11C-methionine PET of acute myocardial infarction.
Tissue uptake of l-[methyl-(11)C]-methionine ((11)C-methionine) has been used to monitor amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis. We examined whether (11)C-methionine was retained in areas of myocardial infarction after successful reperfusion.


METHODS
Nine patients with infarction in the left anterior descendent region underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary artery intervention within 24 h and (201)Tl SPECT, (18)F-FDG PET, and (11)C-methionine PET within 2 wk of infarction onset. The standardized uptake values of the infarcted area and of the normal area were measured.


RESULTS
The (11)C-methionine images showed increased uptake in the infarcted area, whereas the (201)Tl SPECT and (18)F-FDG PET images showed decreased uptake. The highest accumulation of (11)C-methionine in the infarcted area was observed during the early phase of AMI.


CONCLUSIONS
(11)C-methionine uptake is elevated in infarcted areas and may reflect the early acute phase of damage healing, that is, the initial process of remodeling.
Morooka
Miyako
M
Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, International Medical Center of Japan, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Kubota
Kazuo
K
Kadowaki
Hiromu
H
Ito
Kimiteru
K
Okazaki
Osamu
O
Kashida
Mitsuo
M
Mitsumoto
Takuya
T
Iwata
Ren
R
Ohtomo
Kuni
K
Hiroe
Michiaki
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D008715:Methionine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery*; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C086242:carbon-11 methionine; D008715:Methionine