Imaging of musculoskeletal bacterial infections by [124I]FIAU-PET/CT.
BACKGROUND
Traditional imaging techniques for the localization and monitoring of bacterial infections, although reasonably sensitive, suffer from a lack of specificity. This is particularly true for musculoskeletal infections. Bacteria possess a thymidine kinase (TK) whose substrate specificity is distinct from that of the major human TK. The substrate specificity difference has been exploited to develop a new imaging technique that can detect the presence of viable bacteria.


RESULTS
Eight subjects with suspected musculoskeletal infections and one healthy control were studied by a combination of [(124)I]FIAU-positron emission tomography and CT ([(124)I]FIAU-PET/CT). All patients with proven musculoskeletal infections demonstrated positive [(124)I]FIAU-PET/CT signals in the sites of concern at two hours after radiopharmaceutical administration. No adverse reactions with FIAU were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
[(124)I]FIAU-PET/CT is a promising new method for imaging bacterial infections.
Diaz
Luis A
LA
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
Foss
Catherine A
CA
Thornton
Katherine
K
Nimmagadda
Sridhar
S
Endres
Christopher J
CJ
Uzuner
Ovsev
O
Seyler
Thorsten M
TM
Ulrich
Slif D
SD
Conway
Janet
J
Bettegowda
Chetan
C
Agrawal
Nishant
N
Cheong
Ian
I
Zhang
Xiaosong
X
Ladenson
Paul W
PW
Vogelstein
Barry N
BN
Mont
Michael A
MA
Zhou
Shibin
S
Kinzler
Kenneth W
KW
Vogelstein
Bert
B
Pomper
Martin G
MG
D001086:Arabinofuranosyluracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000382:microbiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009132:Muscles / Q000382:microbiology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000378:metabolism*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D001086:Arabinofuranosyluracil; C043457:fialuridine; D013937:Thymidine Kinase