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Wu Q, Qi Y, Gong P, Huang B, Cheng G, Liang D, Zheng H, Sun PZ, Wu Y. Fast and robust pulsed chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI using a quasi-steady-state (QUASS) algorithm at 3 T. Magn Reson Imaging 2024; 105:29-36. [PMID: 37898416 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2023.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) has emerged as a powerful technique to image dilute labile protons. However, its measurement depends on the RF saturation duration (Tsat) and relaxation delay (Trec). Although the recently developed quasi-steady-state (QUASS) solution can reconstruct equilibrium CEST effects under continuous-wave RF saturation, it does not apply to pulsed-CEST MRI on clinical scanners with restricted hardware or specific absorption rate limits. This study proposed a QUASS algorithm for pulsed-CEST MRI and evaluated its performance in muscle CEST measurement. An approximated expression of a steady-state pulsed-CEST signal was incorporated in the off-resonance spin-lock model, from which the QUASS pulsed-CEST effect was derived. Numerical simulation, creatine phantom, and healthy volunteer scans were conducted at 3 T. The CEST effect was quantified with asymmetry analysis in the simulation and phantom experiments. CEST effects of creatine, amide proton transfer, phosphocreatine, and combined magnetization transfer and nuclear Overhauser effects were isolated from a multi-pool Lorentzian model in muscles. Apparent and QUASS CEST measurements were compared under different Tsat/Trec and duty cycles. Paired Student's t-test was employed with P < 0.05 as statistically significant. The simulation, phantom, and human studies showed the strong impact of Tsat/Trec on apparent CEST measurements, which were significantly smaller than the corresponding QUASS CEST measures, especially under short Tsat/Trec times. In comparison, the QUASS algorithm mitigates such impact and enables accurate CEST measurements under short Tsat/Trec times. In conclusion, the QUASS algorithm can accelerate robust pulsed-CEST MRI, promising the efficient detection and evaluation of muscle diseases in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiting Wu
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; Medical AI Lab, School of Biomedical Engineering, Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yulong Qi
- Department of Medical Imaging, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Pengcheng Gong
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Bingsheng Huang
- Medical AI Lab, School of Biomedical Engineering, Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Guanxun Cheng
- Department of Medical Imaging, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Dong Liang
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Hairong Zheng
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Phillip Zhe Sun
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yin Wu
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
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Abbasi-Rad S, Norris DG. Adiabatic null passage for on-resonance magnetization transfer preparation. Magn Reson Med 2024; 91:133-148. [PMID: 37598419 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We propose a novel RF pulse providing an adiabatic null passage (ANP) for magnetization transfer preparation with improved insensitivity toB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ and B0 inhomogeneities and mitigated direct saturation and T2 effects. METHOD The phase modulation function of a 6-ms time-resampled frequency offset-corrected pulse was modified to achieve zero flip angle at the end of the pulse. The spectral response was simulated, and its insensitivity to B0 andB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ was investigated and compared with a phase-inverted (12 ¯ $$ \overline{2} $$ 1-1 ¯ $$ \overline{1} $$ 21 ¯ $$ \overline{1} $$ ) binomial pulse. The proposed pulse was implemented in a 2D-EPI pulse sequence to generate magnetization transfer (MT) contrast and MT ratio (MTR) maps. In vivo experiments were performed on 3 healthy participants with power-matched settings for ANP and the binomial pulse with the following parameters: 6-ms binomial pulse with a flip angle of 107° (shortest element) and pulse repetition period (PRP) of TRslice = 59 ms, three experiments with 6-ms ANP and constant MT used overdrive factor (OF)/PRP values of 1/TRslice ,2 $$ \sqrt{2} $$ /2TRslice , and3 $$ \sqrt{3} $$ /3TRslice . RESULTS At gray matter (white matter) in vivo, the MTR decreased from 61% (64%) at OF = 1 to 38% (42%) applying ANP with an OF =3 $$ \sqrt{\mathsf{3}} $$ and PRP = 3 TRslice , demonstrating the mitigation of T2 /direct effect by 22% (22%). Bloch-McConnell simulations gave similar values. In vivo experiments showed significant improvement in the MTR values for areas with high B0 inhomogeneity. CONCLUSION ANP pulse was shown to be advantageous over its binomial counterpart in providing MT contrast by mitigating the T2 effect and direct saturation of the liquid pool as well as reduced sensitivity toB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ and B0 inhomogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahrokh Abbasi-Rad
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David G Norris
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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Wu L, Lu D, Sun PZ. Comparison of model-free Lorentzian and spinlock model-based fittings in quantitative CEST imaging of acute stroke. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:1958-1968. [PMID: 37335834 PMCID: PMC10538953 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE CEST MRI detects complex tissue changes following acute stroke. Our study aimed to test if spinlock model-based fitting of the quasi-steady-state (QUASS)-reconstructed equilibrium CEST MRI improves the determination of multi-pool signal changes over the commonly-used model-free Lorentzian fitting in acute stroke. THEORY AND METHODS Multiple three-pool CEST Z-spectra were simulated using Bloch-McConnell equations for a range of T1 , relaxation delay, and saturation times. The multi-pool CEST signals were solved from the simulated Z-spectra to test the accuracy of routine Lorentzian (model-free) and spinlock (model-based) fittings without and with QUASS reconstruction. In addition, multiparametric MRI scans were obtained in rat models of acute stroke, including relaxation, diffusion, and CEST Z-spectrum. Finally, we compared model-free and model-based per-pixel CEST quantification in vivo. RESULTS The spinlock model-based fitting of QUASS CEST MRI provided a nearly T1 -independent determination of multi-pool CEST signals, advantageous over the fittings of apparent CEST MRI (model-free and model-based). In vivo data also demonstrated that the spinlock model-based QUASS fitting captured significantly different changes in semisolid magnetization transfer (-0.9 ± 0.8 vs. 0.3 ± 0.8%), amide (-1.1 ± 0.4 vs. -0.5 ± 0.2%), and guanidyl (1.0 ± 0.4 vs. 0.7 ± 0.3%) signals over the model-free Lorentzian analysis. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrated that spinlock model-based fitting of QUASS CEST MRI improved the determination of the underlying tissue changes following acute stroke, promising further clinical translation of quantitative CEST imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Wu
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Dongshuang Lu
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Phillip Zhe Sun
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta GA
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta GA
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Sun PZ. Numerical simulation-based assessment of pH-sensitive chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI quantification accuracy across field strengths. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e5000. [PMID: 37401645 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.5000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI detects dilute labile protons via their exchange with bulk water, conferring pH sensitivity. Based on published exchange and relaxation properties, a 19-pool simulation was used to model the brain pH-dependent CEST effect and assess the accuracy of quantitative CEST (qCEST) analysis across magnetic field strengths under typical scan conditions. First, the optimal B1 amplitude was determined by maximizing pH-sensitive amide proton transfer (APT) contrast under the equilibrium condition. Apparent and quasi-steady-state (QUASS) CEST effects were then derived under the optimal B1 amplitude as functions of pH, RF saturation duration, relaxation delay, Ernst flip angle, and field strength. Finally, CEST effects, particularly the APT signal, were isolated with spinlock model-based Z-spectral fitting to evaluate the accuracy and consistency of CEST quantification. Our data showed that QUASS reconstruction significantly improved the consistency between simulated and equilibrium Z-spectra. The residual difference between QUASS and equilibrium CEST Z-spectra was, on average, 30 times less than that of the apparent CEST Z-spectra across field strengths, saturation, and repetition times. Also, the spinlock fitting of the QUASS CEST effect significantly reduced the residual errors 9-fold. Furthermore, the isolated APT amplitude from QUASS reconstruction was consistent and higher than the apparent CEST analysis under nonequilibrium conditions. To summarize, this study confirmed that QUASS reconstruction facilitates accurate determination of the CEST system under different scan protocols across field strengths, with the potential to help standardize CEST quantification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Zhe Sun
- Primate Imaging Center, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Zhang Z, Wang K, Park S, Li A, Li Y, Weiss R, Xu J. The exchange rate of creatine CEST in mouse brain. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:373-384. [PMID: 37036030 PMCID: PMC11054327 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To estimate the exchange rate of creatine (Cr) CEST and to evaluate the pH sensitivity of guanidinium (Guan) CEST in the mouse brain. METHODS Polynomial and Lorentzian line-shape fitting (PLOF) were implemented to extract the amine, amide, and Guan CEST signals from the brain Z-spectrum at 11.7T. Wild-type (WT) and knockout mice with the guanidinoacetate N-methyltransferase deficiency (GAMT-/- ) that have low Cr and phosphocreatine (PCr) concentrations in the brain were used to extract the CrCEST signal. To quantify the CrCEST exchange rate, a two-step Bloch-McConnell (BM) fitting was used to fit the CrCEST line-shape, B1 -dependent CrCEST, and the pH response with different B1 values. The pH in the brain cells was altered by hypercapnia to measure the pH sensitivity of GuanCEST. RESULTS Comparison between the Z-spectra of WT and GAMT-/- mice suggest that the CrCEST is between 20% and 25% of the GuanCEST in the Z-spectrum at 1.95 ppm between B1 = 0.8 and 2 μT. The CrCEST exchange rate was found to be around 240-480 s-1 in the mouse brain, which is significantly lower than that in solutions (∼1000 s-1 ). The hypercapnia study on the mouse brain revealed that CrCEST at B1 = 2 μT and amineCEST at B1 = 0.8 μT are highly sensitive to pH change in the WT mouse brain. CONCLUSIONS The in vivo CrCEST exchange rate is slow, and the acquisition parameters for the CrCEST should be adjusted accordingly. CrCEST is the major contribution to the opposite pH-dependence of GuanCEST signal under different conditions of B1 in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqin Zhang
