Rest and stress MRI imaging in pulmonary hypertension
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessment of right ventricular functional reserve in pulmonary hypertension: correlation of native T1 mapping with right ventricular rest and stress imaging
IRAS ID
281359
Contact name
Deepa Gopalan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive multifaceted and multi-etiology disease characterised by abnormal elevation in pulmonary circulation pressures and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
In patients with PH from any underlying cause, the increased right ventricular (RV) afterload may eventually lead to RV fibrosis. As RV fibrosis progresses, overt functional impairment becomes apparent which can be assessed by various imaging modalities including MRI.
Amongst its numerous strengths, MRI has the unique ability to characterise body tissue composition and native T1 time is one of such parameters. RV fibrosis, even in early stage, may be associated with increment of native T1 times.
In PH patients with early RV fibrosis, resting RV functional parameters are typically normal but stress dysfunction/loss of contractile reserve may be demonstrated during exercise.
This study aims to assess RV native T1 times in PH patients and then correlating increments of T1 time with reduction in peak stress RV stroke volume change.
Identification of early RV fibrosis with impaired functional reserve (defined by normal rest but abnormal stress parameters) by means of native T1 times (an easily obtainable/non-invasive metric) may allow clinicians to intervene and potentially change patient outcome before development of extensive irreversible RV fibrosis/dysfunction.
The recruitment period will run prospectively for 12 months and all patients attending for care at the Hammersmith Hospital PH service may be eligible.
Participants will not be subjected to any invasive investigations or therapeutics outside of their standard clinically indicated care. Data required for the study is collected alongside standard care. The only additional study intervention outside of standard care is performance of aerobic exercise using a lower limb ergometer during MRI scanning.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/SC/0239
Date of REC Opinion
19 Jul 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion