title: A quantitative comparison of the influence of individual versus population-derived vascular input functions on dynamic contrast enhanced-MRI in small animals.
abstract: For quantitative analysis of dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging data, the time course of the concentration of the contrast agent in the blood plasma, or vascular input function (VIF), is required. We compared pharmacokinetic parameters derived using individual and population-based VIFs in mice for two different contrast agents, gadopentetate dimeglumine and P846. Eleven mice with subcutaneous 4T(1) breast cancer xenografts were imaged at 7 T. A precontrast T(1) map was acquired along with dynamic T(1) -weighted gradient echo images before, during, and after a bolus injection of contrast agent delivered via a syringe pump. Each animal's individual VIF and derived population-averaged VIF were used to extract parameters from the signal-time curves of tumor tissue at both the region of interest and voxel level. The results indicate that for both contrast agents, K(trans) values estimated using population-averaged VIF have a high correlation (concordance correlation coefficient > 0.85) with K(trans) values estimated using individual VIF on both a region of interest and voxel level. This work supports the validity of using of a population-based VIF with a stringent injection protocol in preclinical dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging studies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Loveless
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Halliday
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liess
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Dortch
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whisenant
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Waterton
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gore
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Yankeelov
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008954:Models, Biological; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C531154:P846 compound; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA