In vitro proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 14T for benign and malignant ovary: Part I, signal processing by the nonparametric fast Padé transform

The present study deals with two different kinds of time signals, encoded by in vitro proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) with a high external static magnetic field, 14.1T (Bruker 600 MHz spectrometer). These time signals originate from the specific biofluid samples taken from two patients, one with benign and the other with malignant ovarian cysts. The latter two diagnoses have been made by histopathologic analyses of the samples. Histopathology is the diagnostic gold standard in medicine. The obtained results from signal processing by the nonparametric derivative fast Padé transform (dFPT) show that a number of resonances assignable to known metabolites are considerably more intense in the malignant than in the benign specimens. Such conclusions from the dFPT include the recognized cancer biomarkers, lactic acid and choline-containing compounds. For example, the peak height ratio for the malignant-to-benign samples is about 18 for lactate, Lac. This applies equally to doublet Lac(d) and quartet Lac(q) resonating near 1.41 and 4.36 ppm (parts per million), respectively. For the choline-containing conglomerate (3.19-3.23 ppm), the dFPT with already low-derivative orders (2nd, 3rd) succeeds in clearly separating the three singlet component resonances, free choline Cho(s), phosphocholine PC(s) and glycerophosphocholine GPC(s). These constituents of total choline, tCho, are of critical diagnostic relevance because the increased levels, particularly of PC(s) and GPC(s), are an indicator of a malignant transformation. It is gratifying that signal processing by the dFPT, as a shape estimator, coheres with the mentioned histopathology findings of the two samples. A very large number of resonances is identifiable and quantifiable by the nonparametric dFPT, including those associated with the diagnostically most important low molecular weight metabolites. This is expediently feasible by the automated sequential visualization and quantification that separate and isolate sharp resonances first and subsequently tackle broad macromolecular lineshape profiles. Such a stepwise workflow is not based on subtracting nor annulling any part of the spectrum, in sharp contrast to controversial customary practice in the MRS literature. Rather, sequential estimation exploits the chief derivative feature, which is a faster peak height increase of the thin than of the wide resonances. This is how the dFPT simultaneously improves resolution (linewidth narrowing) and reduces noise (background flattening). Such a twofold achievement makes the dFPT-based proton MRS a high throughput strategy in tumor diagnostics as hundreds of metabolites can be visualized/quantified to offer the opportunity for a possible expansion of the existing list of a handful of cancer biomarkers.

High-resolution at 3T for in vivo derivative NMR spectroscopy in medical diagnostics of ovarian tumor: exact quantification by shape estimations

Time signals are measured experimentally throughout sciences, technologies and industries. Of particular interest here is the focus on time signals encoded by means of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The great majority of generic time signals are equivalent to auto-correlation functions from quantum physics. Therefore, a quantum-mechanical theory of measurements of encoded MRS time signals is achievable by performing quantum-mechanical spectral analysis. When time signals are measured, such an analysis becomes an inverse problem (harmonic inversion) with the task of reconstruction of the fundamental frequencies and the corresponding amplitudes. These complex-valued nodal parameters are the building blocks of the associated resonances in the frequency spectrum. Customarily, the MRS literature reports on fitting some ad hoc mathematical expressions to a set of resonances in a Fourier spectrum to extract their positions, widths and heights. Instead, an alternative would be to diagonalize the so-called data matrix with the signal points as its elements and to extract the resonance parameters without varying any adjusting, free constants as these would be absent altogether. Such a data matrix (the Hankel matrix) is from the category of the evolution matrix in the Schrödinger picture of quantum mechanics. Therefore, the spectrum of this matrix, i.e. the eigenvalues and the corresponding amplitudes, as the Cauchy residues (that are the squared projections of the full wave functions of the system onto the initial state) are equivalent to the sought resonance parameters, just mentioned. The lineshape profile of the frequency-dependent quantum-mechanical spectral envelope is given by the Heaviside partial fraction sum. Each term (i.e. every partial fraction) in this summation represents a component lineshape to be assigned to a given molecule (metabolite) in the tissue scanned by MRS. This is far reaching, since such a procedure allows reconstruction of the most basic quantum-mechanical entities, e.g. the total wave function of the investigated system and its ’Hamiltonian’ (a generator of the dynamics), directly from the encoded time signals. Since quantum mechanics operates with abstract objects, it can be applied to any system including living species. For example, time signals measured from the brain of a human being can be analyzed along these lines, as has actually been done e.g. by own our research. In this way, one can arrive at a quantum-mechanical description of the dynamics of vital organs of the patient by retrieving the interactions as the most important parts of various pathways of the tissue functions and metabolism. Of practical importance is that the outlined quantum-mechanical prediction of the frequency spectrum coincides with the Padé approximant, which is in signal processing alternatively called the fast Padé transform (FPT) for nonderivative estimations. Further, there is a novelty called the derivative fast Padé transform (dFPT). The FPT and dFPT passed the test of time with three fundamentally different time signals, synthesized (noise-free, noise-contaminated) as well as encoded from phantoms and from patients. Such systematics are necessary as they permit robust and reliable benchmarkings of the theory in a manner which can build confidence of the physician, while interpreting the patient’s data and making the appropriate diagnosis. In the present study, we pursue further this road paved earlier by applying the FPT and dFPT (both as shape and parameter estimators) to time signals encoded by in vivo proton MRS from an ovarian tumor. A clinical 3T scanner is used for encoding at a short echo time (30 ms) at which most resonances have not reached yet their decay mode and, as such, could be detected to assist with diagnostics. We have two goals, mathematical and clinical. First, we want to find out whether particularly the nonparametric dFPT, as a shape estimator, can accurately quantify. Secondly, we want to determine whether this processor can provide reliable information for evaluating an ovarian tumor. From the obtained results, it follows that both goals have met with success. The nonparametric dFPT, from its onset as a shape estimator, transformed itself into a parameter estimator. Its quantification capabilities are confirmed by reproducing the components reconstructed by the parametric dFPT. Thereby, fully quantified information is provided to such a precise extent that a large number of sharp resonances (more than 160) appear as being well isolated and, thus, assignable to the known metabolites with no ambiguities. Importantly, some of these metabolites are recognized cancer biomarkers (e.g. choline, phosphocholine, lactate). Also, broader resonances assigned to macromolecules are quantifiable by a sequential estimation (after subtracting the formerly quantified sharp resonances and processing the residual spectrum by the nonparametric dFPT). This is essential too as the presence of macromolecules in nonoderivative envelopes deceptively exaggerates the intensities of sharper resonances and, hence, can be misleading for diagnostics. The dFPT, as the quantification-equipped shape estimator, rules out such possibilities as wider resonances can be separately quantified. This, in turn, helps make adequate assessment of the true yield from sharp resonances assigned to metabolites of recognized diagnostic relevance.

