Choroid Plexus Calcification Correlates with Cortical Microglial Activation in Humans: A Multimodal PET, CT, MRI...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neuroinflammation
• Pathology

Background:

• The choroid plexus (CP) produces cerebrospinal fluid and modulates brain inflammation.
• CP enlargement on MRI is observed in neuroinflammatory disorders, aging, and neurodegeneration.
• CP calcification is a common age-related pathology, but its contribution to CP enlargement and neuroinflammation is unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between choroid plexus calcification and cortical neuroinflammation.
• To determine if choroid plexus calcification, rather than volume, predicts neuroinflammation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 60 subjects (43 controls, 17 with Parkinson's disease) using 11C-PK11195 PET/CT.
• Quantification of cortical inflammation and choroid plexus calcium (manual and automated CT/MRI methods).
• Linear regression to assess predictors of cortical inflammation.

Main Results:

• Automated choroid plexus calcium quantification showed high accuracy (ICC=0.98).
• Choroid plexus calcification and subject age were significant predictors of cortical inflammation.
• Choroid plexus volume did not predict cortical inflammation.

Conclusions:

• Accurate and automated quantification of choroid plexus calcification is feasible using CT/MRI.
• Choroid plexus calcification, not volume, is a significant predictor of neuroinflammation.
• Choroid plexus calcification may serve as a specific biomarker for neuroinflammation and CP pathology.