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Aortic inflammation, as assessed by hybrid FDG-PET/CT imaging, is associated with enhanced aortic stiffness in addition to concurrent calcification

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European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To analyse the relationship between: (i) aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), an index of aortic stiffness with strong prognostic significance, and (ii) aortic calcification and inflammation, which were quantified by hybrid imaging with X-ray computed tomography (CT) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET).

Methods

Central aortic (carotid-femoral) and peripheral (carotid-brachial and femoral-tibial) PWV were recorded in 26 patients, who had been routinely referred for dual FDG-PET/CT imaging.

Results

In univariate analyses, central aortic PWV was strongly linked to the volume of calcifications (VCa) and an enhanced FDG activity, when determined by averaging standardized uptake values (SUVmax). By multivariate stepwise analysis including age and gender, both VCa (p < 0.0001) and SUVmax (p < 0.01) were significant determinants of PWV explaining 61% and 11% of its variability.

Conclusion

Aortic inflammation, assessed by hybrid FDG-PET/CT imaging, is associated with an enhanced aortic stiffness, in addition to the concurrent impact of calcifications.

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Acknowledgments

This study was performed with the technical support of the Clinical Investigation Center (CIC-INSERM) of the University Hospital of Nancy. The authors thank ARISC (Association de Recherche et Information Scientifique en Cardiologie, CHU Nancy) for financial support, Sylvain Poussier and Henri Boutley for their help in the quantitative analysis of the PET images, and Dr Pierre Pothier for language corrections, critical review and stimulating discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geriatric Medicine, CHU-Nancy, Nancy, F-54000, France

    Laure Joly & Athanase Benetos

  2. Nancy-University, Nancy, F-54000, France

    Laure Joly, Damien Mandry, Pierre-Yves Marie & Athanase Benetos

  3. INSERM, U 684, Nancy, F-54000, France

    Laure Joly, Pierre-Yves Marie & Athanase Benetos

  4. INSERM, ERI 13, Nancy, F-54000, France

    Wassila Djaballah & Damien Mandry

  5. Department of Nuclear Medicine, CHU-Nancy, Nancy, F-54000, France

    Wassila Djaballah, Gregory Koehl & Pierre-Yves Marie

  6. Department of Radiology, CHU-Nancy, Nancy, F-54000, France

    Damien Mandry

  7. Head and Neck Surgery Unit, Oncologic Surgery Department, Centre Alexis Vautrin, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, F-54500, France

    Gilles Dolivet

  8. Centre de Gériatrie et Médecine Interne, CHU de Nancy, rue du Morvan, 54511, Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France

    Athanase Benetos

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  1. Laure Joly
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  2. Wassila Djaballah
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  3. Gregory Koehl
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  7. Athanase Benetos
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Correspondence to Athanase Benetos.

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Joly, L., Djaballah, W., Koehl, G. et al. Aortic inflammation, as assessed by hybrid FDG-PET/CT imaging, is associated with enhanced aortic stiffness in addition to concurrent calcification. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 36, 979–985 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-008-1047-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-008-1047-z

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