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Localized measurement of atherosclerotic plaque inflammatory burden with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI
Huijun Chen1, Jianming Cai, Xihai Zhao
1Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Abstract:
Inflammation plays an important role in progression and rupture of atherosclerotic plaque. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI has been proposed as a tool to evaluate inflammation in vivo by measuring the transfer constant and partial plasma volume, which are influenced by inflammation. This study sought to demonstrate the ability of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI to provide localized measurements of transfer constant and partial plasma volume within plaque regions of different compositions. In order to do that, a highly automatic procedure for localized measurement of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI parameters was developed. In 47 subjects, the average transfer constant and partial plasma volume were highest in loose matrix and fibrous tissue and substantially lower in intraplaque hemorrhage, lipid rich/necrotic core, and calcification. In addition, except for hemorrhage and calcification, statistically significant differences of transfer constant and partial plasma volume were observed for any pair of these components. This suggests that transfer constant and partial plasma volume could be helpful to differentiate different plaque components and that dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI has the potential to assess inflammatory burden in specific regions.
Insights
Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI can measure inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques. The study found specific MRI parameters vary across plaque types, aiding in inflammation assessment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Atherosclerosis Research
- Medical Physics
Background:
- Inflammation is key to atherosclerotic plaque progression and rupture.
- Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) shows potential for in vivo inflammation assessment.
- Key DCE-MRI metrics include transfer constant (Ktrans) and partial plasma volume (VVp).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate DCE-MRI's ability to measure Ktrans and VVp in distinct atherosclerotic plaque regions.
- To develop an automated method for localized DCE-MRI parameter measurement.
- To correlate DCE-MRI parameters with specific plaque compositions.
Main Methods:
- Developed a highly automated procedure for localized DCE-MRI parameter measurement.
- Analyzed 47 subjects with atherosclerotic plaques.
- Measured Ktrans and VVp in various plaque components: loose matrix, fibrous tissue, intraplaque hemorrhage, lipid-rich/necrotic core, and calcification.
Main Results:
- Highest average Ktrans and VVp were observed in loose matrix and fibrous tissue.
- Significantly lower Ktrans and VVp were found in intraplaque hemorrhage, lipid-rich/necrotic core, and calcification.
- Statistically significant differences in Ktrans and VVp were noted between most plaque component pairs (excluding hemorrhage and calcification).
Conclusions:
- Ktrans and VVp show potential for differentiating various atherosclerotic plaque components.
- DCE-MRI can assess regional inflammatory burden within plaques.
- This technique may aid in understanding plaque vulnerability and guiding treatment.
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