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Objective:To investigate the changes in gray matter volume (GMV) and abnormalities in structural covariant network (SCN) patterns in patients with chronic pontine infarction (PI).Methods:Patients with unilateral chronic PI (case group) with the first onset admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from October 2014 to June 2021 were prospectively included. At the same time, healthy subjects matched with age, gender and education years (normal control group) were included. High-resolution three-dimensional T 1 structural MRI images and behavioral scores of the subjects were collected. The voxel-based morphometry and two-sample t test were used to explore the differences in GMV between the groups. Using GMV differential brain regions as seed points, SCN was constructed to explore the abnormality of structural covariant patterns in patients with PI. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between GMV in differential brain regions and behavioral scores. Results:A total of 60 patients with PI were enrolled, including 33 left PI and 27 right PI, while 34 healthy controls were also enrolled. Compared with the normal control group, the GMV in bilateral posterior cerebellar lobe decreased significantly in the left PI group, and the GMV in left anterior and posterior cerebellar lobes and the right posterior cerebellar lobe decreased significantly in the right PI group (Gaussian random field correction with voxel level P<0.001 and cluster level P<0.05, cluster voxel >20), and there was a significant correlation between GMV values in the left anterior and posterior cerebellar lobes and the right posterior cerebellar lobe and the motor function score ( P<0.05). In addition, compared with the normal control group, the right PI group had broader covariate brain regions and a significant increase in the number of structural connections between covariate brain regions (family-wise error correction with voxel level P<0.05, cluster voxel >20). Conclusions:The GMV in bilateral posterior cerebellar lobe decreases significantly in patients with chronic PI, and were secondary to broader covariate brain regions and structural connections. This may be the neural mechanism of impaired behavioral function in patients with PI.
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Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of X-ray mammography, ultrasound and MRI in breast cancer with silicone implants.Methods:The clinical and imaging data of 20 patients with breast cancer in women with silicone implants in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March 2014 to October 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. The mammography, ultrasound and MRI findings were analyzed, and the differences in detection rate, diagnostic accuracy and omission diagnostic rate of breast cancer in women with implants were compared among the three imaging methods.Results:Compared with mammography, both ultrasound and MRI were able to display the prosthesis and breast lesions completely. There were significant differences in detection rate, diagnostic accuracy and omission diagnostic rate among mammography, ultrasound and MRI. And the detection rate and diagnostic accuracy of MRI in breast cancer in women with implants were higher than those of mammography, and the omission diagnostic rate was lower.Conclusions:Ultrasound and MRI are superior to mammography in evaluating breast cancer after silicone prosthesis implantation, and MRI has more advantages in guiding clinical diagnosis and treatment.
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Objective:To investigate the changes in dynamic functional connectivity density (dFCD) and its relationship with Fagerstr?m test for nicotine dependence (FTND) scores in individuals with smoking addiction based on functional MR.Methods:The clinical and imaging data of 176 volunteers recruited through wechat and other online platforms from September 2019 to December 2020 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were retrospectively analyzed. The 176 volunteers were male, aged 20 to 55 years old, and were divided into light smoking addiction group (59 cases), heavy smoking addiction group (61 cases) and control group (56 cases). All subjects underwent resting state functional MR scanning and dFCD was calculated. The dFCD values of three groups were analyzed by ANOVA analysis (GRF corrected, voxel level P<0.005, cluster level P<0.01). Bonferroni correction was used for pairwise comparison. Pearson partial correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between dFCD values of brain regions with statistically significant differences and FTND scores. Results:Differences in dFCD among light smoking addiction group, heavy smoking addiction group and control group were mainly distributed in the right orbitofrontal cortex, left caudate nucleus, right putamen, bilateral calcarine sulcus cortex, right cuneus, left parahippocampal gyrus, left precuneus, left middle temporal gyrus and bilateral thalamus (GRF corrected, voxel level P<0.005, cluster level P<0.01). Compared with the control group, both the light and heavy smoking addiction groups showed decreased dFCD in the bilateral calcarine sulcus cortex, right cuneus and left precuneus, as well as increased dFCD in the right orbitofrontal cortex, right putamen, left caudate nucleus and left thalamus (Bonferroni corrected, P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the heavy smoking addiction group showed increased dFCD in the right thalamus, and the light smoking addiction group showed decreased dFCD in the left middle temporal gyrus (Bonferroni corrected, P<0.001). Compared with the light smoking addiction group, the heavy smoking addiction group showed increased dFCD in the left middle temporal gyrus and right thalamus, and decreased dFCD in the left parahippocampal gyrus (Bonferroni corrected, P<0.05). The mean value of dFCD in the right thalamus was positively correlated with FTND scores in smoking addiction patients ( r=0.227, P=0.014), and the mean value of dFCD in the right thalamus of the heavy smoking addiction subgroup was positively correlated with FTND scores ( r=0.323, P=0.013). There was no correlation between FTND scores and dFCD in the right thalamus of the light smoking addiction group ( P>0.05). Conclusion:There are changes of neural activity in brain regions related to smoking behaviors among people with different severity of smoking addiction, and smoking behaviors of people with heavy smoking addiction tend to be habitual compared with those with light smoking addiction.
