title: BOLD-MRI of breast invasive ductal carcinoma: correlation of R2* value and the expression of HIF-1α.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the reliability and feasibility of blood oxygenation level-dependent-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) to depict hypoxia in breast invasive ductal carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 103 women with 104 invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs) underwent breast BOLD-fMRI at 3.0 T. Histological specimens were analysed for tumour size, grade, axillary lymph nodes and expression of oestrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, p53, Ki-67 and hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). The distribution and reliability of R2* were analysed. Correlations of the R2* value with the prognostic factors and HIF-1α were respectively analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The R2* map of IDC demonstrated a relatively heterogeneous signal. The mean R2* value was (53.4 ± 18.2) Hz. The Shapiro-Wilk test (W = 0.971, P = 0.020) suggested that the sample did not follow a normal distribution. The inter-rater and intrarater correlation coefficient was 0.967 and 0.959, respectively. The R2* values of IDCs were significantly lower in patients without axillary lymph nodes metastasis. The R2* value had a weak correlation with Ki67 expression (r = 0.208, P = 0.038). The mean R2* value correlated moderately with the level of HIF-1α (r = 0.516, P = 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BOLD-fMRI is a simple and non-invasive technique that yields hypoxia information on breast invasive ductal carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Beijing Chao Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020, China, drradiology@163.com.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaojuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Shuangkun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Mulan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D044584:Carcinoma, Ductal / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000032:analysis*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D010100:Oxygen; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C495901:TP53 protein, human; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human