Purpose To minimize the known biases introduced by fat in rapid T-1 and T-2 quantification in muscle using a single-run magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) water-fat separation sequence.... Show morePurpose To minimize the known biases introduced by fat in rapid T-1 and T-2 quantification in muscle using a single-run magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) water-fat separation sequence. Methods The single-run MRF acquisition uses an alternating in-phase/out-of-phase TE pattern to achieve water-fat separation based on a 2-point DIXON method. Conjugate phase reconstruction and fat deblurring were applied to correct for B-0 inhomogeneities and chemical shift blurring. Water and fat signals were matched to the on-resonance MRF dictionary. The method was first tested in a multicompartment phantom. To test whether the approach is capable of measuring small in vivo dynamic changes in relaxation times, experiments were run in 9 healthy volunteers; parameter values were compared with and without water-fat separation during muscle recovery after plantar flexion exercise. Results Phantom results show the robustness of the water-fat resolving MRF approach to undersampling. Parameter maps in volunteers show a significant (P < .01) increase in T-1 (105 +/- 94 ms) and decrease in T-2 (14 +/- 6 ms) when using water-fat-separated MRF, suggesting improved parameter quantification by reducing the well-known biases introduced by fat. Exercise results showed smooth T-1 and T-2 recovery curves. Conclusion Water-fat separation using conjugate phase reconstruction is possible within a single-run MRF scan. This technique can be used to rapidly map relaxation times in studies requiring dynamic scanning, in which the presence of fat is problematic. Show less
Grunewald, M.; Hellmuth, C.; Kirchberg, F.F.; Mearin, M.L.; Auricchio, R.; Castillejo, G.; ... ; Demmelmair, H. 2019
Human milk composition is variable. The identification of influencing factors and interdependencies of components may help to understand the physiology of lactation. In this study, we analyzed... Show moreHuman milk composition is variable. The identification of influencing factors and interdependencies of components may help to understand the physiology of lactation. In this study, we analyzed linear trends in human milk composition over time, the variation across different European countries and the influence of maternal celiac disease. Within a multicenter European study exploring potential prevention of celiac disease in a high-risk population (PreventCD), 569 human milk samples were donated by women from five European countries between 16 and 163 days postpartum. Some 202 mothers provided two samples at different time points. Protein, carbohydrates, fat and fatty acids, insulin, adiponectin, and insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) were analyzed. Milk protein and n-6 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased during the first three months of lactation. Fatty acid composition was significantly influenced by the country of residence. IGF-II and adiponectin concentrations correlated with protein content (r = 0.24 and r = 0.35), and IGF-II also correlated with fat content (r = 0.36), suggesting a possible regulatory role of IGF in milk macronutrient synthesis. Regarding the impact of celiac disease, only the level in palmitic acid was influenced by this disease, suggesting that breastfeeding by celiac disease mothers should not be discouraged. Show less
