Chulhan Kim

(18) F-FDG-PET/CT predicts early tumor recurrence in living donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

The prognosis including 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F‐FDG‐PET/CT) for the early recurrence for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) was not well established. Consecutive patients who underwent 18F‐FDG‐PET/CT and subsequent LDLT for HCC from March 2005 to June 2011 were enrolled. The 191 patients with a median follow‐up of 26.1 months were evaluated. There were 20 patients (10.5%) with early recurrence (≤6 months), 18 patients (9.4%) with late recurrence (>6 months), and 153 patients (80.1%) with no recurrence. Fifty‐five patients (28.8%) displayed increased PET/CT tumor uptake. Three‐year overall and disease‐free survival for PET/CT‐positive patients were 65.5% and 57.1%, respectively, while PET/CT‐negative patients showed respective values of 89.8% and 86.8% (P = 0.001 vs. P < 0.001). Tumor variables associated with PET/CT‐positive finding were preoperative AFP level, Milan, UCSF criteria, maximum tumor size, total tumor size, differentiation, vascular invasion, and serosal invasion. PET/CT‐positive status was identified as an independent prognostic factor for disease‐free survival influencing early recurrence in multivariable analysis (HR 3.945, 95% CI 1.196–13.016, P = 0.024). 18F‐FDG‐PET/CT is an independent and significant predictor of early tumor recurrence in LDLT for HCC.

Use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose labeling in human leukocytes.

ObjectiveInsufficient labeling efficiency and poor retention of radioactivity are the considerable shortcomings of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) labeling in human leukocytes. This study was conducted toevaluate the feasibility of using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to improve 18F-FDG labeling in human leukocytes. MethodsLeukocyte separation was performed using methods reported earlier. Separated leukocytes were preincubated with G-CSF or insulin at 37°C for 1 h. Afterpreincubation, labeling was performed with 18F-FDG (37–74 MBq) at 37°C for 30 min. Retained radioactivity was assessed at 1–4 h after labeling by the same method described in earlier reports. The viability of labeled leukocytes was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. ResultsLabeling efficiency of leukocytes preincubated withG-CSF, G-CSF with insulin, insulin, and control leukocytes was 52.1±8.9%, 49.9±10.5%, 40.3±7.7%, and 40.3±6.0%, respectively. G-CSF significantly increased the labeling efficiency compared with insulin (P=0.005) and control (P=0.004). In leukocytes preincubated with G-CSF, 77.0±1.2%, and 59.0±1.8% of radioactivity was retained at 1 and 3 h after labeling. There was no significant difference in retained radioactivity compared with that of leukocytes with different treatment at all time points. Furthermore, no significant difference in viabilities among leukocytes with different treatments was observed. ConclusionUse of G-CSF significantly improved 18F-FDG labeling efficiency without a significant effect on cell viability and retention of radioactivity.

Nonfunctioning Periurethral Paraganglioma Incidentally Detected by FDG PET/CT

Paragangliomas are extra-adrenal neuroendocrine tumors that are derived from neural crest cells. Among all the paragangliomas, those in a pelvic location are extremely rare. In addition, the prevalence of nonfunctioning paragangliomas is underestimated because of their clinical latency, and they are often underdiagnosed unless they cause symptoms. We report a case of a nonfunctioning periurethral paraganglioma that was incidentally detected by FDG PET/CT during regular follow-up after excision of a melanoma on the left thumb.

Pharmacokinetics of four metabolites of DA‐125, a new anthracycline antineoplastic agent after single and multiple intravenous administration to rats

The tissue distribution, and biliary and urinary excretion of four metabolites (M1‐M4) of a new anthracycline antineoplastic agent (DA‐125) were compared after single and multiple (7 consecutive days) intravenous (i. v.) administration to rats. The mean pharmacokinetic parameters of M1, such as area under the plasma concentration‐time curve (AUC: 56.4 μg min/ml vs. 69.0 μg min/ml), terminal half‐life (t1/2: 3.51 h vs. 3.01 h), total body clearance (CI: 70.9 ml/min/kg vs. 58.0 ml/min/kg), renal clearance (CIR: 0.193 ml/min/kg vs. 0.336 ml/min/kg) and nonrenal clearance (CINR: 70.7 ml/min/kg vs. 57.7 ml/min/kg); of M2, such as plasma AUC (39.4 μg min/ml vs. 41.9 μg min/ml), t1/2 (6.15 h vs. 7.34 h) and CIR (10.5 ml/min/kg vs. 13.8 ml/min/kg); and of M4, such as plasma AUC (4.82 μg min/ml vs. 6.54 μg min/ml) and t1/2 (3.33 h vs 4.02 h), were comparable between single and multiple administrations of DA‐125. M3 was detected in plasma for up to 1–5 min, and M3 and M4 were below the detection limit in 24‐h urine after both single and multiple administrations of DA‐125. M2 was the main metabolite of DA‐125 excreted (among M1‐M4) in 24‐h urine after both single and multiple administrations of DA‐125; approximately 12.3% and 20.1% (P<0.01) of i. v. dosage (expressed in terms of DA‐125) was excreted as M2 after single and multiple administrations of DA‐125, respectively. Corresponding values for MI were 0.326% and 0.694% (P<0.05). The mean levels of M1 (229 μg vs. 175 μg) and M2 (1330μg vs. 1120μg) excreted in 24‐h bile after single and multiple administrations of DA‐125 were not significantly different; the percentages of i. v. dosage excreted in 24‐h bile as M1 (expressed in terms of DA‐125) were 4.83% and 3.58% after single and multiple administrations, respectively. The corresponding values for M2 were 27.8% and 22.5%. M3 and M4 were below the detection limit in 24‐h bile after both single and multiple administrations of DA‐125. Mean AUA, s (area under the amounttime curves from time zero to last measurement time t) (or AUC, s‐area under the plasma concentration‐time curves from time zero until the last measurement time t) of M1‐M4 in each tissue after single and multiple administrations of DA‐125 were also comparable except in the bone marrow and thymus. The data suggest that 7 consecutive days of i. v. administration of DA‐125 (4 mg/kg) to rats does not lead to considerable accumulation of M1‐M4 in the tissues, except in the bone marrow and thymus.