GPU-accelerated three-dimensional reconstruction method of the Compton camera and its application in radionuclide imaging

A novel and fast three-dimensional reconstruction method for a Compton camera and its performance in radionuclide imaging is proposed and analyzed in this study. The conical surface sampling back-projection method with scattering angle correction(CSS-BP-SC) can quickly perform the back-projection process of the Compton cone and can be used to precompute the list-mode maximum likelihood expectation maximization(LM-MLEM). A dedicated parallel architecture was designed for the graphics processing unit acceleration of the back-projection and iteration stage of the CSS-BP-SC-based LM-MLEM. The imaging results of the two-point source Monte Carlo(MC) simulation demonstrate that by analyzing the full width at half maximum along the three coordinate axes, the CSS-BP-SC-based LM-MLEM can obtain imaging results comparable to those of the traditional reconstruction algorithm, that is, the simple back-projection-based LM-MLEM. The imaging results of the mouse phantom MC simulation and experiment demonstrate that the reconstruction results obtained by the proposed method sufficiently coincide with the set radioactivity distribution, and the speed increased by more than 664 times compared to the traditional reconstruction algorithm in the mouse phantom experiment. The proposed method will further advance the imaging applications of Compton cameras.

EVALUATION OF RADIONUCLIDE BONE IMAGING FOR SKELETAL DISEASE

Whole body bone scan imaging of 99mTc-MDP was performed in 80 casesfrom Sept 1991 to Feb 1992. Among them 20 patients showed negtive bone imaging and56 patients showed positive bone imaging. There were false-positive bone imaging in 4 pa-tients. Bone scan imaging has been regarded as a useful method in the early diagnosis ofshelatal disease, especially in old patients with bone metastasis. But the final confirmationof malignancy should be still cautious.

Role of radionuclide imaging for diagnosis of device and prosthetic valve infections

Cardiovascular implantable electronic device(CIED) infection and prosthetic valve endocarditis(PVE) remain a diagnostic challenge.Cardiac imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of patients with CIED infection or PVE.Over the past few years,cardiac radionuclide imaging has gained a key role in the diagnosis of these patients,and in assessing the need for surgery,mainly in the most difficult cases.Both ^(18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography(^(18)F-FDG PET/CT) and radiolabelled white blood cell single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography(WBC SPECT/CT) have been studied in these situations.In their 2015 guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis,the European Society of Cardiology incorporated cardiac nuclear imaging as part of their diagnostic algorithm for PVE,but not CIED infection since the data were judged insufficient at the moment.This article reviews the actual knowledge and recent studies on the use of ^(18)F-FDG PET/CT and WBC SPECT/CT in the context of CIED infection and PVE,and describes the technical aspects of cardiac radionuclide imaging.It also discusses their accepted and potential indications for the diagnosis and management of CIED infection and PVE,the limitations of these tests,and potential areas of future research.

Imaging assessment of photosensitizer emission induced by radionuclide-derived Cherenkov radiation using charge-coupled device optical imaging and long-pass filters

BACKGROUND Radionuclides produce Cherenkov radiation(CR),which can potentially activate photosensitizers(PSs)in phototherapy.Several groups have studied Cherenkov energy transfer to PSs using optical imaging;however,cost-effectively identifying whether PSs are excited by radionuclide-derived CR and detecting fluorescence emission from excited PSs remain a challenge.Many laboratories face the need for expensive dedicated equipment.AIM To cost-effectively confirm whether PSs are excited by radionuclide-derived CR and distinguish fluorescence emission from excited PSs.METHODS The absorbance and fluorescence spectra of PSs were measured using a microplate reader and fluorescence spectrometer to examine the photo-physical properties of PSs.To mitigate the need for expensive dedicated equipment and achieve the aim of the study,we developed a method that utilizes a chargecoupled device optical imaging system and appropriate long-pass filters of different wavelengths(manual sequential application of long-pass filters of 515,580,645,700,750,and 800 nm).Tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin(TCPP)was utilized as a model PS.Different doses of copper-64(^(64)CuCl_(2))(4,2,and 1 mCi)were used as CR-producing radionuclides.Imaging and data acquisition were performed 0.5 h after sample preparation.Differential image analysis was conducted by using ImageJ software(National Institutes of Health)to visually evaluate TCPP fluorescence.RESULTS The maximum absorbance of TCPP was at 390-430 nm,and the emission peak was at 670 nm.The CR and CRinduced TCPP emissions were observed using the optical imaging system and the high-transmittance long-pass filters described above.The emission spectra of TCPP with a peak in the 645-700 nm window were obtained by calculation and subtraction based on the serial signal intensity(total flux)difference between^(64)CuCl_(2)+TCPP and^(64)CuCl_(2).Moreover,the differential fluorescence images of TCPP were obtained by subtracting the^(64)CuCl_(2)image from the^(64)CuCl_(2)+TCPP image.The experimental results considering different^(64)CuCl_(2)doses showed a dosedependent trend.These results demonstrate that a bioluminescence imaging device coupled with different longpass filters and subtraction image processing can confirm the emission spectra and differential fluorescence images of CR-induced TCPP.CONCLUSION This simple method identifies the PS fluorescence emission generated by radionuclide-derived CR and can contribute to accelerating the development of Cherenkov energy transfer imaging and the discovery of new PSs.

