Vascular inflammation evaluated by [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography is associated with the metabolic syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated factors for carotid artery inflammation by [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET).


BACKGROUND
Inflammation is present in some atherosclerotic plaques. The FDG-PET is capable of identifying and quantifying vascular inflammation within atherosclerotic plaques.


METHODS
The FDG-PET imaging was performed in 216 consecutive patients (63 +/- 9 years, men:women 147:69) for cancer screening. Vascular inflammation in carotid atherosclerosis was quantified by measuring the standardized uptake value (SUV) of FDG into the artery.


RESULTS
Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed significant relationships between SUV and waist circumference (p < 0.001), hypertensive medication (p < 0.001), carotid intima-media thickness (p < 0.001), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p < 0.01, inversely), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (p < 0.05), or high sensitivity C-reactive protein (p < 0.05). Age- and gender-adjusted SUV of FDG was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) in proportion to the accumulation of the number of the components of the metabolic syndrome. Thus, the metabolic syndrome was associated with increased FDG uptake in carotid atherosclerosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Our present study may suggest that the metabolic syndrome is associated with inflammation in carotid atherosclerosis. (Detection of Plaque Inflammation by Positron Emission Tomography (PET); http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00114504; NCT00114504).
Tahara
Nobuhiro
N
Department of Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume, Japan. ntahara@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
Kai
Hisashi
H
Yamagishi
Sho-ichi
S
Mizoguchi
Minori
M
Nakaura
Hiroyuki
H
Ishibashi
Masatoshi
M
Kaida
Hayato
H
Baba
Kenkichi
K
Hayabuchi
Naofumi
N
Imaizumi
Tsutomu
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001167:Arteritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18