Functional MRI to monitor disease progression in patients with rare kidney disease

This study investigates the correlation between MRI and histologic and clinical findings in 7 patients with C3 glomerulopathy and immune complex–associated membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, rare diseases denoted by poor prognosis and no specific therapies. Patients underwent repeated kidney MRI, biopsy, and laboratory testing. Kidney diffusivity and perfusion were assessed by diffusion-weighted and phase-contrast MRI. Laboratory and MRI parameters changed very differently from case to case over 1 year. Perfusion biomarkers significantly correlated with histological and clinical findings. Both perfusion and diffusion biomarkers correlated with the clinical evolution of the disease. Current findings highlight MRI potential to monitor kidney disease progression.