RADIONUCLIDE WHOLE BODY BONE IMAGING IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF SKELETAL METASTASES

Of 628 patients with extra-osseous malignancies diagnosed by surgery and/or pathology, 207 (33.0%) were identified as having skeletal metastasis by bone imaging. There was statistical significant difference in the incidence of metastasis in different malignancies (P<0.02). The metastatic rates of nasopharyn-geal, lung, prostate and breast cancers were higher than gastrointestinal, kidney, and other malignancies. There was significant differences in the different sites of skeletal metastasis (P<0.01). They were thorax, spine, pelvis, limbs and skull in order of incidence. Solitary metastatic rate was 15.9%. Biopsy is advised for patients suspected to have metastatic disease but with only one single 'hot spot' in skeletal imaging, particularly in the rib.

A novel approach for feature extraction from a gamma‑ray energy spectrum based on image descriptor transferring for radionuclide identification

This study proposes a novel feature extraction approach for radionuclide identification to increase the precision of identification of the gamma-ray energy spectrum set.For easier utilization of the information contained in the spectra,the vectors of the gamma-ray energy spectra from Euclidean space,which are fingerprints of the different types of radionuclides,were mapped to matrices in the Banach space.Subsequently,to make the spectra in matrix form easier to apply to image-based deep learning frameworks,the matrices of the gamma-ray energy spectra were mapped to images in the RGB color space.A deep convolutional neural network(DCNN)model was constructed and trained on the ImageNet dataset.The mapped gamma-ray energy spectrum images were applied as inputs to the DCNN model,and the corresponding outputs of the convolution layers and fully connected layers were transferred as descriptors of the images to construct a new classification model for radionuclide identification.The transferred image descriptors consist of global and local features,where the activation vectors of fully connected layers are global features,and activations from convolution layers are local features.A series of comparative experiments between the transferred image descriptors,peak information,features extracted by the histogram of the oriented gradients(HOG),and scale-invariant feature transform(SIFT)using both synthetic and measured data were applied to 11 classical classifiers.The results demonstrate that although the gamma-ray energy spectrum images are completely unfamiliar to the DCNN model and have not been used in the pre-training process,the transferred image descriptors achieved good classification results.The global features have strong semantic information,which achieves an average accuracy of 92.76%and 94.86%on the synthetic dataset and measured dataset,respectively.The results of the statistical comparison of features demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms the peak-searching-based method,HOG,and SIFT on the synthetic and measured datasets.

Value of Low Dose Dobutamine Doppler Tissue Imaging for Detecting Hibernating Myocardium

Summary: In order to assess the value of Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) in detecting viable hibernating myocardium, 20 patients with coronary artery disease and chronic left ventricular dysfunction underwent low dose dobutamine stress echocardiography and low dose dobutamine stress DTI. The results showed that among the 100 asynergic segments, 35 segments showed improvement after dobutamine infusion (group H) and no changes were observed in the remaining 65 segments (group N). The left ventricular echocardiographic score index decreased from 1.60±0. 35 to 1.44±0.36 ( n =20, P <0.01). During low dose dobutamine stress DTI, there was no difference in the values of velosity of S wave (V s) before dobutamine infusion between two groups. However, after dobutamine infusion, the values of V s and VR in group H were significantly higher than those in group N (V s:10.1±3.0 cm/s vs 7.3±2.2 cm/s, P <0.01; VR: 60 %±41 % vs 25 %±32 %, P <0.001). 95.7 % asynergic myocardial segments with VR≤0 had no viability while 86 % asynergic segments with VR>80 % were viable myocardium. It is concluded that the different reactions to dobutamine stress between hibernating and necrosis myocardium could be showed by DTI and it is more clinically significant when VR≤0 and VR>80 %.

