T2* relaxometry in liver, pancreas, and spleen in a healthy cohort of one hundred twenty-nine subjects-correlation with age, gender, and serum ferritin.
OBJECTIVE
To assess T2* values of liver, pancreas, and spleen in a healthy cohort and to compare the gained values with serum ferritin levels and anthropometric data. In addition, the relationship of T2* between the 3 organs was investigated.


METHODS
One hundred twenty-nine healthy subjects (85 women, 44 men) were examined on a 1.5-T magnetic resonance whole-body unit. Age ranged from 20 to 70 years (mean age, 47.9 +/- 11.4 years). A multislice fat-saturated breath-hold 2D multiecho gradient-echo sequence was applied for T2* measurement. To assess T2* values of the liver, pancreas, and spleen, T2* maps were calculated. The correlation of organ T2* with serum ferritin and anthropometric data (age, gender, body mass index) was investigated.


RESULTS
Measurement of T2* was feasible in all volunteers. A gender-related analysis revealed significant higher hepatic and splenic T2* values for women than for men (P < 0.01). For the pancreas, these differences could not be found. A significant negative correlation was found between hepatic T2*, splenic T2*, and serum ferritin (r = -0.62 liver, r = -0.64 spleen; P < 0.0001). In contrast, no such relationship was found for pancreatic T2* (r = -0.15). For women, a statistically significant age-dependent increase was found for splenic T2* values.


CONCLUSIONS
Using a fast quantitative T2* magnetic resonance imaging technique, it was possible to gain insights into the iron metabolism of a healthy cohort. Gender- and age-related differences concerning T2* and serum ferritin levels were found in the liver and spleen, but not in the pancreas.
Schwenzer
Nina F
NF
Section on Experimental Radiology, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany. nina.schwenzer@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Machann
Jürgen
J
Haap
Michael M
MM
Martirosian
Petros
P
Schraml
Christina
C
Liebig
Gerd
G
Stefan
Norbert
N
Häring
Hans-Ulrich
HU
Claussen
Claus D
CD
Fritsche
Andreas
A
Schick
Fritz
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism*; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron