Preliminary study on the ability of 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT to differentiate between adrenal aldosterone-producing adenoma and nonfunctional adenoma / 中华内科杂志

Objective:To evaluate the ability of 68Ga-Pentixafor (nuclide ligand imaging agents for chemokine receptor 4) PET/CT to differentiate between aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and adrenal nonfunctional adenoma (NFA), and to assess how well this imaging method correlates with clinical features and postoperative outcomes. Methods:This was a cross-sectional study involving 73 APA and 12 NFA patients who received 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT imaging at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from August 2018 to October 2021. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the differential value of visual analysis and the maximum standard uptake value (SUV max) of the focus on APA and NFA. The related factors of SUV max, and its predictive effect on postoperative outcomes were analyzed using Pearson or Spearman analysis and χ2 text. Results:68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT imaging was positive in 64 APA patients (sensitivity=87.7%) and negative in all 12 NFA patients (specificity=100%). The area under the ROC curve with SUV max differentiating APA and NFA was 0.932 ( P<0.001). When the SUV max cut-off point was 6.23, the sensitivity was 80.8% and the specificity was 100%. The SUV max correlated positively with lesion size ( r=0.598) and aldosterone/renin activity ratio ( r=0.313) and correlated negatively with potassium level ( r=-0.286), renin activity ( r=-0.240) and age of diagnosis ( r=-0.273) (all P<0.05). Of the patients who underwent adrenalectomy and received more than 6 months of post-surgical follow-up, the clinical complete remission rate was higher for 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT imaging-positive patients than imaging-negative patients (24/39 vs. 0/4, P=0.031). Conclusions:68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT is effective at differentiating between APA and NFA. The SUV max of 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT correlates with age at onset, lesion size, and the severity of clinical manifestations, and is able to predict postoperative outcomes.

Application of diuretic renal scintigraphy in the treatment of infants with severe hydronephrosis / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To explore the differences of renal dynamic imaging parameters between operation group and non-operation group in infants with severe hydronephrosis, so as to accumulate theoretical basis for diuretic renal scintigraphy to help the treatment decision making.Methods:A total of 107 infants (age: 3(2, 6) months; 90 males and 17 females) with severe hydronephrosis, who underwent diuretic renal scintigraphy between March 2018 and October 2021 in Shanxi Children′s Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were diagnosed with ureteropelvic junction obstruction and divided into operation group ( n=87) and no-operation group ( n=20). The differences of differential renal function (DRF), peak time, half-time and drainage curve between the two groups were compared with the independent-sample t test or χ2 test, and the correlation between the renal function of the affected side and the anteroposterior pelvic diameter (APD) was analyzed with Pearson correlation analysis. Results:The operation group included 17 patients with DRF<40%, 60 patients with DRF between 40%-55%, and 10 patients with DRF>55%(supernormal renal function). The 40%-55% was considered as normal DBF, and the rest were abnormal. Infants with abnormal renal function in the operation group ( n=27) were more than those in the non-operation group ( n=3), but there was no statistical difference ( χ2=2.07, P=0.150). The proportion of obstruction curve in the operation group (85.1%, 74/87) was significantly higher than that in the non-operation group (55.0%, 11/20; χ2=7.24, P=0.007). Compared with the non-operation group, the peak time of affected kidney in the operation group was significantly longer ((22.77±7.52) vs (15.26±10.29) min; t=3.78, P<0.001), as well as the peak time of contralateral kidney ((11.25±8.47) vs (6.65±5.75) min; t=2.30, P=0.023). There was a negative correlation between the DRF of the affected side and the APD ( r=-0.48, P<0.001). Conclusions:The DBF is mostly in the normal range in infants with severe hydronephrosis, and supernormal renal function is common. The previous operation indication (DRF<40%) is not suitable for the infants, and it needs to be analyzed combined with the type of curve and the APD determined by color Doppler ultrasound. The prolongation of contralateral renal peak time may be an important parameter for the surgical evaluation of severe hydronephrosis in infants.

Application and progress of 99Tc m-GSA and 99Tc m-mebrofenin hepatobiliary scintigraphy in liver reserve function assessment / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

The liver reserve function refers to the compensatory ability to maintain liver function after damage, providing implication for the resection of hepatic malignant tumor. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy imaging can provide quantitative evaluation of liver blood perfusion, and has advantages on the evaluation of liver reserve function and the prediction of postoperative complications. 99Tc m-galactosyl serum albumin (GSA) and 99Tc m-mebrofenin are commonly used imaging agents for hepatobiliary scintigraphy imaging assessment of liver reserve function. This article reviews the application and progress of hepatobiliary scintigraphy in liver reserve function assessment.