Comparative Study of _(99m)TcN(NOEt)_2 and ^(99m)Tc-MIBI Imaging in Mice Bearing Ehrlich Ascites Tumor

Objective To evaluate and compare the ability to detect tumor by bis (N-ethoxy-N-ethyl dithiocarbamato) nitrido99mTc(V) [99mTcN(NOEt)2] and99mTc hexakis-2- methoxyisobutyl isonitrile [99mTc-MIBI]. Methods 99mTcN(NOEt)2 was prepared and quality control was performed using ascending thin-layer chromatography. Four mice bearing Ehrich ascites tumor cells underwent whole body planar imaging at 30 min, 2 h and 4 h after injection of99mTc-MIBI or99mTcN(NOEt)2. ROIs were drawn around the tumor, head, chest, and contralateral limbs in whole body planar images, and ratios of radioactivity in tumor in head (T/H), chest (T/C), and contralateral limbs (T/L) were calculated. The mice of99mTcN (NOEt)2 group were killed, then blood was collected, and the tumor and organs were excised, weighed and the radioactivity was measured. Results 99mTcN(NOEt)2 was stable after 4h at the room temperature.99mTcN(NOEt)2 was delivered to the tumor selectively and efficiently.99mTcN(NOEt)2 was found to provide excellent tumor-to-nontumor contrast for all the tissue except the abdomen. The T/L ratios increased to their maximums (4.87) at 2 h after injection. There was significant difference between the99mTcN(NOEt)2 imaging group and99mTc-MIBI imaging group. In vitro the radioactivity ratios per unit weight of tumor to blood, muscle, skeleton, lung, heart, and spleen were much higher than those of tumor to liver, instestine. Conclusion In mice bearing Ehrich ascites tumor,99mTcN(NOEt)2 exhibits a set of features essential for a good tracer for tumor imaging, including a rapid washout from blood, high uptake rate in tumor tissue, prolonged retention and high tumor-to-nontumor uptake ratio. The imaging quality of99mTcN(NOEt)2 was superior to that of99mTc-MIBI. These features indicate that99mTcN(NOEt)2 may be a better tracer to detect tumor than99mTc-MIBI. Key words tumor - radionuclide imaging - NOEt - MIBI

Accuracy of myocardial viability imaging by cardiac MRI and PET depending on left ventricular function

AIM To compare myocardial viability assessment accuracy of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging(CMR)compared to[^(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG)-positron emission tomography(PET)depending on left ventricular(LV)function.METHODS One-hundred-five patients with known obstructive coronary artery disease(CAD)and anticipated coronary revascularization were included in the study and examined by CMR on a 1.5T scanner.The CMR protocol consisted of cine-sequences for function analysis and late gadolinium enhancement(LGE)imaging for viability assessment in 8 mm long and contiguous short axis slices.All patients underwent PET using[^(18)F]-FDG.Myocardial scars were rated in both CMR and PET on a segmental basis by a 4-point-scale:Score 1=no LGE,normal FDG-uptake;score 2=LGE enhancement<50% of wall thickness,reduced FDG-uptake(≥50% of maximum);score 3=LGE≥50% ,reduced FDG-uptake(<50% of maximum);score 4=transmural LGE,no FDG-uptake.Segments with score 1 and 2 were categorized"viable",scores 3 and 4 were categorized as"non-viable".Patients were divided into three groups based on LV function as determined by CMR:Ejection fraction(EF),<30% :n=45;EF:30% -50% :n=44;EF>50% :n=16).On a segmental basis,the accuracy of CMR in detecting myocardial scar was compared to PET in the total collective and in the three different patient groups.RESULTS CMR and PET data of all 105 patients were sufficient for evaluation and 5508 segments were compared in total.In all patients,CMR detected significantly more scars(score 2-4)than PET:45% vs 40% of all segments(P<0.0001).In the different LV function groups,CMR found more scar segments than PET in subjects with EF<30% (55% vs 46% ;P<0.0001)and EF 30% -50% (44% vs 40% ;P<0.005).However,CMR revealed less scars than PET in patients with EF>50% (15% vs 23% ;P<0.0001).In terms of functional improvement estimation,i.e.,expected improvement after revascularization,CMR identified"viable"segments(score 1 and 2)in 72% of segments across all groups,PET in 80% (P<0.0001).Also in all LV function subgroups,CMR judged less segments viable than PET:EF<30% ,66% vs 75% ;EF=30% -50% ,72% vs 80% ;EF>50% ,91% vs 94% .CONCLUSION CMR and PET reveal different diagnostic accuracy in myocardial viability assessment depending on LV function state.CMR,in general,is less optimistic in functional recovery prediction.

