Quantitative accuracy of preclinical in ovo PET/MRI: influence of attenuation and quantification methods.

Aim: The combination of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides an innovation leap in the use of fertilized chicken eggs (in ovo model) in preclinical imaging as PET/MRI enables the investigation of the chick embryonal organ-specific distribution of PET-tracers. However, hybrid PET/MRI inheres technical challenges in quantitative in ovo PET such as attenuation correction (AC) for the object as well as for additional hardware parts present in the PET field-of-view, which potentially contribute to quantification biases in the PET images if not accounted for. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the different sources of attenuation on in ovo PET/MRI and assess the accuracy of MR-based AC for in ovo experiments.

RadioFlow Cytometry Reveals That [F]FDG Uptake in K-RAS Lung Cancer Is Driven by Immune Cells: An Analysis on a Single-Cell Level.

Tumor metabolism is a hallmark of cancer, yet cellular heterogeneity within the tumor microenvironment presents a significant challenge, as bulk analysis masks the diverse metabolic profiles of individual cell populations. This complexity complicates our understanding of [F]FDG uptake by distinct cell types in the tumor microenvironment. This study aims to investigate [F]FDG uptake at the single-cell level in the lung of Kirsten rat sarcoma virus-driven cancer mouse models using the novel technique radio-flow cytometry (radioFlow).

Cervical dysplasia in women with HIV in the modern treat-all era: Elevated risk remains despite long-term ART and normal CD4 count.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of ART duration and CD4 count on risk for high grade cervical dysplasia in women with HIV (WWH) compared to women without HIV in the treat-all era with integrase strand inhibitors (INSTIs).

Design: Prospective longitudinal cohort study in Botswana.

Methods: From February 2021 to August 2022, baseline HPV self-sampling was offered to women with and without HIV.

Molecular Stratification of Light-Chain Cardiac Amyloidosis With F-Florbetapir and Ga-FAPI-04 for Enhanced Prognostic Precision.

Background: Cardiac involvement in amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis significantly influences prognosis, necessitating timely diagnosis and meticulous risk stratification.

Objectives: This prospective study aimed to delineate the molecular phenotypes of AL cardiac amyloidosis (AL-CA) by characterizing fibro-amyloid deposition using F-florbetapir and gallium-68-labeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor-04 (Ga-FAPI-04) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging. The authors also proposed a novel molecular stratification methodology for prognosis.

Preclinical evaluation of the potential PARP-imaging probe [carbonyl-C]DPQ.

Background: Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) enzymes are crucial for the repair of DNA single-strand breaks and have become key therapeutic targets in homologous recombination-deficient cancers, including prostate cancer. To enable non-invasive monitoring of PARP-1 expression, several PARP-1-targeting positron emission tomography (PET) tracers have been developed. Here, we aimed to preclinically investigate [carbonyl-C]DPQ as an alternative PARP-1 PET tracer as it features a strongly distinct chemotype compared to the frontrunners [F]FluorThanatrace and [F]PARPi.

A novel approach for inferring effects on pregnancy loss.

Identifying the determinants of pregnancy loss is a critical public health concern. However, pregnancy loss is often not noticed, and even when it is, it is inconsistently recorded. Thus, past studies have been limited to medically-identified losses or small, highly selected cohorts, which can lead to biased or non-generalizable results.

Anemia Near Delivery is Prevalent, Pernicious, and Associated with Lower Neighbourhood Income: An Analysis of Over 50 000 Pregnancies.

Objectives: Anemia in pregnancy has negative impacts on maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and has been described as an issue of health equity. The primary aim of our study was to describe rates of anemia near delivery and assess whether this correlates with neighbourhood-level income status.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pregnant individuals delivering from January 2012 through December 2022 at two large academic centres.

Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy Using Y- and Lu-DOTATATE Modulating Atherosclerotic Plaque Inflammation: Longitudinal Monitoring by Ga-DOTATATE Positron Emissions Tomography/Computer Tomography.

Atherosclerosis and its sequels, such as coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular stroke, still represent global health burdens. The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis consists of growing calcified plaques in the arterial wall and is accompanied by inflammatory processes, which are not entirely understood. This study aims to evaluate the effect of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) using Y- and Lu-DOTATATE on atherosclerotic plaque inflammation.

Clinical significance of quantitative assessment of right ventricular amyloid burden with [Tc]Tc-DPD SPECT/CT in transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.

Purpose: To evaluate right ventricular (RV) uptake measured by quantitative [Tc]Tc-DPD SPECT/CT to investigate its role in predicting and evaluating prognosis and therapeutic outcomes in patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CA).

Methods: Patients with ATTR-CA were consecutively enrolled for quantitative [Tc]Tc-DPD SPECT/CT. Ventricular amyloid burden was quantified by SUV and TBR.

Online coupling of size exclusion chromatography to capillary-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for the identification of protein classes in hemolyzed blood serum.

