Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Irkle, Agnese
• Vesey, Alex T
• Lewis, David Y
• Skepper, Jeremy N
• Bird, Joseph L E
• Dweck, Marc R
• Joshi, Francis R
• Gallagher, Ferdia A
• Warburton, Elizabeth A
• Bennett, Martin R
• Brindle, Kevin M
• Newby, David E
• Rudd, James H
• Davenport, Anthony P

Titel

Identifying active vascular microcalcification by (18)F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography

Ist Teil von

• Nature communications, 2015-07, Vol.6, p.7495-7495

Ort / Verlag

England

Erscheinungsjahr

2015

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Vascular calcification is a complex biological process that is a hallmark of atherosclerosis. While macrocalcification confers plaque stability, microcalcification is a key feature of high-risk atheroma and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Positron emission tomography and X-ray computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging of atherosclerosis using (18)F-sodium fluoride ((18)F-NaF) has the potential to identify pathologically high-risk nascent microcalcification. However, the precise molecular mechanism of (18)F-NaF vascular uptake is still unknown. Here we use electron microscopy, autoradiography, histology and preclinical and clinical PET/CT to analyse (18)F-NaF binding. We show that (18)F-NaF adsorbs to calcified deposits within plaque with high affinity and is selective and specific. (18)F-NaF PET/CT imaging can distinguish between areas of macro- and microcalcification. This is the only currently available clinical imaging platform that can non-invasively detect microcalcification in active unstable atherosclerosis. The use of (18)F-NaF may foster new approaches to developing treatments for vascular calcification.