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Am J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2013;3(5):417-424
Original Article
Dynamic PET with 18F-Deoxyglucose (FDG) and quantitative assessment with a
two-tissue compartment model reflect the activity of glucose transporters and
hexokinases in patients with colorectal tumors
Ludwig G Strauss, Dirk Koczan, Sven Klippel, Leyun Pan, Stefan Willis, Christos Sachpekidis, Antonia Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss
Clinical Cooperation Unit Nuclear Medicine, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany; Institute of Immunology,
University Rostock, Rostock, Germany; Surgical Clinic A, Klinikum Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany
Received July 5, 2013; Accepted August 19, 2013; Epub September 19, 2013; Published September 30, 2013
Abstract: Dynamic PET (dPET) with 18F-Deoxyglucose (FDG) provides quantitative information about distribution of the tracer in a
predefined volume over time. A two-tissue compartment model can be used to obtain quantitative data regarding transport of FDG
into and out of the cells, phosphorylation and dephosphorylation rate of intracellular FDG, and fractional blood volume in the target
volume, also named vessel density. Aim of the study was the correlation of glucose transporters expression and hexokinases with
the corresponding compartment parameters. Patients with colorectal tumors were examined with dynamic PET prior to surgery.
Afterwards, tumor samples were obtained during surgery and gene expression was assessed using gene arrays. The dynamic PET
data were evaluated to quantify the parameters of a two tissue compartment model for colorectal tumors using a Volume-of-Interest
(VOI) technique. A multiple correlation/regression analysis was performed using glucose transporters as independent variables and
k1 as the dependent variable. A correlation of r=0.7503 (p=0.03) was obtained for the transporters SLC2A1, SLC2A2, SLC2A4,
SLC2A8, SLC2A9, SLC2A10 and k1. The correlation of r=0.7503 refers to an explained variance of data of 56.30 %, therefore more
than 50 % of data changes are associated with the gene expression. An analysis of the hexokinases HK1-HK3 and k3 revealed a
correlation coefficient of r=0.6093 (p=0.04), which is associated with an explained variance of 37.12 %. Therefore, parameters k1 and
k3 reflect gene activity. The results demonstrate that k1 and k3 of the two-tissue compartment model are correlated with glucose
transporters and hexokinases. (ajnmmi1307001).
Keywords: Dynamic PET, compartment model, glucose transporter, hexokinase
Address correspondence to: Dr. Antonia Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss, Medical PET Group - Biological Imaging, Clinical Cooperation
Unit Nuclear Medicine, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany. E-mail:
ads@ads-lgs.de; a.dimitrakopoulou-strauss@dkfz.de
Original Article
Dynamic PET with 18F-Deoxyglucose (FDG) and quantitative assessment with a
two-tissue compartment model reflect the activity of glucose transporters and
hexokinases in patients with colorectal tumors
Ludwig G Strauss, Dirk Koczan, Sven Klippel, Leyun Pan, Stefan Willis, Christos Sachpekidis, Antonia Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss
Clinical Cooperation Unit Nuclear Medicine, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany; Institute of Immunology,
University Rostock, Rostock, Germany; Surgical Clinic A, Klinikum Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany
Received July 5, 2013; Accepted August 19, 2013; Epub September 19, 2013; Published September 30, 2013
Abstract: Dynamic PET (dPET) with 18F-Deoxyglucose (FDG) provides quantitative information about distribution of the tracer in a
predefined volume over time. A two-tissue compartment model can be used to obtain quantitative data regarding transport of FDG
into and out of the cells, phosphorylation and dephosphorylation rate of intracellular FDG, and fractional blood volume in the target
volume, also named vessel density. Aim of the study was the correlation of glucose transporters expression and hexokinases with
the corresponding compartment parameters. Patients with colorectal tumors were examined with dynamic PET prior to surgery.
Afterwards, tumor samples were obtained during surgery and gene expression was assessed using gene arrays. The dynamic PET
data were evaluated to quantify the parameters of a two tissue compartment model for colorectal tumors using a Volume-of-Interest
(VOI) technique. A multiple correlation/regression analysis was performed using glucose transporters as independent variables and
k1 as the dependent variable. A correlation of r=0.7503 (p=0.03) was obtained for the transporters SLC2A1, SLC2A2, SLC2A4,
SLC2A8, SLC2A9, SLC2A10 and k1. The correlation of r=0.7503 refers to an explained variance of data of 56.30 %, therefore more
than 50 % of data changes are associated with the gene expression. An analysis of the hexokinases HK1-HK3 and k3 revealed a
correlation coefficient of r=0.6093 (p=0.04), which is associated with an explained variance of 37.12 %. Therefore, parameters k1 and
k3 reflect gene activity. The results demonstrate that k1 and k3 of the two-tissue compartment model are correlated with glucose
transporters and hexokinases. (ajnmmi1307001).
Keywords: Dynamic PET, compartment model, glucose transporter, hexokinase
Address correspondence to: Dr. Antonia Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss, Medical PET Group - Biological Imaging, Clinical Cooperation
Unit Nuclear Medicine, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany. E-mail:
ads@ads-lgs.de; a.dimitrakopoulou-strauss@dkfz.de
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