title: 3-deoxy-3-[(18)F]fluorothymidine-positron emission tomography for noninvasive assessment of proliferation in pulmonary nodules.
abstract: We investigated whether uptake of the thymidine analogue 3-deoxy-3-[(18)F]fluorothymidine ([(18)F]FLT) reflects proliferation in solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs). Thirty patients with SPNs were prospectively examined with positron emission tomography. Standardized uptake values were calculated for quantification of FLT uptake. Histopathology revealed 22 malignant and 8 benign lesions. Proliferation was evaluated by Ki-67 immunostaining and showed a mean proliferation fraction of 30.9% (range, 1-65%) in malignant SPNs and <5% in benign lesions. Linear regression analysis indicated a significant correlation between FLT-standardized uptake values and proliferative activity (P < 0.0001; r = 0.87). FLT uptake was specific for malignant lesions and may be used for differential diagnosis of SPNs, assessment of proliferation, and estimation of prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Universit of Ulm, Germany. andreas.buck@medizin.uni-ulm.de
authors.forename: Andreas K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schirrmeister
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hetzel
authors.forename: Mareike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Von Der Heide
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Halter
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Glatting
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mattfeldt
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liewald
authors.forename: Sven N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Reske
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neumaier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C002854:alovudine