MRI and ultrasonographic detection of morphologic and hemodynamic changes in chronic renal allograft rejection in the rat.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to describe the sonographic, MRI, and histopathologic findings in a rat model of chronic renal allograft rejection.


METHODS
Allogeneic renal grafts (male DA kidney into male Lewis rat with unilateral nephrectomy, N = 27) and syngeneic renal grafts (male Lewis kidney into male Lewis rat, N = 19) were examined serially with ultrasound, MRI, and histology.


RESULTS
Nonparametric Spearman rank correlation showed significance between the histologic score and the following parameters: the MRI score (r(s) = 0.91, P < 0.01, N = 46), the ultrasound score (r(s) = 0.9, P < 0.01, N = 46), the power Doppler score (r(s) = 0.86, P < 0.01, N = 46), and the MRI perfusion (r(s) = -0.80, P < 0.01, N = 45). Positive correlations were also found between the MRI volume estimations (graft r(s) = 0.49, P < 0.01, N = 46; native r(s) = 0.59, P < 0.01, N = 46), and the ultrasound volume estimations (graft r(s) = 0.39, P < 0.01, N = 45; native r(s) = 0.64, P < 0.01, N = 46) as well as with actual graft weight.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that both MRI and ultrasound can provide complementary, accurate information compared to histology in regard to the alterations in anatomy and hemodynamic changes associated with chronic allograft nephropathy.
Gaschen
L
L
Transplantation Research, Novartis Pharma Inc., Kohlenstrasse 35, WSJ-386.526, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland. alf.gaschen@dplanet.ch
Schuurman
H J
HJ
Bruttel
K
K
Tanner
M
M
Beckmann
N
N
D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D007511:Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler