Application of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion weighted imaging for assessment of early chronic allograft nephropathy

Abstract

To investigate the feasibility and clinical application of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) technique in non-invasive assessment for early chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN). Methods: A total of 23 renal allograft recipients were recruited from inpatients or outpatients according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria for this study. Recipients were divided into a CAN group (n=12, pathologically confirmed early CAN patients) and a control group (n=11, volunteers with long-term stable renal function). Abdominal MRI was performed on patients of renal allograft with a multi-b value DWI sequence. IVIM2b-new software was used for obtaining the IVIM-DWI quantitative parameter pseudo-color maps and the values of IVIM-DWI of renal parenchyma, including the pure diffusion coefficient (D), perfusion correlation diffusion coefficient (D*) and perfusion fraction (f). The IVIM quantitative parameters between the two groups were compared using independent sample t test. ROC analysis was performed when the differences in parameter were statistically significant and the area under curve (AUC) was calculated. Results: In IVIM bi-exponential analysis, The D value was significantly decreased in the CAN group compared with the control group (P<0.05), whereas there are no significantly difference in value of D* and f between the two groups (all P>0.05). The AUC of D value for distinguishing the early CAN from the control were 0.784 with sensitivity and specificity at 58.3% and 90.9%, respectively. Conclusion: The IVIM-DWI quantitative parameter D can non-invasively assess early CAN to some extent. IVIM-DWI technique is expected to be an effective, easy and non-invasive method to detect early CAN, and assist early diagnose as well as dynamically monitor CAN.