C1 and DAX Probes in Subjects Stratified by BMI Übereinstimmung und Reproduzierbarkeit ultraschallbasierter Fettfraktionsmessungen mit 5C1- und DAX-Sonden bei Probanden unterschiedlicher BMI-Kategorien

Lamprecht-Bailer R, Fischer S, Haberkamp S, Schmid J, Neurath M, Zundler S, Klett D (2026)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

Ultraschall in der Medizin Georg Thieme Verlag

Abstract

Purpose This study aimed to assess the agreement between the 5C1 and deep abdominal transducer (DAX) ultrasound probes when measuring ultrasound-derived fat fraction (UDFF) across different body mass index (BMI) categories and to evaluate the intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of liver fat measurements. Materials and Methods In this prospective study 63 subjects (32 with BMI < 25 and 31 with BMI ≥ 25) underwent UDFF measurements. Two observers performed five measurements per subject using both probes (5C1 and DAX). Intra- and interobserver reliability were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Agreement between probes and observers was evaluated using Spearman correlation and Bland-Altman analysis, stratified by BMI subgroup. Results The intra- and inter-observer reliability of UDFF measurements were excellent, with no relevant systematic bias between observers or probes. The 5C1 and DAX probes showed strong correlations (r = 0.92 and 0.93). In normal-weight subjects, differences between probes were minimal, with limits of agreement (LoA) of approximately ± 2 %. In subjects with BMI ≥ 25, the mean differences between probes were low (up to 2.6 %), but the limits of agreement were wider (–8 % to + 13 %), comparable to the inter-observer variability. Conclusion UDFF measurements with both the 5C1 and DAX probes showed consistently high reliability across BMI categories. Although variability increased with a higher BMI and liver fat, no systematic bias was observed, and both probes performed comparably. These findings support their interchangeable use in clinical settings. Validation against a reference standard is warranted to assess accuracy in challenging patient populations.

Authors with CRIS profile

Ricarda Lamprecht-Bailer Department of Medicine 1 – Gastroenterology, Pneumology and Endocrinology Sarah Fischer Department of Medicine 1 – Gastroenterology, Pneumology and Endocrinology Sophie Haberkamp Department of Medicine 1 – Gastroenterology, Pneumology and Endocrinology Jonas Schmid Department of Medicine 1 – Gastroenterology, Pneumology and Endocrinology Markus Neurath Lehrstuhl für Innere Medizin I (Medizin 1) Sebastian Zundler Department of Medicine 1 – Gastroenterology, Pneumology and Endocrinology Daniel Klett Department of Medicine 1 – Gastroenterology, Pneumology and Endocrinology

How to cite

APA:

Lamprecht-Bailer, R., Fischer, S., Haberkamp, S., Schmid, J., Neurath, M., Zundler, S., & Klett, D. (2026). Liver Fat Quantification: Agreement and Reproducibility of Ultrasound-Derived Fat Fraction Measurements Using 5C1 and DAX Probes in Subjects Stratified by BMI Übereinstimmung und Reproduzierbarkeit ultraschallbasierter Fettfraktionsmessungen mit 5C1- und DAX-Sonden bei Probanden unterschiedlicher BMI-Kategorien. Ultraschall in der Medizin. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2781-1698

MLA:

Lamprecht-Bailer, Ricarda, et al. "Liver Fat Quantification: Agreement and Reproducibility of Ultrasound-Derived Fat Fraction Measurements Using 5C1 and DAX Probes in Subjects Stratified by BMI Übereinstimmung und Reproduzierbarkeit ultraschallbasierter Fettfraktionsmessungen mit 5C1- und DAX-Sonden bei Probanden unterschiedlicher BMI-Kategorien." Ultraschall in der Medizin (2026).

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