Assessment of Renal Function by Multiparametric MRI

Glomerula Filtration Rate

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions that affect at least three of the following
 five criteria: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high fasting glucose levels, high
 triglyceride levels, and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Chronic
 kidney disease (CKD) is a common complication of metabolic syndrome, with an estimated
 prevalence of 13-40%. Early diagnosis of progressive conditions before the onset of reduced
 glomerular filtration rate (GFR) or albuminuria may be of clinical benefit but is not
 possible at present. Furthermore, the diagnosis and quantification of CKD in the context of
 metabolic syndrome is challenging due to the lack of reliable diagnostic biomarkers, and the
 current methods may not accurately reflect kidney function in patients with metabolic
 syndrome. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been sparsely explored as a potential tool to
 assess renal perfusion, oxygenation, and fibrosis. Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) combines
 several different imaging techniques to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of tissue
 structure and function. These techniques hold promise for non-invasive assessment of kidney
 function, but their clinical utility is still largely experimental. Therefore, we aim to
 conduct an exploratory study to investigate the reliability, reproducibility as well as the
 validity of parameters for kidney function of multiparametric MRI as well as compare these
 parameters in between healthy patients and patients with metabolic syndrome.