Open AccessQuantitative PET Imaging of Tryptophan Accumulation in Gliomas and Remote Cortex
Author(s) -
Csaba Juhász,
Diane C. Chugani,
Geoffrey Barger,
William J. Kupsky,
Pulak K. Chakraborty,
Otto Muzik,
Sandeep Mittal
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
clinical nuclear medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.637
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1536-0229
pISSN - 0363-9762
DOI - 10.1097/rlu.0b013e318251e458
Subject(s) - medicine , nuclear medicine , glioma , pet imaging , neuroscience , cortex (anatomy) , positron emission tomography , medical physics , cancer research , biology
PET studies with α[C-11]methyl-L-tryptophan (AMT) have shown decreased serotonin synthesis based on a decrease of the unidirectional uptake rate (K-complex) in neuropsychiatric conditions such as autism and depression. Increased AMT K-complex in tumors can indicate increased tryptophan metabolism via the immunosuppressive kynurenine pathway. Moreover, apparent AMT volume of distribution (VD') reflects net tryptophan transport from blood to tissue. We evaluated if kinetic parameters (K-complex, VD') of AMT, measured by PET, can predict the proliferative activity of glioma, and if these AMT parameters are altered in the remote cortex.