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Noninvasive quantification of 18F-FLT human brain PET for the assessment of tumour proliferation in patients with high-grade glioma.

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE: Compartmental modelling of 3′-deoxy-3′-[18F]-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) PET-derived kinetics provides a method for noninvasive assessment of the proliferation rate of gliomas. Such analyses, however, require an input function generally derived by serial blood sampling and counting. In the current study, 18F-FLT kinetic parameters obtained from image-derived input functions were compared with those from input functions derived from arterialized blood samples. METHODS: Based on the analysis of 11 patients with glioma (WHO grade II-IV) a procedure for the automated extraction of an input function from 18F-FLT brain PET data was derived. The time-activity curve of the volume of interest with the maximum difference in 18F-FLT uptake during the first 5 min after injection and the period from 60 to 90 min was corrected for partial-volume effects and in vivo metabolism of 18F-FLT. For each patient a two-compartment kinetic model was applied to the tumour tissue using the image-derived input function. The resulting kinetic rate constants K1 (transport across the blood-brain barrier) and Ki (metabolic rate constant or net influx constant) were compared with those obtained from the same data using the input function derived from blood samples. Additionally, the metabolic rate constant was correlated with the frequency of tumour cells stained with Ki-67, a widely used immunohistochemical marker of cell proliferation. RESULTS: The rate constants from kinetic modelling were comparable when the blood sample-derived input functions were replaced by the image-derived functions (K1,img and K1,sample, r = 0.95, p < 10(-5); Ki,img and Ki,sample, r = 0.86, p < 0.001). A paired t-test showed no significant differences in the parameters derived with the two methods (K1,img and K1,sample, p = 0.20; Ki,img and Ki,sample, p = 0.92). Furthermore, a significant correlation between Ki,img and the percentage of Ki-67-positive cells was observed (r = 0.73, p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Kinetic modelling of 18F-FLT brain PET data using image-derived input functions extracted from human brain PET data with the practical procedure described here provides information about the proliferative activity of brain tumours which might have clinical relevance especially for monitoring of therapy response in future clinical trials.

SUBMITTER: Backes H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2779371 | biostudies-other | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:BackgroundNon-invasive imaging biomarkers of cellular proliferation hold great promise for quantifying response to personalized medicine in oncology. An emerging approach to assess tumor proliferation utilizes the positron emission tomography (PET) tracer 3'-deoxy-3'[(18)F]-fluorothymidine, [(18)F]-FLT. Though several studies have associated serial changes in [(18)F]-FLT-PET with elements of therapeutic response, the degree to which [(18)F]-FLT-PET quantitatively reflects proliferative index has been continuously debated for more that a decade. The goal of this study was to elucidate quantitative relationships between [(18)F]-FLT-PET and cellular metrics of proliferation in treatment naïve human cell line xenografts commonly employed in cancer research.Methods and findings[(18)F]-FLT-PET was conducted in human cancer xenograft-bearing mice. Quantitative relationships between PET, thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) protein levels and immunostaining for proliferation markers (Ki67, TK1, PCNA) were evaluated using imaging-matched tumor specimens. Overall, we determined that [(18)F]-FLT-PET reflects TK1 protein levels, yet the cell cycle specificity of TK1 expression and the extent to which tumors utilize thymidine salvage for DNA synthesis decouple [(18)F]-FLT-PET data from standard estimates of proliferative index.ConclusionsOur findings illustrate that [(18)F]-FLT-PET reflects tumor proliferation as a function of thymidine salvage pathway utilization. Unlike more general proliferation markers, such as Ki67, [(18)F]-FLT PET reflects proliferative indices to variable and potentially unreliable extents. [(18)F]-FLT-PET cannot discriminate moderately proliferative, thymidine salvage-driven tumors from those of high proliferative index that rely primarily upon de novo thymidine synthesis. Accordingly, the magnitude of [(18)F]-FLT uptake should not be considered a surrogate of proliferative index. These data rationalize the diversity of [(18)F]-FLT-PET correlative results previously reported and suggest future best-practices when [(18)F]-FLT-PET is employed in oncology.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Despite the significant upgrading in recent years of the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in multiple myeloma (MM) diagnostics, there is a still unmet need for myeloma-specific radiotracers. 3'-Deoxy-3'-[18F]fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) is the most studied cellular proliferation PET agent, considered a potentially new myeloma functional imaging tracer. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate 18F-FLT PET/CT in imaging of MM patients, in the context of its combined use with 18F-FDG PET/CT. RESULTS:Eight patients, four suffering from symptomatic MM and four suffering from smoldering MM (SMM), were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT and 18F-FLT PET/CT imaging by means of static (whole body) and dynamic PET/CT of the lower abdomen and pelvis (dPET/CT) in two consecutive days. The evaluation of PET/CT studies was based on qualitative evaluation, semi-quantitative (SUV) calculation, and quantitative analysis based on two-tissue compartment modeling. 18F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated focal, 18F-FDG avid, MM-indicative bone marrow lesions in five patients. In contrary, 18F-FLT PET/CT showed focal, 18F-FLT avid, myeloma-indicative lesions in only two patients. In total, 48 18F-FDG avid, focal, MM-indicative lesions were detected with 18F-FDG PET/CT, while 17 18F-FLT avid, focal, MM-indicative lesions were detected with 18F-FLT PET/CT. The number of myeloma-indicative lesions was significantly higher for 18F-FDG PET/CT than for 18F-FLT PET/CT. A common finding was a mismatch of focally increased 18F-FDG uptake and reduced 18F-FLT uptake (lower than the surrounding bone marrow). Moreover, 18F-FLT PET/CT was characterized by high background activity in the bone marrow compartment, further complicating the evaluation of bone marrow lesions. Semi-quantitative evaluation revealed that both SUVmean and SUVmax were significantly higher for 18F-FLT than for 18F-FDG in both MM lesions and reference tissue. SUV values were higher in MM lesions than in reference bone marrow for both tracers. CONCLUSIONS:Despite the limited number of patients analyzed in this pilot study, the first results of the trial indicate that 18F-FLT does not seem suitable as a single tracer in MM diagnostics. Further studies with a larger patient population are warranted to generalize the herein presented results.

