RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Vascular Inflammation Stratified by C-Reactive Protein and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels: Analysis with 18F-FDG PET JF Journal of Nuclear Medicine JO J Nucl Med FD Society of Nuclear Medicine SP 10 OP 17 DO 10.2967/jnumed.110.080838 VO 52 IS 1 A1 Yoo, Hye Jin A1 Kim, Sungeun A1 Park, Man Sik A1 Yang, Sae Jeong A1 Kim, Tae Nyun A1 Seo, Ji A. A1 Kim, Sin Gon A1 Kim, Nan Hee A1 Seo, Hong Seog A1 Baik, Sei Hyun A1 Choi, Dong Seop A1 Choi, Kyung Mook YR 2011 UL http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/52/1/10.abstract AB We examined the severity of vascular inflammation in healthy individuals without hyperlipidemia but with elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) using 18F-FDG PET, which is a promising imaging technique for the assessment of vascular inflammation within atherosclerotic plaques. Methods: Vascular inflammation in the carotid arterial wall, represented as the target-to-background ratio (TBR), was measured using 18F-FDG PET in 120 healthy subjects without a history of cardiovascular diseases. Results: Subjects with high hsCRP (≥2 mg/L) and low low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (<130 mg/dL) levels had a significantly higher maximum TBR than did those with low hsCRP (<2 mg/L) and low LDL-C levels (<130 mg/dL) or low hsCRP (<2 mg/L) and high LDL-C levels (≥130 mg/dL) (1.29 ± 0.13, 1.12 ± 0.10, and 1.16 ± 0.05, respectively), even though there were no significant differences in the carotid intima–media thickness. The maximum TBR values had the strongest positive correlation with hsCRP level among the various cardiovascular risk factors (r = 0.68, P < 0.01). However, other emerging inflammatory markers such as lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 or monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 were not coherently associated with TBR values. Multiple stepwise regression analyses showed that hsCRP and diastolic blood pressure were independent decisive factors for maximum TBR, whereas age, diastolic blood pressure, and LDL-C were factors that determined the maximum intima–media thickness. Conclusion: Vascular inflammation measured using 18F-FDG PET was increased in healthy individuals without hyperlipidemia but with elevated hsCRP.