Project 2- Correlating microglial activation with blood brain barrier integrity and neurocognitive performance

项目：2摘要/摘要 项目2继续我们对人类SLE脑成像研究的关注，以调查认知功能障碍的机制。 有这种疾病的患者的功能障碍。拟议的研究利用了上一次研究中获得的信息。 供资周期：静息代谢活动持续升高（局部突触活动的代表） 抗DNA受体抗体（DNRAb）滴度与SLE患者海马神经元功能的关系 以及认知测试的表现。在下一个融资周期，我们计划使用多模式PET， MRI成像工具，以确定在这种疾病的认知功能障碍的机制基础。新 来自项目1的实验证据表明，海马神经毒性中的小胶质细胞（MG）活化 对DNRAb的回应因此，我们将使用[11 C]-PBR28 PET来评估SLE患者的这种现象 与健康志愿者相比。为此，将在海马中定量放射性示踪剂摄取 以及其他代谢活跃的SLE相关脑区。采用纵向设计，我们将评估区域 MG激活超过两年的时间，并确定这些变化如何与并发评估 认知功能、DNRAb滴度和静息代谢活性。同样地， 我们将使用定量MRI方法来评估海马和其他脑区的BBB通透性。 SLE相关脑区该指标的变化将同样与同期血清学和 认知评估，以及与潜在疾病过程的其他成像描述符。的 然而，这种方法的广泛适用性可能受到某些成像的侵入性的限制， 方法.为了使这些评估在临床上更容易获得，我们最后将探索使用新的非- 作为替代疾病标记的侵入性成像工具。总之，多模式成像方法在 项目2将为评估SLE-CI的新治疗策略提供客观指标。

Project: 2 Summary/Abstract Project 2 continues our focus on brain imaging studies in human SLE to investigate mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction in patients with this disorder. The proposed study leverages the information gained in the last funding cycle: the presence of consistent elevations in resting metabolic activity (a proxy for local synaptic function) in the hippocampus of SLE patients, which correlated with anti DNA receptor antibody (DNRAb) titers and with performance on cognitive test battery. In the next funding cycle, we plan to use multimodal PET and MRI imaging tools to determine the mechanistic basis for cognitive dysfunction in this disorder. New experimental evidence from Project 1 implicates microglial (MG) activation in the hippocampal neurotoxic response to DNRAb. We will therefore use [11C]-PBR28 PET to assess this phenomenon in SLE patients compared to healthy volunteer subjects. To this end, radiotracer uptake will be quantified in the hippocampus and other metabolically active SLE-related brain regions. Using a longitudinal design, we will evaluate regional MG activation over a two-year period, and determine how these changes relate to concurrent assessments of cognitive functioning, DNRAb titers, and resting metabolic activity measured in the same subjects. Likewise, we will use a quantitative MRI approach to evaluate BBB permeability in the hippocampus and in the other SLE-related brain regions. Changes in this measure will similarly be compared with concurrent serological and cognitive assessments, as well as with the other imaging descriptors of the underlying disease process. The broad applicability of this approach may be limited, however, by the invasiveness of some of the imaging methods. To make these assessments more clinically accessible, we will lastly explore the use of newer non- invasive imaging tools as alternative disease markers. In summary, the multimodal imaging approach in Project 2 will provide objective metrics for the assessment of new treatment strategies for SLE-CI.