Arterial spin labeling MRI is able to detect early hemodynamic changes in diabetic nephropathy.

Purpose: To investigate whether arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI could detect renal hemodynamic impairment in diabetes mellitus (DM) along different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Materials and Methods: Three Tesla (3T) ASL-MRI was performed to evaluate renal blood flow (RBF) in 91 subjects (46 healthy volunteers and 45 type 2 diabetic patients). Patients were classified according to their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as group I (eGFR > 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2)), group II (60 >= eGFR > 30 mL/min/1.73 m(2)), or group III (eGFR <= 30 mL/min/1.73 m(2)), to determine differences depending on renal function. Studies were performed at 3T using a 12-channel flexible body array combined with the spine array coil as receiver. Results: A 28% reduction in cortical RBF was seen in diabetics in comparison with healthy controls (185.79 [54.60] versus 258.83 [37.96] mL/min/100 g, P < 3 x 10(-6)). Differences were also seen between controls and diabetic patients despite normal eGFR and absence of overt albuminuria (RBF [mL/min/100 g ]: controls=258.83 [37.96], group I=208.89 [58.83], P = 0.0018; eGFR [mL/ min/1.73 m(2)]: controls=95.50 [12.60], group I=82.00 [20.76], P > 0.05; albumin-creatinine ratio [mg/g]: controls=3.50 [4.45], group I=17.50 [21.20], P > 0.05). A marked decrease in RBF was noted a long with progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN) through the five stages of CKD (chi(2) = 43.58; P = 1.85 x 10(-9)). Strong correlation (r = 0.62; P = 4 x 10(-10)) was obtained between RBF and GFR estimated by cystatin C. Conclusion: ASL-MRI is able to quantify early renal perfusion impairment in DM, as well as changes according to different CKD stages of DN. In addition, we demonstrated a correlation of RBF quantified by ASL and GFR estimated by cystatin C.