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Abstract #1688

MR Imaging of Ankle Joints in Mouse Models of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Emily Alexandria Waters1, Shawn Rose2, Thomas Meade1, 3, Harris Perlman2

1Center for Advanced Molecular Imaging, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States; 2Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States; 3Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States

Studies of inflammatory arthritis in mice rely upon anatomically crude measures of ankle joint disease and require sacrificing large numbers of animals to obtain tissue sections. There is critical need in experimental rheumatology for noninvasive longitudinal monitoring of the progression of inflammatory arthritis in individual animals. We used high-resolution MRI to serially image soft tissue inflammation and bone destruction in ankles of acute and chronic murine models of arthritis. MRI data was validated against clinical and optical assessments. These studies lay the groundwork for using MRI to investigate joint pathology and response to therapy in animal models of rheumatic disease.

Keywords

activity acute animal animals ankle arrows arthritis articular audience bone bony bottom capability channel characterization chemiluminescence chemiluminescent chronic clinical coil concordance consistent control controls corroborate currently days deformation destruction detailed develop development differentiation disability disease drug edema enable enabling enlargement erosion establish evaluate examine exhibited experimental findings flash goal gradient gradually heretofore highly include induced induction inflammation inflammatory injected injecting insight intra introduces joints limitation living long major manually maps measured medicine metrics mice middle mirrored model models molecular mortality mouse near node northwestern note novel optical overlaid pattern paws photo plot previously progressed progression project pursuing quantified radiance rating receive reduction report representative represents requires resolution rheumatoid rising rose sacrificing school scores scoring sections segmented serially serious serum served severe severity significantly sites slices soft spectrum springer structural structures studies subjective summing surface swelling swollen talus target therapies thresholded tissue tool transmit unreliable variety visibly volume waters week weeks worldwide