MRI Study Of Brain Morphology And Resting-state Function In Patients With Non-neuropsychiatric Lupus

Objective: In this study,voxel-based morphometry(VBM)approach and low-frequency amplitude(ALFF)and degree centrality(DC)calculated by resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-f MRI)were used to investigate the alterations of brain morphology and function in patients with non-neuropsychiatric systemic lupus(non-NPSLE),with the aim to provide more comprehensive and accurate neuroimaging information for non-NPSLE,and to improve the understanding of non-NPSLE brain injury.Methods: A total of 47 non-NPSLE patients who were outpatients and inpatients in the rheumatology and immunology department of our hospital and47 healthy people matched with gender,age and education level were collected.The acquisitions of high-resolution 3D-T1 WI anatomical and rs-f MRI images were performed on all subjects.Then clinical data of the patients were collected.Gray matter volume(GMV)was calculated using T1 WI structural images,and ALFF and DC were calculated based on functional images of rs-f MRI.Two-sample t test was used to compare the differences of GMV,ALFF and DC between the two groups.Finally,the correlation between MRI variables and clinical data were analyzed for the patient group.Results: 1.Compared with the healthy control group,the non-NPSLE patients exhibited remarkably decreased GMV in the right middle frontal gyrus,right insula and right parhippocampal gyrus.2.Compared to the healthy control group,ALFF of the left superior frontal gyrus,left inferior frontal gyrus,right precuneus,left angular gyrus and right middle frontal gyrus in the non-NPSLE group were reduced.ALFF of the bilateral parhippocampal gyrus and bilateral parhippocampal gyrus were increased.3.Compared with the healthy control group,the non-NPSLE group exhibited increased DC values in the right insula and bilateral hippocampus.4.For the non-NPSLE,ALFF in the left angular gyrus,right middle frontal gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus had positively correlation with C3;And ALFF in left superior frontal gyrus and right middle frontal gyrus were positively correlated with C4.DC value of the right insula was negatively correlated with SLEDAI.Conclusion: This study found abnormal brain regions with morphological structure and function in non-NPSLE patients.Some abnormal brain regions are related to brain cognition and may be the neurobiological basis of SLE-related cognitive decline.This study found that decreased complement and high disease activity were related to brain dysfunction of non-NPSLE,which may be involved in the pathogenesis of brain damage.