Marrow Fat Content and Composition in β-Thalassemia: A Study using 1 H-MRS

• Published in: Journal of magnetic resonance imaging 2021-01, Vol.53 (1), p.190-198
• Main Authors: Ismail, Umi Nabilah, Azlan, Che Ahmad, Khairullah, Shasha, Azman, Raja Rizal, Omar, Nur Farhayu, Md Shah, Mohammad Nazri, Yeong, Chai Hong, Jackson, Nicholas, Ng, Kwan Hoong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - diagnostic imaging; beta-Thalassemia - diagnostic imaging; Bone Marrow - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Prospective Studies
• ISSN: 1053-1807; 1522-2586
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.27294

β-thalassemia is a genetic disease that causes abnormal production of red blood cells (ineffective erythropoiesis, IE). IE is a condition known to change bone marrow composition. To evaluate the effect of IE on the marrow fat content and fat unsaturation levels in the proximal femur using H-MRS. Prospective. Twenty-three subjects were included in this study, seven control and 16 β-thalassemia subjects. 3.0T; stimulated echo acquisition Mode (STEAM); magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) sequence. Multiecho MRS scans were performed in four regions of the proximal left femur of each subject, that is, diaphysis, femoral neck, femoral head, and greater trochanter. The examined regions were grouped into red (diaphysis and femoral neck) and yellow marrow regions (femoral head and greater trochanter). The Jonckheere-Terpstra test was used to evaluate the impact of increasing disease severity on bone marrow fat fraction (BMFF), marrow conversion index, and fat unsaturation index (UI). Pairwise comparison analysis was performed when a significant trend (P