Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy reflects cellular proliferative activity in astrocytomas

  • DIAGNOSTIC NEURORADIOLOGY
  • Published:
Neuroradiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We examined whether proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) could provide accurate information on histological grade and cell proliferation in astrocytomas. We studied 23 patients with astrocytomas: five grade II, 10 grade III and eight with grade IV (glioblastoma multiforme). We performed proton MRS and determined the Ki-67 labeling index (LI), a tumour proliferation marker, in the same areas of the astrocytomas, and examined the statistical relationship between proton MRS and Ki-67 LI. The N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine-phosphocreatine (Cr) and NAA/choline (Cho)-containing compound ratios were always significantly lower and the Cho/Cr ratios significantly higher than those for normal brain. The Cho/Cr ratio correlated positively and the NAA/Cho ratio inversely with Ki-67 LI. These findings suggest that the Cho signal in proton MRS reflects cellular proliferation. In Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, there was no significant difference between high (> 2.0, 14 cases) and low (< 2.0, 9 cases) Cho/cr ratio groups.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Received: 24 December 1998/Accepted: 11 August 1999

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tamiya, T., Kinoshita, K., Ono, Y. et al. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy reflects cellular proliferative activity in astrocytomas. Neuroradiology 42, 333–338 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002340050894

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002340050894

Navigation