Investigation on 90Sr and 137Cs activity concentrations in water in Hangzhou urban area from 2012 to 2020 / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To investigate the activity concentrations of 90Sr and 137Cs in water in Hangzhou urban area. Methods:From 2012 to 2020, Qiantang River water as an important drinking water source, tap water as direct drinking water for residents, and West Lake water in tourists crowded area were selected forwater quality monitoring with respect to conctnts of 90Sr and 137Cs. The activity concentrations of 90Sr and 137Cs in water samples, as collected in wet and dry seasons resepectively, were determined by radiochemical analysis, with the 137Cs to 90Sr activity ratios obtained. Results:From 2012 to 2020, the activity concentrations of 90Sr and 137Cs in tap water were (2.0±1.1) - (7.4±0.4) mBq/L and (0.45±0.06) - (7.1±0.6) mBq/L, respectively. The 137Cs to 90Sr activity ratios ranged from 0.07 to 2.40. The activity concentrations of 90Sr and 137Cs in Qiantang River were (3.7±1.1) - (17.0±4.4) mBq/L and (0.28±0.01) - (15.0±4.5) mBq/L, respectively. The 137Cs to 90Sr activity ratios ranged from 0.03 to 0.90. The activity concentrations of 90Sr and 137Cs in West Lake water were (2.2±0.5) - (11.0±2.0) mBq/L and (0.32±0.04) - (7.9±1.9) mBq/L, respectively. The 137Cs to 90Sr activity ratios ranged from 0.05 to 1.20. Conclusions:The activity concentrations of 90Sr and 137Cs in water in Hangzhou urban area were at the background levels, lower than the concentration limits, 10 Bq/L both for 90Sr and 137Cs recommended by WHO in the 4 th edition of Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality.

Complete and sustained response after peptide receptor radionuclide therapy in a 66-year-old Filipino male with metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor: A case report

@#The introduction of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) to the Philippines has allowed for novel approaches in the management of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). This case report details the management of a 66-year-old Filipino man diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic NET after biopsy and staging with Ga-68 DOTATATE PET-CT. After poor response to somatostatin analogue therapy, the patient was advised to undergo PRRT. Upon completing four cycles of PRRT with Lu-177 DOTATATE, the metastatic hepatic lesions showed resolution and the pancreatic tail tumor exhibited regression, allowing the patient to undergo surgical resection of the primary tumor. On follow-up, he was declared to be in remission with good quality of life and no imaging evidence of recurrence. The case underscores the diagnostic and therapeutic utility of radiolabeled somatostatin analogues along with the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in the management of an initially unresectable metastatic pancreatic NET

An analysis of the results of the national assessments of gamma spectrometry of radionuclides, 2014-2021 / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To ensure the accuracy of gamma spectrometer in our laboratory for the analysis of radionuclides in samples and to improve the laboratory personnel’s ability to perform analyses of radionuclides. Methods Our laboratory had continuously participated in the national assessments of gamma spectrometry of radionuclides organized by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The samples were measured by a high-purity germanium gamma spectrometer (GEM-MX7080P4). An analysis was performed on the results of the gamma spectrometry assessments from 2014 to 2021. Results Our laboratory had an overall qualified rate of 100% (8/8) and an overall excellent rate of 39% (3/8) in the gamma spectrometry assessments from 2014 to 2021. The distribution ranges of RD, Z, U, and Urel for 28 measurements involving radionuclides 208Tl, 228Ac, 232Th, 40K, 238U, and 137Cs were −11.82% to 5.97%, −0.59 to 0.30, 0.02 to 0.92, and 4.33% to 10.49%, respectively. Conclusion The methods used in our laboratory for gamma spectrometry of radionuclides are accurate and the testing reports issued by our laboratory are reliable.

A reflection on medical treatment of radionuclide-contaminated wounds during medical response to nuclear emergencies / 中国辐射卫生

Radionuclide-contaminated wounds are common in medical response to nuclear emergencies, which have different manifestations in different types of accidents. Medical treatment is the key part of the response. Based on the drill experience gained from medical response to nuclear emergencies, the authors summarize the research advances in radionuclide-contaminated wounds in recent years, mainly involving the biokinetic characteristics, medical response, surgical debridement, and prevention and treatment of internal contamination of radionuclide-contaminated wounds; the authors summarize the key points of technical operations and provide suggestions on improvements in the drills. The authors believe that medical treatment of radionuclide-contaminated wounds requires highly compatible integration of the practical skills from clinical medicine and radiological knowledge; emergency response, surgical debridement, and prevention and treatment of internal contamination all together constitute an integrated rescue and treatment strategy with internal logic correlations. However, targeted improvements are needed to achieve desired effects in the drills.

