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Early extremity MRI findings and pathological synovial changes in antigen-induced arthritis rabbit model
Zhen Lei1, Guoquan Feng, Na Xu
1Radiology Department, The First Hospital of Liaoning Medical College, No. 2, Wuduan, Jinzhou, China.
Purpose:
To investigate the association between early extremity MRI (E-MRI) findings and synovial pathological changes in antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) rabbit model.
Materials And Methods:
AIA was successfully induced in the right knee of 32 sensitized Japanese white rabbits, which were then divided into four groups according to the time of killing after AIA induction: 1-week (Group A), 2-weeks (Group B), 3-weeks (Group C), and 4-weeks (Group D); the left knee served as control in each rabbit.
Results:
There were varying degrees of joint effusion in all AIA groups. E-MRI scan showed low signal in T1-weighted images (T1Wi) and high signal in T2-weighted images (T2Wi). Enhanced E-MRI revealed elevated synovial signal at the right knee in the three-dimensional spoiled gradient T1WI, showing linear and band-shaped, diffuse hyperintensity. Histological examination of right knees found scattered inflammatory cell infiltration, swelling, and proliferation of the synovial cells at 7 days after AIA induction and dispersed and disordered proliferation of synovial cells up to 3 layers at 28 days postinduction. The synovial enhancement of right knee E-MRI was consistent with a synovial pathology score for all rabbits (Kappa = 0.965, P < 0.01).
Conclusion:
E-MRI can reveal the degree of changes in the joints and synovium at different periods of the AIA model.
Insights
Early extremity MRI (E-MRI) effectively detects joint and synovial changes in antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) rabbit models. This imaging technique correlates well with histological findings, aiding in assessing disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Medical Imaging
- Animal Models
Background:
- Antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) is a model for inflammatory joint diseases.
- Early detection of synovial changes is crucial for understanding arthritis progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate early extremity MRI (E-MRI) findings with synovial pathological changes in an AIA rabbit model.
- To evaluate E-MRI's ability to assess joint and synovial alterations over time in AIA.
Main Methods:
- AIA was induced in rabbit knees, with rabbits grouped by time post-induction (1, 2, 3, 4 weeks).
- Extremity MRI (E-MRI) was performed, analyzing T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and enhanced T1-weighted images.
- Histological examination of synovial tissue was conducted for pathological assessment.
Main Results:
- E-MRI revealed joint effusion and synovial signal alterations (low T1Wi, high T2Wi, enhanced hyperintensity) in AIA knees.
- Histology confirmed inflammatory cell infiltration and synovial cell proliferation, increasing over time.
- E-MRI synovial enhancement strongly correlated with histological synovial pathology scores (Kappa = 0.965, P < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- E-MRI is a valuable tool for assessing joint and synovial changes in the AIA rabbit model.
- The imaging findings accurately reflect the pathological status of the synovium at various disease stages.
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