title: Assessment of renal allograft function early after transplantation with isotropic resolution diffusion tensor imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the value of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tractography in renal allografts at the early stage after kidney transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was approved by the institutional ethical review committee, and written informed consent was obtained. A total of 54 renal allograft recipients 2-3 weeks after transplantation and 26 age-matched healthy volunteers underwent renal DTI with a 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. Recipients were divided into three groups according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of the cortex and medulla were measured and compared among the groups. Whole-kidney tractography was performed. Correlation of eGFR with diffusion parameters was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In allografts with stable function, the medullary ADC was higher and the cortical FA was lower (p < 0.001) than in healthy kidneys. The cortical ADC, medullary ADC and FA decreased as the allograft function declined, and with a positive correlation with eGFR (p < 0.001); cortical FA did not. Tractography demonstrated a decrease of tract density in impaired functional allografts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Renal DTI produces reliable results to assess renal allograft function at the early stage after transplantation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • DTI and tractography can evaluate renal allograft function at an early stage • Medullary FA, cortical and medullary ADC can effectively evaluate allograft function • Medullary FA, cortical and medullary ADC are correlated with eGFR in renal allografts • Medullary ADC increased and cortical FA decreased in stable allografts compared to control subjects • Medullary FA, cortical and medullary ADC decreased and allograft function declined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China.|Medical Department, Armed Police Corps Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
authors.forename: Wen-jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Siemens Healthcare, MR Collaboration NE Asia, Beijing, 100102, China.
authors.forename: Pan-li
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China.
authors.forename: Miao-miao
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplantation Surgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China.
authors.forename: Chun-bai
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China.
authors.forename: Li-hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China.
authors.forename: Li-xiang
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China. shenwen66happy@163.com.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diffusion tensor imaging; Fractional anisotropy; Kidney; Renal allograft; Tractography