Non-surgical management of vesicoureteral junction obstruction: a case report / Manejo não cirúrgico da obstrução da junção vesicoureteral: um relato de caso

Abstract Objective: To report the case of a pediatric patient with bilateral hydronephrosis due to vesicoureteral junction obstruction (VUJO) that was treated non-surgically and to discuss the approach of this anomaly. Case Description: A 25-month-old boy was referred without complaints for consultation due to prenatal ultrasound showing kidneys with cysts. He was under antibiotic prophylaxis. No family history of kidney disease and/or inherited disorders was reported. Renal ultrasound (RUS) at 2 days of life showed bilateral hydronephrosis, thus ruling out the possibility of kidney cystic disease. Dynamic renal scintigraphy (DTPA) showed marked retention of the marker in the pyelocaliceal system bilaterally, with little response to diuretic drug. He was maintained under antibiotic prophylaxis, when a new RUS showed bilateral ureteral dilatation, abrupt stenosis in the ureterovesical transition region (0.2 cm caliber), moderate bilateral hydronephrosis, and slight renal cortical thickness, confirming the diagnosis of VUJO. At 2 years and 10 months of age, DTPA showed hydronephrosis and ureteral stasis in both kidneys secondary to stenosis at the vesicoureteral junction (VUJ) level, with preservation of kidney function and slow degree of emptying. We opted for a non-surgical approach. RUS at 10 years of age showed significant improvement of all parameters, with ureteral transverse diameter of 9 mm, preserved VUJ, and age-appropriate bilateral kidney development. Comments: VUJO is a major cause of prenatal hydronephrosis and can trigger a deterioration of kidney function. Its treatment is still controversial but should take into account the importance of clinical follow-up and serial imaging evaluation.

Resumo Objetivo: Relatar o caso de um paciente pediátrico com hidronefrose bilateral devido à obstrução da junção vesicoureteral (OJVU) que foi tratado não cirurgicamente e discutir a abordagem desta anomalia. Descrição do caso: Um menino de 25 meses de idade foi encaminhado sem queixas para consulta devido à ultrassonografia pré-natal que mostrou rins com cistos. Ele estava sob profilaxia antibiótica. Nenhum histórico familiar de doença renal e/ou distúrbios hereditários foi relatado. A ultrassonografia renal (USR) aos 2 dias de vida mostrou hidronefrose bilateral, descartando assim a possibilidade de doença renal cística. A cintilografia renal dinâmica (DTPA) mostrou uma retenção acentuada do marcador no sistema pielocalicial bilateralmente, com pouca resposta ao diurético. O paciente foi mantido em profilaxia antibiótica, quando uma nova USR apresentou dilatação ureteral bilateral, estenose abrupta na região de transição ureterovesical (calibre 0,2 cm), hidronefrose bilateral moderada e leve espessura cortical renal, confirmando o diagnóstico de OJVU. Aos 2 anos e 10 meses de idade, a DTPA mostrou hidronefrose e estase ureteral em ambos os rins secundárias à estenose no nível da junção vesicoureteral (JVU), com preservação da função renal e grau lento de esvaziamento. Optamos por uma abordagem não cirúrgica. A USR aos 10 anos de idade mostrou melhora significativa de todos os parâmetros, com diâmetro transverso ureteral de 9 mm, JVU preservada, e desenvolvimento renal bilateral adequado à idade. Comentários: A OJVU é uma das principais causas de hidronefrose pré-natal e pode desencadear uma deterioração da função renal. Seu tratamento ainda é controverso, mas deve levar em consideração a importância do acompanhamento clínico e da avaliação seriada por imagem.

Reporte de un caso de tratamiento de gastroparesia pediátrica con prucaloprida: una terapia novedosa / A case report of prucalopride treatment in pediatric gastroparesis: a novel therapy

La prucaloprida acelera el vaciamiento gástrico en adultos con gastroparesia. No existen estudios con este medicamento en niños con gastroparesia. Se presenta un niño de 8 años que consultó por síntomas posprandiales de un mes de duración, con diagnóstico de gastroparesia por gammagrafía de vaciamiento gástrico. No mejoró con metoclopramida, domperidona, eritromicina y esomeprazol. Recibió prucaloprida durante dos períodos (durante 178 y 376 días) a dosis de 0,03-0,04 mg/kg/día. Presentó mejoría en el seguimiento con el índice cardinal de síntomas de gastroparesia y gammagrafías de vaciamiento gástrico. Por la buena respuesta, la prucaloprida podría ser una opción terapéutica en la gastroparesia pediátrica.

Prucalopride has been used in adults with gastroparesis, accelerating gastric emptying. There are no studies with this drug in gastroparetic children. An 8-year-old boy is presented who consulted for a month of postprandial symptoms, with a diagnosis of gastroparesis by gastric emptying scintigraphy. He did not improve with metoclopramide, domperidone, erythromycin, and esomeprazole. He received prucalopride for two periods (for 178 and 376 days) at doses: 0.03 - 0.04 mg/kg/day, presenting improvement in the follow-up with the cardinal gastroparesis symptom index and gastric emptying scintigraphy. Due to the good response, prucalopride may be a therapeutic option in pediatric gastroparesis.