Early prediction of myocardial viability after acute myocardial infarction by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging

Background Identifying the transmural extent of myocardial necrosis and the degree of myocardial viability in acute myocardial infarction （AMI） is important clinically. The aim of this study was to assess myocardial viability using two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging （2D-STI） in patients with AMI. Methods 2D-STI was performed at initial presentation, three days, and six months after primary percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） in 30 patients with AMI, who had a left anterior descending coronary artery （LAD） culprit lesion. In addition, 20 patients who had minimal stenotic lesions （〈 30% stenosis） on coronary angiography were also included in the control group. At six months dobutamine echocardiography was performed for viability assessment in seven segments of the LAD territory. According to the recovery of wall motion abnormality, segments were classified as viable or non-viable. Results A total of 131 segments were viable, and 44 were nonviable. Multivariate analysis revealed significant differences between the viable and nonviable segments in the peak systolic strain, the peak systolic strain rate at initial presentation, and peak systolic strain rate three days after primary PCI. Among these, the initial peak systolic strain rate had the highest predictive value for myocardial viability （hazard ratio： 31.22, P 〈 0.01）. Conclusions 2D-STI is feasible for assessing myocardial viability, and the peak systolic strain rate might be the most reliable predictor of myocardial viability in patients with AMI.

Imaging of bone metastasis: An update

Early detection of skeletal metastasis is critical for accurate staging and optimal treatment. This paper briefly reviews our current understanding of the biological mechanisms through which tumours metastasise to bone and describes the available imaging methods to diagnose bone metastasis and monitor response to treatment. Among the various imaging modalities currently available for imaging skeletal metastasis, hybrid techniques whichfuse morphological and functional data are the most sensitive and specific, and positron emission tomography(PET)/computed tomography and PET/magnetic resonance imaging will almost certainly continue to evolve and become increasingly important in this regard.

Evaluation of ^(99m)Tc Labeled Diadenosine Tetraphosphate as an Atherosclerotic Plaque Imaging Agent in Experimental Models

The potential of ^99mTc labeled P^1, P^4-di （adenosine-5 ＇ ）-tetraphosphate （Ap4A） for imaging experimental atherosclerotic plaques was evaluated in New Zealand white （NZW） rabbits. To label the ^99mTc to Ap4A, stannous tartrate solution was used. ^99mTc-Ap4A was purified on a Sephadex G-25 column. The radiochemistry purities of ^99mTc-Ap4A were 85% to 91%. Biodistribution study revealed ^99mTc-Ap4A cleared from blood rapidly. Thirty min after ^99mTc-Ap4A administrated on NZW atherosclerotic rabbits, lesion to blood （target/blood, T/B） ratio was 3. 17 ±1.27, and lesions to normal （target/non-target, T/NT） ratio was 5.23 ±1.87. Shadows of atherosclerotic plaques were clearly visible on radioautographic film. Aortas with atherosclerotic plaques also could be seen on ex vivo gamma camera images. Atherosclerotic abdominal aortas were clearly visible on in vivo images 15 min to 3 h after ^99mTc-Ap4A administration. ^99mTc-labeled Ap4A can be used for rapid noninvasive detection of experimental atherosclerotic plaque.