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kexin Wang
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sooyeon Park
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anna Li
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yuguo Li
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert Weiss
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jiadi Xu
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Igarashi T, Kim H, Sun PZ. Detection of tissue pH with quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e4711. [PMID: 35141979 PMCID: PMC10249910 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a novel means for sensitive detection of dilute labile protons and chemical exchange rates. By sensitizing to pH-dependent chemical exchange, CEST MRI has shown promising results in monitoring tissue statuses such as pH changes in disorders like acute stroke, tumor, and acute kidney injury. This article briefly reviews the basic principles for CEST imaging and quantitative measures, from the simplistic asymmetry analysis to multipool Lorentzian decoupling and quasi-steady-state reconstruction. In particular, the advantages and limitations of commonly used quantitative approaches for CEST applications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Igarashi
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA
| | - Hahnsung Kim
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Yerkes Imaging Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Phillip Zhe Sun
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Yerkes Imaging Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
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Sun PZ. Demonstration of accurate multi-pool chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI quantification - Quasi-steady-state reconstruction empowered quantitative CEST analysis. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2023; 348:107379. [PMID: 36689786 PMCID: PMC10023465 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2023.107379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is sensitive to dilute labile protons and microenvironment properties, yet CEST quantification has been challenging. This difficulty is because the CEST measurement depends not only on the underlying CEST system but also on the scan protocols, including RF saturation amplitude, duration, and repetition time. In addition, T1 normalization is not straightforward under non-equilibrium conditions. Recently, a quasi-steady-state (QUASS) algorithm was established to reconstruct the desired equilibrium state from experimental measurements. Our study aimed to determine the accuracy of spinlock-model-based multi-pool CEST quantification using numerical simulations and phantom experiments. In short, CEST Z-spectra were simulated for a representative 3-pool model, and CEST amplitudes were solved with spinlock model-based multi-pool fitting and assessed as a function of RF saturation time (Ts), repetition time (TR), and T1. Although the apparent CEST signals showed significant T1 dependence, such relationships were not observed following QUASS reconstruction. To test the accuracy of T1 correction, a multi-vial phantom of nicotinamide and creatine was doped with manganese chloride, resulting in T1 ranging from 1 s to beyond 2 s. The multi-labile signals determined from the routine measurements showed significant dependence on Ts, TR, and T1. In contrast, CEST signals from the QUASS reconstruction showed consistent quantification independent of such variables. To summarize, our study demonstrated that accurate CEST quantification is feasible in multi-pool CEST systems with the spinlock-model-based fitting of QUASS CEST MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Zhe Sun
- Primate Imaging Center, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States.
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Chen Y, Dang X, Hu W, Sun Y, Bai Y, Wang X, He X, Wang M, Song X. Reassembled saturation transfer (REST) MR images at 2 B 1 values for in vivo exchange-dependent imaging of amide and nuclear Overhauser enhancement. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:620-635. [PMID: 36253943 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Design an efficient CEST scheme for exchange-dependent images with high contrast-to-noise ratio. THEORY Reassembled saturation transfer (REST) signals were defined as Δ $$ \Delta $$ r.Z = r.Zref - r.ZCEST and the reassembled exchange-dependen magnetization transfer ratio r.MTRRex = r.1/Zref - r.1/ZCEST , utilizing the averages over loosely sampled reference frequency offsets as Zref and over densely sampled target offsets as ZCEST . Using r.MTRRex measured under 2 B1,sat values, exchange rate could be estimated. METHODS The REST approach was optimized and assessed quantitatively by simulations for various exchange rates, pool concentration, and water T1 . In vivo evaluation was performed on ischemic rat brains at 7 Tesla and human brains at 3 Tesla, in comparison with conventional asymmetrical analysis, Lorentzian difference (LD), an MTRRex_ LD. RESULTS For a broad choice of Δ ω ref $$ \Delta {\omega}_{ref} $$ ranges and numbers, Δr.Z and r.MTRRex exhibited comparable quantification features with conventional LD and MTRRex _LD, respectively, when B1,sat ≤ 1 μT. The subtraction of 2 REST values under distinct B1,sat values showed linear relationships with exchange rate and obtained immunity to field inhomogeneity and variation in MT and water T1 . For both rat and human studies, REST images exhibited similar contrast distribution to MTRRex _LD, with superiority in contrast-to-noise ratio and acquisition efficiency. Compared with MTRRex _LD, 2-B1,sat subtraction REST images displayed better resistance to B1 inhomogeneity, with more specific enhanced regions. They also showed higher signals for amide than for nuclear Overhauser enhancement effect in human brain, presumably reflecting the higher increment from faster-exchanging species as B1,sat increased. CONCLUSION Featuring high contrast-to-noise ratio efficiency, REST could be a practical exchange-dependent approach readily applicable to either retrospective Z-spectra analysis or perspective 6-offset acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanrong Chen
- School of Information Sciences and Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.,Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xujian Dang
- School of Information Sciences and Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Wanting Hu
- School of Information Sciences and Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaozong Sun
- School of Information Sciences and Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Bai
- Department of Medical Imaging, Henan Provincial People's Hospital & the People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaowei He
- School of Information Sciences and Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Meiyun Wang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Henan Provincial People's Hospital & the People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolei Song
- Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Shin SH, Wendland MF, Wang J, Velasquez M, Vandsburger MH. Noninvasively differentiating acute and chronic nephropathies via multiparametric urea-CEST, nuclear Overhauser enhancement-CEST, and quantitative magnetization transfer MRI. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:774-786. [PMID: 36226662 PMCID: PMC11027791 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Standardized blood tests often lack adequate sensitivity and specificity to capture the gradual progression of renal injuries. We suggest a multiparametric molecular MRI approach as a noninvasive tool for monitoring renal function loss and distinguishing different types of renal injuries. METHODS CEST and quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) imaging were performed on cisplatin (n = 16) and aristolochic acid (AA)-induced nephropathy (n = 22) mouse models at 7T with an infusion of either saline or urea. Seven-pool Lorentzian fitting was applied for the analysis of CEST Z-spectra, and the T1 -corrected CEST contrast apparent exchange-dependent relaxation (AREX) from urea (+1 ppm) and two nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) pools (-1.6 and -3.5 ppm) were measured. Similarly, qMT spectra were fitted into two-pool Ramani equation and the relative semi-solid macromolecular pool-size ratio was measured. Histology of mouse kidneys was performed to validate the MR findings. RESULTS AA model showed disrupted spatial gradients of urea in the kidney and significantly decreased NOE CEST and qMT contrast. The cisplatin model showed slightly decreased qMT contrast only. The orrelation of MR parameters to histological features showed that NOE CEST and qMT imaging are sensitive to both acute and chronic injuries, whereas urea CEST shows a significant correlation only to acute injuries. CONCLUSION These results indicate that our multiparametric approach allows comprehensive and totally noninvasive monitoring of renal function and histological changes for distinguishing different nephropathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo Hyun Shin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Michael F. Wendland
- Berkeley Preclinical Imaging Core (BPIC), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Jingshen Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Mark Velasquez
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
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Ji Y, Lu D, Sun PZ, Zhou IY. In vivo pH mapping with omega plot-based quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:299-307. [PMID: 36089834 PMCID: PMC9617761 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is promising for detecting dilute metabolites and microenvironment properties, which has been increasingly adopted in imaging disorders such as acute stroke and cancer. However, in vivo CEST MRI quantification remains challenging because routine asymmetry analysis (MTRasym ) or Lorentzian decoupling measures a combined effect of the labile proton concentration and its exchange rate. Therefore, our study aimed to quantify amide proton concentration and exchange rate independently in a cardiac arrest-induced global ischemia rat model. METHODS The amide proton CEST (APT) effect was decoupled from tissue water, macromolecular magnetization transfer, nuclear Overhauser enhancement, guanidinium, and amine protons using the image downsampling expedited adaptive least-squares (IDEAL) fitting algorithm on Z-spectra obtained under multiple RF saturation power levels, before and after global ischemia. Omega plot analysis was applied to determine amide proton concentration and exchange rate simultaneously. RESULTS Global ischemia induces a significant APT signal drop from intact tissue. Using the modified omega plot analysis, we found that the amide proton exchange rate decreased from 29.6 ± 5.6 to 12.1 ± 1.3 s-1 (P < 0.001), whereas the amide proton concentration showed little change (0.241 ± 0.035% vs. 0.202 ± 0.034%, P = 0.074) following global ischemia. CONCLUSION Our study determined the labile proton concentration and exchange rate underlying the in vivo APT MRI. The significant change in the exchange rate, but not the concentration of amide proton demonstrated that the pH effect dominates the APT contrast during tissue ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Ji
