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Feasibility and kinetic characteristics of 68Ga-NOTA-RGD PET for in vivo atherosclerosis imaging

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Abstract

Objective

In this study, the feasibility and kinetic characteristics of the 68Ga-NOTA-RGD, a recently developed RGD peptide agent, were investigated for atherosclerosis imaging in comparison with 18FDG.

Methods

ApoE−/− mice were fed a high-fat diet for more than 20 weeks. To evaluate the feasibility, tissue uptakes of 68Ga-NOTA-RGD and 18FDG in the major organs were measured and compared between ApoE−/− and control mice. Animal PET imaging was also performed and relative uptake values in the thoracic aorta were compared between ApoE−/− and control mice. In humans, the kinetic characteristics and feasibility of 68Ga-NOTA-RGD PET were assessed in 4 patients with known coronary artery disease.

Results

In the tissue uptake study, the thoracic aorta showed higher uptake in ApoE−/− than in control mice with both 68Ga-NOTA-RGD and 18FDG (P < 0.001). On PET scans, the relative uptake values of the thoracic aorta were significantly higher in ApoE−/− with both 68Ga-NOTA-RGD (P = 0.024) and 18FDG (P = 0.038). In human PET, the appropriateness of reversible binding model and Logan plotting was clearly demonstrated. The aorta-to-jugular ratios were measured up to 1.25 and showed a tendency to correlate with the serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level (r = 0.899, P = 0.102).

Conclusions

68Ga-NOTA-RGD has potential as an in vivo atherosclerosis imaging agent. However, the lower imaging contrast and sensitivity of 68Ga-NOTA-RGD PET compared with 18FDG PET may be a limitation for clinical application.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant of the Korea Healthcare Technology R&D Project, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (A090633).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea

    Jin Chul Paeng, Yun-Sang Lee, Jae Sung Lee, Jae Min Jeong, June-Key Chung & Dong Soo Lee

  2. Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Ki-Bong Kim

  3. Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

    Dong Soo Lee

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  1. Jin Chul Paeng
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  2. Yun-Sang Lee
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Correspondence to Dong Soo Lee.

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Paeng, J.C., Lee, YS., Lee, J.S. et al. Feasibility and kinetic characteristics of 68Ga-NOTA-RGD PET for in vivo atherosclerosis imaging. Ann Nucl Med 27, 847–854 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-013-0757-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-013-0757-x

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