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Objective:To investigate the value of the 8-channel eye surface phased array coil in improving image quality and demonstrating ocular masses on 3.0 T MR scanner.Methods:From July 2018 to January 2020, the data of orbital MRI in 692 patients with ocular masses on 6 medical centers were prospectively collected. The patients were simple randomly assigned into 8-channel eye surface phased array coil group (413 patients) or 8-channel head phased array coil group (279 patients), with the same MRI sequences. The signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) were calculated in orbital anatomy structures and masses (eyelid mass, intraocular mass, lacrimal mass and orbital mass). The image quality scores including motion artifact, mass margin, the relationship between the mass and adjacent structures, and overall image quality were recorded. The differences of image quality between the two groups were compared by two independent sample t-test or Wilcoxon rank test. Results:The SNR and CNR were higher in eye surface coil group than those in head coil group ( P<0.05). The scores of ocular movement artifacts were higher in head coil group than those in surface coil group ( P<0.05). The scores of intraocular mass margin, the relationship between the mass and adjacent structures, and overall image quality were higher in surface coil group than those in head coil group ( P<0.001). There were no significant differences in mass margin, the relationship between the mass and adjacent structures, and overall image quality scores of eyelid, lacrimal gland, and orbital mass between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:3.0 T MR scanner combined with the 8-channel eye surface phased array coil can improve the SNR and CNR of orbital MR images, the demonstration of the intraocular mass margin and the relationship between the mass and adjacent structures.
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Objective:To investigate the alterations of resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN) among male smokers, and its correlation with clinical characteristics of smoking.Methods:The resting-state functional magnetic resonance data of 131 subjects recruited from January 2014 to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively, including 76 smokers (smoking group) and 55 non-smokers (control group). VTA/SN was selected as regions of interest (ROI), and then calculated RSFC between VTA/SN and the whole brain.Based on SPM12 software, independent sample t-test was conducted to compare the differences in RSFC between smoking group and control group.Based on SPSS 22.0 software, Pearson correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationships between the RSFC of brain regions with significant differences and Fagerstr?m test for nicotine dependence (FTND) score, pack-year of smokers. Results:Compared with control group, the results showed decreased RSFC between VTA and the brain regions related default mode network (DMN)(including posterior cingulate cortex, right anterior cuneiform lobe, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus and right inferior parietal lobule), and regions of limbic system(including right marginal lobe and right angular gyrus), right calcarine (MNI: x, y, z=24, -55, -14) and left insula(MNI: x, y, z=-35, -11, 9) in smoking group(GRF corrected, voxel level P<0.005, cluster level P<0.05). Taking SN as the seed, there was no significant difference between smoking group and control group ( P>0.05). RSFC of VTA-left superior temporal gyrus was positively correlated with pack-year( r=0.243, P=0.034) and FTND ( r=0.282, P=0.014). VTA-left insula RSFC was positively correlated with FTND ( r=0.316, P=0.006). Conclusion:The RSFC in the mesolimbic system and the VTA-DMN circuit exist abnormal changes in smokers.To some extent, it may explain the reward deficits and dysfunction of emotion regulation in smokers, which may provide clues for further understanding the mechanism of tobacco addiction.
