Estimates of glomerular filtration rate from MR renography and tracer kinetic models

• Published in: Journal of magnetic resonance imaging Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 371 - 382
• Main Authors: Bokacheva, Louisa, Rusinek, Henry, Zhang, Jeff L., Chen, Qun, Lee, Vivian S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.02.2009
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; compartmental modeling; Contrast Media - pharmacokinetics; Female; gadolinium chelates; Gadolinium DTPA - pharmacokinetics; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Humans; Linear Models; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Middle Aged; Monte Carlo Method; MR renography; Radioisotope Renography; renal function; Sensitivity and Specificity; Statistics, Nonparametric; tracer kinetics
• ISSN: 1053-1807; 1522-2586
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.21642

Purpose To compare six methods for calculating the single‐kidney glomerular filtration rate (GFR) from T1‐weighted magnetic resonance (MR) renography (MRR) against reference radionuclide measurements. Materials and Methods In 10 patients, GFR was determined using six published methods: the Baumann–Rudin model (BR), the Patlak–Rutland method (PR), the two‐compartment model without bolus dispersion (2C) and with dispersion (2CD), the three‐compartment model (3CD), and the distributed parameter model (3C‐IRF). Reference single‐kidney GFRs were measured by radionuclide renography. The coefficient of variation of GFR (CV) was determined for each method by Monte Carlo analyses for one healthy and one dysfunctional kidney at a noise level (σn) of 2%, 5%, and 10%. Results GFR estimates in patients varied from 6% overestimation (BR) to 50% underestimation (PR and 2CD applied to cortical data). Correlations with reference GFRs ranged from R = 0.74 (2CD, cortical data) to R = 0.85 (BR). In simulations, the lowest CV was produced by 3C‐IRF in healthy kidney (1.7σn) and by PR in diseased kidney ((2.2–2.4)σn). In both kidneys the highest CV was obtained with 2CD ((5.9–8.2)σn) and with 3CD in diseased kidney (8.9σn at σn = 10%). Conclusion GFR estimates depend on the renal model and type of data used. Two‐ and three‐compartment models produce comparable GFR correlations. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;29:371–382. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.