@article {Weatherley500, author = {Nicholas D Weatherley and Neil J Stewart and Ho-Fung Chan and Matthew Austin and Laurie J Smith and Guilhem Collier and Madhwesha Rao and Helen Marshall and Graham Norquay and Stephen A Renshaw and Stephen Mark Bianchi and Jim M Wild}, title = {Hyperpolarised xenon magnetic resonance spectroscopy for the longitudinal assessment of changes in gas diffusion in IPF}, volume = {74}, number = {5}, pages = {500--502}, year = {2019}, doi = {10.1136/thoraxjnl-2018-211851}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group Ltd}, abstract = {Prognosticating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is challenging, in part due to a lack of sensitive biomarkers. A recent article in Thorax described how hyperpolarised xenon magnetic resonance spectroscopy may quantify regional gas exchange in IPF lungs. In a population of patients with IPF, we find that the xenon signal from red blood cells diminishes relative to the tissue/plasma signal over a 12-month time period, even when the diffusion factor for carbon monoxide is static over the same time period. We conclude that hyperpolarised 129Xe MR spectroscopy may be sensitive to short-term changes in interstitial gas diffusion in IPF.}, issn = {0040-6376}, URL = {https://thorax.bmj.com/content/74/5/500}, eprint = {https://thorax.bmj.com/content/74/5/500.full.pdf}, journal = {Thorax} }