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB Division, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Dongshuang Lu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Phillip Zhe Sun
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Emory Primate Imaging Center, Emory Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Iris Y. Zhou
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
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Jin T, Chung JJ. Average saturation efficiency filter (ASEF) for CEST imaging. Magn Reson Med 2022; 88:254-265. [PMID: 35344594 PMCID: PMC9172934 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Endogenous CEST signal usually has low specificity due to contamination from the magnetization transfer effect and from fast exchanging labile protons with close Larmor frequencies. We propose to improve CEST signal specificity with an average saturation efficiency filter (ASEF). METHODS ASEF measures the difference between CEST signals acquired with similar average irradiation power but largely different duty cycles (DC), for example, a continuous wave or a high DC pulse train versus a low DC one. Simulation and Cr phantom studies were performed to evaluate the characteristics of ASEF for CEST. RESULTS Theoretical and simulation studies show that ASEF can suppress fast exchanging processes, with only a small loss of chemical exchange contrast for slow-to-intermediate exchange rates if the difference in DC is large. In the RF offset range of 2 to 5 ppm with an averaged saturation power of 0.8 and 1.6 microteslas, there is a mismatch of ∼0.1% to 2% in the magnetization transfer signal between saturation by continuous wave and a pulse train with DC = 15% and pulse duration of 24 ms, respectively. This mismatch can be minimized by careful selection of saturation power, pulse duration, and DC differences or by applying a small fudge factor between the 2 irradiation powers. Phantom studies of Cr confirmed that ASEF can minimize the magnetization transfer effect and reduce sensitivity to fast exchange processes. CONCLUSION ASEF can improve the specificity of slow-to-intermediate exchanging CEST signal with a relatively small loss of sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Jin
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Julius Juhyun Chung
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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12
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Lorentzian-Corrected Apparent Exchange-Dependent Relaxation (LAREX) Ω-Plot Analysis-An Adaptation for qCEST in a Multi-Pool System: Comprehensive In Silico, In Situ, and In Vivo Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23136920. [PMID: 35805925 PMCID: PMC9266897 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23136920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on in silico, in situ, and in vivo studies, this study aims to develop a new method for the quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer (qCEST) technique considering multi-pool systems. To this end, we extended the state-of-the-art apparent exchange-dependent relaxation (AREX) method with a Lorentzian correction (LAREX). We then validated this new method with in situ and in vivo experiments on human intervertebral discs (IVDs) using the Kendall-Tau correlation coefficient. In the in silico experiments, we observed significant deviations of the AREX method as a function of the underlying exchange rate (kba) and fractional concentration (fb) compared to the ground truth due to the influence of other exchange pools. In comparison to AREX, the LAREX-based Ω-plot approach yielded a substantial improvement. In the subsequent in situ and in vivo experiments on human IVDs, no correlation to the histological reference standard or Pfirrmann classification could be found for the fb (in situ: τ = −0.17 p = 0.51; in vivo: τ = 0.13 p = 0.30) and kba (in situ: τ = 0.042 p = 0.87; in vivo: τ = −0.26 p = 0.04) of Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) with AREX. In contrast, the influence of interfering pools could be corrected by LAREX, and a moderate to strong correlation was observed for the fractional concentration of GAG for both in situ (τ = −0.71 p = 0.005) and in vivo (τ = −0.49 p < 0.001) experiments. The study presented here is the first to introduce a new qCEST method that enables qCEST imaging in systems with multiple proton pools.
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13
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Perlman O, Farrar CT, Heo HY. MR fingerprinting for semisolid magnetization transfer and chemical exchange saturation transfer quantification. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2022; 36:e4710. [PMID: 35141967 PMCID: PMC9808671 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI has positioned itself as a promising contrast mechanism, capable of providing molecular information at sufficient resolution and amplified sensitivity. However, it has not yet become a routinely employed clinical technique, due to a variety of confounding factors affecting its contrast-weighted image interpretation and the inherently long scan time. CEST MR fingerprinting (MRF) is a novel approach for addressing these challenges, allowing simultaneous quantitation of several proton exchange parameters using rapid acquisition schemes. Recently, a number of deep-learning algorithms have been developed to further boost the performance and speed of CEST and semi-solid macromolecule magnetization transfer (MT) MRF. This review article describes the fundamental theory behind semisolid MT/CEST-MRF and its main applications. It then details supervised and unsupervised learning approaches for MRF image reconstruction and describes artificial intelligence (AI)-based pipelines for protocol optimization. Finally, practical considerations are discussed, and future perspectives are given, accompanied by basic demonstration code and data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Or Perlman
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Christian T. Farrar
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Hye-Young Heo
- Division of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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14
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Perlman O, Zhu B, Zaiss M, Rosen MS, Farrar CT. An end-to-end AI-based framework for automated discovery of rapid CEST/MT MRI acquisition protocols and molecular parameter quantification (AutoCEST). Magn Reson Med 2022; 87:2792-2810. [PMID: 35092076 PMCID: PMC9305180 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Purpose To develop an automated machine‐learning‐based method for the discovery of rapid and quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MR fingerprinting acquisition and reconstruction protocols. Methods An MR physics‐governed AI system was trained to generate optimized acquisition schedules and the corresponding quantitative reconstruction neural network. The system (termed AutoCEST) is composed of a CEST saturation block, a spin dynamics module, and a deep reconstruction network, all differentiable and jointly connected. The method was validated using a variety of chemical exchange phantoms and in vivo mouse brains at 9.4T. Results The acquisition times for AutoCEST optimized schedules ranged from 35 to 71 s, with a quantitative image reconstruction time of only 29 ms. The resulting exchangeable proton concentration maps for the phantoms were in good agreement with the known solute concentrations for AutoCEST sequences (mean absolute error = 2.42 mM; Pearson’s r=0.992, p<0.0001), but not for an unoptimized sequence (mean absolute error = 65.19 mM; Pearson’s r=‐0.161, p=0.522). Similarly, improved exchange rate agreement was observed between AutoCEST and quantification of exchange using saturation power (QUESP) methods (mean absolute error: 35.8 Hz, Pearson’s r=0.971, p<0.0001) compared to an unoptimized schedule and QUESP (mean absolute error = 58.2 Hz; Pearson’s r=0.959, p<0.0001). The AutoCEST in vivo mouse brain semi‐solid proton volume fractions were lower in the cortex (12.77% ± 0.75%) compared to the white matter (19.80% ± 0.50%), as expected. Conclusion AutoCEST can automatically generate optimized CEST/MT acquisition protocols that can be rapidly reconstructed into quantitative exchange parameter maps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Or Perlman
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Bo Zhu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Moritz Zaiss
- Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute For Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Matthew S Rosen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christian T Farrar
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
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15
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Lankford CL, Louie EA, Zu Z, Does MD, Gochberg DF. A hybrid numeric-analytic solution for pulsed CEST. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2022; 35:e4610. [PMID: 34636458 PMCID: PMC9045009 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) methods measure the effect of magnetization exchange between solutes and water. While CEST methods are often implemented using a train of off-resonant shaped RF pulses, they are typically analyzed as if the irradiation were continuous. This approximation does not account for exchange of rotated magnetization, unique to pulsed irradiation and exploited by chemical exchange rotation transfer methods. In this work, we derive and test an analytic solution for the steady-state water signal under pulsed irradiation by extending a previous work to include the effects of pulse shape. The solution is largely accurate at all offsets, but this accuracy diminishes at higher exchange rates and when applying pulse shapes with large root-mean-squared to mean ratios (such as multi-lobe sinc pulses).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L. Lankford
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Louie
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Zhongliang Zu
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark D. Does
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Daniel F. Gochberg
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Corresponding author. Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, 1161 21 Ave. S, MCN AAA–3112, Nashville, TN 37232–2310, USA.
