Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy for assessment of human body composition.
BACKGROUND
The usefulness of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)-based techniques for assessment of human body composition has not been established.


OBJECTIVE
We compared a proton MRS-based technique with the total body water (TBW) method to determine the usefulness of the former technique for assessment of human body composition.


METHODS
Proton magnetic resonance spectra of the chest to abdomen, abdomen to pelvis, and pelvis to thigh regions were obtained from 16 volunteers by using single, free induction decay measurement with a clinical magnetic resonance system operating at 1.5 T. The MRS-derived metabolite ratio was determined as the ratio of fat methyl and methylene proton resonance to water proton resonance. The peak areas for the chest to abdomen and the pelvis to thigh regions were normalized to an external reference (approximately 2200 g benzene) and a weighted average of the MRS-derived metabolite ratios for the 2 positions was calculated. TBW for each subject was determined by the deuterium oxide dilution technique.


RESULTS
The MRS-derived metabolite ratios were significantly correlated with the ratio of body fat to lean body mass estimated by TBW. The MRS-derived metabolite ratio for the abdomen to pelvis region correlated best with the ratio of body fat to lean body mass on simple regression analyses (r = 0.918). The MRS-derived metabolite ratio for the abdomen to pelvis region and that for the pelvis to thigh region were selected for a multivariate regression model (R = 0.947, adjusted R(2) = 0.881).


CONCLUSIONS
This MRS-based technique is sufficiently accurate for assessment of human body composition.
Kamba
M
M
Departments of Radiology, Biochemistry, and Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago City, Japan. masayuki@cmrr.umn.edu
Kimura
K
K
Koda
M
M
Ogawa
T
T
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001834:Body Water; D017666:Deuterium Oxide; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D017666:Deuterium Oxide