Measurement of central mu-opioid receptor binding in vivo with PET and [11C]carfentanil: a test-retest study in healthy subjects.
OBJECTIVE
[(11)C]Carfentanil has been widely used in positron emission tomography (PET) studies for measuring micro-opioid receptor binding in humans, but the reproducibility of the binding parameter estimates is unknown.


METHODS
Eight healthy volunteers were scanned twice during the same day with [(11)C]carfentanil PET, and binding to receptors was assessed with both reference tissue and arterial plasma input-based models using region of interest (ROI) and voxel-based quantification.


RESULTS
The two-tissue compartmental model distribution volume (V(T)) was highly reproducible as indicated by low variability (VAR < 6%) and high intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC > 0.93). BP(ND) (BP relative to the nondisplaceable tissue compartment) was also highly reproducible (VAR < 10%, ICC > 0.90) both at ROI- and voxel-level, and reference tissue-based models provided stable estimates after 40 min.


CONCLUSIONS
The reproducibility of [(11)C]carfentanil binding parameter estimates is excellent with outcome measures based on both arterial plasma and reference tissue input, and a scanning time of 40 min appears sufficient.
Hirvonen
Jussi
J
Turku PET Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland. jueshi@utu.fi
Aalto
Sargo
S
Hagelberg
Nora
N
Maksimow
Anu
A
Ingman
Kimmo
K
Oikonen
Vesa
V
Virkkala
Jussi
J
Någren
Kjell
K
Scheinin
Harry
H
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011485:Protein Binding; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000378:metabolism*; D012015:Reference Standards; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; C017114:carfentanil; D005283:Fentanyl
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