An international multi-center investigation on the accuracy of radionuclide calibrators in nuclear medicine theragnostics.

Background: Personalized molecular radiotherapy based on theragnostics requires accurate quantification of the amount of radiopharmaceutical activity administered to patients both in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. This international multi-center study aims to investigate the clinical measurement accuracy of radionuclide calibrators for 7 radionuclides used in theragnostics: Tc, In, I, I, I, Lu, and Y.

Methods: In total, 32 radionuclide calibrators from 8 hospitals located in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany were tested.

Characterization of BAT activity in rats using invasive and non-invasive techniques.

Introduction: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is considered as a potential target for combating obesity in humans where active BAT metabolizes glucose and fatty acids as fuel resulting in heat production. Prospective studies in humans have been set up to further study the presence and metabolic activity of BAT mostly using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging in cold-stimulated conditions with the radiolabeled glucose derivative [18F]FDG. However, radiotracers beyond [18F]FDG have been proposed to investigate BAT activity, targeting various aspects of BAT metabolism.

A comparison of four radionuclide dose calibrators using various radionuclides and measurement geometries clinically used in nuclear medicine.

Purpose: Reliable quantification of radioactivity in nuclear medicine is becoming increasingly important in various therapeutic applications requiring a high accuracy of nuclear medicine measuring equipment, such as radionuclide calibrators. In this study the accuracy of four different radionuclide calibrators was assessed for Tc, In, Ga and F for measurement geometries clinically used.

Methods: Syringes and vials were prepared with a reference activity using a stock solution of which the activity concentration was determined using gamma-ray spectroscopy.

Comparison of Intraoperative γ-Probe Imaging and Postoperative SPECT/CT in Detection of Sentinel Nodes Related to the Ovary.

Unlabelled: Tracer injection into ovarian ligaments has been shown to detect sentinel nodes (SNs) in patients with ovarian cancer. To determine the possibility that SNs are missed, this feasibility study compared their detection during surgery with their detection on postoperative SPECT/CT.

Methods: In 8 patients (with either ovarian or endometrial cancer), after a staging lymphadenectomy including resection of SNs related to the ovary, SPECT/CT was performed within 24 h.

Synthesis and in Vivo Biological Evaluation of (68)Ga-Labeled Carbonic Anhydrase IX Targeting Small Molecules for Positron Emission Tomography.

Tumor hypoxia contributes resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy, while oxygenated tumors are sensitive to these treatments. The indirect detection of hypoxic tumors is possible by targeting carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX), an enzyme overexpressed in hypoxic tumors, with sulfonamide-based imaging agents. In this study, we present the design and synthesis of novel gallium-radiolabeled small-molecule sulfonamides targeting CA IX.

Molecular imaging of angiogenesis after myocardial infarction by (111)In-DTPA-cNGR and (99m)Tc-sestamibi dual-isotope myocardial SPECT.

Background: CD13 is selectively upregulated in angiogenic active endothelium and can serve as a target for molecular imaging tracers to non-invasively visualise angiogenesis in vivo. Non-invasive determination of CD13 expression can potentially be used to monitor treatment response to pro-angiogenic drugs in ischemic heart disease. CD13 binds peptides and proteins through binding to tripeptide asparagine-glycine-arginine (NGR) amino acid residues.

The detection of sentinel nodes in ovarian cancer: a feasibility study.

Unlabelled: Few sentinel node (SN) studies in ovarian cancer have been reported, mainly because of the risk of tumor dissemination associated with the injection of tracers into the ovarian cortex. To our knowledge, the injection of tracers into the ovarian ligaments has not been explored. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of the SN procedure in ovarian cancer with tracer injection into the ovarian ligaments and to establish whether the procedure is safe for the healthcare workers.

Retention of 99mTc-DMSA(III) and 99mTc-nanocolloid in different syringes affects imaging quality.

(99m)Tc-dimercaptosuccinic acid [DMSA(III)] and colloidal human serum albumin ((99m)Tc-nanocolloid) are widely used radiopharmaceuticals. Recently, in our institution we encountered image quality problems in DMSA scans after changing the brand of syringes we were using, which triggered us to look into the adsorption properties of syringes from different brands for (99m)Tc-DMSA(III) and (99m)Tc-nanocolloid. We also describe a clinical case in which adsorption of (99m)Tc-DMSA(III) caused inferior imaging quality.

Sentinel node in ovarian cancer: study protocol for a phase 1 study.

Background: The concept of sentinel lymph node surgery is to determine whether the cancer has spread to the very first lymph node or sentinel node. If the sentinel node does not contain cancer, then there is a high likelihood that the cancer has not spread to other lymph nodes. The sentinel node technique has been proven to be effective in different types of cancer.

An HPLC-based assay of adenylosuccinate lyase in erythrocytes.

ADSL deficiency is a disorder of purine metabolism with a broad clinical spectrum. A rapid and simple HPLC-based assay to measure ADSL activity in erythrocytes was developed. The suitability of DBSs was assessed.