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Thomas AM, Yang E, Smith MD, Chu C, Calabresi PA, Glunde K, van Zijl PCM, Bulte JWM. CEST MRI and MALDI imaging reveal metabolic alterations in the cervical lymph nodes of EAE mice. J Neuroinflammation 2022; 19:130. [PMID: 35659311 PMCID: PMC9164344 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-022-02493-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease, wherein aberrant immune cells target myelin-ensheathed nerves. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be performed to monitor damage to the central nervous system that results from previous inflammation; however, these imaging biomarkers are not necessarily indicative of active, progressive stages of the disease. The immune cells responsible for MS are first activated and sensitized to myelin in lymph nodes (LNs). Here, we present a new strategy for monitoring active disease activity in MS, chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI of LNs. Methods and results We studied the potential utility of conventional (T2-weighted) and CEST MRI to monitor changes in these LNs during disease progression in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model. We found CEST signal changes corresponded temporally with disease activity. CEST signals at the 3.2 ppm frequency during the active stage of EAE correlated significantly with the cellular (flow cytometry) and metabolic (mass spectrometry imaging) composition of the LNs, as well as immune cell infiltration into brain and spinal cord tissue. Correlating primary metabolites as identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging included alanine, lactate, leucine, malate, and phenylalanine. Conclusions Taken together, we demonstrate the utility of CEST MRI signal changes in superficial cervical LNs as a complementary imaging biomarker for monitoring disease activity in MS. CEST MRI biomarkers corresponded to disease activity, correlated with immune activation (surface markers, antigen-stimulated proliferation), and correlated with LN metabolite levels. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12974-022-02493-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline M Thomas
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, 21205, Baltimore, USA.,Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ethan Yang
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, 21205, Baltimore, USA
| | - Matthew D Smith
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Solomon H Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chengyan Chu
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, 21205, Baltimore, USA.,Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter A Calabresi
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Solomon H Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kristine Glunde
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, 21205, Baltimore, USA.,Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter C M van Zijl
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, 21205, Baltimore, USA.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeff W M Bulte
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of MR Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, 21205, Baltimore, USA. .,Cellular Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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