title: Atherosclerotic plaque metabolism in high cardiovascular risk subjects - A subclinical atherosclerosis imaging study with18F-NaF PET-CT.
abstract: Atherosclerotic plaque molecular imaging with18F-sodium fluoride (NaF) in positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET-CT) provides potential discrimination between active unstable microcalcification and established dormant calcification. We aimed to study18F-NaF atherosclerotic plaque uptake in high cardiovascular (CV) risk participants and its associations with CV risk factors, coronary calcium score and thoracic fat volume.
  
  
  
  High CV risk hypertensive individuals from a single centre were prospectively scanned with18F-NaF-PET-CT in the coronary, aortic and carotideal arteries. Atherosclerotic plaque18F-NaF uptake was expressed as Corrected Uptake per Lesion (CUL): maximum standard uptake value in each vascular territory subtracted by mean blood pool activity.
  
  
  
  Mean age was 64 years, 56% male and 96% Caucasian (n = 25). Ninety six per cent of the subjects showed18F-NaF uptake in the aorta (CUL 0.9 ± 0.3), 40% in the carotid arteries (median CUL 0.0, IQR 0.0-0.7) and 64% in the coronary arteries (0.4, IQR 0.0-0.6). Individuals with ≥ five risk factors (60%) had increased overall18F-NaF uptake (1.1 ± 0.3 vs. 0.7 ± 0.3, p < 0.01), which was positively correlated with predicted fatal CV risk - SCORE (r = 0.49, p = 0.01). There was no correlation between18F-NaF uptake in the coronary arteries and calcium score (p = 0.87). Thoracic fat was moderately correlated with overall CUL (r = 0.41, p = 0.04).
  
  
  
  In a high CV risk group,18F-NaF atherosclerotic plaque uptake was related to the burden of CV risk factors and thoracic fat volume, but there was no association between coronary uptake and calcium score.
authors.affiliation: University Hospitals of Coimbra, Cardiology, Praceta Prof. Mota Pinto, 3000-075, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health - Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: oliveirasantos@uc.pt.
authors.forename: Manuel de
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oliveira-Santos
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health - Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castelo-Branco
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health - Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health - Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Andreia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health - Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chichorro
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health - Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Antero
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abrunhosa
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health - Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Donato
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pedroso de Lima
authors.affiliation: University Hospitals of Coimbra, Cardiology, Praceta Prof. Mota Pinto, 3000-075, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pego
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Lino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: University Hospitals of Coimbra, Cardiology, Praceta Prof. Mota Pinto, 3000-075, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health - Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria João
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000494:pharmacology; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular diseases; Molecular imaging; Positron-emission tomography; Sodium fluoride