PET imaging of medullary thyroid carcinoma in MEN2A transgenic mice using 6-[(18)F]F-L-DOPA.
OBJECTIVE
6-[(18)F]Fluoro-3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine (6-[(18)F]F-L-DOPA) is increasingly used for PET imaging of neuroendocrine tumours. In this study, we investigated the use of 6-[(18)F]F-L-DOPA to detect and to monitor the progression of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in a genetically engineered mouse model of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A).


METHODS
Dynamic [(18)F]FDG and 6-[(18)F]F-L-DOPA small animal PET scans were acquired during 60 or 90 min in 8- to 20-month-old MEN2A transgenic mice. The kinetics of 6-[(18)F]F-L-DOPA, standardized uptake values (SUV) at 60 min and tumour volumes were recorded. The detection of MTCs using PET was confirmed by autopsy and histological analysis.


RESULTS
6-[(18)F]F-L-DOPA performs better than [(18)F]FDG for MTC detection in this transgenic mouse model. Uptake kinetics of 6-[(18)F]F-L-DOPA in MTCs are very different between mice but, in all cases, high contrast could be observed. Furthermore, 6-[(18)F]F-L-DOPA can detect tumours with sizes (1.8 mm(3)) that are near the resolution limit of PET, whereas they were undetectable by autopsy at the macroscopic level.


CONCLUSIONS
6-[(18)F]F-L-DOPA PET imaging can monitor the progression of MTCs in a genetically engineered mouse model.
Pestourie
Carine
C
CEA, Institut d'Imagerie BioMédicale, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Moléculaire Expérimentale, 4 place du Général Leclerc, 91401, Orsay Cedex, France.
Thézé
Benoît
B
Kuhnast
Bertrand
B
Le Helleix
Stéphane
S
Gombert
Karine
K
Dollé
Frédéric
F
Tavitian
Bertrand
B
Ducongé
Frédéric
F
D000818:Animals; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018813:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C043437:fluorodopa F 18; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine