title: Imaging proliferation of ¹⁸F-FLT PET/CT correlated with the expression of microvessel density of tumour tissue in non-small-cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to analyse the correlation between (18)F-labelled 3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine ((18)F-FLT) PET/CT proliferation images and tumour angiogenesis as reflected by intratumoral microvessel density (MVD) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to provide a noninvasive method to predict the response to antiangiogenic therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 68 patients with proven or suspected NSCLC underwent FLT PET/CT scans followed by surgery. PET/CT images were compared with pathology. Tumour proliferation was evaluated in terms of a Ki-67 labelling index (Ki-67 LI). MVD was determined using an anti-CD31 mAb (CD31-MVD), anti-CD34 mAb (CD34-MVD) and an anti-CD105 mAb (CD105-MVD) for each resected tumour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tumour FLT maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) were significantly correlated with the Ki-67 LI and CD105-MVD (r = 0.550 and 0.633, P = 0.000 and 0.000, respectively), but were only marginally correlated with the CD31-MVD and CD34-MVD (r = 0.228 and 0.235, P = 0.062 and 0.054, respectively). The FLT PET false-negative patients had a longer median survival time than the FLT PET true-positive patients (log rank test, P = 0.012). The patients with a lower CD105-MVD had a longer median survival time than those with a higher CD105-MVD (P = 0.046), while patients with a lower CD31-MVD and CD34-MVD did not have a longer median survival time than those with a higher value (P = 0.438 and 0.187, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FLT PET/CT imaging correlated with tumour angiogenesis as reflected by CD105-MVD and prognosis, and may be helpful in assessing antiangiogenic therapy of NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery and Shandong Province Medical and Health Key Laboratory of Tumor Surgery, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250117 Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wenfeng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yongming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Xiaorong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Dianbin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Jinming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011379:Prognosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; C002854:alovudine