Dataset Information

Longitudinal micro-CT as an outcome measure of interstitial lung disease in TNF-transgenic mice.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is a debilitating condition with poor survival prognosis. High resolution computed tomography (CT) is a common clinical tool to diagnose RA-ILD, and is increasingly being adopted in pre-clinical studies. However, murine models recapitulating RA-ILD are lacking, and CT outcomes for inflammatory lung disease have yet to be formally validated. To address this, we validate ?CT outcomes for ILD in the tumor necrosis factor transgenic (TNF-Tg) mouse model of RA.

Methods: Cross sectional ?CT was performed on cohorts of male TNF-Tg mice and their WT littermates at 3, 4, 5.5 and 12 months of age (n = 4-6). Lung ?CT outcomes measures were determined by segmentation of the ?CT datasets to generate Aerated and Tissue volumes. After each scan, lungs were obtained for histopathology and 3 sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Automated histomorphometry was performed to quantify the tissue area (nuclei, cytoplasm, and extracellular matrix) and aerated area (white space) within the tissue sections. Spearman's correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the extent of association between ?CT imaging and histopathology endpoints.

Results: TNF-Tg mice had significantly greater tissue volume, total lung volume and mean intensity at all timepoints compared to age matched WT littermates. Histomorphometry also demonstrated a significant increase in tissue area at 3, 4, and 5.5 months of age in TNF-Tg mice. Lung tissue volume was correlated with lung tissue area (? = 0.81, p<0.0001), and normalize lung aerated volume was correlated with normalized lung air area (? = 0.73, p<0.0001).

Conclusions: We have validated in vivo ?CT as a quantitative biomarker of ILD in mice. Further, development of longitudinal measures is critical for dissecting pathologic progression of ILD, and ?CT is a useful non-invasive method to study lung inflammation in the TNF-Tg mouse model.

SUBMITTER: Bell RD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5761871 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Longitudinal micro-CT as an outcome measure of interstitial lung disease in TNF-transgenic mice.

Bell Richard D RD Bell Richard D RD Rudmann Christopher C Wood Ronald W RW Schwarz Edward M EM Rahimi Homaira H

PloS one 20180110 1

<h4>Introduction</h4>Rheumatoid arthritis associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is a debilitating condition with poor survival prognosis. High resolution computed tomography (CT) is a common clinical tool to diagnose RA-ILD, and is increasingly being adopted in pre-clinical studies. However, murine models recapitulating RA-ILD are lacking, and CT outcomes for inflammatory lung disease have yet to be formally validated. To address this, we validate μCT outcomes for ILD in the tumor necros ...[more]

PMID: 29320550

Similar Datasets

Project description:In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), chronic joint inflammation leading to bone and cartilage damage is the major cause of functional impairment. Whereas reduction of synovitis and blockade of joint damage can be successfully achieved by disease modifying antirheumatic therapies, bone repair upon therapeutic interventions has only been rarely reported. The aim of this study was to use fluorodeoxyglucose ([18 F]FDG) and [18 F]fluoride µPET/CT imaging to monitor systemic inflammatory and destructive bone remodeling processes as well as potential bone repair in an established mouse model of chronic inflammatory, erosive polyarthritis. Therefore, human tumor necrosis factor transgenic (hTNFtg) mice were treated with infliximab, an anti-TNF antibody, for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment period, mice received either [18 F]FDG, for detecting inflammatory processes, or [18 F]fluoride, for monitoring bone remodeling processes, for PET scans followed by CT scans. Standardized uptake values (SUVmean ) were analyzed in various joints and histopathological signs of arthritis, joint damage, and repair were assessed. Longitudinal PET/CT scans revealed a significant decrease in [18 F]FDG SUVs in affected joints demonstrating complete remission of inflammatory processes due to TNF blockade. In contrast, [18 F]fluoride SUVs could not discriminate between different severities of bone damage in hTNFtg mice. Repeated in vivo CT images proved a structural reversal of preexisting bone erosions after anti-TNF therapy. Accordingly, histological analysis showed complete resolution of synovial inflammation and healing of bone at sites of former bone erosion. We conclude that in vivo multimodal [18 F]FDG µPET/CT imaging allows to quantify and monitor inflammation-mediated bone damage and reveals not only reversal of synovitis but also bone repair upon TNF blockade in experimental arthritis. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Project description:BackgroundInhibition of proteolytic MMP activity could be a therapeutic approach to prevent ventricular dilatation by diminishing collagen matrix turnover and interstitial fibrosis. We investigated the time-course of MMP/TIMP activity during transition from hypertrophy to ventricular dilatation in transgenic mice with myocyte overexpression of the human beta1-adrenergic receptor (beta1TG). These beta1TG mice were studied at 3 (normal function), 5 (hypertrophy) and 12 (ventricular dilatation) months of age compared to age-matched controls (WT).MethodsPicro Sirius red staining and real-time PCR were performed for total collagen and for collagen type I and III quantification, respectively. MMP-activity assays (zymography), immunoblotting and real-time PCR experiments were done for gelatinase- (MMP-2, -9), collagenase- (MMP-1, -13), membrane-type MMP- (MT1- MMP; MMP-14) and TIMP expression measurements. To investigate beta1-integrin activity, integrin-linked kinase (ILK) expression was measured by immunoblotting.ResultsCompared to WT with normal cardiac function, interstitial collagen type I and III mRNA and protein expression increased 3.6-fold in beta1TG at 5 months of age with moderate fibrosis and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and 17-fold in beta1TG at 12 months of age with severe fibrosis and ventricular dilatation. Protein expression of the collagenases MMP-1 and -13 as well as the gelatinase proMMP-2 increased in the beta1TG group with cardiac hypertrophy. Maximal activity of the gelatinase MMP-2 (3.5-fold vs.WT) was measured in beta1TG at 12 months of age with severe fibrosis and ventricular dilatation, accompanied by coexpression of MT1- MMP (3.8-fold vs.WT) colocalized to the cell membranes.ConclusionThese data provide evidence that sympathetic overactivation can trigger interstitial matrix remodeling and fibrosis by induction of MMP/TIMP activity. In particular gelatinolytic MMP-2 activity accompanies ventricular dilatation and the development of heart failure.

