Abstract #0927

Cellular MR Imaging of Immune Cells Infiltration as a Marker for Assessment Allograft Outcome in a Chronic Cardiac Allograft Rejection Rat Model

QING YE¹, Yijen Lin Wu¹, Lesley M. Foley¹, T K. Hitchens¹, Hao Sen Zhang¹, Danielle Eytan¹, Chih Lung Chen², Chien Ho¹

¹NMR Center for Biomedical Research, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; ²Industrial technology research institute, Taiwan

Chronic cardiac allograft rejection (CCAR) remains a major obstacle for long-term survival after heart transplantation. Non-invasive assessment of cardiac allograft status is highly desirable. We are developing non-invasive means for detecting allograft rejection by using MRI techniques. Because immune cells are involved in the development of CCAR, in this study, we used a chronic rejection working heart rat model and labeled immune cells in situ with micrometer-sized paramagnetic iron oxide particles. The accumulation of labeled cells in rejecting allograft was monitored with cellular MRI. Our data shows that MRI detection of rejection is well correlated with the pathology changes.