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16
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Boyd PS, Breitling J, Korzowski A, Zaiss M, Franke VL, Mueller-Decker K, Glinka A, Ladd ME, Bachert P, Goerke S. Mapping intracellular pH in tumors using amide and guanidyl CEST-MRI at 9.4 T. Magn Reson Med 2021; 87:2436-2452. [PMID: 34958684 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE In principle, non-invasive mapping of the intracellular pH (pHi ) in vivo is possible using endogenous chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST)-MRI of the amide and guanidyl signals. However, the application for cancer imaging is still impeded, as current state-of-the-art approaches do not allow for simultaneous compensation of concomitant effects that vary within tumors. In this study, we present a novel method for absolute pHi mapping using endogenous CEST-MRI, which simultaneously compensates for concentration changes, superimposing CEST signals, magnetization transfer contrast, and spillover dilution. THEORY AND METHODS Compensation of the concomitant effects was achieved by a ratiometric approach (i.e. the ratio of one CEST signal at different B1 ) in combination with the relaxation-compensated inverse magnetization transfer ratio MTRRex and a separate first-order polynomial-Lorentzian fit of the amide and guanidyl signals at 9.4 T. Calibration of pH values was accomplished using in vivo-like model suspensions from porcine brain lysates. Applicability of the presented method in vivo was demonstrated in n = 19 tumor-bearing mice. RESULTS In porcine brain lysates, measurement of pH was feasible over a broad range of physiologically relevant pH values of 6.2 to 8.0, while being independent of changes in concentration. A median pHi of approximately 7.2 was found in the lesions of 19 tumor-bearing mice. CONCLUSION The presented method enables non-invasive mapping of absolute pHi values in tumors using CEST-MRI, which was so far prevented by concomitant effects. Consequently, pre-clinical studies on pHi changes in tumors are possible allowing the assessment of pHi in vivo as a biomarker for cancer diagnosis or treatment monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip S Boyd
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Breitling
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreas Korzowski
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Moritz Zaiss
- Division of Neuroradiology in Radiological Institute, University Hospital of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Vanessa L Franke
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Karin Mueller-Decker
- Core Facility Tumor Models (Center for Preclinical Research), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andrey Glinka
- Division of Molecular Embryology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mark E Ladd
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Bachert
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Steffen Goerke
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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17
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Sun PZ. Quasi-steady-state CEST (QUASS CEST) solution improves the accuracy of CEST quantification: QUASS CEST MRI-based omega plot analysis. Magn Reson Med 2021; 86:765-776. [PMID: 33749052 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE CEST MRI omega plot quantifies the labile proton fraction ratio (fr ) and exchange rate (ksw ), yet it assumes long RF saturation time (Ts) and relaxation delay (Td). Our study aimed to test if a quasi-steady-state (QUASS) CEST analysis that accounts for the effect of finite Ts and Td could improve the accuracy of CEST MRI quantification. METHODS We modeled the MRI signal evolution using a typical CEST EPI sequence. The signal relaxes toward its thermal equilibrium following the bulk water relaxation rate during Td, and then toward its CEST steady state following the spin-lock relaxation rate during Ts from which the QUASS CEST effect is derived. Both fr and ksw were solved from simulated conventional apparent CEST and QUASS CEST MRI. We also performed MRI experiments from a Cr-gel phantom under serially varied Ts and Td times from 1.5 to 7.5 s. RESULTS Simulation showed that, although ksw could be slightly overestimated (3%-15%) for the range of Ts and Td, fr could be substantially underestimated by as much as 67%. In contrast, the QUASS solution provided accurate ksw and fr determination within 2%. The CEST MRI experiments confirmed that the QUASS solution enabled robust quantification of ksw and fr , superior over the omega plot analysis based on the conventional apparent CEST MRI measurements. CONCLUSIONS The QUASS CEST MRI algorithm corrects the effect of finite Ts and Td times on CEST measurements, thereby allowing robust and accurate CEST quantification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Zhe Sun
- Yerkes Imaging Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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18
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Shin SH, Wendland MF, Vandsburger MH. Delayed urea differential enhancement CEST (dudeCEST)-MRI with T 1 correction for monitoring renal urea handling. Magn Reson Med 2020; 85:2791-2804. [PMID: 33180343 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We demonstrate a method of delayed urea differential enhancement CEST for probing urea recycling action of the kidney using expanded multi-pool Lorentzian fitting and apparent exchange-dependent relaxation compensation. METHODS T1 correction of urea CEST contrast by apparent exchange-dependent relaxation was tested in phantoms. Nine mice were scanned at 7 Tesla following intraperitoneal injection of 2M 150 μL urea, and later saline. T1 maps and Z-spectra were acquired before and 20 and 40 min postinjection. Z-spectra were fit to a 7-pool Lorentzian model for CEST quantification and compared to urea assay of kidney homogenate. Renal injury was induced by aristolochic acid in 7 mice, and the same scan protocol was performed. RESULTS Apparent exchange-dependent relaxation corrected for variable T1 times in phantoms. Urea CEST contrast at +1 ppm increased significantly at both time points following urea injection in the inner medulla and papilla. When normalizing the postinjection urea CEST contrast to the corresponding baseline value, both urea and saline injection resulted in identical fold changes in urea CEST contrast. Urea assay of kidney homogenate showed a significant correlation to both apparent exchange-dependent relaxation (R2 = 0.4687, P = .0017) and non-T1 -corrected Lorentzian amplitudes (R2 = 0.4964, P = .0011). Renal injury resulted in increased T1 time in the cortex and reduced CEST contrast change upon urea and saline infusion. CONCLUSION Delayed urea enhancement following infusion can provide insight into renal urea handling. In addition, changes in CEST contrast at 1.0 ppm following saline infusion may provide insight into renal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo Hyun Shin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Michael F Wendland
- Berkeley Preclinical Imaging Core (BPIC), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Moriel H Vandsburger
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
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19
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Rodríguez-Rodríguez A, Zaiss M, Esteban-Gómez D, Angelovski G, Platas-Iglesias C. Paramagnetic chemical exchange saturation transfer agents and their perspectives for application in magnetic resonance imaging. INT REV PHYS CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/0144235x.2020.1823167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Rodríguez-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Química, Facultade de Ciencias & Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Universidade da Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain
| | - Moritz Zaiss
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Clinic Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - David Esteban-Gómez
- Departamento de Química, Facultade de Ciencias & Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Universidade da Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain
| | - Goran Angelovski
- MR Neuroimaging Agents, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Lab of Molecular and Cellular Neuroimaging, International Center for Primate Brain Research (ICPBR), Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT), Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Carlos Platas-Iglesias
- Departamento de Química, Facultade de Ciencias & Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Universidade da Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain
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20
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Demetriou E, Kujawa A, Golay X. Pulse sequences for measuring exchange rates between proton species: From unlocalised NMR spectroscopy to chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY 2020; 120-121:25-71. [PMID: 33198968 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2020.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Within the field of NMR spectroscopy, the study of chemical exchange processes through saturation transfer techniques has a long history. In the context of MRI, chemical exchange techniques have been adapted to increase the sensitivity of imaging to small fractions of exchangeable protons, including the labile protons of amines, amides and hydroxyls. The MR contrast is generated by frequency-selective irradiation of the labile protons, which results in a reduction of the water signal associated with transfer of the labile protons' saturated magnetization to the protons of the surrounding free water. The signal intensity depends on the rate of chemical exchange and the concentration of labile protons as well as on the properties of the irradiation field. This methodology is referred to as CEST (chemical exchange saturation transfer) imaging. Applications of CEST include imaging of molecules with short transverse relaxation times and mapping of physiological parameters such as pH, temperature, buffer concentration and chemical composition due to the dependency of this chemical exchange effect on all these parameters. This article aims to describe these effects both theoretically and experimentally. In depth analysis and mathematical modelling are provided for all pulse sequences designed to date to measure the chemical exchange rate. Importantly, it has become clear that the background signal from semi-solid protons and the presence of the Nuclear Overhauser Effect (NOE), either through direct dipole-dipole mechanisms or through exchange-relayed signals, complicates the analysis of CEST effects. Therefore, advanced methods to suppress these confounding factors have been developed, and these are also reviewed. Finally, the experimental work conducted both in vitro and in vivo is discussed and the progress of CEST imaging towards clinical practice is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Demetriou
- Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom.
| | - Aaron Kujawa
- Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom.
| | - Xavier Golay
- Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom.
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21
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Lee H, Chung JJ, Lee J, Kim SG, Han JH, Park J. Model-Based Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer MRI for Robust z-Spectrum Analysis. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING 2020; 39:283-293. [PMID: 30762539 DOI: 10.1109/tmi.2019.2898672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
This paper introduces a novel, model-based chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in which asymmetric spectra of interest are directly estimated from complete or incomplete measurements by incorporating subspace-based spectral signal decomposition into the measurement model of CEST MRI for a robust z-spectrum analysis. Spectral signals are decomposed into symmetric and asymmetric components. The symmetric component, which varies smoothly, is delineated by the linear superposition of a finite set of vectors in a basis trained from the simulated (Lorentzian) signal vectors augmented with data-driven signal vectors, while the asymmetric component is to be inherently lower than or equal to zero due to saturation transfer phenomena. Spectral decomposition is performed directly on the measured spectral data by solving a constrained optimization problem that employs the linearized spectral decomposition model for the symmetric component and the weighted Frobenius norm regularization for the asymmetric component while utilizing additional spatial sparsity and low-rank priors. The simulations and in vivo experiments were performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method as a reliable molecular MRI.
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Chen L, Wei Z, Cai S, Li Y, Liu G, Lu H, Weiss RG, van Zijl PCM, Xu J. High-resolution creatine mapping of mouse brain at 11.7 T using non-steady-state chemical exchange saturation transfer. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2019; 32:e4168. [PMID: 31461196 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The current study aims to optimize the acquisition scheme for the creatine chemical exchange saturation transfer weighted (CrCESTw) signal on mouse brain at 11.7 T, in which a strong magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) is present, and to further develop the polynomial and Lorentzian line-shape fitting (PLOF) method for quantifying CrCESTw signal with a non-steady-state (NSS) acquisition scheme. Studies on a Cr phantom with cross-linked bovine serum albumin (BSA) as well as on mouse brain demonstrated that the maximum CrCESTw signal was reached with a short saturation time determined by the rotating frame relaxation time of the MTC pool instead of the steady-state saturation. The saturation power for the maximal signal was around 1-1.5 μT for Cr with 20% cross-linked BSA and in vivo applications, but 2 μT was found to be most practical for signal stability. For the CrCEST acquisition with strong MTC interference, the optimal saturation power and length are completely different from those on Cr solution alone. This observation could be explained well using R1ρ theory by incorporating the strong MTC pool. Finally, a high-resolution Cr map was obtained on mouse brain using the PLOF method with the NSS CEST acquisition and a cryogenic coil. The Cr map obtained by CEST showed homogenous intensity across the mouse brain except for regions with cerebrospinal fluid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Chen
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Zhiliang Wei
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shuhui Cai
- Department of Electronic Science, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma and Magnetic Resonance, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yuguo Li
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Guanshu Liu
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hanzhang Lu
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert G Weiss
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter C M van Zijl
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jiadi Xu
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- F. M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Demetriou E, Story HE, Bofinger R, Hailes HC, Tabor AB, Golay X. Effect of Liposomal Encapsulation on the Chemical Exchange Properties of Diamagnetic CEST Agents. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:7545-7557. [PMID: 31449408 PMCID: PMC6734798 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b02280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Exogenous chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) contrast agents such as glucose or 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG) have shown high sensitivities and significant potential for monitoring glucose uptake in tumors with MRI. Here, we show that liposome encapsulation of such agents can be exploited to enhance the CEST signal by reducing the overall apparent exchange rate. We have developed a concise analytical model to describe the liposomal contrast dependence on several parameters such as pH, temperature, irradiation amplitude, and intraliposomal water content. This is the first study in which a model has been constructed to measure the exchange properties of diamagnetic CEST agents encapsulated inside liposomes. Experimentally measured exchange rates of glucose and 2-DG in the liposomal system were found to be reduced due to the intermembrane exchange between the intra- and extraliposomal compartments because of restrictions in water transfer imposed by the lipid membrane. These new theoretical and experimental findings will benefit applications of diamagnetic liposomes to image biological processes. In addition, combining this analytical model with measurements of the CEST signal enhancement using liposomes as a model membrane system is an important new general technique for studying membrane permeability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Demetriou
- Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Harriet E Story
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Robin Bofinger
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Helen C Hailes
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Alethea B Tabor
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Xavier Golay
- Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
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24
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Chan RW, Myrehaug S, Stanisz GJ, Sahgal A, Lau AZ. Quantification of pulsed saturation transfer at 1.5T and 3T. Magn Reson Med 2019; 82:1684-1699. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel W. Chan
- Department of Physical Sciences Sunnybrook Research Institute Toronto Canada
| | - Sten Myrehaug
- Department of Radiation Oncology Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Toronto Canada
- Department of Radiation Oncology University of Toronto Toronto Canada
| | - Greg J. Stanisz
- Department of Physical Sciences Sunnybrook Research Institute Toronto Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics University of Toronto Toronto Canada
- Department of Neurosurgery and Pediatric Neurosurgery Medical University Lublin Poland
| | - Arjun Sahgal
- Department of Physical Sciences Sunnybrook Research Institute Toronto Canada
- Department of Radiation Oncology Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Toronto Canada
- Department of Radiation Oncology University of Toronto Toronto Canada
| | - Angus Z. Lau
- Department of Physical Sciences Sunnybrook Research Institute Toronto Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics University of Toronto Toronto Canada
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25
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Stabinska J, Neudecker P, Ljimani A, Wittsack H, Lanzman RS, Müller‐Lutz A. Proton exchange in aqueous urea solutions measured by water‐exchange (WEX) NMR spectroscopy and chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging in vitro. Magn Reson Med 2019; 82:935-947. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Stabinska
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Dusseldorf Germany
| | - Philipp Neudecker
- Institute of Physical Biology Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Dusseldorf Germany
- Institute of Complex Systems: Structural Biochemistry (ICS‐6), Forschungszentrum Jülich Julich Germany
| | - Alexandra Ljimani
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Dusseldorf Germany
| | - Hans‐Jörg Wittsack
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Dusseldorf Germany
| | - Rotem Shlomo Lanzman
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Dusseldorf Germany
| | - Anja Müller‐Lutz
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Dusseldorf Germany
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26
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Goerke S, Soehngen Y, Deshmane A, Zaiss M, Breitling J, Boyd PS, Herz K, Zimmermann F, Klika KD, Schlemmer H, Paech D, Ladd ME, Bachert P. Relaxation‐compensated APT and rNOE CEST‐MRI of human brain tumors at 3 T. Magn Reson Med 2019; 82:622-632. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Goerke
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
| | - Yannick Soehngen
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Anagha Deshmane
- Department of High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Max‐Planck‐Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
| | - Moritz Zaiss
- Department of High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Max‐Planck‐Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
| | - Johannes Breitling
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
- Max‐Planck‐Institute for Nuclear Physics Heidelberg Germany
| | - Philip S. Boyd
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Kai Herz
- Department of High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Max‐Planck‐Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
| | - Ferdinand Zimmermann
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Karel D. Klika
- Molecular Structure Analysis German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
| | - Heinz‐Peter Schlemmer
- Department of Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Medicine University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Daniel Paech
- Department of Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
| | - Mark E. Ladd
