Assessment Of Iron Content In Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis And Patients With Multiple Sclerosis By Magnetic Resonance Imaging

PART ONEQUANTIATIVE STUDY OF IRON ABNORMAL DEPOSITION INEXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITISUSING MRIObjectiveTo explore iron deposition in the brain of experimental autoimmuneencephalomyelitis (EAE) using3D enhanced T*2weighted angiography(ESWAN) for multiple sclerosis (MS), abnormal iron depostion mechanismprovide evidence.MethodsThirty rats were divided into two groups. Fifteen rats were injectedwith the immunizing antigen to prepare the EAE model and the other wereconducted as the control group. In the initial phase and peak-time phase for the clinical symptom of the EAE model, all the rats were performed withT1WI, T2WI, ESWAN before the tail intravenous injection contrast agents,respectively. Then, all the rats were performed with enhanced T1WI after5minutes by injection of Gadolinium-diethvlenetriamine pentaacetic acid(Gd-DTPA). Rats were killed immediately after scan was completed. Thepathology examinations included hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining andPrussian blue staining.ResultsClinical symptoms of the rats in EAE model were present at the13thday（D13）, and reached peak-time phase at D17. MRI findings: Gd-DTPAenhanced T1WI showed lesions significantly enhanced, and ESWAN-phaseimages showed the corresponding lesions with low signal. Pathologyexaminations: HE staining revealed perivascular inflammatory cellsinfiltration in the lesions. Prussian blue staining did not display the blueparticles within the cytoplasm of macrophages in the lesions. All thecontrol rats were negative.ConclusionThe experiment was successfully prepared for acute EAE model,using Prussian blue staining found no deposition of iron in lesions of brain.The main reason may be related to a shorter duration of EAE model and toselect parts of the region of interest (ROI), speculating that a longerduration of observation iron deposition in lesions may be more suitable. PART TWOCHAPTER ONEQUANTIATIVE STUDY OF IRON DEPOSITION IN THEPRECENTRAL GRAY MATTER IN PATIENTS WITHRELAPSE-REMITTING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS USING ESWANObjectiveTo explore the changes of iron deposition in the precentral gray matterand its correlations with the volume and clinical parameters in patients withrelapse-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) by using enhancedT*2weighted angiography (ESWAN).MethodsThirty patients with RRMS were recruited and underwentconventional MRI, ESWAN and3D T1WI. The mean phase values (MPV)representing iron deposition and the volumes of precentral gray matterwere measured, and the correlations of iron deposition in the precentralgray matter with the volume of precentral gray matter, expended disability status scale (EDSS) scores and duration of disease were analyzed.Results1) The precentral gray matter MPV of the two scans were(2033.13±14.39) and (2236.88±137.86), respectively, with a significantdifference (P＜0.05). And the volumes of the precentral gray matterwere (2201.34±78.71) and (2339.15±130.09) mm3, respectively, with asignificant difference (P <0.05).2) There was a significant positive correlation between MPV and thevolume of precentral gray matter (rs=0.364, P=0.048).3) There was a negative correlation between disease duration and theMPV (rs=-0.369, P=0.045), so did the recurrence rate and the MPV (rs=-0.367, P＜0.05). There was no correlation between EDSS and the MPV(rs=-0.076, P>0.05).ConclusionThe iron deposition in precentral gray matter in the patients withRRMS increases comparing the healthy control and iron may become abiomarker in the future. CHAPTER TWOMRI IN LONGITUDINAL OBSERVATION ON IRON DEPOSITIONIN THE PRECENTRAL GRAY MATTER IN PATIENTS WITHRELAPSE-REMITTING MULTIPLE SCLEROSISObjectiveTo longitudinally assess the dynamic change of iron deposition in theprecentral gray matter and its correlation with the volume and relatedclinical parameters in patients with RRMS by using ESWAN.MethodsThirty patients with RRMS were recruited and underwentconventional MRI, ESWAN and3D T1WI twice with the interval of oneyear. The MPV representing iron deposition and the volumes of precentralgray matter were measured, and the correlation of iron deposition in theprecentral gray matter with the volume of precentral gray matter, EDSSscores and duration of disease were analyzed.Results1) In the two results, the precentral gray matter MPV were(2033.131±14.39) and (2022.65±17.94), respectively, with a significantdifference (P＜0.05) and the volumes of the precentral gray matter were(2307.82±109.24) and (2216.82±118.70) mm3, respectively, with no difference (P＞0.05).2) There was a significant positive correlation between MPV and thevolume of precentral gray matter in both two measurements (rs=0.764,0.592; P both＜0.05), so did the changes of MPV and the volume ofprecentral gray matter (rs=0.582, P＜0.05).3) The change of EDSS had a significant negative correlation with thechange of the volume of precentral gray matter (rs=-0.587, P＜0.05),but had no correlation with the change of MPV (P＞0.05).4) There was a negative correlation between duration of disease andthe MPV of the second measurement (rs=-0.399, P＜0.05), so did therecurrence rate and the change of MPV (rs=-0.367, P＜0.05).ConclusionWith the disease progression and the recurrence rate increasing irondeposition in precentral gray matter increases in the patients with RRMS.