68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT versus 111In-octreotide scintigraphy in patients with neuroendocrine tumors: a prospective study / PET/CT com 68Ga-DOTATATE versus cintilografia com 111In-octreotide em pacientes com tumores neuroendócrinos: estudo prospectivo

Abstract Objective: To compare 68Ga-DOTA-DPhe1,Tyr3-octreotate (68Ga-DOTATATE) positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) findings with those of conventional 111In-octreotide scintigraphy in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Materials and Methods: This was a single-center prospective study including 41 patients (25 males; mean age, 55.4 years) with biopsy-proven NETs who underwent whole-body 111In-octreotide scintigraphy and whole-body 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT. The patients had been referred for tumor staging (34.1%), tumor restaging (61.0%), or response evaluation (4.9%). Images were compared in a patient-by-patient analysis to identify additional lesions, and we attempted to determine the impact that discordant findings had on treatment planning. Results: Compared with 111In-octreotide scintigraphy, 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT revealed more lesions, the additional lesions typically being in the liver or bowel. Changes in management owing to the additional information provided by 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT occurred in five patients (12.2%), including intermodal changes in three (7.3%) and intramodal changes in two (4.9%). In addition, 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT yielded incidental findings unrelated to the primary NET in three patients (7.3%): Hürthle cell carcinoma of the thyroid, bowel non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and a suspicious breast lesion. Conclusion: We conclude that 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT is superior to conventional 111In-octreotide scintigraphy for the management of NETs because of its ability to determine the extent of the disease more accurately, which, in some cases, translates to changes in the treatment plan.

RESUMO Objetivo: Comparar os achados da PET/CT com 68Ga-DOTATATE em relação aos da cintilografia com 111In-octreotide em pacientes com tumores neuroendócrinos (TNEs). Materiais e Métodos: Estudo prospectivo unicêntrico incluindo 41 pacientes (25 homens; média de idade: 55,4 anos) com TNEs comprovados por biópsia submetidos a cintilografia de corpo inteiro com 111In-octreotide e PET/CT com 68Ga-DOTATATE. Os pacientes incluídos foram encaminhados para estadiamento do tumor (34,1%), reestadiamento (61,0%) ou avaliação da resposta (4,9%). As imagens foram comparadas para identificar lesões adicionais e o impacto dos achados discordantes no planejamento terapêutico. Resultados: Na comparação com a cintilografia com 111In-octreotide, a PET/CT com 68Ga-DOTATATE revelou mais lesões, mais frequentemente localizadas no fígado e intestino. Mudanças no tratamento devidas às informações adicionais reveladas pela PET/ CT ocorreram em 5/41 pacientes (12,2%), incluindo mudanças intermodalidade em três casos (7,3%) e intramodalidade em dois casos (4,9%). A PET/CT também identificou achados incidentais não relacionados ao TNE em 3/41 pacientes (7,3%), incluindo um carcinoma de células de Hürthle da tireoide, um linfoma não Hodgkin de intestino e uma lesão mamária suspeita. Conclusão: A PET/CT com 68Ga-DOTATATE é superior à cintilografia convencional com 111In-octreotide para o manejo de pacientes com TNEs, em virtude da sua capacidade de detectar a extensão da doença com mais precisão, o que se traduz, em alguns casos, em alterações terapêuticas.

