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Diffusion-weighted hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI in healthy volunteers and subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary

S Sivaram Kaushik1, Zackary I Cleveland, Gary P Cofer

  • 1Department of Radiology, Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.

Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
|March 18, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Hyperpolarized Xenon-129 (129Xe) apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) MRI is a feasible alternative to Helium-3 (3He) ADC MRI. This technique can distinguish emphysema in COPD patients and detect age- and posture-dependent lung changes.

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonary Medicine
  • Medical Imaging
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Helium-3 (3He) apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) MRI is limited by gas availability and cost.
  • Hyperpolarized Xenon-129 (129Xe) offers a more accessible alternative for ADC MRI.
  • Assessing lung microstructure and function is crucial for diagnosing and managing respiratory diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate the clinical feasibility of hyperpolarized 129Xe ADC MRI.
  • To evaluate the sensitivity of 129Xe ADC MRI in distinguishing healthy volunteers (HV) from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) subjects with emphysema.
  • To investigate age- and posture-dependent changes in lung ADC using 129Xe MRI.

Main Methods:

  • Recruited healthy volunteers (HV), age-matched controls (AMC), and COPD subjects.
  • Acquired hyperpolarized 129Xe ADC MRI data from all participants.
  • Analyzed parenchymal ADC values, including regional differences (anterior-posterior, superior-inferior), and correlated them with pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and age.

Main Results:

  • Mean parenchymal ADC values differed significantly between HV, AMC, and COPD subjects.
  • 129Xe ADC MRI detected significant anterior-posterior ADC decrease in healthy individuals due to gravity, which was absent in COPD patients.
  • COPD subjects showed a larger superior-inferior ADC reduction, consistent with smoking-related lung destruction. ADC correlated significantly with PFTs and increased with age in healthy individuals.

Conclusions:

  • Hyperpolarized 129Xe ADC MRI is clinically feasible and a viable alternative to 3He ADC MRI.
  • 129Xe ADC MRI is sensitive enough to differentiate healthy individuals from those with emphysema.
  • The technique effectively captures age- and posture-dependent variations in lung ADC, offering insights into lung health and disease.

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