AJR: MRI may help physicians diagnose, stage and treat diabetes
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| Image source: American Journal of Roentgenology |
The research, conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, highlights the latest accomplishments in MRI of diabetes including imaging of B cell mass (BCM), imaging of autoimmune attack in type 1 diabetes, imaging of islet vasculature and imaging of islet transplantation, according to the authors.
They noted that imaging of insulin-producing BCM in the pancreas represents a challenge due to the small size of the object. The islets of Langerhans are small structures within the pancreas and occupy about 2 percent of its volume.
However, Anna Moore, MD from Massachusetts General, and colleagues said that MRI is capable of delivering high-resolution physiologic and anatomic information in vivo. In addition, it does not use radioactive materials and provides high tissue contrast, unlimited penetration through tissue, and hence, tomographic capability.
"With noninvasive MRI we have the ability to evaluate beta cell mass, a major factor of insulin secretion that is significantly reduced in type two diabetes and almost gone in type one," Moore said. "We are also able to detect inflammation of the pancreas and vascular changes associated with type one and type two diabetes. This opens a huge area that is closed right now."
"Knowing the number of functional beta cells left would allow physicians to develop the most appropriate treatment plans for their patients. It would also allow them to respond, change or manipulate those treatment plans at any time," she commented. "Noninvasive MRI could no doubt tremendously assist in achieving insulin independence in patients with diabetes."
Based on the research, she and her colleagues found that MRI can also provide information on the presence of inflammatory cells within the pancreas, changes in islet vasculature and in BCM during diabetes progression and persistence of transplanted islet grafts.
"It is likely that with the development of noninvasive imaging methods and specific probes, clinicians will soon be able to obtain this valuable information, which will no doubt tremendously assist in achieving insulin independence in patients with diabetes," they wrote.