Vulnerability Assessment of Atherosclerosis by PET

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H04898
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine (2017); Hokkaido University (2015-2016)
• Principal Investigator: Tamaki Nagara 京都府立医科大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 特任教授 (30171888)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小川 美香子 北海道大学, 薬学研究院, 教授 (20344351) ; 納谷 昌直 北海道大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (20455637) ; 吉永 恵一郎 北海道大学, 医学研究院, 客員研究員 (30435961) ; 中山 若樹 北海道大学, 医学研究院, 講師 (40421961) ; 久下 裕司 北海道大学, アイソトープ総合センター, 教授 (70321958) ; 真鍋 徳子 北海道大学, 大学病院, 講師 (70463742) ; 西嶋 剣一 北海道大学, 大学病院, 薬剤師 (60364254)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: PET / 動脈硬化 / 治療戦略 / 画像診断

Outline of Final Research Achievements

PET permits molecular imaging and quantitative assessment of vascular function. We performed quantitative assessment for experimental and clinical atherosclerosis by PET. FDG as a marker of macrophage and FMISO as a hypoxic marker showed altered glucose metabolism and hypoxic response in diabetic atherosclerosis in rabbits. The PET studies indicated reduced myocardial flow reserve (MFR) in relation to altered FFR in patients with coronary artery disease. In addition, impaired peripheral endothelial function was suggested by oscillometry which was correlated with coronary endothelial dysfunction in smokers. Furthermore, active cardiac sarcoidosis was identified by FDG-PET. Thus, PET permits identification of active atherosclerosis and quantitative assessment of vascular dysfunction. PET should play an important role for risk assessment and patient management in the near future.

Free Research Field

循環器画像診断