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Medicine University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Peter Bachert
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
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27
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Lenich T, Pampel A, Mildner T, Möller HE. A new approach to Z-spectrum acquisition: prospective baseline enhancement (PROBE) for CEST/Nuclear Overhauser Effect. Magn Reson Med 2018; 81:2315-2329. [PMID: 30362640 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a prospective baseline enhancement that compensates for intermingled background effects in Z-spectra to achieve sensitivity enhancement of peaks related to CEST and nuclear Overhauser effect. METHODS An MRI sequence-specific compensation of background effects is achieved through variation of the pulsed saturation power, ω 1 , max , with the chemical shift, δ . After a "scout acquisition" of a standard Z-spectrum, the background is modeled through an appropriate spin system. Subsequently, an optimization procedure yields ω 1 , m a x ( δ ) values that compensate for background contributions yielding a flat baseline. Contributions from metabolites not considered in the optimization procedure are enhanced as distinct perturbations to the baseline. For experimental verification, mapping of the lactate concentration in the presence of cross-linked bovine serum albumin was performed in phantoms at 7 T. As proof of concept, explorative experiments were performed in healthy human subjects at 3 T. RESULTS Nuisance contributions from direct water saturation, macromolecular magnetization transfer, and exchanging background protons were successfully removed from the Z-spectrum in phantoms and in brain tissue. The lactate methyl, methine, and hydroxyl peaks were readily observable in vitro. The peak areas correlated linearly with known concentrations. Improvement of the detection limit was achieved by a sparse distribution of saturation frequencies, allowing for more efficient signal averaging. CONCLUSION An optimization framework for high-resolution metabolite mapping by means of CEST/nuclear Overhauser effect was developed. It offers full flexibility to select spin-pool moieties, whose influence on the Z-spectrum will be compensated. Deviations from this background model will provide a contrast at the respective offset frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Lenich
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - André Pampel
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Toralf Mildner
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Harald E Möller
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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28
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Zhou Z, Han P, Zhou B, Christodoulou AG, Shaw JL, Deng Z, Li D. Chemical exchange saturation transfer fingerprinting for exchange rate quantification. Magn Reson Med 2018; 80:1352-1363. [PMID: 29845651 PMCID: PMC6592698 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE There is an increased interest to determine the exchange rate using CEST to provide pH information. However, current CEST quantification methods require lengthy scan times and do not address magnetization transfer effects. The purpose of this work was to apply the magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) concept to CEST to achieve more efficient and accurate exchange rate quantification. METHODS The proposed CEST fingerprinting method used varying saturation powers and saturation times to create unique signal evolutions for different exchange rates. The acquired signal was matched to a predefined dictionary to determine the exchange rate. The magnetization transfer effects were also addressed in the framework of CEST fingerprinting: The simulated dictionary could predict the signal curves without magnetization transfer effects, and comparing the dictionary to the acquired signals allowed the correction of the magnetization transfer effects. The CEST fingerprinting method was compared with the conventional pulsed quantitative CEST method using omega plots in the creatine phantom study. RESULTS The CEST fingerprinting method has a significantly reduced scan time (10 minutes versus 50 minutes) while providing more accurate exchange rate quantification using literature values as the reference. CONCLUSION In this study, we demonstrate that CEST fingerprinting is more efficient (5 times faster) compared with pulsed quantitative CEST. It is also shown that the results of the proposed CEST fingerprinting technique are much closer to the literature values than pulsed quantitative CEST at 3 T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwei Zhou
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Pei Han
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Bill Zhou
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Jaime L. Shaw
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Zixin Deng
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Debiao Li
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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29
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Rivlin M, Navon G. 3-O-Methyl-D-glucose mutarotation and proton exchange rates assessed by 13C, 1H NMR and by chemical exchange saturation transfer and spin lock measurements. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2018; 72:93-103. [PMID: 30203383 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-018-0209-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
3-O-Methyl-D-glucose (3OMG) was recently suggested as an agent to image tumors using chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI. To characterize the properties of 3OMG in solution, the anomeric equilibrium and the mutarotation rates of 3OMG were studied by 1H and 13C NMR. This information is essential in designing the in vivo CEST experiments. At room temperature, the ratio of α and β 3OMG anomers at equilibrium was 1:1.4, and the time to reach 95% equilibrium was 6 h. The chemical exchange rates between the hydroxyl protons of 3OMG and water, measured by CEST and spin lock at pH 6.14 and a temperature of 4 °C, were in the range of 360-670 s-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Rivlin
- School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Gil Navon
- School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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30
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Gochberg DF, Does MD, Zu Z, Lankford CL. Towards an analytic solution for pulsed CEST. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2018; 31:e3903. [PMID: 29460973 PMCID: PMC5935132 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) is an imaging method based on magnetization exchange between solutes and water. This exchange generates changes in the measured signal after off-resonance radiofrequency irradiation. Although the analytic solution for CEST with continuous wave (CW) irradiation has been determined, most studies are performed using pulsed irradiation. In this work, we derive an analytic solution for the CEST signal after pulsed irradiation that includes both short-time rotation effects and long-time saturation effects in a two-pool system corresponding to water and a low-concentration exchanging solute pool. Several approximations are made to balance the accuracy and simplicity of the resulting analytic form, which is tested against numerical solutions of the coupled Bloch equations and is found to be largely accurate for amides at high fields, but less accurate at the higher exchange rates, lower offsets and typically higher irradiation powers of amines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel F Gochberg
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark D Does
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Zhongliang Zu
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Christopher L Lankford
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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31
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Demetriou E, Tachrount M, Zaiss M, Shmueli K, Golay X. PRO-QUEST: a rapid assessment method based on progressive saturation for quantifying exchange rates using saturation times in CEST. Magn Reson Med 2018; 80:1638-1654. [PMID: 29504144 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a new MRI technique to rapidly measure exchange rates in CEST MRI. METHODS A novel pulse sequence for measuring chemical exchange rates through a progressive saturation recovery process, called PRO-QUEST (progressive saturation for quantifying exchange rates using saturation times), has been developed. Using this method, the water magnetization is sampled under non-steady-state conditions, and off-resonance saturation is interleaved with the acquisition of images obtained through a Look-Locker type of acquisition. A complete theoretical framework has been set up, and simple equations to obtain the exchange rates have been derived. RESULTS A reduction of scan time from 58 to 16 minutes has been obtained using PRO-QUEST versus the standard QUEST. Maps of both T1 of water and B1 can simply be obtained by repetition of the sequence without off-resonance saturation pulses. Simulations and calculated exchange rates from experimental data using amino acids such as glutamate, glutamine, taurine, and alanine were compared and found to be in good agreement. The PRO-QUEST sequence was also applied on healthy and infarcted rats after 24 hours, and revealed that imaging specificity to ischemic acidification during stroke was substantially increased relative to standard amide proton transfer-weighted imaging. CONCLUSION Because of the reduced scan time and insensitivity to nonchemical exchange factors such as direct water saturation, PRO-QUEST can serve as an excellent alternative for researchers and clinicians interested to map pH changes in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Demetriou
- Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Mohamed Tachrount
- Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Moritz Zaiss
- High Field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Karin Shmueli
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Xavier Golay
- Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom
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32
