title: Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping Indicates a Disturbed Brain Iron Homeostasis in Neuromyelitis Optica - A Pilot Study.
abstract: Dysregulation of brain iron homeostasis is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases and can be associated with oxidative stress. The objective of this study was to investigate brain iron in patients with Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), a quantitative iron-sensitive MRI technique. 12 clinically confirmed NMO patients (6 female and 6 male; age 35.4y±14.2y) and 12 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (7 female and 5 male; age 33.9±11.3y) underwent MRI of the brain at 3 Tesla. Quantitative maps of the effective transverse relaxation rate (R2*) and magnetic susceptibility were calculated and a blinded ROI-based group comparison analysis was performed. Normality of the data and differences between patients and controls were tested by Kolmogorov-Smirnov and t-test, respectively. Correlation with age was studied using Spearman's rank correlation and an ANCOVA-like analysis. Magnetic susceptibility values were decreased in the red nucleus (p<0.01; d>0.95; between -15 and -22 ppb depending on reference region) with a trend toward increasing differences with age. R2* revealed significantly decreased relaxation in the optic radiations of five of the 12 patients (p<0.0001; -3.136±0.567 s(-1)). Decreased relaxation in the optic radiation is indicative for demyelination, which is in line with previous findings. Decreased magnetic susceptibility in the red nucleus is indicative for a lower brain iron concentration, a chemical redistribution of iron into less magnetic forms, or both. Further investigations are necessary to elucidate the pathological cause or consequence of this finding.
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Imaging, Diagnosticos das Americas DASA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.|Departamento de Radiologia, Universidade Federal de Rio de Janeiro UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thomas Martin
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9484-1801
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Doring
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Imaging, Diagnosticos das Americas DASA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.|Departamento de Radiologia, Universidade Federal de Rio de Janeiro UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Granado
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Imaging, Diagnosticos das Americas DASA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.|Departamento de Radiologia, Universidade Federal de Rio de Janeiro UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rueda
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Group, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, TH, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deistung
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Group, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, TH, Germany.|Michael Stifel Center for Data-driven and Simulation Science Jena, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, TH, Germany.
authors.forename: Juergen R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Reichenbach
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Imaging, Diagnosticos das Americas DASA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tukamoto
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Imaging, Diagnosticos das Americas DASA, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.|Departamento de Radiologia, Universidade Federal de Rio de Janeiro UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emerson Leandro
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Gasparetto
authors.affiliation: Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States of America.|MRI Clinical and Translational Research Center, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ferdinand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schweser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000378:metabolism*; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D007501:Iron