THE MEASUREMENT OF R-2, R-2-ASTERISK AND R-2' IN HIV-INFECTED PATIENTS USING THE PRIME SEQUENCE AS A MEASURE OF BRAIN IRON DEPOSITION

Brain iron deposition was assessed at 1.5 T in the caudate nucleus, gl obus pallidus and frontal and parietooccipital white matter in 28 huma n immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients and 15 control subjec ts with a new Partially Refocussed Interleaved Multi-Echo sequence by measuring 1/T-2, 1/T-2 and 1/T2' (i.e., R-2, R-2* and R-2'). There we re significant differences in the R-2 and R-2 of the caudate nucleus (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.05) and the R-2, R-2 and R-2' of the globus pal lidus (p < 0.001, p < 0.005 and p < 0.05) in HIV-infected patients com pared to control subjects. There was a trend for higher values of R-2, R-2 and R-2' in the globus pallidus and caudate nucleus in HIV-infec ted patients with later stage HIV disease. These results suggest that there is greater iron deposition in the basal ganglia of HIV-infected patients compared with control subjects, with a predilection for the g lobus pallidus. The relationship between iron deposition in the brain and various parameters of severity of HIV infection remains uncertain. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.