title: Correlations between SUVmax and expression of GLUT1 and growth factors inducing lymphangiogenesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the correlations between the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of colorectal carcinoma and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C), and their respective receptors using (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fluorine-18-FDG PET/CT scans were performed on 33 patients with colorectal carcinoma before any treatment. The SUVmax of colorectal carcinoma and the clinicopathologic data associated with lymphatic metastases were analyzed. The expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), HGF, c-Met, VEGF-C, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3) in tumor tissues was analyzed using immunohistochemical methods. Lymphatic endothelial cells were marked with D2-40, and lymphatic vessel density (LVD) was recorded. The correlations were analyzed among the SUVmax of colorectal carcinoma, LVD, and the expression of GLUT1, HGF, c-Met, VEGF-C, and VEGFR-3 in tumor tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SUVmax and LVD in 15 patients with lymphatic metastases were 13.00 ± 4.51 and 6.25 ± 1.54, respectively, whereas in 18 patients with nonmetastatic nodes, SUVmax and LVD were 9.66 ± 4.82 and 4.54 ± 1.02, respectively. The differences of SUVmax and LVD between metastatic and nonmetastatic patients were statistically significant (F = 4.153, P = .025, and F = 14.501, P = .001, respectively). There were no statistical differences of SUVmax and LVD in variably differentiated colorectal carcinoma (F = 0.708, P = .502, and F = 0.311, P = .735, respectively). The expression rates of GLUT1 in neoplastic and normal tissue were 72.7% (24 of 33) and 21.2% (seven of 33), respectively (P = .001). Moreover, the expression rates of GLUT1 in metastatic and nonmetastatic tissue were 93.33% (14 of 15) and 61.11% (11 of 18), respectively (P = .038). LVD and the integrated optical density of GLUT1 were 5.31 ± 1.53 and 8.21 × 10(4) ± 4.30 × 10(4), respectively, in tumor tissue, and there were linear correlations between SUVmax and LVD (r = 0.373, P = .033) and between SUVmax and expression of GLUT1 (r = 0.428, P = .013). The differences of SUVmax in HGF, c-Met, and VEGF-C groups with different expressions were statistically significant (P = .007, P = .009, and P = .030, respectively). No correlation was found between the expression of VEGFR-3 and SUVmax. The expression of GLUT1 and HGF as well as of GLUT1 and VEGF-C was rank correlated (r = 0.521, P = .002, and r = 0.505, P = .003, respectively). No rank correlations were found between the expression of GLUT1 and c-Met, GLUT1, and VEGFR-3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SUVmax of colorectal carcinoma was significantly higher in metastatic patients; the uptake of colorectal carcinoma was associated with LVD and the expression of HGF and VEGF-C but not with the expression of VEGFR-3.
authors.affiliation: Center of PET/CT, Third Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Nangang District, China.
authors.forename: Mohan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yafang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1 / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D042583:Lymphangiogenesis; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C495677:SLC2A1 protein, human; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18