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Relationship between brain R 2 and liver and serum Iron concentrations in elderly men
Author(s) -
House Michael J.,
St. Pierre Timothy G.,
Milward Elizabeth A.,
Bruce David G.,
Olynyk John K.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.22263
Subject(s) - globus pallidus , putamen , white matter , caudate nucleus , transferrin saturation , medicine , endocrinology , basal ganglia , chemistry , magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance , iron deficiency , central nervous system , anemia , radiology , physics
Studies of iron overload in humans and animals suggest that brain iron concentrations may be related in a regionally specific way to body iron status. However, few quantitative studies have investigated the associations between peripheral and regional brain iron in a normal elderly cohort. To examine these relationships, we used MRI to measure the proton transverse relaxation rate ( R 2 ) in 13 gray and white matter brain regions in 18 elderly men (average age, 75.5 years) with normal cognition. Brain R 2 values were compared with liver iron concentrations measured using the FerriScan® MRI technique and serum iron indices. R 2 values in high‐iron gray matter regions were significantly correlated (positively) with liver iron concentrations (globus pallidus, ventral pallidum) and serum transferrin saturation (caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen) measured concurrently with brain R 2 , and with serum iron concentrations (caudate nucleus, globus pallidus) measured three years before the current study. Our results suggest that iron levels in specific gray matter brain regions are influenced by systemic iron status in elderly men. Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.