# Comprehensive Magnetic Resonance in PAD

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 2020 · $735,914

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is characterized by lower limb arterial obstruction due to
atherosclerosis. There are 8.5 million people with PAD in the U.S over the age of 40. Over the past 14
years, our multi-disciplinary team of investigators has developed several novel magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) endpoints for clinical trials for PAD patients with intermittent claudication (IC). Creatine
chemical exchange saturation transfer (CrCEST) is a novel non-spectroscopic imaging method that
allows measurement of creatine kinetics in a spatially localized manner at 3T that could increase the
applicability of the measure and allow spatial matching to muscle perfusion. We hypothesize that
CrCEST kinetics will distinguish PAD and normals in a highly reproducible manner and will correlate
with PCr kinetics. Thus, Specific Aim 1 is to demonstrate that CrCEST kinetics distinguishes PAD
patients from age-matched normal subjects and reproducibly measures calf muscle energetics with
exercise. We will study 23 patients with PAD compared to 23 normal controls. We will also study
reproducibility and examine correlation with PCr kinetics. Critical limb ischemia (CLI) presents as rest
pain, ischemic ulceration, or gangrene due to the inability of resting blood flow to meet tissue metabolic
demands. We plan to study CLI patients to both improve understanding of its pathophysiology and
expand the reach of these novel methods beyond their application to IC. In recent years, endovascular
revascularization has increased while surgery has declined and outcomes have improved. We
hypothesize that catheter-based revascularization improves perfusion and energetics to a greater
extent and sooner than surgical intervention. Therefore, Specific Aim 2 is to compare the effects of
catheter-based and surgical revascularization on the time course of change in calf muscle perfusion
and energetics in PAD. 120 patients (30 patients in each of 4 groups (IC with catheter-based or surgical
revascularization, CLI with catheter-based or surgical revascularization) will be studied. Prognosis of
CLI is significantly worse than IC with a combined mortality and amputation rate of 25-33% at 1 year.
We hypothesize that lower calf muscle perfusion and worse energetics leads to worse outcome in CLI.
Thus, Specific Aim 3 is to correlate muscle group specific perfusion and energetics with amputation-
free survival in non-revascularized CLI. 65 patients with CLI that do not subsequently undergo
revascularization will be studied and cuff/occlusion hyperemia measures of tissue perfusion with ASL
before and 8-12 weeks after revascularization. Amputation-free survival will be tracked over 1-3 years.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9839408
- **Project number:** 5R01HL075792-14
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **Principal Investigator:** CHRISTOPHER M. KRAMER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $735,914
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2003-09-22 → 2021-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9839408

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9839408, Comprehensive Magnetic Resonance in PAD (5R01HL075792-14). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9839408. Licensed CC0.

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