Project description:Quantitative 3'-deoxy-3'-18F-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) PET has potential as a noninvasive tumor biomarker for the objective assessment of response to treatment. To guide interpretation of these quantitative data, we evaluated the repeatability of 18F-FLT PET as part of a multicenter trial involving patients with high-grade glioma. Methods:18F-FLT PET was performed on 10 patients with recurrent high-grade glioma at 5 different institutions within the Adult Brain Tumor Consortium trial ABTC1101. Data were acquired according to a double baseline protocol in which PET examinations were repeated within 2 d of each other with no intervening treatment. On each of the 2 imaging days, dedicated brain PET was performed at 2 time points, 1 and 3 h after 18F-FLT administration. Tumor SUVs and related parameters were measured at a central laboratory using various volumes of interest: isocontour at 30% of the maximum pixel (SUVmean_30%), gradient-based segmentation (SUVmean_gradient), the maximum pixel (SUVmax), and a 1-mL sphere at the region of highest uptake (SUVpeak). Repeatability coefficients (RCs) were calculated from the relative differences between corresponding SUV measurements obtained on the 2 d. Results: RCs for tumor SUVs were 22.5% (SUVmean_30%), 23.8% (SUVmean_gradient), 23.2% (SUVmax), and 18.5% (SUVpeak) at 1 h after injection. Corresponding data at 3 h were 22.4%, 25.0%, 27.3%, and 23.6%. Normalizing the tumor SUV data with reference to a background region improved repeatability, and the most stable parameter was the tumor-to-background ratio derived using SUVpeak (RC, 16.5%). Conclusion: SUV quantification of 18F-FLT uptake in glioma had an RC in the range of 18%-24% when imaging began 1 h after 18F-FLT administration. The volume-of-interest methodology had a small but not negligible influence on repeatability, with the best performance obtained using SUVpeak Although changes in 18F-FLT SUV after treatment cannot be directly interpreted as a change in tumor proliferation, we have established ranges beyond which SUV differences are likely due to legitimate biologic effects.

Project description:Imaging biomarkers must demonstrate their value in monitoring treatment. Two PET tracers, the caspase-3/7-specific isatin-5-sulfonamide 18F-ICMT-11 (18F-(S)-1-((1-(2-fluoroethyl)-1H-[1,2,3]-triazol-4-yl)methyl)-5-(2(2,4-difluoro-phenoxymethyl)-pyrrolidine-1-sulfonyl)isatin) and 18F-FLT (3'-deoxy-3'-18F-fluorothymidine), were used to detect early treatment-induced changes in tumor biology and determine whether any of these changes indicate a response to cetuximab, administered as monotherapy or combination therapy with gemcitabine. Methods: In mice bearing cetuximab-sensitive H1975 tumors (non-small lung cancer), the effects of single or repeated doses of the antiepidermal growth factor receptor antibody cetuximab (10 mg/kg on day 1 only or on days 1 and 2) or a single dose of gemcitabine (125 mg/kg on day 2) were investigated by 18F-ICMT-11 or 18F-FLT on day 3. Imaging was also performed after 2 doses of cetuximab (days 1 and 2) in mice bearing cetuximab-insensitive HCT116 tumors (colorectal cancer). For imaging-histology comparison, tumors were evaluated for proliferation (Ki-67 and thymidine kinase 1 [TK1]), cell death (cleaved caspase-3 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling [TUNEL]), and target engagement (epidermal growth factor receptor expression) by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and immunoblotting, respectively. Tumor and plasma were analyzed for thymidine and gemcitabine metabolites by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: Retention of both tracers was sensitive to cetuximab in H1975 tumors. 18F-ICMT-11 uptake and ex vivo cleaved caspase-3 staining notably increased in tumors treated with repeated doses of cetuximab (75%) and combination treatment (46%). Although a single dose of cetuximab was insufficient to induce apoptosis, it did affect proliferation. Significant reductions in tumor 18F-FLT uptake (44%-50%; P < 0.001) induced by cetuximab monotherapy and combination therapy were paralleled by a clear decrease in proliferation (Ki-67 decrease, 72%-95%; P < 0.0001), followed by a marked tumor growth delay. TK1 expression and tumor thymidine concentrations were profoundly reduced. Neither imaging tracer depicted the gemcitabine-induced tumor changes. However, cleaved caspase-3 and Ki-67 staining did not significantly differ after gemcitabine treatment whereas TK1 expression and thymidine concentrations increased. No cetuximab-induced modulation of the imaging tracers or other response markers was detected in the insensitive model of HCT116. Conclusion: 18F-ICMT-11 and 18F-FLT are valuable tools to assess cetuximab sensitivity depicting distinct and time-variant aspects of treatment response.

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Noninvasive quantification of 18F-FLT human brain PET for the assessment of tumour proliferation in patients with high-grade glioma.

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