Intracranial Malignant Tumor Associated With Disturbed Meningeal Lymphatic Function

Abstract

Background: Meningeal lymphatic vessels (mLVs) have proven to bear a relationship with tumor immunity and therapeutic efficacy of intracranial malignant tumors in pre-clinical animal studies. We aimed to explore the association between mLVs function and intracranial malignant tumor.Methods: The participants were allocated to control group and intracranial tumor group. Dynamic enhanced magnetic resonance was used to evaluate the wash-in and wash-out function of mLVs around superior sagittal sinus (SSS) and sigmoid sinus (SS).Findings: A total of 219 were recruited in our study. The tracer AUC and wash-in rate of mLVs-SSS in the intracranial tumor groups were higher than control group (2749 vs 2110; P < 0.001 and 3.72 vs 2.87; P < 0.001 respectively). The wash-out ratio of mLVs-SSS and mLVs-SS were lower in the intracranial tumor group compared with the control group (0.65 vs 0.73; P < 0.001 and 0.35 vs 0.75; P < 0.001 respectively). Decreased wash-out of mLVs-SSS and mLVs-SS were associated with tumor progression (β = -0.118; P < 0.001 and β = -0.104; P < 0.001 respectively). High grade glioma and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild type were associated with a low mLVs wash-out function  (β = -0.057; P = 0.044 and β = -0.069; P = 0.047 respectively).Conclusions: Intracranial malignant tumors were associated with elevated wash-in function and decreased wash-out function of mLVs. High grade glioma and IDH wild type were associated with low mLVs wash-out function, and long-term decreased mLVs wash-out function was a risk factor for tumor progression.

Note:
Funding Information: The MRI protocol and imaging analysis method were supported by the Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare Group, Shanghai, China.

Declaration of Interests: The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Ethics Approval Statement: This is a case-control study authorized by the Medical Ethics Committee of Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology (No. 2019-S105, TJ-IRB20220456). All participants signed informed consent before enrollment.

Keywords: Intracranial Malignant Tumors, Meningeal Lymphatic Vessels, Magnetic Resonance Imaging