Imaging of ανβ3 integrin expression in rheumatoid arthritis with [68Ga]Ga-NODAGA-RGDyk PET/CT in comparison to [18F]FDG PET/CT

• Main Authors: Dietz, M. (Author), Hügle, T. (Author), Nicod Lalonde, M. (Author), Omoumi, P. (Author), Prior, J.O (Author), Testart Dardel, N. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Masson s.r.l. 2021
• Subjects: adalimumab; aged; angiogenesis; Angiogenesis; arthralgia; Article; C reactive protein; cancer staging; case report; cervical lymph node; clinical article; corticosteroid; corticosteroid therapy; drug uptake; FDG; female; fluorodeoxyglucose f 18; human; joint swelling; maximum standardized uptake value; methotrexate; motor dysfunction; nodaga rgdyk ga 68; PET imaging; polyarthritis; positron emission tomography-computed tomography; primary tumor; protein expression; RGD; rheumatoid arthritis; Rheumatoid arthritis; salazosulfapyridine; tocilizumab; tongue carcinoma; tracer; unclassified drug; vitronectin receptor
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher

 [68Ga]Ga-NODAGA-RGDyk PET/CT and [18F]FDG PET/CT were performed in a 65-year-old woman during the work-up of a squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue within a clinical study protocol. Images revealed both tracers’ uptake in the primary tumor and cervical lymph nodes, but also bilaterally in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, metacarpophalangeal, interphalangeal, and hip joints. The patient had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis 8 years prior to the examination. Images showed a significantly higher [18F]FDG than [68Ga]Ga-NODAGA-RGDyk uptake in primary tumor and cervical lymph nodes. However, the patient with moderately active rheumatoid arthritis had similar levels of [68Ga]Ga-NODAGA-RGDyk and [18F]FDG uptake in the involved joints, but with no [68Ga]Ga-NODAGA-RGDyk uptake in the surrounding muscles, unlike with [18F]FDG. Our case suggests that [68Ga]Ga-NODAGA-RGDyk PET/CT allows imaging of integrins expression in rheumatoid arthritis, including integrins expressed in synovial angiogenesis, with potentially a better signal-to-noise ratio than on [18F]FDG PET/CT. © 2021 The Author(s)