Derivative NMR Spectroscopy for J-Coupled Multiplet Resonances using Short Time Signals (0.5KB) Encoded at Low Magnetic Field Strengths (1.5T). Part II: Water Unsuppressed

The topic of this work is on reliable resolving of J-coupled resonances in spectral envelopes from proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. These resonances appear as multiplets that none of the conventional nonderivative shape estimators can disentangle. However, the recently formulated nonconventional shape estimator, the derivative fast Padé transform (dFPT), has a chance to meet this challenge. In the preceding article with a polyethylene phantom, using the time signals encoded with water suppressed, the nonparametric dFPT was shown to be able to split apart the compound resonances that contain the known J-coupled multiplets. In the present work, we address the same proton NMR theme, but with sharply different initial conditions from encodings. The goal within the nonparametric dFPT is again to accurately resolve the J-coupled resonances with the same polyethylene phantom, but using raw time signals encoded without water suppression. The parallel work on the same problem employing two startlingly unequal time signals, encoded with and without water suppression in the preceding and the current articles, respectively, can offer an answer to a question of utmost practical significance. How much does water suppression during encoding time signals actually perturb the resonances near and farther away from the dominant water peak? This is why it is important to apply the same dFPT estimator to the time signals encoded without water suppression to complement the findings with water suppression. A notable practical side of this inquiry is in challenging the common wisdom, which invariably takes for granted that it is absolutely necessary to subtract water from the encoded time signals in order to extract meaningful information by way of NMR spectroscopy.

Derivative NMR spectroscopy for J-coupled multiplet resonances using short time signals (0.5 KB) encoded at low magnetic field strengths (1.5T). Part I: water suppressed

The theme of this study is within the realm of basic nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. It relies upon the mathematics of signal processing for NMR in analytical chemistry and medical diagnostics. Our objective is to use the fast Padé transform (both derivative and nonderivative as well as parametric and nonparametric) to address the problem of multiplets from J-coupling appearing in total shape spectra as completely unresolved resonances. The challenge is exacerbated especially for short time signals (0.5 KB, no zero filling), encoded at a standard clinical scanner with the lowest magnetic field strengths (1.5T), as is the case in the present investigation. Water has partially been suppressed in the course of encoding. Nevertheless, the residual water content is still more than four times larger than the largest among the other resonances. This challenge is further sharpened by the following question: Can the J-coupled multiplets be resolved by an exclusive reliance upon shape estimation alone (nonparametric signal processing)? In this work, the mentioned parametric signal processing is employed only as a gold standard aimed at cross-validating the reconstructions from nonparametric estimations. A paradigm shift, the derivative NMR spectroscopy, is at play here through unprecedentedly parametrizing total shape spectra (i.e. solving the quantification problem) by sole shape estimators without fitting any envelope.

Feasibility study for applying the lower-order derivative fast Padé transform to measured time signals

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), as a powerful and versatile diagnostic modality in physics, chemistry, medicine and other basic and applied sciences, depends critically upon reliable signal processing. It provides time signals by encoding, but cannot quantify on its own. Mathematical methods do so. The signal processor of choice for MRS is the fast Padé transform (FPT). The spectrum in the FPT is the unique polynomial quotient for the given Maclaurin expansion. The parametric FPT (parameter estimator) performs quantification of time signals encoded with MRS by explicitly solving the spectral analysis problem. Thus far, the non-parametric FPT (shape estimator) could not quantify. However, the non-parametric derivative fast Padé transform (dFPT) can quantify despite performing shape estimation alone. The dFPT was successfully benchmarked on synthesized MRS time signals for derivative orders ranging from 1 to 50. It simultaneously improved resolution (by splitting apart tightly overlapped peaks) and enhanced signal-to-noise ratio (by suppressing the background baseline). The same advantageous features of improving both resolution and signal-to-noise ratio are presently found to be upheld with encoded MRS time signals. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the dFPT hugely outperforms the derivative fast Fourier transform even for derivatives of orders as low as four. The clinical implications are discussed.