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. 2006;8(2):R38.
doi: 10.1186/ar1892. Epub 2006 Jan 16.

Association between microscopic brain damage as indicated by magnetization transfer imaging and anticardiolipin antibodies in neuropsychiatric lupus

Stefan C A Steens  1 , Gerlof P T H Bosma, Gerda M Steup-Beekman, Saskia le Cessie, Tom W J Huizinga, Mark A van Buchem
Affiliations

Association between microscopic brain damage as indicated by magnetization transfer imaging and anticardiolipin antibodies in neuropsychiatric lupus

Stefan C A Steens et al. Arthritis Res Ther. 2006.

Abstract

The pathogenetic role of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCLs) in patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) without cerebral infarcts remains elusive. Magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) has proved to be a sensitive tool for detecting diffuse microscopic brain damage in NPSLE patients. In this study we examined the correlation between grey and white matter magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) parameters and the presence of IgM and IgG aCLs and lupus anticoagulant in 18 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and a history of NPSLE but without cerebral infarcts on conventional magnetic resonance imaging. Lower grey matter mean MTR (P < 0.05), white matter mean MTR (P < 0.05), white matter peak location (P < 0.05) and grey matter peak location (trend toward statistical significance) were observed in IgM aCL-positive patients than in IgM aCL-negative patients. No significant differences were found in MTR histogram parameters with respect to IgG aCL and lupus anticoagulant status, nor with respect to anti-dsDNA or anti-ENA (extractable nuclear antigen) status. This is the first report of an association between the presence of aCLs and cerebral damage in grey and white matter in NPSLE. Our findings suggest that aCLs are associated with diffuse brain involvement in NPSLE patients.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Example of segmented axial MTR map (level indicated at the sagittal image). Visualized are the compartments grey matter (GM), white matter (WM) and grey and white matter (GM + WM). Signal intensities represent MTR values. MTR, magnetization transfer ratio.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Average MTR histograms after volume corrections for patients with and without IgM aCLs. Visualized are the average MTR histograms for patients with IgM aCLs (black lines) and patients without IgM aCLs (grey lines) for the grey matter (GM; continous lines) and white matter (WM; dashed lines). aCL, anticardiolipin antibodies; MTR, magnetization transfer ratio.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Plot of the mean of the MTR histogram for patients with and without IgM aCLs. Visualized are the mean MTRs for patients with IgM aCLs versus patients without IgM aCLs for the grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM). aCL, anticardiolipin antibodies; MTR, magnetization transfer ratio.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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