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Azusa KITAO

Azusa Kitao is assistant Professor at the Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa (Japan). Most of her publications correlate the expression of transporters (OATPs, MRP2, and MRP3) in hepatic tumours to liver imaging with the magnetic resonance contrast agent Gd-EOB-DTPA (Primovist® or Eovist®, Bayer Pharma). A recent publication describes how Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging reflects the co-activation of β-catenin and Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α in hepatocellular carcinoma PubMed.

Eur Radiol. 2020;30:3438-3447. Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging for hepatocellular carcinoma: molecular and genetic background. Kitao A, Matsui O, Yoneda N, Kozaka K, Kobayashi S, Koda W, Inoue D, Ogi T, Yoshida K, Gabata T. PubMed

Eur Radiol. 2019;29:6489-6498. Doughnut-like hyperintense nodules on hepatobiliary phase without arterial-phase hyperenhancement in cirrhotic liver: imaging and clinicopathological features. Kozaka K, Kobayashi S, Yoneda N, Kitao A, Yoshida K, Inoue D, Ogi T, Koda W, Sato Y, Gabata T, Matsui O. PubMed

Jpn J Radiol. 2019;37:191-208. Current status of imaging biomarkers predicting the biological nature of hepatocellular carcinoma. Yoneda N, Matsui O, Kobayashi S, Kitao A, Kozaka K, Inoue D, Yoshida K, Minami T, Koda W, Gabata T. PubMed

AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2018;211:347-357. Differentiation between hepatocellular carcinoma showing hyperintensity on the hepatobiliary phase of Gadoxetic Acid-enhanced MRI and focal nodular hyperplasia by CT and MRI. Kitao A, Matsui O, Yoneda N, Kita R, Kozaka K, Kobayashi S, Gabata T. PubMed

Hepatol Res. 2018;48:205-216. Gadoxetic acid enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging reflects co-activation of β-catenin and Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α in hepatocellular carcinoma. Kitao A, Matsui O, Yoneda N, Kozaka K, Kobayashi S, Koda W, Minami T, Inoue D, Yoshida K, Yamashita T, Yamashita T, Kaneko S, Takamura H, Ohta T, Ikeda H, Sato Y, Nakanuma Y, Harada K, Kita R, Gabata T. PubMed

Radiology. 2016;281:474-483. Biochemical and clinical predictive approach and time point analysis of hepatobiliary phase liver enhancement on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR Images: a multicenter study. Okada M, Murakami T, Kuwatsuru R, Nakamura Y, Isoda H, Goshima S, Hanaoka R, Haradome H, Shinagawa Y, Kitao A, Fujinaga Y, Marugami N, Yuki M, Ichikawa T, Higaki A, Hori M, Fujii S, Matsui O. PubMed

Abdom Imaging. 2015;40:3099-103. Correlation between Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging findings and OATP1B3 expression in chemotherapy-associated sinusoidal obstruction syndrome. Yoneda N, Matsui O, Ikeno H, Inoue D, Yoshida K, Kitao A, Kozaka K, Kobayashi S, Gabata T, Ikeda H, Nakamura K, Ohta T. PubMed

PLoS One. 2015;10:e0118297. Hepatitis C related chronic liver cirrhosis: feasibility of texture analysis of MR images for classification of fibrosis stage and necroinflammatory activity grade. Wu Z, Matsui O, Kitao A, Kozaka K, Koda W, Kobayashi S, Ryu Y, Minami T, Sanada J, Gabata T. PubMed

Hepatology. 2014;60:1674-85. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and alpha-fetoprotein predict prognosis of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. Yamashita T, Kitao A, Matsui O, Hayashi T, Nio K, Kondo M, Ohno N, Miyati T, Okada H, Yamashita T, Mizukoshi E, Honda M, Nakanuma Y, Takamura H, Ohta T, Nakamoto Y, Yamamoto M, Takayama T, Arii S, Wang X, Kaneko S. PubMed

