Abstract
361
Objectives: As a metabolic imaging modality, FDG PET can detect and localize inflammatory changes in the arterial wall, which likely represent early stages of atherosclerosis. FDG-PET also can be used in quantifying the degree of this process by using standardized uptake values (SUVs). Diabetes is a known risk factor for increase in the risk and the severity of atherosclerotic process in early decades of life. Our aim in this study was to quantify and compare the degree of FDG uptake in the large arteries in the normal and diabetic subjects.
Methods: Seventy six subjects were included in the study (41 women; 35 men, age range 42-87). Forty of the subjects were nondiabetic subjects. The mean age for this group was 63±10. Age range was 42-82. There were 36 diabetic subjects. The mean age for diabetic group was 65±11; and age range was 42-87. The mean SUVs were measured in ascending, arch of aorta, descending, abdominal aorta, iliac arteries and femoral arteries. We compared the SUV values in two groups by using t test.
Results: The mean SUVs for the diabetic group were higher than the nondiabetic group. The SUV values and SD for nondiabetic group for ascending arch, descending abdominal aorta, iliac and femoral arteries were 1.95±0.25; 1.96±0.36; 2.0±0.2; 1.85±0.2; 1.4±0.3; 1.3±0.2 respectively. The values for the diabetic group were 2.30±0.9; 2.26±0.9; 2.43±0.9 2.13±0.9; 1.70±0.3; 1.62±0.3 for the segments noted above respectively. There were statistically significant differences for the ascending and descending segments of aorta and for the iliac and femoral arteries (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The degree of FDG uptake in the large arteries in diabetic patients is higher than the age matched non diabetic subjects. The likely reason for this observation is the acceleration of the atherosclerotic process with diabetes in the early decades of life. We now hypothesized that the FDG uptake in the arterial wall represent the degree of severity of atherosclerotic process and therefore it may serve as a marker for monitoring the evolution of the disease overtime and determining the effects of various therapeutic interactions.
- Society of Nuclear Medicine, Inc.