Project description:Computed Tomography (CT) imaging of the lung, reported in Hounsfield Units (HU), can be parameterized as a quantitative image biomarker for the diagnosis and monitoring of lung density changes due to emphysema, a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). CT lung density metrics are global measurements based on lung CT number histograms, and are typically a quantity specifying either the percentage of voxels with CT numbers below a threshold, or a single CT number below which a fixed relative lung volume, nth percentile, falls. To reduce variability in the density metrics specified by CT attenuation, the Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (QIBA) Lung Density Committee has organized efforts to conduct phantom studies in a variety of scanner models to establish a baseline for assessing the variations in patient studies that can be attributed to scanner calibration and measurement uncertainty.Data were obtained from a phantom study on CT scanners from four manufacturers with several protocols at various tube potential voltage (kVp) and exposure settings. Free from biological variation, these phantom studies provide an assessment of the accuracy and precision of the density metrics across platforms solely due to machine calibration and uncertainty of the reference materials. The phantom used in this study has three foam density references in the lung density region, which, after calibration against a suite of Standard Reference Materials (SRM) foams with certified physical density, establishes a HU-electron density relationship for each machine-protocol. We devised a 5-step calibration procedure combined with a simplified physical model that enabled the standardization of the CT numbers reported across a total of 22 scanner-protocol settings to a single energy (chosen at 80 keV). A standard deviation was calculated for overall CT numbers for each density, as well as by scanner and other variables, as a measure of the variability, before and after the standardization. In addition, a linear mixed-effects model was used to assess the heterogeneity across scanners, and the 95% confidence interval of the mean CT number was evaluated before and after the standardization.We show that after applying the standardization procedures to the phantom data, the instrumental reproducibility of the CT density measurement of the reference foams improved by more than 65%, as measured by the standard deviation of the overall mean CT number. Using the lung foam that did not participate in the calibration as a test case, a mixed effects model analysis shows that the 95% confidence intervals are [-862.0 HU, -851.3 HU] before standardization, and [-859.0 HU, -853.7 HU] after standardization to 80 keV. This is in general agreement with the expected CT number value at 80 keV of -855.9 HU with 95% CI of [-857.4 HU, -854.5 HU] based on the calibration and the uncertainty in the SRM certified density.This study provides a quantitative assessment of the variations expected in CT lung density measures attributed to non-biological sources such as scanner calibration and scanner x-ray spectrum and filtration. By removing scanner-protocol dependence from the measured CT numbers, higher accuracy and reproducibility of quantitative CT measures were attainable. The standardization procedures developed in study may be explored for possible application in CT lung density clinical data.

Dataset Information

Longitudinal micro-CT as an outcome measure of interstitial lung disease in TNF-transgenic mice.

Publications

Longitudinal micro-CT as an outcome measure of interstitial lung disease in TNF-transgenic mice.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets