Toward Reliable Uptake Metrics in Large Vessel Vasculitis Studies
Gijs D. van Praagh,
Pieter H. Nienhuis,
Daniel M. de Jong,
Melanie Reijrink,
Kornelis S. M. van der Geest,
Elisabeth Brouwer,
Andor W. J. M. Glaudemans,
Bhanu Sinha,
Antoon T. M. Willemsen,
Riemer H. J. A. Slart
Affiliations
Gijs D. van Praagh
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
Pieter H. Nienhuis
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
Daniel M. de Jong
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
Melanie Reijrink
Division of Vascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
Kornelis S. M. van der Geest
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
Elisabeth Brouwer
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
Andor W. J. M. Glaudemans
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
Bhanu Sinha
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
Antoon T. M. Willemsen
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
Riemer H. J. A. Slart
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of sex, age, fat mass, fasting blood glucose level (FBGL), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) on blood pool activity in patients with large vessel vasculitis (LVV). Blood pool activity was measured in the superior caval vein using mean, maximum, and peak standardized uptake values corrected for body weight (SUVs) and lean body mass (SULs) in 41 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) scans of LVV patients. Sex influence on the blood pool activity was assessed with t-tests, while linear correlation analyses were used for age, fat mass, FBGL, and eGFR. Significantly higher SUVs were found in women compared with men, whereas SULs were similar between sexes. In addition, higher fat mass was associated with increased SUVs (r = 0.56 to 0.65; all p p > 0.05). Lower eGFR was associated with a higher FDG blood pool activity for all uptake values. In FDG-PET/CT studies with LVV patients, we recommend using SUL over SUV, while caution is advised in interpreting SUV and SUL measures when patients have impaired kidney function.