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Objective:To explore the value of machine learning models based on MRI predict the brain age of smokers and healthy controls, and further to explore the relationship between smoking and brain aging.Methods:This was a retrospective study. Dataset 1 consisted of 95 male smokers [20-50 (34±7) years old] and 49 healthy controls [20-50 (33±7) years old] recruited from August 2014 to October 2017 in First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Dataset 2 contained 114 healthy male volunteers [20-50 (34±11) years old] from the Southwestern University Adult Imaging Database from 2010 to 2015. All subjects underwent high-resolution 3D T 1WI scan. Gaussian process regression (GPR) model and support vector machine model were constructed to predict brain age based on structural MR images of healthy controls in dataset 1 and dataset 2. After the performance of the model was verified by the cross-validation method, the mean absolute error (MAE) between the predicted brain age and the actual age and the correlation ( r-value) between the actual age and the predicted brain age were calculated, and the best model was finally selected. The best models were applied to smokers and healthy controls to predict brain age. Finally, a general linear model was used to compare the differences in brain-predicted age difference (PAD) between smokers and healthy controls with age, taking years of education and total intracranial volume as covariates. Result:The performance of GPR model (MAE=5.334, r=0.747) in predicting brain age was better than support vector machine model (MAE=6.040, r=0.679). The GPR model predicted that PAD value of smokers in dataset 1 (2.19±6.64) was higher than that of healthy controls in dataset 1 (-0.80±8.94), and the difference was statistically significant ( F=8.52, P=0.004). Conclusion:GPR model based MRI has better performance in predicting brain age in smokers and healthy controls, and smokers show increased PAD values, further indicating that smoking accelerates brain aging.
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Objective:To investigate the value of periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER) in improving ability of demonstrating ocular masses on 3.0 T MR scanner.Methods:This study was a multi-center prospective study involving 6 centers. From July 2018 to January 2020, totally 413 patients with ocular masses from 6 centers were prospectively enrolled, and all of them underwent T 1WI and T 2WI, PROPELLER T 1 FLAIR and T 2WI, and contrast-enhanced scans. The signal intensity of eyelid, vitreous body, lacrimal gland, intraorbital segment of optic nerve, and orbital masses of eyelid, intraocular, lacrimal gland and retrobulbar were measured by two radiologists, and the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast noise ratio (CNR) were calculated. The 5-point scoring method was used to evaluate the motion artefacts, tumor edges and the relationship between the tumor and adjacent structures, and the overall score of image quality was calculated. Paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare the image quality between PROPELLER and non-PROPELLER images. Results:The SNR and CNR of PROPELLER T 2WI were higher than those of non-PROPELLER T 2WI (all P<0.001). The SNR and CNR of PROPELLER T 1 FLAIR were lower than those of non-PROPELLER T 1WI (all P<0.05). The scores of artefacts and overall image quality in PROPELLER images were higher than those in non-PROPELLER images (all P<0.001). The tumor edge and the relationship between the tumor and adjacent structures scores of eyelid, intraocular, and lacrimal gland masses in PROPELLER images were higher than those in non-PROPELLER images (all P<0.001),while compared to non-PROPELLER images, retro-global masses in PROPELLER images showed no significant differences (all P>0.05). Conclusion:PROPELLER can reduce ocular motion artefacts, effectively improve image quality and ability of demonstrating anterior (eyelid, intraocular, and lacrimal gland) masses.
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Objective:To explore the value of the static and dynamic pelvic floor MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in evaluating the morphology and function of urethra in patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI).Methods:From July 2020 to February 2021, a total of 28 patients with SUI and 45 age-matched healthy controls were prospectively collected at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. The static and dynamic pelvic floor MRI and DTI were performed for all subjects. The thickness of internal and external sphincter of middle urethra were measured on static MRI images. The functional urethral length (FUL) was measured both on static and maximal strain phase of dynamic MRI images, then the difference of FUL was calculated. The presence of bladder neck funneling and urethra opening were observed on static and dynamic MRI. The muscle fiber bundle image of urethral sphincter complex was obtained by post-processing of DTI original images. The anisotropy fraction (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and three eigenvalues (λ1, λ2, λ3) of annular sphincter and central longitudinal muscle in middle urethra were measured. The independent sample t test and chi-square test were used to analyse the difference of measured parameters in MRI, parameters of DTI and imaging signs between the two groups. Results:Compared with healthy controls, the SUI patients showed that the thickness of external sphincter in middle urethral and FUL in static status and maximal strain phase were significantly decreased ( t=-3.95, -5.72, -8.41, all P<0.001), the difference of FUL between static status and maximal strain phase was significantly increased ( t=4.41, P<0.001). The positive rate of bladder neck funneling in static status and maximal strain phase, urethral opening in maximal strain phase of SUI group increased significantly (χ2=23.09 , 22.25, 26.59, all P<0.001). In SUI group, the FA value of middle urethral annular sphincter decreased significantly ( t=-3.48, P=0.001), while the ADC, λ2 and λ3 values increased significantly ( t=3.19, 2.15 , 2.06, and P=0.002, 0.038 , 0.046, respectively). There was no significant difference in DTI parameters of middle urethral longitudinal muscle between the two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Static and dynamic MRI and DTI techniques can objectively evaluate the changes of urethral morphology and function of SUI patients. The thinning of the external sphincter in the middle urethra, shortening of the FUL and the destruction of the microstructure of the annular sphincter fiber bundle were the main alterations of SUI patients.
