title: Early molecular imaging of interstitial changes in patients after myocardial infarction: comparison with delayed contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The clinical feasibility of noninvasive imaging of interstitial alterations after myocardial infarction (MI) was assessed using a technetium-99m-labeled RGD imaging peptide (RIP). In experimental studies, RIP has been shown to target integrins associated with collagen-producing myofibroblasts (MFB).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten patients underwent myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) within the first week after MI. At 3 and 8 weeks after MI, RIP was administered intravenously and SPECT images acquired for interstitial imaging. RIP imaging was compared to initial MPI and to the extent of scar formation defined by late gadolinium-enhanced (LGE) cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging 1 year after MI. RIP uptake was observed in 7 of the 10 patients at both 3 and 8 weeks. Although, RIP uptake corresponded to areas of perfusion defects, it usually extended beyond the infarct zone to a variable extent; 2 of 7 patients showed tracer uptake throughout myocardium. In all positive cases, RIP uptake was similar to the extent of scar observed at 1 year by LGE-CMR imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that RGD-based imaging early after MI may predict the eventual extent of scar formation, which often exceeds initial MPI deficit but colocalizes with LGE in CMR imaging performed subsequently.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verjans
authors.forename: Sander
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wolters
authors.forename: Ward
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Laufer
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schellings
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lax
authors.forename: Dagfinn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lovhaug
authors.forename: Hendrikus
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boersma
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kemerink
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schalla
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Jaap
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Teule
authors.forename: Jagat
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Narula
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hofstra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000494:pharmacology; D006333:Heart Failure; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D010477:Perfusion; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D013997:Time Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D005682:Gadolinium