Accessing 3D arterial spin labeling for evaluating pathological grade and immunohistochemical biomarkers expression in adult gliomas

Motivation: The lack of appropriate non-invasive tools for detecting and grading gliomas continues to pose a severe challenge in clinical practice. Goal(s): To access the efficacy of the 3D arterial spin labeling (3D-ASL) technique in glioma grading and the expression of immunohistochemical biomarkers. Approach: The relationship between tumor grade , immunohistochemical biomarkers, and relative tumor blood flow (rTBF) derived from 3D-ASL was analyzed in 52 glioma patients. Results: Higher-grade gliomas exhibited significantly elevated rTBF values measured by 3D-ASL, in contrast to lower-grade gliomas. The rTBF showed a strong prediction for IDH status and a high positive correlation with Ki-67 index. Impact: The variations in relative tumor blood flow values observed in this study may serve as potential biomarkers of glioma grade, thereby aiding in the selection of appropriate treatment strategies and prognostication for glioma patients.