Pituitary T1 signal intensity at magnetic resonance imaging is reduced in patients with obesity: results from the CHIASM study
An erratum to this article was published (Int J Obes (Lond), Oct 2023 ↗)
Authors' conclusion
The CHIASM study describes a quantitative reduction in pituitary intensity in T1-weighted sequences in patients with obesity. These alterations could be explained by changes in the pituitary stromal tissue, correlated with low-grade inflammation.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m²) and subjects without obesity, Italian endocrine referral centre; 33 obese patients re-evaluated after 3 years of diet and lifestyle changes
- Participants
- 69 vs 25
- Exposure
- Patients with obesity vs subjects without obesity; weight loss vs stable-increased weight at 3 years
- Obesen = 69
- Non-obesen = 25reference
- Outcome
- Pituitary volume and signal intensity at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Methodological detailssingle-centre, endocrine referral centre, Pituitary signal intensity quantified by pixel density using ImageJ software
- Single-centre
- Endocrine referral centre
- Pituitary signal intensity quantified by pixel density using ImageJ software
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
baseline
- Between Obese and Non-obese: no difference in pituitary volume
- Between Obese and Non-obese: P = 0.006
- Between Obese and Non-obese: P = 0.002
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Change in pituitary volume and T1 signal intensity in obese patients by weight change · 3-year follow-up
- Re-evaluated: >5% weight loss
- 17 (51.5%)
- Re-evaluated: maintained or gained weight
- 16 (48.5%)
- Pituitary volume significantly reduced only with stable-increased body weight
- P = 0.011
- Significant decrease in T1 plain signal intensity in those who had not lost weight
- P = 0.012
- Significant decrease in T1 contrast-enhanced signal intensity in those who had not lost weight
- P = 0.017
Correlations with pituitary volume and intensity
- IGF-1 (BMI-corrected) correlated with pituitary volume
- P = 0.001
- IGF-1 (BMI-corrected) correlated with pituitary intensity
- P = 0.049
- Morning cortisol correlated with pituitary intensity
- P = 0.007
- T1 pituitary intensity negatively correlated with truncal fat
- P = 0.006
- T1 pituitary intensity negatively correlated with fibrinogen
- P = 0.018
Original publication
Pituitary T1 signal intensity at magnetic resonance imaging is reduced in patients with obesity: results from the CHIASM study. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 21 July 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →