Evaluation of Renal Perfusion and Oxygenation Characteristics in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: Preliminary Findings

Motivation: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Goal(s): To evaluate quantitative MRI in SCD patients and compare against healthy volunteers (HV) and CKD patients without SCD. Approach: SCD (n=6), CKD (n=7), and HV (n=6) imaged with ASL (perfusion) and BOLD (oxygenation). Results: In SCD, (i) perfusion was statistically lower than CKD (P=0.01) but not different from HV (P=0.07); (ii) T2* (and R2*) in cortex were significantly lower (and higher) than HV and CKD (P<0.001); and (iii) T2* (and R2*) in medulla were substantially lower (and higher) compared to CKD (P<0.001). Impact: Noninvasive, non-contrast ASL measured perfusion and BOLD measured T2* and R2* provide early functional characterization of kidneys that could facilitate longitudinal monitoring and therapeutic interventions in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).