Gallium-68 labelled RGD PET/CT imaging of endothelial activation in COVID-19 patients

Evelien A.J. van Genugten, Theresa J. van Lith, Frederik M.A. van den Heuvel, Josee L. van Steenis, Romy M. ten Heggeler, Monique Brink, Laura Rodwell, Frederick J.A. Meijer, Daphne Lobeek, Wanda Hagmolen of ten Have, Frank L. van de Veerdonk, Mihai G. Netea, Mathias Prokop, Robin Nijveldt, Anil M. Tuladhar, Erik H.J.G. Aarntzen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

11 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), endothelial cells play a central role and an inadequate response is associated with vascular complications. PET imaging with gallium-68 labelled RGD-peptide (68Ga-RGD) targets αvβ3 integrin expression which allows quantification of endothelial activation. In this single-center, prospective observational study, we included ten hospitalized patients with COVID-19 between October 2020 and January 2021. Patients underwent 68Ga-RGD PET/CT followed by iodine mapping of lung parenchyma. CT-based segmentation of lung parenchyma, carotid arteries and myocardium was used to quantify tracer uptake by calculating standardized uptake values (SUV). Five non-COVID-19 patients were used as reference. The study population was 68.5 (IQR 52.0–74.5) years old, with median oxygen need of 3 l/min (IQR 0.9–4.0). 68Ga-RGD uptake quantified as SUV ± SD was increased in lungs (0.99 ± 0.32 vs. 0.45 ± 0.18, p < 0.01) and myocardium (3.44 ± 1.59 vs. 0.65 ± 0.22, p < 0.01) of COVID-19 patients compared to reference but not in the carotid arteries. Iodine maps showed local variations in parenchymal perfusion but no correlation with SUV. In conclusion, using 68Ga-RGD PET/CT in COVID-19 patients admitted with respiratory symptoms, we demonstrated increased endothelial activation in the lung parenchyma and myocardium. Our findings indicate the involvement of increased and localized endothelial cell activation in the cardiopulmonary system in COVID-19 patients. Trail registration: NCT04596943.

Original languageEnglish
Article number11507
Number of pages10
JournalScientific Reports
Volume13
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec-2023
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Gallium-68 labelled RGD PET/CT imaging of endothelial activation in COVID-19 patients'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this