99mTc-HMPAO SPECT imaging reveals brain hypoperfusion during status epilepticus.

Status epilepticus (SE) is a clinical emergency with high mortality. SE can trigger neuronal death or injury and alteration of neuronal networks resulting in long-term cognitive decline or epilepsy. Among the multiple factors contributing to this damage, imbalance between oxygen and glucose requirements and brain perfusion during SE has been proposed. Herein, we aimed to quantify by neuroimaging the spatiotemporal course of brain perfusion during and after lithium-pilocarpine-induced SE in rats. To this purpose, animals underwent 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT imaging at different time points during and after SE using a small animal SPECT/CT system. 99mTc-HMPAO regional uptake was normalized to the injected dose. In addition, voxel-based statistical parametric mapping was performed. SPECT imaging showed an increase of cortical perfusion before clinical seizure activity onset followed by regional hypo-perfusion starting with the first convulsive seizure and during SE. Twenty-four hours after SE, brain 99mTc-HMPAO uptake was widely decreased. Finally, chronic epileptic animals showed regionally decreased perfusion affecting hippocampus and cortical sub-regions. Despite elevated energy and oxygen requirements, brain hypo-perfusion is present during SE. Our results suggest that insufficient compensation of required blood flow might contribute to neuronal damage and neuroinflammation, and ultimately to chronic epilepsy generated by SE.

TSPO PET Identifies Different Anti-inflammatory Minocycline Treatment Response in Two Rodent Models of Epileptogenesis.

Epileptogenesis-associated brain inflammation might be a promising target to prevent or attenuate epileptogenesis. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging targeting the translocator protein (TSPO) was applied here to quantify effects of different dosing regimens of the anti-inflammatory drug minocycline during the latent phase in two rodent models of epileptogenesis. After induction of epileptogenesis by status epilepticus (SE), rats were treated with minocycline for 7 days (25 or 50 mg/kg) and mice for 5 or 10 days (50 or 100 mg/kg). All animals were subjected to scans at 1 and 2 weeks post-SE. Radiotracer distribution was analyzed and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was performed, as well as histological analysis of astroglial activation and neuronal cell loss. Atlas-based analysis of [18F]GE180 PET in rats revealed a dose-dependent regional decrease of TSPO expression at 2 weeks post-SE. Results of SPM analysis depicted a treatment effect already at 1 week post-SE in rats treated with the higher minocycline dose. In mice, TSPO PET imaging did not reveal any treatment effects whereas histology identified only a treatment-related reduction in dispersion of dentate gyrus neurons. TSPO PET served as an auspicious tool for temporal monitoring and quantification of anti-inflammatory effects during epileptogenesis. Importantly, the findings underline the need to applying more than one animal model to avoid missing treatment effects. For future studies, the setup is ready to be applied in combination with seizure monitoring to investigate the relationship between individual early treatment response and disease outcome.

Immunohistochemical detection of chemokine receptor 4 expression in chronic osteomyelitis confirms specific uptake in 68Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT.

Previous findings of our group showed the chemokine receptor CXCR4 as a suitable target in PET/CT-imaging of axial bone infections, early postoperative osteomyelitis and periprosthetic infections. The aim of this study was to verify specific uptake of 68Ga-Pentixafor in chronic osteomyelitis. METHODS: 29 consecutive patients who underwent 68Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT with clinically suspected osteomyelitis were evaluated retrospectively. Bone tissues of 6 patients were available and evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for CXCR4 and autoradiography with 68Ga-Pentixafor. Staining was performed with an anti-CXCR4 antibody. In order to detect lymphocytic infiltration and CXCR4-expressing lymphocytes double immunofluorescence with an anti-CD3 and anti-CXCR4 antibody was performed. RESULTS: 68Ga-Pentixafor-PET/ CT was true positive in 16 and true negative in 13 patients. In available bone tissue samples, immunohistochemical staining of CXCR4 expression and autoradiography with 68Ga-Pentixafor was highly positive. Double immunofluorescence was able to detect CXCR4-expressing T-lymphocytes within all bone samples while a control sample of noninfected tibial bone was negative for CXCR4. CONCLUSION: 68Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT specifically shows CXCR4-expressing immune cells in chronic osteomyelitis and is therefore a suitable method for imaging chronic infection of the skeleton.Der Chemokinrezeptor CXCR4 konnte in einer Pilotstudie unserer Arbeitsgruppe als geeignete Zielstruktur zur PET/CT-Bildgebung von frühen postoperativen und periprothetischen Osteomyelitiden sowie Osteomyelitiden im Stammskelett identifiziert werden. In dieser Studie haben wir untersucht, ob 68Ga-Pentixafor spezifisch CXCR4-exprimierende Entzündungszellen in einer chronischen Osteomyelitis darstellen kann. METHODEN: Es erfolgte eine retrospektive Auswertung von 29 Patienten mit klinischem Verdacht einer chronischen Osteomyelitis, die mittels 68Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT untersucht wurden. Hiervon lagen uns in 6 Fällen Knochengewebe zur immunhistochemischen und autoradiographischen Evaluation vor. Die Immunhistochemie wurde mit einem anti-CXCR4 Antikörper durchgeführt. Des Weiteren wurden ein anti-CD3 und der anti-CXCR4-Antikörper zur Detektion CXCR4-exprimierender Lymphozyten am Ort der Entzündung mittels Doppel- Immunfluoreszenz verwendet. ERGEBNISSE: Die 68Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT war bei 16 Patienten richtig positiv und bei 13 Patienten richtig negativ. Die Färbungen der verfügbaren Knochenpräparate waren sowohl in der Immunhistochemie als auch in der Autoradiographie deutlich positiv. In der Immunfluoreszenz konnten zudem CXCR4-exprimierende Lymphozyten am Ort der Entzündung in allen Proben nachgewiesen werden. Die Kontrolle eines Präparats einer nicht infizierten distalen Tibia zeigte dagegen keine CXCR4-oder CD3-Expression. FAZIT: Mit der 68Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT können spezifisch CXCR4-exprimierende Lymphozyten am Ort der Entzündung nachgewiesen werden. Die 68Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT stellt eine geeignete Methode in der Diagnostik chronischer Osteomyeltiden dar.