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Chen L, Xu X, Zeng H, Chan KWY, Yadav N, Cai S, Schunke KJ, Faraday N, van Zijl PCM, Xu J. Separating fast and slow exchange transfer and magnetization transfer using off-resonance variable-delay multiple-pulse (VDMP) MRI. Magn Reson Med 2018; 80:1568-1576. [PMID: 29405374 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop a method that can separate and quantify the fast (>1 kHz) and slow exchange transfer and magnetization transfer components in Z-spectra. METHODS Z-spectra were recorded as a function of mixing time using a train of selective pulses providing variable-delay multipulse build-up curves. Fast and slow transfer components in the Z-spectra were separated and quantified on a voxel-by-voxel basis by fitting the mixing time-dependent CEST signal using a 3-pool model. RESULTS Phantom studies of glutamate solution, bovine serum albumin solution, and hair conditioner showed the capability of the proposed method to separate fast and slow transfer components. In vivo mouse brain studies showed a strong contrast between white matter and gray matter in the slow-transferring map, corresponding to an asymmetric component of the conventional semisolid magnetization transfer contrast. In addition, a fast-transferring proton map was found that was homogeneous across the brain and attributed to the total contributions of the fast-exchanging protons from proteins, metabolites, and a symmetric magnetization transfer contrast component. CONCLUSIONS This new method provides a simple way to extract fast and slow transfer components from the Z-spectrum, leading to novel MRI contrasts, and providing insight into the different magnetization transfer contrast contributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Chen
- Department of Electronic Science, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma and Magnetic Resonance, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Xiang Xu
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Haifeng Zeng
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kannie W Y Chan
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Nirbhay Yadav
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shuhui Cai
- Department of Electronic Science, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma and Magnetic Resonance, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Kathryn J Schunke
- Department of Anesthesiology/Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Nauder Faraday
- Department of Anesthesiology/Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter C M van Zijl
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jiadi Xu
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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33
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Arena F, Irrera P, Consolino L, Colombo Serra S, Zaiss M, Longo DL. Flip-angle based ratiometric approach for pulsed CEST-MRI pH imaging. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2018; 287:1-9. [PMID: 29272735 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2017.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Several molecules have been exploited for developing MRI pH sensors based on the chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) technique. A ratiometric approach, based on the saturation of two exchanging pools at the same saturation power, or by varying the saturation power levels on the same pool, is usually needed to rule out the concentration term from the pH measurement. However, all these methods have been demonstrated by using a continuous wave saturation scheme that limits its translation to clinical scanners. This study shows a new ratiometric CEST-MRI pH-mapping approach based on a pulsed CEST saturation scheme for a radiographic contrast agent (iodixanol) possessing a single chemical exchange site. This approach is based on the ratio of the CEST contrast effects at two different flip angles combinations (180°/360° and 180°/720°), keeping constant the mean irradiation RF power (Bavg power). The proposed ratiometric approach index is concentration independent and it showed good pH sensitivity and accuracy in the physiological range between 6.0 and 7.4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Arena
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Molecolari e Scienze per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Pietro Irrera
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Molecolari e Scienze per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Lorena Consolino
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Molecolari e Scienze per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | | | - Moritz Zaiss
- Department of High-field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dario Livio Longo
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Molecolari e Scienze per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini, Torino, Italy.
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34
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Zaiss M, Angelovski G, Demetriou E, McMahon MT, Golay X, Scheffler K. QUESP and QUEST revisited - fast and accurate quantitative CEST experiments. Magn Reson Med 2017; 79:1708-1721. [PMID: 28686796 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.26813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) NMR or MRI experiments allow detection of low concentrated molecules with enhanced sensitivity via their proton exchange with the abundant water pool. Be it endogenous metabolites or exogenous contrast agents, an exact quantification of the actual exchange rate is required to design optimal pulse sequences and/or specific sensitive agents. METHODS Refined analytical expressions allow deeper insight and improvement of accuracy for common quantification techniques. The accuracy of standard quantification methodologies, such as quantification of exchange rate using varying saturation power or varying saturation time, is improved especially for the case of nonequilibrium initial conditions and weak labeling conditions, meaning the saturation amplitude is smaller than the exchange rate (γB1 < k). RESULTS The improved analytical 'quantification of exchange rate using varying saturation power/time' (QUESP/QUEST) equations allow for more accurate exchange rate determination, and provide clear insights on the general principles to execute the experiments and to perform numerical evaluation. The proposed methodology was evaluated on the large-shift regime of paramagnetic chemical-exchange-saturation-transfer agents using simulated data and data of the paramagnetic Eu(III) complex of DOTA-tetraglycineamide. CONCLUSIONS The refined formulas yield improved exchange rate estimation. General convergence intervals of the methods that would apply for smaller shift agents are also discussed. Magn Reson Med 79:1708-1721, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Zaiss
- High Field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Goran Angelovski
- MR Neuroimaging Agents, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Eleni Demetriou
- Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael T McMahon
- Division of MR Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Xavier Golay
- Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High Field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Eberhard Karl's University of Tübingen and University Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
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35
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Stabinska J, Cronenberg T, Wittsack HJ, Lanzman RS, Müller-Lutz A. Quantitative pulsed CEST-MRI at a clinical 3T MRI system. MAGNETIC RESONANCE MATERIALS IN PHYSICS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2017; 30:505-516. [PMID: 28569374 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-017-0625-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to quantify CEST related parameters such as chemical exchange rate and fractional concentration of exchanging protons at a clinical 3T scanner. For this purpose, two CEST quantification approaches-the AREX metric (for 'apparent exchange dependent relaxation'), and the AREX-based Ω-plot method were used. In addition, two different pulsed RF irradiation schemes, using Gaussian-shaped and spin-lock pulses, were compared. MATERIALS AND METHODS Numerical simulations as well as MRI measurements in phantoms were performed. For simulations, the Bloch-McConnell equations were solved using a two-pool exchange model. MR experiments were performed on a clinical 3T MRI scanner using a cylindrical phantom filled with creatine solution at different pH values and different concentrations. RESULTS The validity of the Ω-plot method and the AREX approach using spin-lock preparation for determination of the quantitative CEST parameters was demonstrated. Especially promising results were achieved for the Ω-plot method when the spin-lock preparation was employed. CONCLUSION Pulsed CEST at 3T could be used to quantify parameters such as exchange rate constants and concentrations of protons exchanging with free water. In the future this technique might be used to estimate the exchange rates and concentrations of biochemical substances in human tissues in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Stabinska
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, University Dusseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Tom Cronenberg
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, University Dusseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hans-Jörg Wittsack
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, University Dusseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Rotem Shlomo Lanzman
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, University Dusseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Anja Müller-Lutz
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, University Dusseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Geades N, Hunt BAE, Shah SM, Peters A, Mougin OE, Gowland PA. Quantitative analysis of the z-spectrum using a numerically simulated look-up table: Application to the healthy human brain at 7T. Magn Reson Med 2016; 78:645-655. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.26459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Revised: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Geades
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy; University of Nottingham; Nottingham United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin A. E. Hunt
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy; University of Nottingham; Nottingham United Kingdom
| | - Simon M. Shah
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy; University of Nottingham; Nottingham United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Peters
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy; University of Nottingham; Nottingham United Kingdom
| | - Olivier E. Mougin
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy; University of Nottingham; Nottingham United Kingdom
| | - Penny A. Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy; University of Nottingham; Nottingham United Kingdom