Jpn J Radiol. 2013;31:480-90. Hypervascular hepatocellular carcinomas showing hyperintensity on hepatobiliary phase of gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging: a possible subtype with mature hepatocyte nature.Yoneda N, Matsui O, Kitao A, Kita R, Kozaka K, Koda W, Kobayashi S, Gabata T, Ikeda H, Nakanuma Y. PubMed

Oncology. 2013;84 Suppl 1:21-7. Role of gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma: consensus at the Symposium of the 48th Annual Meeting of the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan. Kudo M, Matsui O, Sakamoto M, Kitao A, Kim T, Ariizumi S, Ichikawa T, Kobayashi S, Imai Y, Izumi N, Fujinaga Y, Arii S. PubMed

Radiology. 2012;265:780-9. Hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma: correlation between biologic features and signal intensity on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR images. Kitao A, Matsui O, Yoneda N, Kozaka K, Kobayashi S, Koda W, Gabata T, Yamashita T, Kaneko S, Nakanuma Y, Kita R, Arii S. PubMed

J Magn Reson Imaging. 2013;37:1137-43. Usefulness of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging in the evaluation of simple steatosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Wu Z, Matsui O, Kitao A, Kozaka K, Koda W, Kobayashi S, Ryu Y, Minami T, Sanada J, Gabata T. PubMed

Jpn J Radiol. 2013;31:9-15. Intrahepatic periportal high intensity on hepatobiliary phase images of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI: imaging findings and prevalence in various hepatobiliary diseases. Kobayashi S, Matsui O, Gabata T, Koda W, Minami T, Kozaka K, Kitao A, Yoneda N, Yoshida K. PubMed

Jpn J Radiol. 2012;30:777-82. Beta-catenin-activated hepatocellular adenoma showing hyperintensity on hepatobiliary-phase gadoxetic-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and overexpression of OATP8. Yoneda N, Matsui O, Kitao A, Kozaka K, Gabata T, Sasaki M, Nakanuma Y, Murata K, Tani T. PubMed

Eur J Radiol. 2012;81:3839-45. Intranodular signal intensity analysis of hypovascular high-risk borderline lesions of HCC that illustrate multi-step hepatocarcinogenesis within the nodule on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI. Kobayashi S, Matsui O, Gabata T, Koda W, Minami T, Ryu Y, Kozaka K, Kitao A. PubMed

Eur J Radiol. 2012;81:3002-9. Relationship between signal intensity on hepatobiliary phase of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced MR imaging and prognosis of borderline lesions of hepatocellular carcinoma. Kobayashi S, Matsui O, Gabata T, Koda W, Minami T, Ryu Y, Kozaka K, Kitao A. PubMed

Jpn J Radiol. 2012;30:499-508. Hepatocyte transporter expression in FNH and FNH-like nodule: correlation with signal intensity on gadoxetic acid enhanced magnetic resonance images. Yoneda N, Matsui O, Kitao A, Kita R, Kozaka K, Koda W, Kobayashi S, Gabata T, Ikeda H, Sato Y, Nakanuma Y. PubMed

Eur Radiol. 2011;21:2056-66. The uptake transporter OATP8 expression decreases during multistep hepatocarcinogenesis: correlation with gadoxetic acid enhanced MR imaging. Kitao A, Matsui O, Yoneda N, Kozaka K, Shinmura R, Koda W, Kobayashi S, Gabata T, Zen Y, Yamashita T, Kaneko S, Nakanuma Y. PubMed

Radiology. 2010;256:817-26. Hepatocellular carcinoma: signal intensity at gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR Imaging--correlation with molecular transporters and histopathologic features. Kitao A, Zen Y, Matsui O, Gabata T, Kobayashi S, Koda W, Kozaka K, Yoneda N, Yamashita T, Kaneko S, Nakanuma Y. PubMed