Application of radionuclide renal dynamic imaging combined with double plasma method in evaluation of split renal glomerular filtration rates pre- and post-interventional treatment in patients with unilateral hydronephrosis / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To explore the value of 99Tc m-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) renal dynamic imaging combined with double plasma glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in the evaluation of split renal function in adult patients undergoing interventional therapy for unilateral hydronephrosis. Methods:Retrospective analysis of 79 patients (39 males, 40 females, age (41.4±16.3) years) with unilateral hydronephrosis in First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from January 2015 to December 2019 were performed. All patients underwent surgery to relive obstruction. 99Tc m-DTPA renal dynamic imaging was performed before and after surgery to obtain bilateral renogram and GFR was measured by Gates method (marked as gGFR). Meanwhile, the corrected double plasma method was used to measure the GFR of both kidneys (marked as dGFR all). Double plasma GFR of the affected kidney (marked as dGFR) was obtained according to the ratio of renogram and dGFR all. Patients were divided into mild to moderate group (dGFR≥20 and <40 ml·min -1·1.73 m -2 ), severe group (dGFR≥10 and <20 ml·min -1·1.73 m -2) and extremely severe group (dGFR<10 ml·min -1·1.73 m -2) according to dGFR before surgery. Postoperative renal dynamic imaging and dGFR were reexamined to analyze the GFR recovery values (ΔgGFR, ΔdGFR). Data were analyzed by χ2 test, paired t test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis and Bland-Altman consistency test. Results:There were 34 patients in mild to moderate group, 24 patients in severe group, 21 patients in extremely severe group. Significant differences were found in both gGFR and dGFR before and after surgery in mild to moderate group, as well as those in the extremely severe group ( t values: 2.42-3.34, all P<0.05 ), but there was no significant difference in severe group ( t values: 1.24, 1.27, both P>0.05). The ΔgGFR and ΔdGFR were not significantly different among three groups ( F values: 0.45, 0.34, both P>0.05). GFR mesured by the 2 methods (gGFR, dGFR) before and after operation correlated well in each group (before surgery, r values: 0.68-0.82; after surgery, r values: 0.80-0.91, all P<0.001). GFR measured by the two methods showed poor consistency in the mild to moderate and severe groups (>5%(5.88%, 2/34; 8.33%, 2/24) values before and after surgery exceeding 95% consistency limit), while good consistency was demonstrated in the extremely severe group (<5%(4.76%, 1/21) values before and after surgery exceeding 95% consistency limit). Conclusions:Preoperative GFR in patients with unilateral hydronephrosis cannot predict the recovery of renal function after interventional treatment. For the evaluation of split renal GFR in patients with unilateral upper urinary tract obstructive hydronephrosis, corrected dual plasma method combined with kidney ratio of renogram is more appropriate for the determination of GFR. Gates method has some limitations, however, it can be recommended for the evaluation of GFR in patients with extremely severe renal impairment before and after interventional surgery.

Targeted therapy of Apt-siRNA combining with docetaxel for PSMA-positive prostate cancer and monitoring imaging of 99Tc m-Apt-siRNA / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:Apt-A10-3.2 (aptamer of prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)) can be used as a specific ligand for early diagnosis and targeted treatment of prostate cancer. Mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) is closely related to the malignancy of prostate cancer, and MDM2 small interfering RNA (siRNA) can silence MDM2 gene through RNA interference. To design a novel chimera of PSMA Apt-MDM2 siRNA and combine it with docetaxel (DTX) to explore a new diagnosis and treatment model combining targeted therapy of PSMA-positive prostate cancer with 99Tc m-chimera imaging monitoring. Methods:Apt-siRNA were obtained by covalent connection of PSMA Apt-A10-3.2 and MDM2 siRNA, which was combined with DTX to treat PSMA-positive prostate cancer cell lines (22RV1 and LNCaP). Cell lines were treated with Apt-siRNA alone or in combination with DTX. The levels of MDM2 and apoptosis-related proteins (B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X (Bax), poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), caspase-3) were detected by Western blot, which were used to evaluate the therapeutic effect. Fifteen BALB/c mice bearing 22RV1 xenografts were treated with PBS, DTX+ Apt-siRNA (200 pmol) and DTX+ Apt-siRNA (400 pmol), respectively. Tumor volume and MDM2 level were observed, and 99Tc m-Apt-siRNA SPECT imaging was performed to obtain the tumor/muscle (T/M) ratio. One-way analysis of variance, Tukey′s test and linear regression analysis were used for data analysis. Results:The levels of MDM2 protein were significantly decreased by Apt-siRNA (0.25±0.02, F=183.40, P<0.001; 0.56±0.03, F=37.15, P<0.001) in 22RV1 and LNCaP cells. After the treatment of Apt-siRNA+ DTX, the levels of Bcl-2 were significantly decreased, and the levels of Bax, PARP and caspase-3 were significantly increased. MDM2 protein level (400 pmol: 0.59±0.12; F=49.99, P=0.023) and tumor volume (400 pmol: (0.22±0.07) cm 3;F=71.30, P=0.039) were significantly inhibited by Apt-siRNA+ DTX in mice bearing 22RV1 xenografts. As for 99Tc m-Apt-siRNA SPECT imaging in vivo, T/M ratio of treatment group was significantly decreased (400 pmol: 2.07±0.22; F=34.99, P=0.022), and there was a linear regression relationship between T/M ratio and the expression level of MDM2 ( R2=0.875, P<0.001). Conclusion:Apt-siRNA combined with DTX can effectively inhibit the progression of prostate cancer, and realize visual targeted diagnosis and treatment of PSMA-positive prostate cancer by coupling radionuclide technetium.

