18F-FLT PET/CT imaging in a Wister rabbit inflammation model

Tan,Yeying; Liang,Jun; Liu,Defeng; Zhu,Feng; Wang,Guanmin; Ding,Xuemei; Han,Conghui

doi:10.3892/etm.2014.1687

18F-FLT PET/CT imaging in a Wister rabbit inflammation model

Authors:
- Yeying Tan
- Jun Liang
- Defeng Liu
- Feng Zhu
- Guanmin Wang
- Xuemei Ding
- Conghui Han
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Affiliations: PET‑CT Center, The Affiliated School of Clinical Medicine of Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China, PET‑CT Center, The Affiliated School of Clinical Medicine of Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China, Department of Urology, The Affiliated School of Clinical Medicine of Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China
Published online on: April 24, 2014 https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2014.1687
Pages: 69-72

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to determine the tumour specificity of the newly developed nucleoside metabolic positron emission tomography (PET) tracer, 3'‑deoxy‑3'‑18F‑fluorothymidine (18F‑FLT). Using 18F‑FLT PET imaging, DNA synthesis and cell proliferation were detected in Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) abscess and calcium sulphate models in Wister rabbits. A total of eight rabbits were implanted with S. aureus in the left tibia to induce an inflammatory process. Calcium sulphate + gentamicin was implanted in the right tibia to induce a physical stimulus without bacterial multiplication. After four weeks, the animals underwent 18F‑FLT PET imaging, bacterial culturing and tissue pathology. The uptake of 18F‑FLT was significantly higher in the abscess site compared with that in the granuloma, with maximum standardised uptake values of 5.76±0.25 and 1.15±0.32, respectively (P<0.01). This indicates that 18F‑FLT is not a specific tumour tracer since active inflammation also results in the uptake of this compound. However, the tumour specificity of this tracer is higher compared with that of 18F‑fluorodeoxyglucose. Therefore, 18F‑FLT may be useful in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant tumours.

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