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Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of three-dimensional amide proton transfer-weighted imaging (APTWI) and its combination with diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) for differentiating breast benign from malignant lesions.Methods:This was a prospective study. From July to December 2020, 226 patients with breast lesions confirmed by surgery or puncture pathology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were collected. All patients underwent MR T 1-weighted imaging, T 2-weighted imaging, DWI, APTWI, and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value and the magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry at an offset of 3.5 ppm [MTRasym(3.5 ppm)] were obtained from DWI and APTWI respectively. Mann-Whitney U test was used for the comparison of DWI and APTWI parameters between breast benign and malignant lesions. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the differences of diagnostic efficacy between DWI, APTWI, and their combination. Results:There were 226 patients with 226 breast lesions, including 124 malignant and 102 benign lesions. The ADC values of patients with malignant breast lesions [1.03 (0.93, 1.13)×10 -3 mm 2/s] and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) [1.95% (1.10%, 2.88%)] were lower than those of benign breast lesions [1.38 (1.11, 1.55)×10 -3 mm 2/s, 3.30% (2.20%, 4.20%), respectively], and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=-8.19, -6.51, P<0.05). The area under the ROC curves (AUC) of DWI, APTWI, and its combination in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions were 0.817, 0.752, and 0.868, respectively. The AUC of the combination of DWI and APTWI was higher than that of DWI and APTWI ( Z=4.00, 2.93, P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in the AUC between DWI and APTWI diagnoses ( Z=1.58, P>0.05). Taking 1.25×10 -3 mm 2/s as the optimal cut-off value for ADC values, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions were 94.4% (117/124), 62.7% (64/102), and 80.1% (181/226), respectively; Taking 2.70% as the optimal cut-off value for MTRasym (3.5 ppm), the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions were 73.4% (91/124), 64.7% (66/102), and 69.5% (157/226), respectively, and the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of DWI combined with APTWI in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions were 82.3% (102/124), 79.4% (81/102), and 81.0% (183/226), respectively. Conclusion:APTWI can be used for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions, and the combination of APTWI and DWI can obtain the better diagnostic performance than the single method.
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Objective:To assess the value of the parotid fat fraction (FF) and T 2 relaxation time (T 2 value) in the evaluation of early parotid involvment in patients with primary Sj?gren′s syndrome (pSS) using multi-echo Dixon technique and T 2 mapping imaging. Methods:From December 2018 to December 2019, 26 early pSS patients (pSS group) and 20 healthy controls (control group), matched to age and gender, were enrolled at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in this prospectively study. All subjects underwent conventional MRI, DWI, multi-echo Dixon and T 2 mapping sequences before treatment. The ADC, FF and T 2 value of bilateral parotid parenchyma in pSS group and control group were measured respectively. Paired sample t test was used to compare the differences of ADC, FF and T 2 values between left and right parotid glands for pSS group and control group, while independent sample t test was used to compare the differences of ADC, FF and T 2 values between pSS group and control group. The ROC curves were drawn to evaluate diagnostic performance of ADC, FF and T 2 values to distinguish early pSS, and the difference of diagnostic efficacy of each parameter was compared by Delong test. Binary logistic regression analysis and ROC curve were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the combination of the 3 parameters in early pSS. Results:There were no significant differences of ADC, FF and T 2 values between left and right parotid glands for pSS group and control group (all P>0.05). The parotid ADC values were significantly lower in pSS group than control group ( t=4.641, P=0.006), while the FF and T 2 values of pSS group were significantly higher than those of control group ( t=-2.910, -6.411, both P<0.001). The areas under the ROC curve of ADC, FF and T 2 values to distinguish early pSS were 0.666, 0.750 and 0.862, respectively. The area under ROC curve of the combination of ADC, FF and T 2 values was 0.930, with a sensitivity of 73.1% and a specificity of 97.5%. T 2 values showed a better diagnostic efficacy than ADC values ( Z=2.626, P=0.009) and FF values ( Z=2.112, P=0.035) when distinguishing pSS group from control group. The area under ROC curve of the combination of ADC, FF and T 2 values showed a better diagnostic efficacy than each parameter alone ( Z=4.869, P<0.001, Z=3.628, P<0.001, Z=2.162, P=0.031). Conclusions:Multi-echo Dixon technique and T 2 mapping can quantitatively evaluate the parotid gland fat deposition and inflammatory response in the early stage of pSS. T 2 value has great potential in evaluating early parotid gland injury of pSS, and the combination of ADC, FF and T 2 values can further improve the diagnostic efficiency.
