Brain Iron Deposition In White Matter Hyperintensities:A3T MRI Study

Objective:Iron accumulation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of demyelinating diseases. Therefore, we hypothesized that abnormal high cerebral iron deposition may be involved in the development of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs). We used R2*relaxometry to assess whether iron levels in different brain regions correlate with the severity of WMHs.Methods:52consecutive WMH patients and30healthy controls with3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were reviewed in this study. We measured WMH volume (as a marker of the severity of WMHs) on MRI, and the transverse relaxation rate R2*, as an estimate of iron content in seven brain regions. Results:We found that R2*in globus pallidus was associated with WMH volume after adjusting for sociodemographic variables (partial correlation coefficient=0.521, P＜0.001) and in a multivariate analysis adjusted for common vascular risk factors (partial correlation coefficient=0.572, P=0.033). Regional R2*in globus pallidus were also significantly higher in WMHs than in controls (P=0.042).Conclusion:Iron content in globus pallidus, as assessed by R2*relaxometry, is independently linked to the severity of WMHs in our cohort of patients, suggesting that iron deposition in the brain may play a role in the pathogenesis of WMHs. This may provide prognostic information on patients with WMHs and may have implications for therapeutic interventions in WMHs.