title: Arterial inflammation in bronchial asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) events. Here, we assess arterial inflammation, using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging (FDG-PET/CT), in patients with bronchial asthma and low to intermediate Framingham risk scores (FRS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 102 patients underwent FDG-PET/CT imaging for clinical indications. Thirty-four patients (mean age 54.9 ± 16.1) with mild asthma and no known atherosclerotic disease were compared to 2 non-asthmatic groups. The first control group (n = 34) were matched by age, gender, and FRS. The second control group (n = 34) had clinical atherosclerosis and were matched by gender. Thereafter, arterial FDG uptake on PET images was determined, while blinded to patient identifiers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Target-to-background-ratio (TBR) in the aorta was higher in asthmatics vs non-asthmatic FRS-matched controls (1.96 ± 0.26 vs 1.76 ± 0.20; P < .001). The aortic TBR remained elevated in asthmatics vs non-asthmatic controls after adjusting traditional CV risk factors (P < .001). An inverse correlation was observed between FDG uptake and lung function, FEV1 (P = .02) and peak flow (P = .03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bronchial asthma is associated with increased arterial inflammation beyond that estimated by current risk stratification tools. Further studies are required to evaluate whether attenuation of systemic inflammation will decrease CV events.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Jayanthi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vijayakumar
authors.forename: Sharath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Subramanian
authors.forename: Parmanand
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Corsini
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fontanez
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lawler
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tawakol
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology; D001167:Arteritis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18