Body mass index and its effects on liver fat content in overweight and obese young adults by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy technique

AIM To assess the association between liver fat content(LFC) and weight status in young adults using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy(1H MRS) technique.METHODSSeventy-eight healthy young adults, between 19-30 years of age participated in this study. This group was then separated into a control of 39 subjects and an overweight/obese group(OW/OB group) consisting of 39 subjects. Blood biochemical quantity and 1 H MRS was performed for LFC assessment.RESULTS LFC was found to be almost three times higher in OW/OB group when compared to the control group. A 48.7% incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the OW/OB group was found. Blood biochemical measurements showed statistically higher low-density lipoproteins and triglyceride, lower highdensity lipoproteins, and increased glycosylated hemoglobin and fasting glucose in the OW/OB group. Body mass index was a significant independent predictor for LFC after adjusting for age and sex(multiple linear regression; β = 0.459, P <0.001).CONCLUSION Due to the prevalence of high LFC in the OW/OB group, it can be proposed that weight gain and obesity are sensitive indicators of high hepatic fat content.

Effects of muscle fiber orientation to main magnetic field on muscle metabolite profiles for magnetic resonance spectroscopy acquisition

BACKGROUND Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy(~1H MRS) is a technique widely used for investigating metabolites in humans. Lipids are stored outside the muscle cell are called extramyocellular lipids(EMCL), and lipids stored on the inside of muscle cells are called intramyocellular lipids(IMCL). The relationship between metabolic syndrome and IMCL has been extensively studied.AIM To determine the effects of muscle fiber orientations on muscle metabolites using ~1H MRS.METHODS Chicken muscles were used as the subject in this study. MRS spectra were performed on a 1.5 T Magnetic resonance imaging machine(1.5 Tesla Philips Achieva). A single voxel(8 mm × 8 mm × 20 mm) was placed on the chicken extensor iliotibialis lateralis muscle with the muscle fiber oriented at 0°, 30°, 60°,and 90° to the main magnetic field. ~1H MRS spectra were acquired using a pointresolved spectroscopy, TR = 2000 ms, TE = 30 ms, and NSA = 256. Metabolites of interest from each orientation to the main magnetic field were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Differences less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant with 95%CI.RESULTS The metabolite profiles were different for each orientation of muscle fibers to the main magnetic field. The orientation at 90° was the most different compared to other orientations. The quantity of IMCL and EMCL exhibited statistically significantly changes with impacts at 30°, 60°, and 90° when compared with muscles aligned at 0° to the main magnetic field. Statistical analysis showed statistically significant IMCL(CH_3), EMCL(CH_3), and IMCL(CH_2) at 30°, 60°, and 90°(P = 0.017, 0.018, and 0.018, respectively) and EMCL(CH_2) at 30° and 60°(P =0.017 and 0.042, respectively). EMCL(CH_2) at 90° was unable to be measured in this study. The muscle lipids quantified at 30°, 60°, and 90° tended to be lower when compared to 0°.CONCLUSION Careful positioning is one of the most important factors to consider when studying ~1H MRS metabolites in muscles to ensure reproducibility and uniformity of muscle metabolite spectra.

Challenges and optimization strategies in medical imaging service delivery during COVID-19

In coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),medical imaging plays an essential role in the diagnosis,management and disease progression surveillance.Chest radiography and computed tomography are commonly used imaging techniques globally during this pandemic.As the pandemic continues to unfold,many healthcare systems worldwide struggle to balance the heavy strain due to overwhelming demand for healthcare resources.Changes are required across the entire healthcare system and medical imaging departments are no exception.The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on medical imaging practices.It is now time to pay further attention to the profound challenges of COVID-19 on medical imaging services and develop effective strategies to get ahead of the crisis.Additionally,preparation for operations and survival in the post-pandemic future are necessary considerations.This review aims to comprehensively examine the challenges and optimization of delivering medical imaging services in relation to the current COVID-19 global pandemic,including the role of medical imaging during these challenging times and potential future directions post-COVID-19.