A multi-center 1H MRS study of the AIDS dementia complex: validation and preliminary analysis. | Read by QxMD (original) (raw)

Clinical Trial

Clinical Trial, Phase II

Journal Article

Multicenter Study

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Validation Study

Patricia Lani Lee, Constantin T Yiannoutsos, Thomas Ernst, Linda Chang, Christina M Marra, Jeffrey G Jarvik, Todd L Richards, Edmund W Kwok, Dennis L Kolson, David Simpson, Cheuk Y Tang, Giovanni Schifitto, Leena M Ketonen, Dieter J Meyerhoff, Robert E Lenkinski, R Gilberto Gonzalez, Bradford A Navia

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the technical feasibility and reliability of a multi-center study characterizing regional levels of the brain metabolite ratios choline (Cho)/creatine (Cr) and myoinositol (MI)/Cr, markers of glial cell activity, and N-acetyl aspartate (NAA)/Cr, a marker of mature neurons, in subjects with AIDS dementia complex (ADC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using an automated protocol (GE PROBE-P), short echo time spectra (TE = 35 msec) were obtained at eight sites from uniformly prepared phantoms and from three brain regions (frontal white matter, basal ganglia, and parietal cortex) of normal volunteers and ADC and HIV-negative subjects.

RESULTS: A random-effects model of the phantom and volunteer data showed no significant inter-site differences. Feasibility of a multi-center study was further validated by detection of significant differences between the metabolite ratios of ADC subjects and HIV-negative controls. ADC subjects exhibited significantly higher Cho/Cr and MI/Cr in the basal ganglia and significantly reduced NAA/Cr and significantly higher MI/Cr in the frontal white matter. These results are consistent with the predominantly subcortical distribution of the pathologic abnormalities associated with ADC.

CONCLUSION: This is the first study to ascertain and validate the reliability and reproducibility of a short echo time (1)H-MRS acquisition sequence from multiple brain regions in a multi-center setting. It should now be possible to examine the regional effects of HIV infection in the brain in a large number of subjects and to study the metabolic effects of new therapies for the treatment of ADC in a clinical trial setting.