PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Keith A. Josephs
AU  - Nirubol Tosakulwong
AU  - Stephen D. Weigand
AU  - Marina Buciuc
AU  - Val J. Lowe
AU  - Dennis W. Dickson
AU  - Jennifer L. Whitwell
TI  - Relationship Between <sup>18</sup>F-Flortaucipir Uptake and Histologic Lesion Types in 4-Repeat Tauopathies
AID  - 10.2967/jnumed.121.262685
DP  - 2022 Jun 01
TA  - Journal of Nuclear Medicine
PG  - 931--935
VI  - 63
IP  - 6
4099  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/63/6/931.short
4100  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/63/6/931.full
SO  - J Nucl Med2022 Jun 01; 63
AB  - Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) are 4-repeat (4R) tauopathies with overlapping, but also morphologically distinct, tau immunoreactive lesions that vary in count by brain region. 18F-flortaucipir PET uptake has been reported to correlate with overall tau burden, and—in 1 CBD case—to have greater affinity to threads than tangles. We determined whether 18F-flortaucipir uptake is associated with histologic lesion type in 4R tauopathies. Methods: We performed semiquantitative regional lesion counts on pretangles/neurofibrillary tangles, threads, oligodendroglial coiled bodies, tufted astrocytes, and astrocytic plaques in 29 cases of autopsied 4R tauopathy (PSP, 16; CBD, 13). Regression models were used for statistical analyses. Results: 18F-flortaucipir uptake marginally correlated with threads in the precentral cortex (P = 0.04) and with astrocytic lesions in the red nucleus (P = 0.05). Conclusion: The findings do not support 18F-flortaucipir’s having differential affinity to any 4R tau lesion type.