HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Moore, G. R. W. Articles by Paty, D. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Moore, G. R. W. Articles by Paty, D. W.

A pathology-MRI study of the short-T2 component in formalin-fixed multiple sclerosis brain

From the Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Dr. Moore and Ms. Leung), Radiology (Drs. MacKay, Vavasour, Whittall, and Li), Physics (Dr. MacKay and Mr. Cover), and Medicine (Neurology) (Drs. Hashimoto, Oger, and Paty), University of British Columbia; the Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Dr. Moore), Radiology (Dr. Li), and Medicine (Neurology) (Drs. Hashimoto, Oger, and Paty), Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; and Research Services (Dr. Sprinkle), Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, GA.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. G.R.W. Moore, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, Room 1302, 910 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver BC, Canada V5Z 1L8; e-mail: wmoore{at}vanhosp.bc.ca

OBJECTIVE: To determine the pathologic basis of areas not exhibiting signal of the short-T2 component of the T2 relaxation distribution in MS, as studied in formalin-fixed brain.

BACKGROUND: A myelin-specific MRI signal would be of great importance in assessing demyelination in patients with MS. Evidence indicates that the short-T2 (10 to 50 millisecond) component of the T2 relaxation distribution originates from water in myelin sheaths. The authors present two cases of MS in which the anatomic distribution of the short-T2 component was correlated with the pathologic findings in postmortem formalin-fixed brain. Method:— One half of the formalin-fixed brain was suspended in a gelatin-albumin mixture cross-linked with glutaraldehyde, and scanned with a 32-echo MRI sequence. The brain was then cut along the center of the 5-mm slices scanned, photographed, dehydrated, and embedded in paraffin. Paraffin sections, stained with Luxol fast blue and immunocytochemically for 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase for myelin and by the Bielschowsky technique for axons, were compared with the distribution of the amplitude of the short-T2 component of the comparable image slices.

RESULTS: The anatomic distribution of the short-T2 component signal corresponded to the myelin distribution. Chronic, silent MS plaques with myelin loss correlated with areas of absence of short-T2 signal. The numbers of axons within lesions were reduced, but many surviving axons were also seen in these areas of complete loss of myelin.

CONCLUSION: In formalin-fixed MS brains the short-T2 component of the T2 relaxation distribution corresponds to the anatomic distribution of myelin. Chronic, silent demyelinated MS plaques show absence of the short-T2 component signal. These results support the hypothesis that the short-T2 component originates from water related to myelin.–1510

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Zivadinov Can imaging techniques measure neuroprotection and remyelination in multiple sclerosis? Neurology, May 29, 2007; 68(22_suppl_3): S72 - S82. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. M. Sirrs, C. Laule, B. Madler, E. E. Brief, S. A. Tahir, C. Bishop, and A. L. MacKay Normal-appearing White Matter in Patients with Phenylketonuria: Water Content, Myelin Water Fraction, and Metabolite Concentrations Radiology, January 1, 2007; 242(1): 236 - 243. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C Laule, E Leung, D K. Li, A L Traboulsee, D W Paty, A L MacKay, and G R. Moore Myelin water imaging in multiple sclerosis: quantitative correlations with histopathology Multiple Sclerosis, November 1, 2006; 12(6): 747 - 753. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G R W. Moore MRI Correlates of MS Pathologic Subtypes Multiple Sclerosis, February 1, 2005; 11(1): 103 - 105. [PDF]

				J. C. J. Bot, E. L. A. Blezer, W. Kamphorst, G. J. Lycklama a Nijeholt, H. J. Ader, J. A. Castelijns, K. N. Ig, E. Bergers, R. Ravid, C. Polman, et al. The Spinal Cord in Multiple Sclerosis: Relationship of High-Spatial-Resolution Quantitative MR Imaging Findings to Histopathologic Results Radiology, November 1, 2004; 233(2): 531 - 540. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]