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T2 MRI at 3T of cartilage and menisci in patients with hyperuricemia: initial findings

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Abstract

Objective

To compare and evaluate T2 values of compartmental femorotibial cartilage and subregional menisci in patients with hyperuricemia at 3T.

Materials and methods

Thirty-two subjects were included in this study and subdivided into two subgroups: 15 healthy controls (3 females, 12 males; mean age = 45.3 ± 10.9 years), 17 patients with hyperuricemia (2 females, 15 males; mean age = 44.4 ± 12.7 years). All subjects were assessed on a 3T MR scanner using an 8-channel phased-array knee coil (transmit-receive). Wilcoxon rank sum test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to determine whether there were any statistically significant differences in T2 values of compartmental femorotibial cartilage and subregional menisci between the two subgroups.

Results

Lateral tibial cartilage (48.6 ± 3.5 ms) in healthy subgroup had significantly lower (p < 0.05) T2 values than all subcompartments of femorotibial cartilage in hyperuricemia subgroup. Medial tibial cartilage (56.5 ± 4.3 ms) in hyperuricemia subgroup had significantly higher (p < 0.05) T2 values than all subcompartments of femorotibial cartilage except medial tibial cartilage in healthy subgroup. Medial anterior horn of meniscus (39.4 ± 2.9 ms) in healthy subgroup had significantly lower (p < 0.05) T2 values than all subregional menisci except both medial anterior horn and medial body segment of meniscus in hyperuricemia subgroup.

Conclusion

T2 values in certain compartmental femorotibial cartilage and subregional menisci in patients with hyperuricemia are evidently and abnormally heightened compared with those in healthy subjects, to which special attention should be paid when diagnosing and treating the patients with hyperuricemia in the clinical setting.

Graphical abstract

The LT cartilage had significantly lower T2 values (48.6 ± 3.5 ms) in healthy subgroup compared to all compartmental femorotibial cartilage in cohort with HU. MF cartilage had significantly lower T2 values (51.6 ± 2.9 ms) in healthy subgroup compared to both LF (54.4 ± 4.1 ms) and MT (56.5 ± 4.3 ms) in cohort with HU. MT cartilage had significantly higher T2 values (56.5 ± 4.3 ms) in cohort with HU subgroup compared to LF (52.5 ± 3.0 ms) in healthy subgroup. T2 mapping may be promising and potential sensitive discriminator of understanding and examining the early compositional and structural change in proteoglycan–collagen matrix of human femorotibial cartilage in patients with hyperuricemia.

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Acknowledgements

Dr. Xiaoyun Liang from Mary Mackillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia, is in particular thanked for discussion and help in statistics analyses and processing. Zhen Jiang, M.D., Junkang Shen, M.D., and Caiyuan Zhang, MSc from Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China, are acknowledged for full support to this research work. The authors are very much indebted to all the recruited volunteers participating in this study.

Funding

This study is funded by the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars from the Ministry of Education (K512801315), China, the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), China, the Suzhou Science and Technology Development Project (SZS201721), China, and the Suzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau Project (SYS2018058), China.

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Author notes

  1. Ningfan Hu and Jiangtao Zhu contributed equally to this work as first authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 1055 Sanxiang Rd, Suzhou, 215004, Jiangsu, China

    Ningfan Hu & Jiangtao Zhu

  2. Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions; School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College of Soochow University; School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China

    Wanxin Wen & Ligong Wang

  3. Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Xiaoyun Liang

  4. Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Xiaoyun Liang

  5. Department of Radiation Physics, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Gongshu District, 1 East Banshan Rd, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China

    Yajuan Wang

  6. Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 16 Baita West Rd, Suzhou Jiangsu, 215001, China

    Jian Guan

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  1. Ningfan Hu
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Correspondence to Ligong Wang.

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Highlights

• T2 values in certain compartmental femorotibial cartilage and subregional menisci in patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia are evidently and abnormally elevated compared with those in healthy subjects

• T2 mapping may be promising and potential sensitive discriminator of understanding and examining the early compositional and structural change of human femorotibial cartilage and menisci in patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia

• Patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia may have early elevated water content in both femorotibial cartilage and menisci, which should be in particular paid attention to when diagnosing and treating the patients with hyperuricemia in the absence of established gout in clinical settings.

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Hu, N., Zhu, J., Liang, X. et al. T2 MRI at 3T of cartilage and menisci in patients with hyperuricemia: initial findings. Skeletal Radiol 51, 607–618 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-021-03861-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-021-03861-1

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