AUTHOR=Ge Yaping , Du Jian , Cheng Haichao , Wang Wei 

TITLE=Assessment of renal allograft function using amide proton transfer imaging

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1612028

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2025.1612028

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the ability of amide proton transfer (APT) imaging to assess the function of transplanted kidneys.MethodsBetween October 2023 and July 2024, a total of 44 renal allograft recipients were recruited prospectively, who underwent renal APT imaging with a 3.0 T system 2–3 weeks after transplantation. Recipients were divided into two groups according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): group A, eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2; and group B, eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2. The relationships between cortical and medullary APT values and allograft function were assessed using the Spearman's correlation coefficient. The paired sample t-test was used to compare cortical and medullary APT values. APT values in groups A and B were compared using the Student's t-test or Mann–Whitney U-test. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to assess the ability of cortical and medullary APT values to diagnose impaired allograft function.ResultsTwo physicians calculated APT values independently and with good agreement, as indicated by an intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.75. The renal cortical and medullary APT values in group A (2.61% ± 0.51% and 2.11% ± 0.37%, respectively) were significantly higher than those in group B (1.77% ± 0.13% and 1.79% ± 0.29%, respectively) (P < 0.05). APT values in the renal cortex and medulla were negatively correlated with eGFR (r = −0.8551 and r = −0.5163, respectively; P < 0.01). In group A, cortical APT values were higher than medullary APT values (P < 0.05). Cortical and medullary APT values demonstrated a good ability to diagnose impaired renal allograft function. In group A, mean cortical APT values were higher in patients whose renal function did not recover (3.10% ± 0.54%) than in those with stable allograft function 6 months after transplantation (2.50% ± 0.44%) (P < 0.05).ConclusionAPT imaging is a promising technique for non-invasive functional assessment of renal allografts.