Frontiers in Oncology (Feb 2016)

Glycerophosphocholine and glycerophosphoethanolamine are not the main sources of the <i>in vivo</i> <sup>31</sup>P MRS phosphodiester signals from healthy fibroglandular breast tissue at 7 tesla.

  • Wybe JM van der Kemp,
  • Bertine L Stehouwer,
  • Jurgen H Runge,
  • Jannie P Wijnen,
  • Aart J Nederveen,
  • Peter R Luijten,
  • Dennis WJ Klomp

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2016.00029
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6

Abstract

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Purpose: The identification of the phosphodiester 31P MR signals in the healthy human breast at ultra-high field.Methods:In vivo 31P MRS measurements at 7 tesla of the phosphodiester signals in the breast were performed investigating the chemical shifts, the transverse- and the longitudinal relaxation times. Chemical shifts and transverse relaxation times were compared with non-ambiguous phosphodiester signals from the liver.Results: The chemical shifts of the phosphodiester signals are shifted -0.5 ppm with respect to glycerophosphocholine and -ethanolamine, and the transverse and longitudinal relaxation times for these signals are a factor 3 to 4 shorter than expected for aqueous glycerophosphocholine and -ethanolamine.Conclusions: The available experimental evidence suggests that glycerophosphocholine and –ethanolamine are not the main source of the phosphodiester signals measured in fibroglandular breast tissue at 7 tesla. These signals may predominantly originate from mobile phospholipids.

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