Published in:
01-10-2012
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Diagnosis of rejection
after liver transplantation: use of phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy
(31P-MRS)
Authors:
Tao Jiang, Shiyuan Liu, XiangSheng Xiao, XiaoFeng Tao, GuangHua Liu, JinLin Wang
Published in:
Abdominal Radiology
|
Issue 5/2012
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Abstract
Background
In vivo hepatic phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy
(31P-MRS) provides non-invasive information about
phospholipid metabolism. Aims: To delineate
31P-MRS abnormalities in patients with chronic
rejection and to charactererize spectral changes by pathology.
Patients and methods
Sixty-six liver transplant recipients (18 with chronic rejection and 48 with
normal graft function) and 38 controls (23 healthy volunteers and fifteen patients
with biliary duct stricture) were studied with in vivo
31P-MRS. All the data and peak values were calibrated
and calculated by the software of spectroscopy analysis GE, and the pH values were
calculated by the Malloy’s formula, then the peak area ratios and altitudes of
metabolites relative to adenosine triphosphate (β-ATP)and phosphate (Pi) were
measured.
Results
(a) The peak area ratios and altitudes of PME and PDE in biliary duct
stricture group and chronic rejection group were higher than those of healthy
volunteer group and normal graft function group. Patients with chronic rejection
had significant differences in the peak area ratios of PME: β-ATP (P < 0.05) and PDE: β-ATP (P < 0.05) and in the altitudes of PME: β-ATP (P < 0.05) as compared with the other groups. (b) The
ratios of β-ATP/Pi decreased in biliary duct stricture group, while they increased
in chronic rejection group. There was no difference between the four groups. There
were similar changes in the ratios of PME/Pi, but there was significant difference
between the chronic rejection group and the other three groups. (c) pH values
increased in biliary duct stricture group and chronic rejection group, though the
difference was not significant with the healthy control group. (d) Histological
specimens showed focal loss of hepatocytes, degeneration, and hepatocytic
atrophy.
Conclusions
31P-MRS imaging is valuable in detecting the metabolism
of the liver after transplantation, and suggests that further investigation of
alterations in the phospholipid metabolism may be a useful future direction of
research.