Spectroscopy-based multi-parametric quantification in subjects with liver iron overload at 1.5T and 3T

Gregory Simchick; Ruiyang Zhao; Gavin Hamilton; Scott B Reeder; Diego Hernando

doi:10.1002/mrm.29021

Spectroscopy-based multi-parametric quantification in subjects with liver iron overload at 1.5T and 3T

Magn Reson Med. 2022 Feb;87(2):597-613. doi: 10.1002/mrm.29021. Epub 2021 Sep 23.

Authors

Gregory Simchick¹, Ruiyang Zhao^{1

2}, Gavin Hamilton³, Scott B Reeder^{1

2

4

5

6}, Diego Hernando^{1

2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
² Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
³ Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, California, USA.
⁴ Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
⁵ Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
⁶ Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the precision profile (repeatability and reproducibility) of quantitative STEAM-MRS and to determine the relationships between multiple MR biomarkers of chronic liver disease in subjects with iron overload at both 1.5 Tesla (T) and 3T.

Methods: MRS data were acquired in patients with known or suspected liver iron overload. Two STEAM-MRS sequences (multi-TE and multi-TE-TR) were acquired at both 1.5T and 3T (same day), including test-retest acquisition. Each acquisition enabled estimation of R1, R2, and FWHM (each separately for water and fat); and proton density fat fraction. The test-retest repeatability and reproducibility across acquisition modes (multi-TE vs. multi-TE-TR) of the estimates were evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients, linear regression, and Bland-Altman analyses. Multi-parametric relationships between parameters at each field strength, across field strengths, and with liver iron concentration were also evaluated using linear and nonlinear regression.

Results: Fifty-six (n = 56) subjects (10 to 73 years, 37 males/19 females) were successfully recruited. Both STEAM-MRS sequences demonstrated good-to-excellent precision (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ 0.81) for the quantification of R1_water , R2_water , FWHM_water , and proton density fat fraction at both 1.5T and 3T. Additionally, several moderate (R² = 0.50 to 0.69) to high (R² ≥ 0.70) correlations were observed between biomarkers, across field strengths, and with liver iron concentration.

Conclusions: Over a broad range of liver iron concentration, STEAM-MRS enables rapid and precise measurement of multiple biomarkers of chronic liver disease. By evaluating the multi-parametric relationships between biomarkers, this work may advance the comprehensive MRS-based assessment of chronic liver disease and may help establish biomarkers of chronic liver disease.

Keywords: MRS; chronic liver disease; iron overload; liver; liver iron concentration; quantitative.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Female
Humans
Iron Overload* / diagnostic imaging
Liver / diagnostic imaging
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Male
Reproducibility of Results
Spectrum Analysis

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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