title: Age-related inflammatory changes in the spine as demonstrated by (18)F-FDG-PET:observation and  insight into degenerative spinal changes.
abstract: Our aim was to determine whether the inflammatory component associated with age-related degenerative  changes in the spine can be assessed by (18)F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography ((18)F-FDG-PET).  Mean and maximum standardize uptake values (SUV(mean) and SUV(max)) of intervertebral discs and spinous processes were  measured in 45 patients who had undergone (18)F-FDG-PET for any clinical indication. Correlations between age  and FDG-PET indices (SUV(mean) and SUV(max) of intervertebral discs and spinous processes) were determined.  Pearson's correlation coefficients between age and intervertebral disc SUV(mean), between age and intervertebral disc  SUV(max), and between age and spinous process SUV(mean) were 0.4821, 0.3946, and 0.5017 (P<0.05), indicating moderate  positive correlations between these parameters. However, Pearson's correlation coefficient between age and spinous process  SUV(max)was 0.7998 (P>0.05), indicating no correlation between these two parameters. In conclusion, intensity of (18)F-FDG  uptake in the intervertebral discs and spinous processes generally increases with aging, which is likely to reflect associated  inflammatory processes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania 3400 Spruce St., 110 Donner Bldg Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Anar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aliyev
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saboury
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Kwee
authors.forename: Drew A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Torigian
authors.forename: Sandip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basu
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wulff Christensen
authors.forename: Abass
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alavi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013166:Spondylitis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18