title: In vivo imaging of astrocytosis in Alzheimer's disease: an ¹¹C-L-deuteriodeprenyl and PIB PET study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Astrocytosis is an important feature of the neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet there is currently no way of detecting this phenomenon in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study we examine the retention of the positron emission tomography (PET) tracer (11)C-L-deuteriodeprenyl (DED), thought to bind activated astrocytes, in 9 patients with moderate to severe AD compared with 11 healthy controls. As a measure of amyloid load, (11)C-labelled Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB) retention was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results show a significantly higher (11)C-L-DED retention in the frontal (35.1% increase, p = 0.001), parietal (35.2%, p = 0.001), temporal (30.9%, p = 0.0001) and medial temporal lobes (22.3%, p = 0.001) in AD compared to healthy controls after blood flow correction. DED retention in the sensorimotor and occipital cortices, and in white matter and subcortical structures, did not differ between groups. There was a moderate but statistically significant (r = 0.492, p = 0.01) correlation between DED and PIB retention values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our conclusion is that DED may serve as an in vivo marker for astrocytosis in AD, providing a window into intermediate processes between amyloidosis and neuronal loss and a means of monitoring immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Medicine, Lund University, c/o Cognitive Medicine, University Hospital, 221 85 Lund, Sweden. alexander.santillo@med.lu.se
authors.forename: Alexander Frizell
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Santillo
authors.forename: Juan Pablo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gambini
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lannfelt
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Långström
authors.forename: Luohija
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ulla-Marja
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kilander
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Engler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000814:Aniline Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D003903:Deuterium; D005260:Female; D005911:Gliosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012642:Selegiline / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: C475519:2-(4'-(methylamino)phenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole; D000814:Aniline Compounds; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013844:Thiazoles; D012642:Selegiline; D003903:Deuterium