Preparation and use of the 225Ac- 213Bi generator / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To develop radiopharmaceuticals for targeted alpha therapy (TAT), a simple and useful 225Ac- 213Bi generator was developed to provide a short half-life α-emitter 213Bi. Methods:DIPEX resin was used as the stationary phase of the generator, a Sep-Pak Alumina N Plus Light Cartridge column was utilized as the column to construct the generator, and hydrochloric acid was used as the eluent. The γ spectrometer was used to determine the purity of the eluted 213Bi and verify the method to measure the radioactivity of 225Ac and 213Bi by using radioisotope calibrators. The elution curves of the generator at various settings were analyzed to find the best elute and storage conditions. Results:Using commercial 225Ac, 100 mg DIPEX resin and a Sep-Pak Alumina N Plus Light Cartridge column, a 225Ac- 213Bi generator with a column volume of 0.35 ml was constructed, which could be eluted 213Bi with a syringe drenched with hydrochloric acid. The produced 213Bi was pure, and the measured half-life was (45.75±0.12) min, which was consistent with the theoretical value (45.6 min). CRC ? calibrators with setting numbers of #086 and #018 could measure the activity of 225Ac and 213Bi with the average errors of -2.6% and + 0.2% respectively. The eluent for the 225Ac- 213Bi generator was 2 mol/L hydrochloric acid, of which 320 μl was required only to get 90% elution yield. The generator was recommended to be stored directly in the eluent to avoid drying. Conclusion:The 225Ac- 213Bi generator can be constructed to obtain 213Bi for TAT.

Preliminary study on 99Tc m-3PRGD 2 imaging to verify the anti-angiogenesis mechanism and efficacy of Mongolian medicine Sendeng-4 decoction for rheumatoid arthritis / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To explore the therapeutic mechanism of Mongolian medicine Sendeng-4 decoction for rheumatoid arthritis by 99Tc m-hydrazinonicotinamide-(polyethylene glycol) 4-E[(polyethylene glycol) 4-c((Arg-Gly-Asp)fk)] 2 (3PRGD 2) imaging. Methods:A total of 200 female SD rats (age: 6-7 weeks) were divided into collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) group ( n=176) and blank control group ( n=24). Rats in the CIA group were divided into Sendeng-4 decoction treatment group ( n=24), etanercept treatment group ( n=24), and negative control group ( n=24) by simple random sampling method. 99Tc m-3PRGD 2 SPECT/CT imaging was performed before and after modeling and treatment. The differences of target/non-target (T/NT) ratio and serological, pathological, and immunohistochemical results among groups were compared by one-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test. The correlation was analyzed by Pearson correlation or Spearman correlation analysis. Results:There were 95 (95/176) CIA models successfully established. The T/NT ratios of Sendeng-4 decoction treatment group and etanercept treatment group were lower than that of negative control group (0.260± 0.094, 0.238±0.099, 0.766±0.144 ; F=163.00, P<0.001), while there was no significant difference between the two drug treatment groups ( P>0.05). After drug treatment, serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and α vβ 3 were significantly lower than those of negative control group ( F values: 49.43-92.36, all P<0.001), pathological score was also lower than that of negative control group ( H=34.25, P<0.001), and levels of immunohistochemical makers (VEGF, TNF-α, α vβ 3, CD31, CD34) were also lower than those of negative control group ( H values: 13.51-26.84, all P<0.001), while there were no significant differences between the two drug treatment groups (all P>0.05). The T/NT ratios were positively correlated with above indictors in Sendeng-4 decoction treatment group ( r values: 0.56-0.59, rs values: 0.49-0.69), etanercept treatment group ( r values: 0.50-0.55, rs values: 0.46-0.70) and negative control group ( r values: 0.55-0.80, rs values: 0.58-0.86, P<0.001 or P<0.05). Conclusion:Verified by 99Tc m-3PRGD 2 SPECT/CT imaging and molecular pathology, Mongolian medicine Sendeng-4 decoction can inhibit neovascularization by down-regulating vascular factors such as VEGF, resulting in delaying the progression of the disease and improving clinical symptoms.

Imaging features of 99Tc m-dextran lymphoscitigraphy in thoracic duct exports obstruction / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To compare the 99Tc m-dextran(DX) lymphoscitigraphy and direct lymphography (DLG), in order to investigate the imaging features and clinical significance of 99Tc m-DX lymphoscitigraphy in patients with thoracic duct exports (TDE)obstruction. Methods:A total of 304 patients (140 males, 164 females, median age: 32 years) with TDE obstruction confirmed by thoracic duct exploration between 2017-01-01 and 2019-01-01 in Beijing Shijitan Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Based on the different imaging characteristics of TDE, the reluts of 99Tc m-DX lymphoscitigraphy were divided into five groups (Ⅰ: no TDE presenting; Ⅱ: TDE presenting temporarily; Ⅲ: TDE presenting constantly or extensively; Ⅳ: abnormal reflux of imaging agents; Ⅴ: bilateral venous angle presenting). Ⅰ/Ⅱ groups were regarded as negative and Ⅲ-Ⅴ groups as positive. The consistency of 99Tc m-DX lymphoscitigraphy with DLG was evaluated with Kappa test, and the positive rates of the two methods were compared by McNemar test. Results:In the detection of TDE, the positive rate of 99Tc m-DX lymphoscintigraphy was 70.1% (213/304), which was significantly lower than that of DLG (97.4%, 296/304; χ2=4.16, P<0.001). The group Ⅲ has the largest number of cases (54.9%, 167/304), and there was a low consistency with DLG ( Kappa=0.08, P=0.005). However, there was a higher consistency between 99Tc m-DX lymphoscintigraphy results and the corresponding DLG results in the groups Ⅳ/Ⅴ ( Kappa values: 0.48, 0.86, both P<0.001). Furthermore, the diagnostic accordance rates of lower extremity lymphedema and chylous effusion were 96.1%(98/102) and 83.6%(127/152), respectively, compared with the clinical diagnosis. Conclusions:TDE obstruction of 99Tc m-DX lymphoscitigraphy presents in the majority with Ⅲ type. 99Tc m-DX lymphoscitigraphy results in patients with type Ⅳ and Ⅴ have a better consistency with those of DLG. 99Tc m-DX lymphoscitigraphy can be used as a screening tool of TDE obstruction, and play a role in the diagnosis of lower limb lymphedema and chylous effusion caused by TDE obstruction.

Advances in the application of nuclear medicine imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of systematic light chain amyloidosis / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Systematic light chain (AL) amyloidosis is the most common forms of amyloidosis, which manifests as multiple organ system involvement, rapid progress, dire prognosis, difficult therapy and high mortality. Many patients may miss the optimal treatment as a result of not being diagnosed timely. Therefore, early diagnosis and assessment of involved extent of AL are clinical focuses. Related clinical studies have demonstrated that nuclear medicine imaging can be non-invasive in detecting amyloid deposits. It can not only early assess the extent and distribution of amyloid deposits in systemic AL amyloidosis, but also offer the indications for risk stratification, treatment response monitoring and prognosis assessment of the patients, especially for positron amyloidosis-specific tracers, which may have great prospects in the future. This review summarizes the application of nuclear medicine imaging in the systematic AL amyloidosis.

Recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone for post-operative assessment in patients with low- to intermediate-risk differentiated thyroid cancer: results of phase Ⅰ study / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy by using domestic recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone (rhTSH) in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) before or after 131I therapy. Methods:From May 2019 to November 2020, a total of 24 patients with DTC (5 males, 19 females, median age 41 years) in Peking Union Medical College Hospital and Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Zhengzhou University were enrolled into the open-label, dose escalation phase Ⅰ study. All patients were divided into 4 domestic rhTSH dose groups: 0.9 mg×1 d (group A), 0.9 mg×2 d (group B), 1.8 mg×1 d (group C), 1.8 mg×2 d (group D) in succession, with 6 patients in each group. Each patient underwent rhTSH phase and thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW) phase. The end point included safety, tolerability, the quality of life (hypothyroidism symptom and sign score (Billewicz score), profile of mood states (POMS)), effectiveness (thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroglobulin (Tg) levels, diagnostic whole-body scan (Dx-WBS)) and pharmacokinetic characteristics (peak time, peak concentration) of rhTSH. Paired t test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for statistical analysis. Results:There were no dose-limiting toxicities, serious adverse events, or no grade ≥3 adverse events reported. The quality of life in rhTSH phase was significantly better than those in THW phase, including the lower Billewicz score (-53.00(-53.00, -53.00) vs -39.50(-47.00, -23.00); S=119.50, P<0.001) and the lower POMS score (91.92±12.06 vs 99.67±19.13; t=0.95, P=0.025). Serum TSH level was increased from 0.04(0.02, 0.11) mU/L (baseline) to 150.00(105.20, 173.31) mU/L 24 h after the last rhTSH administration, which was increased along with the elevation of rhTSH doses. In the THW phase, patients′ TSH levels were≥30 mU/L after 23 d (median) of THW, with the median of 73.51(57.22, 106.22) mU/L. Median Tg level of baseline was 0.10(0.10, 0.41) μg/L, which reached a peak of 0.85(0.12, 3.01) μg/L at 48 h after rhTSH administration. The peak Tg level in the THW phase was 0.88(0.15, 8.04) μg/L. The Dx-WBS consistency rate between rhTSH and THW phase was 95.8%(23/24). Conclusion:rhTSH is a safe and effective method to stimulate the serum Tg level and radioiodine uptake in patients undergoing post-operation or post- 131I assessment for DTC, as well as maintain a higher quality of life in comparison to THW phase.

