Correlation of angiogenesis with 18F-FMT and 18F-FDG uptake in non-small cell lung cancer.
L-[3-18F]-alpha-methyltyrosine (18F-FMT) is an amino-acid tracer for positron-emission tomography (PET). We have conducted a clinicopathologic study to elucidate the correlation of angiogenesis with 18F-FMT and 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) uptake in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Thirty-seven NSCLC patients were enrolled in this study, and two PET studies with 18F-FMT and 18F-FDG were performed. Uptake of PET tracers was evaluated with standardized uptake value. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CD31, CD34, L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) and Ki-67 labeling index of the resected tumors were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining, and correlated with the clinicopathologic variables and the uptake of PET tracers. The median VEGF rate was 45% (range, 10-78%). High expression was seen in 30 patients (81%, 30/37). VEGF expression was statistically associated with progressively growing microvessel count. VEGF showed a correlation with LAT1 expression (P = 0.04) and Ki-67 labeling index (P = 0.01). However, it showed no correlation with age, gender, disease stage, tumor size, and histology. Microvessel density (MVD) showed no correlation with any parameters. 18F-FMT and 18F-FDG uptake correlated significantly with VEGF (P < 0.0001, P = 0.026, respectively), whereas the correlation of 18F-FMT and VEGF was more meaningful. The present study demonstrated that the metabolic activity of primary tumors as evaluated by PET study with 18F-FMT and 18F-FDG is related to tumor angiogenesis and the proliferative activity in NSCLC.
Kaira
Kyoichi
K
Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunman 371-8511, Japan. kkaira1970@yahoo.co.jp
Oriuchi
Noboru
N
Shimizu
Kimihiro
K
Ishikita
Tomohiro
T
Higuchi
Tetsuya
T
Imai
Hisao
H
Yanagitani
Noriko
N
Sunaga
Noriaki
N
Hisada
Takeshi
T
Ishizuka
Tamotsu
T
Kanai
Yoshikatsu
Y
Endou
Hitoshi
H
Nakajima
Takashi
T
Endo
Keigo
K
Mori
Masatomo
M
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000378:metabolism; D018287:Carcinoma, Large Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D027283:Large Neutral Amino Acid-Transporter 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013908:Thoracotomy; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D019805:alpha-Methyltyrosine
D018952:Antigens, CD34; D027283:Large Neutral Amino Acid-Transporter 1; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D019805:alpha-Methyltyrosine