Article

Semiquantitative measurement of murine bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in in vivo and postmortem conditions using microcomputed tomography: correlation with pathologic scores--initial results.

Department of Radiology and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine. Seoul, Korea.
Investigative Radiology (impact factor: 4.59). 06/2008; 43(6):453-60. DOI:10.1097/RLI.0b013e31816900ec pp.453-60
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT To evaluate whether the semiquantification of lung inflammation and fibrosis in murine bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) in in vivo and postmortem conditions is feasible, and to correlate micro-CT and pathologic scores.
Bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis was created by intratracheally instilling 3 mg/kg of bleomycin into C57BL/6 mice. Mice were allocated randomly to 2-week, 4-week, and 8-week follow-up groups. In each group, in vivo and follow-up postmortem micro-CT were performed using a voxel size of 35 x 35 x 35 microm. Ground-glass opacity (GGO), consolidation, parenchymal lines, honeycombing, and peripheral bronchial dilatation were scored on micro-CT images in a semiquantitative fashion, whereas inflammation and fibrosis were scored histopathologically. The confidence levels of micro-CT findings were also scored. Correlations between micro-CT and pathologic findings were examined using Spearman rank correlation analysis, and differences between CT scores and confidence levels for in vivo and postmortem micro-CT were subjected to Wilcoxon signed rank testing. Agreements between in vivo and postmortem micro-CT scores were tested using weighted kappa statistics.
Consolidation in vivo (r = 0.46) and at postmortem (r = 0.39) and GGO in vivo (r = 0.31) by micro-CT showed fair to moderate correlation with pathologic inflammation scores (P < 0.001). By in vivo and postmortem micro-CT, parenchymal lines (r = 0.72 vs. 0.83) showed good to excellent and peripheral bronchial dilatation (r = 0.47 vs. 0.68) showed moderate to good correlation with pathologic fibrosis scores (P < 0.001). For GGO, consolidation, peripheral bronchial dilatation, and parenchymal lines, fair to moderate agreement was obtained between in vivo and postmortem micro-CT. However, confidence levels for peripheral bronchial dilatation, parenchymal lines, and honeycombing were significantly higher by postmortem micro-CT (P < 0.001).
Micro-CT scores and pathologic scores were found to be well correlated by in vivo and postmortem micro-CT. Although agreements between in vivo and postmortem micro-CT were significant, the confidence levels for fibrosis-related CT findings were significantly higher by postmortem micro-CT.

0 0
 · 
0 Bookmarks
 · 
50 Views
  • Source
    Article: Micro-computed tomography of pulmonary fibrosis in mice induced by adenoviral gene transfer of biologically active transforming growth factor-β1.
    Thomas Rodt, Christian von Falck, Sabine Dettmer, Roman Halter, Regina Maus, Kjetil Ask, Martin Kolb, Jack Gauldie, Florian Länger, Ludwig Hoy, Tobias Welte, Michael Galanski, Ulrich A Maus, Jürgen Borlak
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a novel tool for monitoring acute and chronic disease states in small laboratory animals. Its value for assessing progressive lung fibrosis in mice has not been reported so far. Here we examined the importance of in vivo micro-CT as non-invasive tool to assess progression of pulmonary fibrosis in mice over time. Pulmonary fibrosis was induced in mice by intratracheal delivery of an adenoviral gene vector encoding biologically active TGF-β1 (AdTGF-β1). Respiratory gated and ungated micro-CT scans were performed at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks post pulmonary adenoviral gene or control vector delivery, and were then correlated with respective histopathology-based Ashcroft scoring of pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Visual assessment of image quality and consolidation was performed by 3 observers and a semi-automated quantification algorithm was applied to quantify aerated pulmonary volume as an inverse surrogate marker for pulmonary fibrosis. We found a significant correlation between classical Ashcroft scoring and micro-CT assessment using both visual assessment and the semi-automated quantification algorithm. Pulmonary fibrosis could be clearly detected in micro-CT, image quality values were higher for respiratory gated exams, although differences were not significant. For assessment of fibrosis no significant difference between respiratory gated and ungated exams was observed. Together, we show that micro-CT is a powerful tool to assess pulmonary fibrosis in mice, using both visual assessment and semi-automated quantification algorithms. These data may be important in view of pre-clinical pharmacologic interventions for the treatment of lung fibrosis in small laboratory animals.
    Respiratory research 01/2010; 11:181. · 3.36 Impact Factor
Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

8-week follow-up groups
 
Bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis
 
confidence levels
 
correlate micro-CT
 
CT scores
 
follow-up postmortem micro-CT
 
intratracheally instilling 3 mg/kg
 
lung inflammation
 
Micro-CT scores
 
moderate agreement
 
murine bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis
 
parenchymal lines
 
pathologic fibrosis scores
 
pathologic inflammation scores
 
pathologic scores
 
peripheral bronchial dilatation
 
postmortem conditions
 
postmortem micro-CT
 
postmortem micro-CT scores
 
voxel size