Uptake of aortic 18F-FDG is correlated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and leptin in a general population.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the relationship between aortic 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) uptake and clinical and laboratory findings related to atherosclerosis in a general population.


METHODS
18F-FDG uptake in the ascending aorta was measured on the positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans of 211 Japanese adults. The maximum target-to-background ratio (TBR) was compared with clinical and laboratory atherosclerosis findings.


RESULTS
By multivariate regression analysis adjusted for age and sex, TBR-ascending aorta (TBR-A) was significantly correlated with various clinical and laboratory parameters, such as body mass index, log visceral fat area, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), log fasting immunoreactive insulin, log homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, log total adiponectin and log-leptin, in all subjects. Furthermore, by multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for confounding factors, TBR-A was significantly correlated with LDL-C (β = 0.001, p = 0.03) and log-leptin (β = 0.336, p<0.01) in all subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
TBR-A was significantly correlated with LDL-C and log-leptin independent from confounding factors. Our results suggest that aortic 18F-FDG uptake is a good marker of atherosclerosis, even in a general population.
Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan; Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
Ai
A
Haraguchi
Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
Naomi
N
Hayashida
Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan; Nishi-Isahaya Hospital PET/CT Diagnostic Imaging Center, Isahaya, Japan.
Toshihiko
T
Kamasaki
Nishi-Isahaya Hospital PET/CT Diagnostic Imaging Center, Isahaya, Japan.
Izumi
I
Miyamoto
Nishi-Isahaya Hospital PET/CT Diagnostic Imaging Center, Isahaya, Japan.
Toshiya
T
Usui
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
Takao
T
Ando
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
Norio
N
Abiru
Center for Health and Community Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
Hironori
H
Yamasaki
Nishi-Isahaya Hospital PET/CT Diagnostic Imaging Center, Isahaya, Japan.
Kenya
K
Chiba
Radioisotope Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
Takashi
T
Kudo
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
Atsushi
A
Kawakami
Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
Noboru
N
Takamura
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000378:metabolism*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods
D015415:Biomarkers; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D020738:Leptin; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18