Omkar B. Ijare1, Tedros Bezabeh1,
Nils Albiin2, Annika Bergquist2, Urban Arnelo2,
Matthias Lohr2, Ian C. P. Smith1
1National Research Council
Institute for Biodiagnostics, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; 2Karolinska
University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
Phosphatidylcholine is an important component of bile protecting bile ducts from harmful effects of bile acids. In some cholestatic patients, the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine has been observed. Since phosphatidylcholine and its hydrolysis products glycerophosphocholine (GPC), and phosphocholine have similar chemical shift values for their -N+(CH3)3 signals, it will be difficult to detect the biochemical changes occurring in the course of the disease using 1H MRS. Although 2D 1H-1H COSY experiments are of help in this regard, they require longer experimental time. Hence, the potential of 31P MRS as an alternative approach is assessed in this study.