Multi-Site Harmonization of Xe-129 MRI of Gas-Exchange & Ventilation: Clinical Study with E-Cigarette Users

Motivation: Study on the effects of e-cigarette use is needed to understand its damaging effects on the pulmonary system. Goal(s): Anticipating a need for multi-center clinical trials in the future this study, performed for the first time, studied the repeatability of Xe-129 gas-exchange MRI of the same subjects at two centers. Approach: Same subjects were imaged at University of Virginia and Duke University to directly assess technique harmonization and repeatability of Xe-129 metrics. Results: Note the statistically insignificant differences for each subject, for ventilation and gas-exchange, with signal-to-noise ratio for ventilation scans being the only statistically significant parameter (p=0.027) to differ between the sites. Impact: Harmonization of Xe-129 MRI gas-exchange and ventilation imaging methodology among the two sites was successfully achieved, opening the way for a large clinical trial with these two institutions.