ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: [18F]Fluoromethylcholine ([18F]FCH) is a potent tumors imaging agent. In order to fulfill the demand of pre-clinical and clinical studies, we have developed an automated high yield one-pot synthesis of this potent tumors imaging agent. METHODS: [18F]FCH was synthesized using a modified TRACERlab FxFN module. Briefly, dibromomethane (10% in CH3CN) was fluorinated with K[18F]/K 2.2.2 in a glassy carbon reaction vessel at 120°C for about 5min to generate [18F]fluorobromomethane ([18F]FBM). The resulting [18F]FBM was then bubbling (He, 700mL/min) through four Sep-Pak® Silica Plus Long cartridges to react with dimethylaminoethanol (10% DMAE in 0.3mL DMSO) which was pre-loaded on Sep-Pak® C18 Plus Short cartridge. The [18F]FCH was purified by solid-phase extraction (SPE) using one Sep-Pak® C18 Plus Short and one Sep-Pak® CM Plus Short in series. The quality of [18F]FCH synthesized by this method was verified by HPLC and TLC as compared to authentic sample. RESULTS: Using this improved one-pot method, the RCY of [18F]FCH was 18.8 ± 2.1% (EOB, n = 27) in a synthesis time of 49 ± 5min from EOB. The radiochemical purity of [18F]FCH was greater than 90% and the residual DMAE concentration in the final product was less than 10ppm. CONCLUSIONS: This optimized method could fulfill the demand of [18F]FCH for both pre-clinical and clinical studies, especially for nearby study sites without a cyclotron.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: PET imaging with (18)F-FDOPA has been successfully applied in the diagnosis and surveillance of neuroblastoma (NB) by targeting the overexpression of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase. This study aims to assess the impact of residual (18)F-fluoride on (18)F-FDOPA PET in NB and to implement a method to maintain low (18)F-fluoride content in future studies. METHODS: Automatic synthesis of (18)F-FDOPA was based on the electrophilic method using TRACERlab FXFE module. Radio-TLC was employed to determine residual (18)F-fluoride levels. We analyzed the impact of residual (18)F-fluoride on the images of 35 patients undergoing (18)F-FDOPA PET at initial diagnosis and/or follow-ups of NB. RESULTS: In 35 batches of (18)F-FDOPA products from 9/28/2010 to 07/27/2011, the mean residual (18)F-fluoride level was 4.4 % (range 0.2-19.1 %). Residual (18)F-fluoride level ≥4.0 % was associated with dense uptake in the growth plates, skull, and pelvis on PET scans, which may interfere with the interpretation of (18)F-FDOPA imaging in NB. By applying stringent restraints in (18)F-FDOPA production, including regular renewal of reagents, exclusive use of NH4OH, and timely replacement of HPLC column, the incidence of (18)F-FDOPA batches with residual (18)F-fluoride level ≥4.0 % was reduced from 33 to 4 % (P < 0.0001) during 7/30/2011-4/29/2013. CONCLUSION: By monitoring residual (18)F-fluoride levels and keeping stringent restraint procedures, low (18)F-fluoride content was achieved in most batches of (18)F-FDOPA, which diminished false-positive skeletal uptake. An appropriate upper limit of (18)F-fluoride level is suggested to be included in the criteria of routine quality control of (18)F-FDOPA productions.
Subject(s)
Dihydroxyphenylalanine/analogs & derivatives , Fluorine Radioisotopes , Neuroblastoma/diagnostic imaging , Neuroblastoma/diagnosis , Positron-Emission Tomography , Radiopharmaceuticals , Bone Neoplasms/diagnosis , Bone Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Bone Neoplasms/genetics , Bone Neoplasms/secondary , Child , Child, Preschool , Chromatography , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Infant , Male , Multimodal Imaging , N-Myc Proto-Oncogene Protein , Neuroblastoma/genetics , Neuroblastoma/pathology , Nuclear Proteins/genetics , Oncogene Proteins/genetics , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Whole Body ImagingABSTRACT
Recent advances in biomarkers provide the possibility of early or preclinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's pathology. Currently, decreased levels of Aß-42 and increased levels of tau proteins in cerebral spinal fluid are considered reliable biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, little evidence exists for the use of amyloid and tau protein levels in the plasma as useful biomarkers. We investigated the potential use of plasma biomarkers to diagnose AD and explored their relationships with brain Aß deposition in amyloid imaging. We used an immunomagnetic reduction assay to measure the plasma levels of Aß40, Aß42, and tau proteins in 20 older control participants and 25 participants who had either mild cognitive impairment due to AD or early AD dementia. All participants received (11)C-labeled Pittsburgh compound B PET scans. The sensitivity of the plasma tau level at the cutoff value of 28.27 pg/mL was 92%, and the specificity was 100%; the sensitivity of the Aß42/40 ratio at the cutoff value of 0.3693 was 84%, and the specificity was 100%. Regression analyses of the effects of plasma protein levels on brain amyloid retention, as determined by standard uptake value ratios in either side of the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes and the precuneus, are predicted only by ratios of plasma Aß42/40 (R(2) 0.326-0.449, all p < 0.001) but not by plasma tau levels. Plasma Aß in terms of Aß42/40 might provide an indirect estimation of Aß deposition in the brain.