The analysis of serum for biomarkers is a standard method in clinical diagnosis and health assessment. The application of Raman spectroscopy to probe biomarkers in serum is increasingly investigated due to its time- and cost-efficiency. However, time-consuming sample preparation is often required to analyze the serum samples.

Prognostic implication of DPD quantification in transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.

Aims: Quantification of cardiac [99mTc]-3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid (DPD) uptake enhances diagnostic capabilities and may facilitate prognostic stratification in patients with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA). This study aimed to evaluate the association of quantitative left ventricular (LV) DPD uptake with myocardial structure and function, and their implications on outcome in ATTR-CA.

Methods And Results: Consecutive ATTR-CA patients (n=100) undergoing planar DPD scintigraphy with Perugini grade 2 or 3, alongside quantitative DPD SPECT/CT imaging and speckle-tracking echocardiography between 2019 and 2023, were included and divided into two cohorts based on median DPD retention index (low DPD uptake: ≤5.

Development of quantitative PET/MR imaging for measurements of hepatic portal vein input function: a phantom study.

Background: Accurate pharmacokinetic modelling in PET necessitates measurements of an input function, which ideally is acquired non-invasively from image data. For hepatic pharmacokinetic modelling two input functions need to be considered, to account for the blood supply from the hepatic artery and portal vein. Image-derived measurements at the portal vein are challenging due to its small size and image artifacts caused by respiratory motion.

Determinants of utilization of infertility services by race and ethnicity in a state with a comprehensive infertility mandate.

Objective: To examine the association between sociodemographic factors and utilization of infertility services by race and ethnicity in a state with a comprehensive infertility mandate.

Design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Academic-affiliated fertility center.

Effect of Indoor Residual Spraying on Malaria in Pregnancy and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

Malaria in pregnancy increases maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Indoor residual spraying (IRS) is a core vector control strategy used to reduce transmission in endemic areas; however, its efficacy in reducing the sequelae of malaria in pregnancy is not well described. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science were searched for all studies assessing IRS exposure during pregnancy.

[C]Metoclopramide PET can detect a seizure-induced up-regulation of cerebral P-glycoprotein in epilepsy patients.

Background: P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is an efflux transporter which is abundantly expressed at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and which has been implicated in the pathophysiology of various brain diseases. The radiolabelled antiemetic drug [C]metoclopramide is a P-gp substrate for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of P-gp function at the BBB. To assess whether [C]metoclopramide can detect increased P-gp function in the human brain, we employed drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) as a model disease with a well characterised, regional P-gp up-regulation at the BBB.

Systemic Metabolic and Volumetric Assessment via Whole-Body [F]FDG-PET/CT: Pancreas Size Predicts Cachexia in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Cancer-associated cachexia in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is challenging to diagnose due to its complex pathophysiology. This study aimed to identify metabolic biomarkers linked to cachexia and survival in HNSCC patients using [F]FDG-PET/CT imaging and machine learning (ML) techniques. We retrospectively analyzed 253 HNSCC patients from Vienna General Hospital and the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Evaluating a motor progression connectivity model across Parkinson's disease stages.

Background: Stimulation of a specific site in the dorsolateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) was recently associated with slower motor progression in Parkinson's Disease (PD), based on the deep brain stimulation (DBS) in early-stage PD pilot clinical trial. Here, subject-level visualizations are presented of this early-stage PD dataset to further describe the relationship between active contacts and motor progression. This study also evaluates whether stimulation of the sweet spot and connectivity model associated with slower motor progression is also associated with improvements in long-term motor outcomes in patients with advanced-stage PD.

DPD Quantification Correlates With Extracellular Volume and Disease Severity in Wild-Type Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis.

Background: The pathophysiological hallmark of wild-type transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTRwt-CM) is the deposition of amyloid within the myocardium.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate associations between quantitative cardiac Tc-3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid (DPD) uptake and myocardial amyloid burden, cardiac function, cardiac biomarkers, and clinical status in ATTRwt-CM.

Methods: Forty ATTRwt-CM patients underwent quantitative DPD single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography to determine the standardized uptake value (SUV) retention index, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to determine extracellular volume (ECV) and cardiac function (RV-LS), and assessment of cardiac biomarkers (N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP], troponin T) and clinical status (6-minute walk distance [6MWD], National Amyloidosis Centre [NAC] stage).

The importance of radiochemical purity: Cellular binding and internalization of different radiometal chlorides in prostate cancer cells.

Radiometals play an important role in nuclear medicine, both for imaging and therapy. Binding studies represent an important step in the development of new radiolabeled ligands, as valuable insights into the binding properties can be gained. However, this technique requires high radiochemical purity, otherwise results may lead to wrong assumptions or misinterpretations of affinities or uptake rates.

Neighborhood Food Access in Early Life and Trajectories of Child Body Mass Index and Obesity.

Importance: Limited access to healthy foods, resulting from residence in neighborhoods with low food access, is a public health concern. The contribution of this exposure in early life to child obesity remains uncertain.

Objective: To examine associations of neighborhood food access during pregnancy or early childhood with child body mass index (BMI) and obesity risk.