Effect of superparamagnetic iron oxide on bone marrow

The goal of this study was to compare the effects of SPIO particles on the signal intensity of the bone marrow of the vertebra spine in patients th and without liver cirrhosis. Forty-eight patients lih normal liver tissue and 56 patients with liver cirrhosis were examined before and after intravenous SPIO administration, using a 1.5-T system (Magnetom Vision, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) with a semiflexible cp-array coil, Three different pulse sequences were applied: a T1-weighted gradient-echo sequence, a T2-weighted East spin-echo sequence spectral fat suppression and a T2*-weighted grant-echo sequence. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) the liver, vertebra bone and paraspinal muscle were obtained. The SNR value change in each patient group and the SNR value difference between the two groups were evaluated. For assessment of statistical significance, Student's t-test with a level of p < 0.05 mas applied. No significant differences in the SNR values of the liver and bone marrow between the two groups could be seen with any of the three sequences precontrast. Using the T1-weighted gradient-echo sequence in the noncirrhotic liver group, pre- and postcontrast comparisons of the SNR values be liver and bone marrow indicated a decrease of approximately -44.3% (p = 0.02) and increase of approximately 15.3 % (p = 0.04), respectively. No significant change was seen in the cirrhotic liver group. the T2-weighted fast spin-echo sequence, a significant decrease of the SNR value of the liver and the bone marrow in both groups was seen. With the T2*-weighted gradient-echo sequence, the signal intensity decrease of the normal liver tissue was approximately -65.6 % (p = 0.00), in cirrhotic liver tissue decrease was -29.9 % (p = 0.02). The SNR I of the bone marrow showed a decrease of 27.8% (p = 0.04) in the noncirrhotic liver group, whereas in the cirrhotic liver group it was only 11.3% and statistically not significant. The effect of SPIO particles on the liver and bone marrow is significantly less in patients with liver cirrhosis.