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Objective:To dynamically trace the migration and therapeutic effects of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in mice with liver injury after cell transplantation through in vivo bioluminescent imaging (BLI).Methods:The MSCs were transfected with the lentivirus CMV-Luciferase2-mKate2 and mKate2 positive cells were purified and screened by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) after 96 h. The purified MSCs-R (MSCs-CMV-Luciferase2-mKate2) were used by in vitro and in vivo BLI. The mice (male BALB/c nude mice) were divided into 4 groups with 9 mice per group by random number table method, including (1) Liver injury experimental group: The liver injury model was established by intraperitoneal injection of CCl 4, and MSCS-R transplantation through spleen injection was performed 24 h later; (2) Control experimental group: The same volume of phosphate buffer (PBS) was injected intraperitoneally, and MSCS-R transplantation through spleen injection was performed 24 h later; (3) Liver injury group: Liver injury model was established and PBS was injected into the spleen;(4) Blank group: The mice were intraperitoneally injected of PBS.BLI was performed daily after cell transplantation until light signals disappeared in the liver region, and the pathological examination of liver tissue was obtained 14 d after MSCs-R transplantation. Linear regression analyses were performed to determine the correlation between the optical signal intensity and the number of cells, and statistical differences of the optical signal intensity between liver injury experimental group and control experimental group were evaluated using the Student′s t test. Results:The MSCs were readily transfected with lentivirus CMV-Luciferase2-mKate2 for 96 h. The transfected MSCs were purified by FACS and more than 95% of MSCs were mKate2 positive. The optical signal intensity of MSCs-R detected by BLI in vitro significantly correlated with cell numbers in vitro (R 2=0.980). In both of liver injury experimental group and control experimental group, cell migration to the liver was observed on the first day after intrasplenic transplantation of MSCs-R, and the optical signal intensity in the area of liver of liver injury experimental group was higher than that of control experimental group ( t=15.476, P<0.001). The optical signal intensity in the hepatic area was observed in 11 d after transplantation in liver injury experimental group, compared to control experimental group in 5 d. Optical signal was not detected in mice in the other two groups. Histopathology showed that the degree of liver injury after MSCs-R transplantation was significantly lower in liver injury experimental group than control experimental group. Conclusions:The dynamical migration of MSCs transplanted to the spleen and settled in the damaged liver could be tracked by BLI, and liver injury can prompt MSCs directionally migrate to the damaged tissues and play their role in repairing liver injury.
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Objective:To investigate the abnormalities of gray matter volume (GMV) and the synergistic changes in different cerebral regions in the first-episode and early-onset depression (EOD) patients.Methods:A total of 60 patients with untreated EOD (EOD group) and 64 healthy controls (control group) matched for age, gender, and education underwent high-resolution T 1WI MR scans. Voxel-based morphometry was used to calculate the cerebral GMV. The difference in GMV between the two groups was compared with the t-test. Different brain regions were selected as seeds for structural covariation network (SCN) analysis. Spearman correlation model was used to analyze the correlation between the GMV in different cerebral regions and illness duration as well as the scores of Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD) 17 items in EOD group. Results:Compared to control group, the EOD group had significantly increased GMV in the right orbitofrontal cortex, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right inferior parietal lobule, right superior parietal lobule and bilateral precuneus ( P<0.05, corrected by FDR). Based on the right orbitofrontal cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as seed regions, structural covariance analysis revealed that abnormal cooperative brain regions in EOD group, mainly distributed in the bilateral frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, paralimbic system and cerebellum ( P<0.05, corrected by FDR). In EOD group, significant negative correlations were observed between the GMV in the right orbitofrontal cortex ( r=-0.314, P=0.015), the left precuneus ( r=-0.283, P=0.029), and illness duration. Significant positive correlations were observed between the GMV in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the scores of anxiety/somatization factor of HAMD17 ( r=0.331, P=0.010), the left precuneus and weight factor of HAMD17 ( r=0.255, P=0.049), respectively. Conclusions:Abnormal GMV changes are observed in some regions of the prefrontal and parietal lobule in patients with untreated EOD, accompanied by extensive covariant brain regions and additional structural connectivity. In addition, the abnormal GMV changes in some regions are associated with clinical features. Part of the prefrontal and parietal lobule may be the biomarkers to objectively evaluate abnormal brain structure in depression patients in the early stage.
