TY - JOUR T1 - Imaging Angiogenesis Using <sup>99m</sup>Tc-Macroaggregated Albumin Scintigraphy in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease JF - Journal of Nuclear Medicine JO - J Nucl Med SP - 192 LP - 197 DO - 10.2967/jnumed.115.160937 VL - 57 IS - 2 AU - Gen Takagi AU - Masaaki Miyamoto AU - Yoshimitsu Fukushima AU - Masahiro Yasutake AU - Shuhei Tara AU - Ikuyo Takagi AU - Naoki Seki AU - Shinichiro Kumita AU - Wataru Shimizu Y1 - 2016/02/01 UR - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/57/2/192.abstract N2 - One problem of vascular angiogenesis therapy is the lack of reliable methods for evaluating blood flow in the microcirculation. We aimed to assess whether 99mTc-macroaggregated albumin perfusion scintigraphy (99mTc-MAA) predicts quantitated blood flow after therapeutic angiogenesis in patients with peripheral artery disease. Methods: Forty-six patients with peripheral artery disease were treated with bone marrow mononuclear cell implantation (BMCI). Before and 4 wk after BMCI, blood flow was evaluated via transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO2), ankle-brachial index, intravenous 99mTc-tetrofosmin perfusion scintigraphy (99mTc-TF), and intraaortic 99mTc-MAA. Results: Four weeks after BMCI, TcPO2 improved significantly (20.4 ± 14.4 to 36.0 ± 20.0 mm Hg, P &lt; 0.01), but ankle-brachial index did not (0.65 ± 0.30 to 0.76 ± 0.24, P = 0.07). Improvement in 99mTc-TF count (0.60 ± 0.23 to 0.77 ± 0.29 count ratio/pixel, P &lt; 0.01) and 99mTc-MAA count (5.21 ± 3.56 to 10.33 ± 7.18 count ratio/pixel, P = 0.02) was observed in the foot region but not the lower limb region, using both methods. When these data were normalized by subtracting the pixel count of the untreated side, the improvements in 99mTc-TF count (−0.04 ± 0.26 to 0.08 ± 0.32 count ratio/pixel, P = 0.04) and 99mTc-MAA count (1.49 ± 3.64 to 5.59 ± 4.84 count ratio/pixel, P = 0.03) in the foot remained significant. 99mTc-MAA indicated that the newly developed arteries were approximately 25 μm in diameter. Conclusion: BMCI induced angiogenesis in the foot, which was detected using 99mTc-TF and 99mTc-MAA. 99mTc-MAA is a useful method to quantitate blood flow, estimate vascular size, and evaluate flow distribution after therapeutic angiogenesis. ER -