Lipids in Health and Disease (Dec 2011)

The Relationship between Brown Adipose Tissue Activity and Neoplastic Status: an <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT Study in the Tropics

  • Huang Yung-Cheng,
  • Chen Tai-Been,
  • Hsu Chien-Chin,
  • Li Shau-Hsuan,
  • Wang Pei-Wen,
  • Lee Bi-Fang,
  • Kuo Ching-Yuan,
  • Chiu Nan-Tsing

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-511X-10-238
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
p. 238

Abstract

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Abstract Background Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has thermogenic potential. For its activation, cold exposure is considered a critical factor though other determinants have also been reported. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between neoplastic status and BAT activity by 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in people living in the tropics, where the influence of outdoor temperature was low. Methods 18F-FDG PET/CT scans were reviewed and the total metabolic activity (TMA) of identified activated BAT quantified. The distribution and TMA of activated BAT were compared between patients with and without a cancer history. The neoplastic status of patients was scored according to their cancer history and 18F-FDG PET/CT findings. We evaluated the relationships between the TMA of BAT and neoplastic status along with other factors: age, body mass index, fasting blood sugar, gender, and outdoor temperature. Results Thirty of 1740 patients had activated BAT. Those with a cancer history had wider BAT distribution (p = 0.043) and a higher TMA (p = 0.028) than those without. A higher neoplastic status score was associated with a higher average TMA. Multivariate analyses showed that neoplastic status was the only factor significantly associated with the TMA of activated BAT (p = 0.016). Conclusions Neoplastic status is a critical determinant of BAT activity in patients living in the tropics. More active neoplastic status was associated with more vigorous TMA of BAT.

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