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Objective:To explore the differences of static and dynamic spontaneous brain activity between male smoking addicts and healthy controls, and analyze the mechanism of smoking addiction.Methods:Based on static amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (sALFF) and dynamic amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (dALFF), the differences of static and dynamic spontaneous brain activity were compared between male smoking addicts ( n=63) and healthy controls ( n=30) by independent sample t-test. Pearson correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationships between the altered dALFF values and score of Fagerstr?m test for nicotine dependence(FTND) and pack-years of smoking addicted males. Results:Compared with healthy controls, the values of sALFF in the left superior/middle/inferior orbitofrontal gyrus ( t=5.17, clusters≥108) were increased and the variation of dALFF in the right superior temporal/middle gyrus, left orbitofrontal region, left orbital superior/middle/inferior frontal gyrus, right orbitofrontal gyrus/middle/inferior frontal gyrus and right putamen ( t=4.90, 4.37, 4.91, 4.62, 4.59, clusters≥96) were also increased in the smoking addicted group. It was noteworthy that the dALFF values of the right superior temporal/middle gyrus( r=0.252, P=0.047), left orbital region superior frontal gyrus( r=0.281, P=0.026) and right putamen( r=0.313, P=0.012) were positively correlated with pack-years of male smoking addicts. Conclusion:Male smoking addicts may have abnormal static and dynamics spontaneous neural activity in prefrontal cortex (including orbital frontal lobe), putamen and superior temporal/middle gyrus, which are correlated with pack-years.
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Objective:To evaluate the precision of quantitative CT (QCT) in measuring fat content of goose liver and to explore the influence of tube voltage on liver fat measurement.Methods:From January to March 2017, 22 Landes geese were selected to establish fatty liver models with overfeeding. The QCT was performed under 2 different tube voltages, 80 and 120 kV. In addition to the voltage, the other scanning parameters were the same. Three ROI were placed in the centre part of the left lobe, upper and lower half of the right lobe on the 3D reconstructed images. The volume percentage of goose liver fat (Fat% QCT) was calculated according to the formula provided by Mindways. Immediately after the QCT examinations, each goose was dissected, and the whole liver was removed. Then samples were taken in the corresponding areas of the ROI by QCT. The fat (triglyceride) content of the samples was measured by the biochemical extraction method. The Spearman correlation tests were used to determine the correlation between the QCT measurements of 80 kV and 120 kV groups and the results of biochemical extraction method. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to compare Fat% QCT between 80 kV and 120 kV groups. Bland-Altman plots were used to assess agreement between the two groups′ measurements. Results:The Fat% QCT of both 80 kV and 120 kV group positively correlated highly with biochemical extraction ( r s=0.936, P<0.001, r s=0.927, P<0.001) respectively. No statistically significant difference of Fat% QCT was detected between 80 kV and 120 kV group ( Z=-0.141, P=0.888). Bland-Altman analysis showed a small difference of Fat% QCT between the 80 kV and 120 kV group, in which mean values were 0.20%. Conclusions:Using biochemical extracted triglyceride as the reference, under the conditions of low-dose 80 kV and standard 120 kV tube voltages, QCT measurement of fat content is accurate and reliable in goose liver.