Neoadjuvant peptide receptor radionuclide therapy for an inoperable neuroendocrine pancreatic tumor

Pancreatic endocrine tumors are rare but are among the most common neuroendocrine neoplasms of the abdomen.At diagnosis many of them are already advanced and diff icult to treat.We report on an initially inoperable malignant pancreatic endocrine tumor in a 33-year-old woman,who received neoadjuvant peptide receptor radionuclide therapy(PRRT)as firstline treatment.This resulted in a signif icant downstaging of the tumor and allowed its subsequent complete surgical removal.Follow-up for eighteen months revealed a complete remission.This is the first report on neoadjuvant PRRT in a neuroendocrine neoplasm with subsequent successful complete resection.

A novel denoising framework for cerenkov luminescence imaging based on spatial information improved clustering and curvature-driven diffusion

With widely availed clinically used radionuclides,Cer enkov luminescence imaging(CLI)has become a potential tool in the field of optical molecular imaging.However,the impulse noises introduced by high-energy gamma rays that are generated during the decay of radionuclide reduce the image quality significantly,which affects the acauracy of quantitative analysis,as well as the three dimensional reconstruction.In this work,a novel denoising framework based on fuzzy dlustering and curvat ure driven difusion(CDD)is proposed to remove this kind of impulse noises.To improve the accuracy,the F u1zzy Local Information C-Means algorithm,where spatial information is evolved,is used.We evaluate the per formance of the proposed framework sys-tematically with a series of experiments,and the corresponding results demonstrate a better denoising effect than those from the commonly used median filter method.We hope this work may provide a useful data pre processing tool for CLI and its following studies.

THE VALUE OF^(99m) Tc-MIBI MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION SPECT IMAGING IN DETECTING CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN PATIENTS WITH VALVULAR DISEASE BEFORE OPERATION

The aim of this study was to detect coronary artery disease using 99m Tc MIBI myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with valvular disease. [WT5”BX]Methods.[WT5”BZ] Thirty patients with valvular disease confirmed by echocardiography underwent 99m Tc MIBI myocardial perfusion imaging using multiSPECT 1h after stress test (exercise, dipyridamole or dobutamine test) and were performed coronary angiography within 1 month before valvular operation. [WT5”BX]Results.[WT5”BZ]For 29 out of the 30 patients, the results of 99m Tc MIBI myocardial perfusion imaging were similar with those of coronary angiography, the concordance rate was 96 7% and the negative predictability was 100%. [WT5”BX]Conclusion.[WT5”BZ] 99m Tc MIBI myocardial perfusion imaging is a reliable non invasive method for detecting coronary artery disease in patients with valvular disease and so as to draw up suitable operation programs for them.

Comparison between magnitude reconstruction and phase-sensitive mR imaging in the detection of myocardial infarction

Objective:To determine the deference between phase sensitive magnetic resonance(MR) imaging and magnitude reconstruction to detect infracted myocardium.Methods:Twenty patients(16 men;4 women;mean age,56 years),experienced Q-wave myocardial infarction 2 weeks earlier were examined with a 3.0-T MR system 10 minutes after administration of 0.1 mmol/kg body weight gadobenate dimeglumine.To determine the optimal TI,a TI scout sequence was used.A segmented 2D IR true fast imaging with steady-state precession(trueFISP) sequence that produces both phase-sensitive and magnitude-reconstructed images were used at TI values of 200-600 msec(TI values were varied in 100-msec steps) and at optimal TI(mean value,330 msec).Contrast- noise ratios(CNRs) of normal and infarcted myocardium and the area of infarcted myocardium were determined.Two-tailed unpaired sample Student t test was used to compare CNRs,and area of infarction.Results:MMean CNR phase-sensitive and magnitude-reconstructed images at optimal TI(mean value,330 msec) were 6.2,and 6.1,respectively.For a TI of 200 msec,CNR values were 5.5,and 4.2,respectively;for TI of 600 msec,CNR values were 5.8 and 4.3,respectively.Area of infarcted myocardium was underestimated on magnitude-reconstruction images(P = 0.002-0.03) for short TI values(ie.,200 msec) but not on phase sensitive reconstructed when compared with IR tureFISP images obtained at optimal TI.Conclusions: LPhase-sensitive image reconstruction results in reduced need for precise choice of TI and more consistent image quality.

