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Volume‐normalized transfer constant as an imaging biomarker for chronic inflammatory arthritis: A dynamic contrast enhanced MRI study
Author(s) -
Chang Yongmin,
Park Jang Woo,
Sung Shijin,
Hong Jungwan,
Faruque Hasan,
Kim EunHee,
Lee Jae Jun,
Lee Jongmin,
Kang Young Mo
Publication year - 2016
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.26293
Subject(s) - arthritis , rheumatoid arthritis , medicine , biomarker , imaging biomarker , methotrexate , pathology , inflammatory arthritis , dynamic contrast enhanced mri , magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear medicine , radiology , chemistry , biochemistry
Purpose Proper diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are extremely important to optimize treatment outcomes. Dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI (DCE‐MRI) may be used as a biomarker to detect inflammatory changes in synovial joints and to discriminate active and inactive stages of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate vascular permeability changes associated with inflammatory arthritis progression and its treatment. Methods Arthritis was induced in DBA/1J mice by immunization with type‐II collagen emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant. Severity of arthritis was monitored using the clinical arthritis index. MR images of mice were obtained at different stages of arthritis progression and at 3 weeks after methotrexate treatment. Immunohistochemical staining using an anti‐CD31 antibody was used to assess vessel density. Results Volume‐normalized transfer constant increased progressively until the active stage of arthritis was reached, and thereafter declined gradually. The pattern of volume‐normalized transfer constant changes quantified using DCE‐MRI correlated with vascular densities and immunohistochemical findings. Furthermore, volume‐normalized transfer constant and densities decreased significantly in a dose‐dependent manner after treatment with methotrexate. Conclusion Volume‐normalized transfer constant assessed by DCE‐MRI can be used as an imaging biomarker for tracking disease progression and for monitoring therapeutic efficacy in inflammatory arthritis. Magn Reson Med 76:926–934, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.