Automatic diagnosis and assessment of bone metastases on bone scans based on deep learning / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To develop an approach for the automatic diagnosis of bone metastasis and to design a parameter of quantitative evaluation for tumor burden on bone scans based on deep learning technology.Methods:A total of 621 cases (389 males, 232 females, age: 12-93 years) of bone scan images from the Department of Nuclear Medicine in Tenth People′s Hospital of Tongji University from March 2018 to July 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Images were divided into bone metastasis group and non-bone metastasis group. Eighty percent of the cases were randomly extracted from both groups as the training set, and the rest of cases were used as the test set. A deep residual convolutional neural network ResNet34 was used to construct the classification model and the segmentation model. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated and the performance differences of the classification model in different age groups (15 cases of <50 years, 75 cases of ≥50 and <70 years, 33 cases of ≥70 years) were analyzed. The regions of metastatic bone lesions were automatically segmented by the segmentation model. The Dice coefficient was used to evaluate the effect of the segmentation model and the manual labeled results. Finally, the bone scans tumor burden index (BSTBI) was calculated to assess the tumor burden of bone metastases.Results:There were 280 cases with bone metastases and 341 cases with non-bone metastases, including 498 in training set and 123 in test set. The classification model could accurately identify bone metastases, with the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 92.59%(50/54), 85.51%(59/69) and 88.62%(109/123), respectively, and it performed best in the <50 years group (sensitivity, 2/2; specificity, 12/13; accuracy, 14/15). The specificity in the ≥70 years group (8/12) was the lowest. The Dice coefficient of bone metastatic area and bladder area were 0.739 and 0.925 in the segmentation model, which performed similarly in the three age groups. Preliminary results showed that the value of BSTBI increased with the increase of the number of bone metastatic lesions and the degree of 99Tc m-MDP uptake. The machine learning model in this study took (0.48±0.07) s for the entire analysis process from input to the final BSTBI calculation. Conclusions:The deep learning based on automatic diagnosis framework for bone metastases can automatically and accurately identify segment bone metastases and calculate tumor burden. It provides a new way for the interpretation of bone scans. The proposed BSTBI may be used as a quantitative evaluation indicator in the future to assess the tumor burden of bone metastases based on bone scans.

Application value of delay-phase 99Tc m-PYP scintigraphy and SPECT imaging for diagnosis of transthyretin-related cardiac amyloidosis / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To investigate the application of different imaging methods of 99Tc m-pyrophosphate (PYP) in the diagnosis and pathological classification of cardiac amyloidosis (CA). Methods:A total of 31 patients (22 males, 9 females, age 21-81(57.2±13.4) years) with suspected CA who underwent 99Tc m-PYP dual-phase scintigraphy (early-phase: 1 h, delay-phase: 2-3 h) and SPECT/CT (1 h) between December 2018 and December 2019 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively included. Taking clinical diagnosis as the standard, the results of visual score (≥2, positive) and semi-quantitative values (heart to contralateral lung (H/CL)≥1.5, positive) of 99Tc m-PYP uptake in dual-phase scintigraphy and SPECT/CT imaging were analyzed. One-way analysis of variance and Bonferroni test were used to analyze the data. Results:Among 31 patients with suspected CA, 15 were clinically diagnosed as CA (5 patients with transthyretin-related CA (ATTR-CA) and 10 patients with light chain CA (AL-CA)) and 16 were diagnosed as non-CA. All 5 patients with ATTR-CA had positive dual-phase scintigraphy and SPECT/CT imaging results. Three out of 10 patients with AL-CA had positive early-phase scintigraphy whereas negative delay-phase scintigraphy and SPECT/CT imaging results. Sixteen patients who were clinically diagnosed as non-CA had negative dual-phase scintigraphy and SPECT/CT imaging results. The sensitivity (5/5), specificity (10/10), positive predictive value (5/5), negative predictive value (10/10) and accuracy (15/15) of delay-phase scintigraphy and SPECT/CT imaging were the same. Among 31 patients, 16 patients carried transthyretin-related (TTR) gene mutation, and 4 of them who clinically diagnosed as variant ATTR (ATTRv) had positive image findings while 12 of them who not clinically diagnosed as CA had negative image findings. There were significant differences in H/CL between ATTR-CA group and AL-CA group in early-phase (2.11±0.24 vs 1.31±0.07) and delay-phase (2.02±0.19 vs 1.30±0.05; F values: 75.41 and 87.15, Bonferroni test, both P<0.01). Conclusions:99Tc m-PYP delay-phase scintigraphy and SPECT/CT have high diagnostic efficiencies in ATTR-CA, helping to determine the pathological classification of CA; while early-phase scintigraphy has false positive results. Moreover, 99Tc m-PYP imaging is helpful to detect CA in patients with TTR gene mutation.