Ultra-short echo-time magnetic resonance imaging distinguishes ischemia/reperfusion injury from acute rejection in a mouse lung transplantation model.
To investigate whether lung tissue characterization by ultra-short echo-time (UTE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows ischemia/reperfusion injury to be distinguished from acute rejection in a mouse lung transplantation model. After orthotopic lung transplantation with 6 mice receiving syngeneic (C57Bl/6) lung transplants and 6 mice receiving allogeneic (BALB/c) transplants, they underwent postoperative imaging using three-dimensional UTE-MRI (echo times TE = 50-5000 μs) and conventional T2-weighted fast spin-echo imaging. Quantitative T2* values of lung transplant parenchyma and spin density (SD) were compared by region-of-interest analysis. All samples underwent histological and immunohistochemical workup. In the allogeneic group, alveolar infiltration resulting from acute organ rejection was visualized in the UTE sequences. This was reflected by the quantitative measurements of SD and T2* values with higher values in the allogeneic group compared with the syngeneic group and nontransplanted lung at the first time point (24 h postoperative: Tx allogeneic group SD: 2133.9 ± 516; Tx syngeneic group SD: 1648.61 ± 271; P = 0.004; Tx allogeneic group T2*: 1710.16 ± 644 μs, Tx syngeneic group T2*: 577.16 ± 263 μs; P = <0.001). Changes caused by acute rejection after lung transplantation can be visualized and characterized using a UTE sequence due to different relaxation properties compared with both syngeneic lung transplants and normal lung tissue.
Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Natalie C
NC
Chuck
Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Andreas
A
Boss
Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Moritz C
MC
Wurnig
Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute for Technology, Zurich, Switzerland.
Markus
M
Weiger
Division of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Yoshito
Y
Yamada
Division of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Wolfgang
W
Jungraithmayr
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011897:Random Allocation; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
lung transplantation; magnetic resonance imaging; mouse; ultra-short echo-time