MRI tensor imaging in kidney : applycation for diagnosis of nephritis in children

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26461621
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Pediatrics
• Research Institution: Teikyo University
• Principal Investigator: Takahashi Kazuhiro 帝京大学, 医学部, 講師 (60297447)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 神田 知紀 帝京大学, 医学部, 講師 (30514781) ; 中村 明夫 帝京大学, 医学部, 講師 (70266287) ; 古井 滋 帝京大学, 医療技術学部, 教授 (40114631) ; 関根 孝司 東邦大学, 医学部, 教授 (50255402)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 腎炎 / 小児 / 拡散テンソル画像

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Renal histopathology, the gold standard of diagnosis for kidney diseases, requires biopsy which is invasive and has high risk of complications. Tractography (TG) using diffusion tensor imaging can show moving direction of water molecules in human body non-invasively and has already been using in clinical practice. The aim of the study is to show feasibility of TG to evaluate renal fibrosis in children with nephritis.
Thirty children with renal diseases were included in the study. The number and length of TG were computed by publicly available softwares. Renal specimen of each patient was processed by Masson-Trichrome stain, then converted to digital data by image scanner and calculated the percentage of fibrotic part in whole specimen area. There was a negative correlation between percentage of fibrotic area and both number and length of fiber of TG in kidney.
Our study suggests we can utilize TG to monitor renal fibrosis, because TG is non-invasive and doesn't require contrast agent.

Free Research Field

小児科学、腎臓病学