title: Infrared thermography in the detection of brown adipose tissue in humans.
abstract: PET-CT using (18)F-FDG is employed for detecting brown adipose tissue (BAT) in humans. Alternative methods are needed because of the radiation and cost of PET-CT imaging. The aim was to evaluate the accuracy of infrared thermography (IRT) in detecting human BAT benchmarked to PET-CT imaging. Seventeen individuals underwent a total of 29 PET-CT scans, 12 of whom were studied twice, after 2 h of cold stimulation at 19°C, in parallel with measurement of skin temperatures overlying the supraclavicular (SCV) fossa and the lateral upper chest (control), before and after cold stimulation. Of the 29 scans, 20 were BAT positive after cold stimulation. The mean left SCV temperature tended to be higher in the BAT-positive group before and during cooling. It was significantly higher (P = 0.04) than the temperature of the control area, which fell significantly during cooling in the BAT-positive (-1.2 ± 0.3°C, P = 0.002) but not in the negative (-0.2 ± 0.4°C) group. The temperature difference (Δtemp) between left SCV and chest increased during cooling in the BAT-positive (1.2 ± 0.2 to 2.0 ± 0.3°C, P < 0.002) but not in the negative group (0.6 ± 0.1 to 0.7 ± 0.1°C). A Δtemp of 0.9°C conferred a positive predictive value of 85% for SCV BAT, superior to that of SCV temperature. The findings were similar on the right. In conclusion, the Δtemp is significantly and consistently greater in BAT-positive subjects. The Δtemp quantified by IRT after 2-h cooling shows promise as a noninvasive convenient technique for studying SCV BAT function.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Sandya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jalapu
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Moe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thuzar
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia Department of Medical Imaging, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Phillip W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Law
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jeavons
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Johanna L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Barclay
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Ken K Y
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Ho
keywords: Brown adipose tissue; human; infrared thermography; thermogenesis