CMR Imaging of Autoimmune Diseases
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Multi-parametric Tissue Characterisation of Myocardial Inflammation in Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases using Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging
IRAS ID
258879
Contact name
Tevfik F. Ismail
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRD) are conditions where the body attacks its own organs. The immune system is the body’s defence system. It fights infections and protects against germs, bacteria or viruses. In AIRD, this becomes faulty and the body’s defences mistakenly attack healthy parts of the body. When the heart is involved, heart attacks, heart failure, heart rhythm problems and sudden death can occur. The presence of inflamed heart muscle in AIRD is reported more frequently in post-mortem studies than clinically. We are potentially under-recognising and under-treating this complication.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a painless and safe test that takes pictures of the body. However, current MRI techniques have significant limitations. Firstly, in order to create high-quality pictures, patients are required to hold their breath several times for multiple lengths of time. They often struggle with this due to underlying heart/lung problems. This can adversely affect the overall quality and image interpretation. Secondly, current techniques create 2D images that are potentially underestimating the presence and severity of any tissue inflammation/ injury.
Biomedical engineers, physicists and doctors have developed new MRI techniques to scan the heart in 3D and detect inflammation using a free-breathing approach.
The research will be conducted at Guy's and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust by doctors with a specialised interest in MRI and inflammatory heart muscle disease. We will recruit patients with suspected heart muscle inflammation. Participants will undergo an MRI scan on one visit, where we would run both current and novel techniques. Pictures from old and new methods would be compared anonymously by 2 independent doctors. The accuracy of both sequences will be compared using appropriate statistical methods. We will also look at whether these techniques result in a higher proportion of diagnostic scans as they are potentially applicable to other heart diseases.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/LO/1076
Date of REC Opinion
30 Sep 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion