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Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MR technique for in-vivo liver imaging at 3.0 tesla

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) MRI for liver imaging at 3.0-T.

Materials and methods

Images were acquired at offsets (n = 41, increment = 0.25 ppm) from −5 to 5 ppm using a TSE sequence with a continuous rectangular saturation pulse. Amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) and GlycoCEST signals were quantified as the asymmetric magnetization transfer ratio (MTRasym) at 3.5 ppm and the total MTRasym integrated from 0.5 to 1.5 ppm, respectively, from the corrected Z-spectrum. Reproducibility was assessed for rats and humans. Eight rats were devoid of chow for 24 hours and scanned before and after fasting. Eleven rats were scanned before and after one-time CCl4 intoxication.

Results

For reproducibility, rat liver APTw and GlycoCEST measurements had 95 % limits of agreement of −1.49 % to 1.28 % and −0.317 % to 0.345 %. Human liver APTw and GlycoCEST measurements had 95 % limits of agreement of −0.842 % to 0.899 % and −0.344 % to 0.164 %. After 24 hours, fasting rat liver APTw and GlycoCEST signals decreased from 2.38 ± 0.86 % to 0.67 ± 1.12 % and from 0.34 ± 0.26 % to −0.18 ± 0.37 % respectively (p < 0.05). After CCl4 intoxication rat liver APTw and GlycoCEST signals decreased from 2.46 ± 0.48 % to 1.10 ± 0.77 %, and from 0.34 ± 0.23 % to −0.16 ± 0.51 % respectively (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

CEST liver imaging at 3.0-T showed high sensitivity for fasting as well as CCl4 intoxication.

Key Points

• CEST MRI of in-vivo liver was demonstrated at clinical 3 T field strength.

• After 24-hour fasting, rat liver APTw and GlycoCEST signals decreased significantly.

• After CCl4 intoxication both rat liver APTw and GlycoCEST signals decreased significantly.

• Good scan–rescan reproducibility of liver CEST MRI was shown in healthy volunteers.

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Acknowledgments

The authors also thank two reviewers for their insightful comments, and Dr Weitian Chen for image processing during the revision process.

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Dr Yi-Xiang Wang. Dr Juan Wei is an employee of Philips Healthcare. The other authors declare no conflict of interest.

This study was partially by grants from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong SAR (Project No 476313 Project No. SEG_CUHK02) and the National Institutes of Health (R01EB009731, R01CA166171). No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects in this study. Approval from the institutional animal care committee was obtained. No study subjects or cohorts have been previously reported.

Methodology: experimental, performed at one institution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, SAR

    Shu-Zhong Chen, Min Deng & Yì-Xiáng J. Wáng

  2. Medical Physics and Research Department, Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, Happy Valley, Hong Kong, SAR

    Jing Yuan

  3. Philips Healthcare Asia, Shanghai, China

    Juan Wei

  4. Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Jinyuan Zhou

  5. F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Jinyuan Zhou

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  1. Shu-Zhong Chen
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  2. Jing Yuan
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  3. Min Deng
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  4. Juan Wei
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Correspondence to Yì-Xiáng J. Wáng.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplement Fig 1

CEST images demonstrates rat liver position remained consistent during the data acquisition at different offsets. (GIF 1167 kb)

High Resolution Image (TIFF 3254 kb)

Supplement Fig 2

Representative B0 map of a rat with 5 ROIs selected. (GIF 656 kb)

High Resolution Image (TIFF 461 kb)

Supplement Fig 3

Representative B0 map of a human subject with 5 ROIs selected. (GIF 1054 kb)

High Resolution Image (TIFF 1417 kb)

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Chen, SZ., Yuan, J., Deng, M. et al. Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MR technique for in-vivo liver imaging at 3.0 tesla. Eur Radiol 26, 1792–1800 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3972-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3972-0

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