DCE-MRI for the Evaluation of Atherosclerosis in Patients with Exposure to Particulate Matter

Venkatesh Mani¹, Simonette T. Sawit², Claudia Calcagno¹, Cynara Maceda², Colin Moncrieff¹, Zahi Adel Fayad¹, Jacqueline Moline³, MaryAnn McLaughlin²

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) has been associated with adverse health effects leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI and peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) may potentially be used to evaluate differences in atherosclerosis in patients with high and low PM exposure. There was correlation between DCE-MRI measures and endothelial function measured by PAT. Despite NO significant differences between groups in patient characteristics, and vessel wall morphometrics, high exposure group had significantly lower DCE MRI measures. We conclude that DCE-MRI may be used to evaluate differences in atherosclerosis due to different levels of PM exposure.