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Zhou Z, Bez M, Tawackoli W, Giaconi J, Sheyn D, de Mel S, Maya MM, Pressman BD, Gazit Z, Pelled G, Gazit D, Li D. Quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI of intervertebral disc in a porcine model. Magn Reson Med 2016; 76:1677-1683. [PMID: 27670140 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.26457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Revised: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Previous studies have associated low pH in intervertebral discs (IVDs) with discogenic back pain. The purpose of this study was to determine whether quantitative CEST (qCEST) MRI can be used to detect pH changes in IVDs in vivo. METHODS The exchange rate ksw between glycosaminoglycan (GAG) protons and water protons was determined from qCEST analysis. Its dependence on pH value was investigated in GAG phantoms with varying pH and concentrations. The relationship between ksw and pH was studied further in vivo in a porcine model on a 3T MR scanner and validated using a pH meter. Sodium lactate was injected into the IVDs to induce various pH values within the discs ranging from 5 to 7. RESULTS Phantom and animal results revealed that ksw measured using qCEST MRI is highly correlated with pH level. In the animal studies, the relationship can be described as ksw =9.2 × 106 × 10-pH + 196.9, R2 = 0.7883. CONCLUSION The exchange rate between GAG and water protons determined from qCEST MRI is closely correlated with pH value. This technique has the potential to noninvasively measure pH in the IVDs of patients with discogenic pain. Magn Reson Med 76:1677-1683, 2016. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwei Zhou
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Maxim Bez
- Skeletal Biotech Laboratory, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Dental Medicine, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Wafa Tawackoli
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Joseph Giaconi
- Department of Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dmitriy Sheyn
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sandra de Mel
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Marcel M Maya
- Department of Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Barry D Pressman
- Department of Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Zulma Gazit
- Skeletal Biotech Laboratory, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Dental Medicine, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gadi Pelled
- Skeletal Biotech Laboratory, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Dental Medicine, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dan Gazit
- Skeletal Biotech Laboratory, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Dental Medicine, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Debiao Li
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
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38
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Jiang W, Zhou IY, Wen L, Zhou X, Sun PZ. A theoretical analysis of chemical exchange saturation transfer echo planar imaging (CEST-EPI) steady state solution and the CEST sensitivity efficiency-based optimization approach. CONTRAST MEDIA & MOLECULAR IMAGING 2016; 11:415-423. [PMID: 27312932 DOI: 10.1002/cmmi.1699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2016] [Revised: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is sensitive to dilute labile protons and microenvironmental properties, augmenting routine relaxation-based MRI. Recent developments of quantitative CEST (qCEST) analysis such as omega plots and RF-power based ratiometric calculation have extended our ability to elucidate the underlying CEST system beyond the simplistic apparent CEST measurement. CEST MRI strongly varies with experimental factors, including the RF irradiation level and duration as well as repetition time and flip angle. In addition, the CEST MRI effect is typically small, and experimental optimization strategies have to be carefully evaluated in order to enhance the CEST imaging sensitivity. Although routine CEST MRI has been optimized largely based on maximizing the magnitude of the CEST effect, the CEST signal-to-noise (SNR) efficiency provides a more suitable optimization index, particularly when the scan time is constrained. Herein, we derive an analytical solution of the CEST effect that takes into account key experimental parameters including repetition time, imaging flip angle and RF irradiation level, and solve its SNR efficiency. The solution expedites CEST imaging sensitivity calculation, substantially faster than the Bloch-McConnell equation-based numerical simulation approach. In addition, the analytical solution-based SNR formula enables the exhaustive optimization of CEST MRI, which simultaneously predicts multiple optimal parameters such as repetition time, flip angle and RF saturation level based on the chemical shift and exchange rate. The sensitivity efficiency-based optimization approach could simplify and guide imaging of CEST agents, including glycogen, glucose, creatine, gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiping Jiang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.,State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Iris Yuwen Zhou
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Lingyi Wen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Xin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.
| | - Phillip Zhe Sun
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA. .,Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL, USA.
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Schuenke P, Windschuh J, Roeloffs V, Ladd ME, Bachert P, Zaiss M. Simultaneous mapping of water shift and B 1 (WASABI)-Application to field-Inhomogeneity correction of CEST MRI data. Magn Reson Med 2016; 77:571-580. [PMID: 26857219 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.26133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Revised: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Together with the development of MRI contrasts that are inherently small in their magnitude, increased magnetic field accuracy is also required. Hence, mapping of the static magnetic field (B0 ) and the excitation field (B1 ) is not only important to feedback shim algorithms, but also for postprocess contrast-correction procedures. METHODS A novel field-inhomogeneity mapping method is presented that allows simultaneous mapping of the water shift and B1 (WASABI) using an off-resonant rectangular preparation pulse. The induced Rabi oscillations lead to a sinc-like spectrum in the frequency-offset dimension and allow for determination of B0 by its symmetry axis and of B1 by its oscillation frequency. RESULTS Stability of the WASABI method with regard to the influences of T1 , T2 , magnetization transfer, and repetition time was investigated and its convergence interval was verified. B0 and B1 maps obtained simultaneously by means of WASABI in the human brain at 3 T and 7 T can compete well with maps obtained by standard methods. Finally, the method was applied successfully for B0 and B1 correction of chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI (CEST-MRI) data of the human brain. CONCLUSION The proposed WASABI method yields a novel simultaneous B0 and B1 mapping within 1 min that is robust and easy to implement. Magn Reson Med 77:571-580, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Schuenke
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Medical Physics in Radiology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Windschuh
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Medical Physics in Radiology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Volkert Roeloffs
- Biomedizinische NMR Forschungs GmbH am Max-Planck-Institut für biophysikalische Chemie, Am Fassberg 11, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mark E Ladd
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Medical Physics in Radiology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Bachert
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Medical Physics in Radiology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Moritz Zaiss
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Medical Physics in Radiology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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40
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Rerich E, Zaiss M, Korzowski A, Ladd ME, Bachert P. Relaxation-compensated CEST-MRI at 7 T for mapping of creatine content and pH--preliminary application in human muscle tissue in vivo. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2015; 28:1402-1412. [PMID: 26374674 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Revised: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The small biomolecule creatine is involved in energy metabolism. Mapping of the total creatine (mostly PCr and Cr) in vivo has been done with chemical shift imaging. Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) allows an alternative detection of creatine via water MRI. Living tissue exhibits CEST effects from different small metabolites, including creatine, with four exchanging protons of its guanidinium group resonating about 2 ppm from the water peak and hence contributing to the amine proton CEST peak. The intermediate exchange rate (≈ 1000 Hz) of the guanidinium protons requires high RF saturation amplitude B1. However, strong B1 fields also label semi-solid magnetization transfer (MT) effects originating from immobile protons with broad linewidths (~kHz) in the tissue. Recently, it was shown that endogenous CEST contrasts are strongly affected by the MT background as well as by T1 relaxation of the water protons. We show that this influence can be corrected in the acquired CEST data by an inverse metric that yields the apparent exchange-dependent relaxation (AREX). AREX has some useful linearity features that enable preparation of both concentration, and--by using the AREX-ratio of two RF irradiation amplitudes B1--purely exchange-rate-weighted CEST contrasts. These two methods could be verified in phantom experiments with different concentration and pH values, but also varying water relaxation properties. Finally, results from a preliminary application to in vivo CEST imaging data of the human calf muscle before and after exercise are presented. The creatine concentration increases during exercise as expected and as confirmed by (31)P NMR spectroscopic imaging. However, the estimated concentrations obtained by our method were higher than the literature values: cCr,rest=24.5±3.74mM to cCr,ex=38.32±13.05mM. The CEST-based pH method shows a pH decrease during exercise, whereas a slight increase was observed by (31)P NMR spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Rerich
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Moritz Zaiss
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Mark E Ladd
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Bachert
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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