Correlations between intravoxel incoherent motion-derived fast diffusion and perfusion fraction parameters and VEGF- and MIB-1-positive rates in brain gliomas: an intraoperative MR-navigated, biopsy-based histopathologic study

Objectives: To explore the correlations between histopathologic findings and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM)-derived perfusion and diffusion parameters in brain gliomas.

Methods: Thirty-two biopsy samples from twenty-one patients with newly diagnosed gliomas from a previous prospective cohort study were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent diffusion-weighted MRI with 22 b values (0-5000 s/mm²), followed by intraoperative MR-guided biopsy surgery and surgical resection. All 32 biopsy samples underwent immunohistochemical staining followed by quantitative analysis of cell density (cellularity), percent of MIB-1 (Ki67)-positive expression (pMIB-1), number of CD34-stained vessels (CD34-MVD), and percent of VEGF-positive expressing cells (pVEGF) using a multispectral phenotyping microscope. Based on the co-registered localized biopsy, correlation analysis was performed between the IVIM-derived biexponential model-based parameters (Dfast1500 and Dfast5000, Dslow1500 and Dslow5000, PF1500 and PF5000) and the above four pathological biomarkers and glioma grades.

Results: Significant positive correlations were revealed between Dfast5000 and pVEGF (rho (r) = 0.466, p = 0.007), and Dfast1500 and pVEGF (r = 0.371, p = 0.037). A significant negative correlation was revealed between PF5000 with pMIB-1 (r = - 0.456, p = 0.01). Moderate to good positive correlations were shown between Dfast5000 and glioma grades (r = 0.509, p = 0.003) and Dfast1500 and glioma grades (r = 0.476, p = 0.006).

Conclusions: IVIM-DWI-derived Dfast and PF correlate, respectively, with intratumor pVEGF and pMIB-1. When using the wide-high b value scheme, IVIM-derived Dfast and PF tend to demonstrate better efficacy in evaluating malignancy-related characteristics such as angiogenesis and cellular proliferation in gliomas.

Key points: • Intravoxel incoherent motion-diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI)-derived fast diffusion (Dfast) and perfusion fraction (PF) can quantitatively reflect intratumor pVEGF and pMIB-1. • IVIM-DWI-derived Dfast and PF tend to demonstrate better efficacy in evaluating glioma malignancy when an optimized scheme is used. • IVIM-DWI-derived Dfast5000 and PF5000 are promising non-invasive parameters correlating with pVEGF and pMIB-1 in gliomas.