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Objective:To investigate the abnormal dynamic characteristics of brain functional connectivity in patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) and its correlation with clinical indicators by using dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) analysis based on independent component analysis (ICA).Methods:The clinical and imaging data of female NPSLE patients diagnosed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July 2018 to September 2019 were prospectively collected. The levels of complement C3, C4, CH50, glucocorticoid prednisone dosage, systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) score and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) damage index (SDI) score were recorded. Age and sex matched healthy controls (HC) were enrolled at the same time. All subjects underwent resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). The spatial group independent component analysis was performed on MRI data using GIFT software, and 29 independent components (IC) were selected as internal connectivity network; five functional connectivity states and three dFC indexes (fraction time, mean dwell time, number of transitions) were obtained by using sliding time window technology. Two independent sample t test was used to calculate the difference of functional connectivity in different states. Mann-Whitney U test was used to calculate the difference of dFC indexes between groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation between dFC index and clinical data in NPSLE group. Results:A total of 45 NPSLE patients and 35 HC patients were enrolled. There was no significant difference in age and education level between the two groups ( t=-0.327, -0.460, P>0.05). Compared with HC group, NPSLE group had higher fraction time and longer mean dwell time ( Z=-2.496, -2.462, P<0.05); in state3 strong connection, compared with HC group, functional connectivity (FC) between posterior cerebellar lobe (IC39) and basal ganglia (IC10) was enhanced ( t=-5.201, P<0.05); FC was found decreased between posterior cerebellar lobe (IC39) and temporal lobe (IC5), temporal lobe (IC7), superior parietal lobe (IC65) ( t=4.212, 5.572, 4.415, P<0.05), as well as between paracentral lobular region (IC12) and posterior cingulate gyrus (IC15) ( t=3.893, P<0.05) in NPSLE group. The SDI score of NPSLE patients was negatively correlated with the fraction time and mean dwell time of state1 and state3 strong connection state ( P<0.05), and the SLEDAI score was negatively correlated with the fraction time and mean dwell time of state1 and state2 ( P<0.05). The SDI and SLEDAI scores were positively correlated with the fraction time and mean dwell time of state4 weak connection state, respectively ( P<0.05). The levels of serum complement C3, C4 and CH50 in NPSLE patients were positively correlated with the number of transitions ( r=0.428, 0.354, 0.385, P<0.05), and the dosage of prednisone was negatively correlated with the number of transitions ( r=-0.466, P<0.05). The validation analysis results showed the experimental results could be effectively repeated. Conclusion:The dFC analysis method based on ICA can effectively identify the alterations of brain functional connectivity on a shorter time scale, which may provide a new perspective for further exploration of the neuroimaging mechanism of cognitive impairment in NPSLE.
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Objective:To investigate the application value of oxygen-challenge MRI in the identification of ischemic penumbra in acute middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in rats.Methods:Fifty-eight SD rats were received MCAO processing. Ten MCAO rats were randomly selected. MRI scanning was performed and modified neurological severity score mNSS was evaluated before and after oxygen stimulation at the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th hour after MCAO model preparation. The scanning data before and after oxygen stimulation were recorded as air group and oxygen group respectively. T 1 values and T 1 change rate of different brain regions were measured. Twenty-four MCAO rats were selected for oxygen stimulation according to the above four time points. At each time point, 3 MCAO rats were randomly selected for HE staining and recorded as oxygen stimulation group 1 ( n=12). Meanwhile, 3 MCAO rats were randomly selected for immunohistochemical examination at each time points to determine the expression of protein kinase C receptor (RACK1), recorded as oxygen stimulation group 2 ( n = 12). Another 24 MCAO rats were selected without oxygen stimulation. Among them, three MCAO rats were randomly selected at each time point for HE staining, recorded as non-oxygen stimulation group 1 ( n=12); and three MCAO rats were randomly selected at each time point for immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of RACK1, recorded as non-oxygen stimulation group 2 ( n=12). Independent sample t-test was used for the comparison between the two groups. One way ANOVA was used for the comparison in T 1 change rate between different brain regions, and repeated measurement ANOVA was used for the comparison of T 1 change rate in the same brain region at different time points. The correlation between the expression of RACK1 protein in oxygen group 2 and non-oxygen group 2, as well as T 1 values in air group and oxygen group was analyzed by Spearman analysis. Results:At the same time point, the difference of mNSS scores between air group and oxygen group was statistically significant ( P<0.05). At different time points, the difference of mNSS between the two groups was also found statistically significant ( P<0.05). There were significant differences in T 1 values and T 1 change rate between air group and oxygen group in ischemic core area, mismatched area and contralateral normal area, among which the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.05). At different time points, the cellular edema or vacuolation in the cerebral ischemic area of 24 MCAO rats in the oxygen challenge group 1 and the non-oxygen challenge group 1 showed an aggravating trend, and the degree of cellular edema or vacuolation in the cerebral ischemic area of the non oxygen challenge group 1 was slightly less degree than that of the non-oxygen challenge group 1. The expression of RACK1 protein in the cerebral ischemia area of 24 MCAO rats in the oxygen challenge group 2 and the non-oxygen challenge group 2 decreased at different time points, and the expression of RACK1 protein in the non-oxygen challenge group 2 was higher than that in the oxygen challenge group 2 ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Oxygen challenge MRI can be used to determine the oxygen metabolism in the brain infarction tissue of MCAO rats. The oxygen challenge MRI T 1 value and T 1 change rate can help to identify the ischemic penumbra of MCAO rats. Oxygen stimulation may delay the development of cerebral ischemia. The expression of RACK1 plays a protective role in acute cerebral ischemia and is related to the development of hypoxia in brain tissue.
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Objective:To explore the application value in cerebral blood perfusion status of dynamic susceptibility contrast enhanced perfusion weighted imaging (DSC-PWI) in ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD).Methods:Retrospective analysis of 31 cases ICVD head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and DSC-PWI image in clinical diagnosis, and selectively analyze parameters including relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF), relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), mean transit time (MTT) and time to peak (TTP) for generalize its characteristics.Results:31 cases of ICVD, 16 cases hypoperfusion, rCBF decreased significantly, rCBV decreased, MTT and TTP prolonged, include 7 cases of large vessel disease and 5 cases of small vessel disease. The collateral circulation formed 9 cases, including 3 cases with good compensation, rCBF normal, rCBV normal, MTT and TTP prolonged, 6 cases with bad compensation, rCBF decreased, rCBV normal or increased, MTT and TTP prolonged. The blood reperfusion in 3 cases, rCBF normal or slightly increased, rCBV increased, MTT shortened or normal, and TTP shortened. The excessive perfusion in 3 cases, rCBF significantly increased and rCBV significantly increased, with MTT and TTP shortened.Conclusions:DSC-PWI can reliably reflect the perfusion state and collateral circulation compensation of ICVD, so as to guide the selection of clinical treatment program and significantly improve the prognosis of patients.
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Ovotesticular disorders of sex development is a rare chromosomal gender abnormality disease. MRI has more advantages than ultrasound in showing the location, shape and development of internal genitalia, which is of great significance in diagnosing and judging the types of hermaphroditism. The purpose of this paper is to explore the significance of MRI in clinical diagnosis and differential diagnosis in order to improve the understanding of the disease and the ability of clinical diagnosis and treatment.
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Objective:To investigate the correlation between aneurysm wall enhancement (AWE) shown on high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI) and the risk of intracranial aneurysm rupture risk.Methods:Patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysm admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from October 2014 to October 2019 were enrolled retrospectively. Three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography was used to measure the morphological parameters of aneurysms. HR-MRI was used to evaluate the enhancement mode. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to determine the independent influencing factors of AWE. The 5-year rupture risk of intracranial aneurysms was assessed based on the PHASES score. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between the enhancement mode and the risk of aneurysm rupture. Results:A total of 261 patients and 333 unruptured intracranial saccular aneurysms were included. There were significant differences in the proportion of multiple aneurysms, the size and location of aneurysms between the enhanced group and the non-enhanced group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors such as age and gender, multiple aneurysms (odds ratio [ OR] 0.446, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 0.251-0.791; P=0.006), aneurysm size ( OR 1.327, 95% CI 1.218-1.445; P<0.001) and location (anterior cerebral artery/posterior communication artery/posterior circulation: OR 2.058, 95% CI 1.217-3.482; P=0.007) were significantly independently related to AWE. Based on the PHASES score, the 5-year predicted rupture risk of the enhanced group was significantly higher than that of the non-enhanced group (5.2%±6.2% vs. 1.5%±2.0%; P<0.001). Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation between the extent of aneurysm enhancement and the risk of aneurysm rupture ( r=0.435, P<0.001). Conclusions:AWE shown on HR-MRI is associated with multiple aneurysms, aneurysm size, and location. Application of AWE might predict the risk of rupture of intracranial aneurysms.
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Background and Objectives@#Tracking of the tumor progression by MSCs-based therapy is being increasingly important in evaluating relative therapy effectively. Herein, Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) technology was used to dynamically and quantitatively track the hepatocellular carcinoma suppressive effects by human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs). @*Methods@#and Results: The stem cells present typical phenotypic characteristics and differentiation ability by morphology and flow cytometry analysis of marker expression. Then, the growth inhibition effect of conditioned medium and UC-MSC on H7402 cells was studied. It is found both the conditioned medium and UC-MSC can effectively decrease the proliferation of H7402 cells compared with the control group. Meanwhile, the relative migration of UC-MSC to H7402 is also increased through the transwell migration assay. In addition, a mice hepatoma tumor model was built by H7402 cells which can express a pLenti-6.3/DEST-CMV-luciferase 2-mKate2 gene. The effect of stem cells on growth inhibition of tumor in a mice transplantation model was dynamically monitored by bioluminescence imaging within 5 weeks. It has shown the bioluminescence signal intensity of the tumor model was significantly higher than that of the UC-MSC co-acting tumor model, indicating that the inhibition of UC-MSC on liver cancer resulted in low expression of bioluminescent signals. @*Conclusions@#The microenvironment of UC-MSCs can effectively inhibit the growth of liver cancer cells, and this therapeutic effect can be dynamically and quantitatively monitored in vivo by BLI. This is of great significance for the imaging research and application of stem cells in anticancer therapy.