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Intravenous injection of gadobutrol in an epidemiological study group did not lead to a difference in relative signal intensities of certain brain structures after 5 years

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An Erratum to this article was published on 21 June 2016

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate if application of macrocyclic gadolinium-based contrast agents in volunteers is associated with neuronal deposition detected by magnetic resonance imaging in a 5-year longitudinal survey.

Materials and methods

Three hundred eighty-seven volunteers who participated in a population-based study were enrolled. Subjects underwent plain T1-weighted brain MRI at baseline and 5 years later with identical sequence parameters. At baseline, 271 participants additionally received intravenous injection of the macrocyclic contrast agent gadobutrol (1.5 mmol/kg). A control group including 116 subjects received no contrast agent. Relative signal intensities of thalamus, pallidum, pons and dentate nucleus were compared at baseline and follow-up.

Results

No difference in relative signal intensities was observed between contrast group (thalamus, p = 0.865; pallidum, p = 0.263; pons, p = 0.533; dentate nucleus, p = 0.396) and control group (thalamus, p = 0.683; pallidum; p = 0.970; pons, p = 0.773; dentate nucleus, p = 0.232) at both times. Comparison between both groups revealed no significant differences in relative signal intensities (thalamus, p = 0.413; pallidum, p = 0.653; pons, p = 0.460; dentate nucleus, p = 0.751). The study showed no significant change in globus pallidus-to-thalamus or dentate nucleus-to-pons ratios.

Conclusions

Five years after administration of a 1.5-fold dose gadobutrol to normal subjects, signal intensity of thalamus, pallidum, pons and dentate nucleus did not differ from participants who had not received gadobutrol.

Key Points

• Gadobutrol does not lead to neuronal signal alterations after 5 years.

• Neuronal deposition of macrocyclic contrast agent could not be confirmed.

• Macrocyclic contrast agents in a proven dosage are safe.

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Acknowledgments

The scientific guarantor of this publication is MD J.-P. Kühn. The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies, whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article. This study has received funding by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (01ZZ9603, 01ZZ0103, 01ZZ0403, 01ZZ0701, 03ZIK012), the Ministry of Cultural Affairs as well as the Social Ministry of the Federal State of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. Whole-body MR imaging was supported by a joint grant from Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany, and the Federal State of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. The University of Greifswald is a member of the ‘Center of Knowledge Interchange’ program of Siemens AG. Contrast-enhanced MRI research is part of the entire whole-body MRI study and was supported by Bayer Healthcare. One of the authors has significant statistical expertise. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects (patients) in this study. Some study subjects or cohorts have been previously reported in the context of publications made during the Study of Health in Pomerania, a prospective population-based cohort study in a defined region in Northeast Germany. Methodology: retrospective, observational, performed at one institution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Straße, D-17475, Greifswald, Germany

    Marie-Luise Kromrey, Kim Rouven Liedtke, Sönke Langner, Michael Kirsch & Jens-Peter Kühn

  2. Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

    Till Ittermann

  3. Institute of Biopharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, University Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

    Werner Weitschies

Authors
  1. Marie-Luise Kromrey
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  2. Kim Rouven Liedtke
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  3. Till Ittermann
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  4. Sönke Langner
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  5. Michael Kirsch
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  7. Jens-Peter Kühn
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Correspondence to Marie-Luise Kromrey.

Additional information

An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00330-016-4472-6.

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Kromrey, ML., Liedtke, K.R., Ittermann, T. et al. Intravenous injection of gadobutrol in an epidemiological study group did not lead to a difference in relative signal intensities of certain brain structures after 5 years. Eur Radiol 27, 772–777 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-016-4418-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-016-4418-z

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