Quantification of renal allograft perfusion using arterial spin labeling MRI: initial results.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify renal allograft perfusion in recipients with stable allograft function and acute decrease in allograft function using nonenhanced flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR)-TrueFISP arterial spin labeling (ASL) MR imaging.


METHODS
Following approval of the local ethics committee, 20 renal allograft recipients were included in this study. ASL perfusion measurement and an anatomical T2-weighted single-shot fast spin-echo (HASTE) sequence were performed on a 1.5-T scanner (Magnetom Avanto, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). T2-weighted MR urography was performed in patients with suspected ureteral obstruction. Patients were assigned to three groups: group a, 6 patients with stable allograft function over the previous 4 months; group b, 7 patients with good allograft function who underwent transplantation during the previous 3 weeks; group c, 7 allograft recipients with an acute deterioration of renal function.


RESULTS
Mean cortical perfusion values were 304.8 +/- 34.4, 296.5 +/- 44.1, and 181.9 +/- 53.4 mg/100 ml/min for groups a, b and c, respectively. Reduction in cortical perfusion in group c was statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that ASL is a promising technique for nonenhanced quantification of cortical perfusion of renal allografts. Further studies are required to determine the clinical value of ASL for monitoring renal allograft recipients.
Lanzman
Rotem S
RS
Department of Radiology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Moorenstr 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. rotemshlomo@yahoo.de
Wittsack
Hans-Jörg
HJ
Martirosian
Petros
P
Zgoura
Panagiota
P
Bilk
Philip
P
Kröpil
Patric
P
Schick
Fritz
F
Voiculescu
Adina
A
Blondin
Dirk
D
D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000473:pathology*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013113:Spin Labels; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D013113:Spin Labels