Thallium-201 in brain tumors: relationship between tumor cell activity in astrocytic tumor and proliferating cell nuclear antigen.
This study was performed to assess the relationship between 201Tl chloride uptake and brain tumor proliferation using monoclonal antibody Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA).


METHODS
Thirty-four patients with brain tumors were studied. Serial SPECT images were recorded and thallium uptake (Tl index) and washout rates in the tumors were calculated. Imaging results were compared with those from biopsy and histology. Cell proliferation was determined by PCNA or Ki-67 monoclonal antibody staining.


RESULTS
Thallium-201-chloride indices of the astrocytoma were 1.73 +/- 0.17 and 1.48 +/- 0.07 on early and delayed images, respectively. On the other hand, 201TI indices for anaplastic astrocytoma were 2.60 +/- 1.05 and 1.76 +/- 0.93 and 3.26 +/- 1.63 and 2.23 +/- 0.56 for glioblastoma. The correlation between the 201TI (delay) and Ki-67 indices for astrocytic tumor. There were no significant differences between Ki-67/PCNA indices and washout rates.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a positive correlation between PCNA but not the Ki-67 labeling index and the 201Tl index. With the use of a noninvasive technique, 201TI index supports the PCNA index.
Department of Radiology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
M
M
Ishibashi
A
A
Taguchi
Y
Y
Sugita
S
S
Morita
S
S
Kawamura
N
N
Umezaki
M
M
Shigemori
N
N
Hayabuchi
D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes