Influence of myocardial fibrosis and blood oxygenation on heart T2* values in thalassemia patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether T2* measurements quantifying myocardial iron overload in thalassemia patients are influenced by myocardial fibrosis and blood oxygenation.


METHODS
Multislice multiecho T2* was performed in 94 thalassemia patients in order to quantify myocardial iron overload. The left ventricle was automatically segmented into a 16-segment standardized heart model, and the T2* value on each segment as well as the global T2* were calculated. Delayed enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance (DE-CMR) images were obtained to detect myocardial fibrosis. The blood oxygenation was assessed by the noninvasive measurement of partial pressure of oxygen (pO2).


RESULTS
Myocardial fibrosis was detected in 31 patients (33%). The global T2* value in patients with fibrosis was comparable with that of patients without fibrosis (P = 0.88) and T2* values in segments with fibrosis were comparable with those in segments without fibrosis (P = 0.83). The global T2* value was not correlated with the pO2 (Spearman's coefficient of correlation = 0.99).


CONCLUSIONS
Myocardial fibrosis and blood oxygenation did not significantly affect the T2* values. These data further support the use of heart T2* as equivalent of heart iron in the clinical arena.
Meloni
Antonella
A
MRI Laboratory, Institute of Clinical Physiology, G. Monasterio Foundation, Pisa, Italy. antomeloni@gmail.com
Pepe
Alessia
A
Positano
Vincenzo
V
Favilli
Brunella
B
Maggio
Aurelio
A
Capra
Marcello
M
Lo Pinto
Carmela
C
Gerardi
Calogera
C
Santarelli
Maria Filomena
MF
Midiri
Massimo
M
Landini
Luigi
L
Lombardi
Massimo
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology
D003287:Contrast Media; D010100:Oxygen