Reperfusion injury components and manifestations determined by cardiovascular MR and MDCT imaging

Advances in magnetic resonance(MR) and computed tomography(CT) imaging have improved visualization of acute and scar infarct.Over the past decade,there have been and continues to be many significant technical advancements in cardiac MR and multi-detector computed tomography(MDCT) technologies.The strength of MR imaging relies on a variety of pulse sequences and the ability to noninvasively provide information on myocardial structure,function and perfusion in a single imaging session.The recent technical developments may also allow CT technologies to rise to the forefront for evaluating clinical ischemic heart disease.Components of reperfusion injury including myocardial edema,hemorrhage,calcium deposition and microvascular obstruction(MO) have been demonstrated using MR and CT technologies.MR imaging can be used serially and noninvasively in assessing acute and chronic consequences of reperfusion injury because there is no radiation exposure or administration of radioactive materials.MDCT is better suited for assessing coronary artery stenosis and as an alternative technique for as-sessing viability in patients where MR imaging is contraindicated.Changes in left ventricular(LV) volumes and function measured on cine MR are directly related to infarct size measured on delayed contrast enhanced images.Recent MR studies found that transmural infarct,MO and peri-infarct zone are excellent predictors of poor post-infarct recovery and mortality.Recent MR studies provided ample evidence that growth factor genes and stem cells delivered locally have beneficial effects on myocardial viability,perfusion and function.The significance of deposited calcium in acute infarct detected on MDCT requires further studies.Cardiac MR and MDCT imaging have the potential for assessing reperfusion injury components and manifestations.

Pig model of chronic myocardial ischemia and its investigation by ultrasonic integrated backscatter and Doppler tissue imaging

Objective: To construct an animal model of chronic ischemic myocardium, and evaluate it by ultrasonic integrated backscatter (IBS) and Doppler tissue imaging (DTI). Methods: An Ameroid constrictor was placed around the porcine left circumflex coronary artery (LCX). The calibrated average image intensity (%AII), cyclic variation of IBS (CVIB), transmural gradient index (TGI) of CVIB in lateral-posterior wall (LPW), and DTI spectrum of LPW in left ventricular papillary muscle level short axis view (LVPM-SAM) and apical four chamber view (AP-4CV) at normal state, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks postoperatively were measured. Results: Normal %AII, CVIB and TGI were 2.29±0.32, 9.69±2.22dB and 0.22±0.08, respectively. The %AII increased gradually postoperatively. The CVIB decreased also gradually, and the decrease was higher in subepicardium than in subendocardium. Most of TGI decrease occurred from 2 to 4 weeks postoperatively and became zero at 8 weeks (P<0.01); Normal V S (peak systolic velocity) of AP-4CV was higher than that of LVPM-SAM (P<0.01). V E (peak early diastolic velocity) of AP-4CV was lower than that of LVPM-SAM (P<0.05). V S and V E were all decreased after operation (P<0.01). The decrease of V S in AP-4CV was greater than that in LVPM-SAM. Conclusion: The pathological changes of the myocardium in human ischemic heart disease (IHD) are similar to that of Ameriod model. IBS and DTI can detect echo changes and ventricular wall motion in chronic ischemic myocardium, and provide more information for clinical investigation and treatment of IHD.

Studies on the Distribution and Radioimmunoimaging of ^(99m)Tc-Labeled 5-Fluorouracil Loaded Immunological Nanoparticles in Tissues and Human Gastric Carcinoma Xenografts

OBJECTIVE To explore the method of preparation of 99m↑Tc labeled AntiVEGF McAb 5-FU loaded polylactic acid nanoparticles （99m↑TC-5-FU-Ab-NPs）, and investigate the biological distribution of the nanoparticles in human gastric carcinoma xenografts. METHODS Anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodyes （MCAB）in 5-FU-Ab-NPs were labeled with 99m↑Tc using a modified Schwarz method. After isolation of the 99m↑TC-5-FU-Ab-NPs using a Sephadex G-250 column, the labeling percentage and radiochemical purity were determined using paper chromatography. The immunocempetence of the 99m↑TC-5-FU-Ab-NPs as tumor markers was determined using ELISA and immunohistochemistry. 99m↑TC-5-FU-Ab-NPs （experimental group）, 99m↑Tc-labelled murine multiclonal IgG loaded polylactic acid and nanoparticles （control group） were injected via the tail vein into SCID mice bearing human gastric carcinoma. A radio-immunity ECT image was developed at 2 and 6 h after the injection. Following the ECT imaging, the mice were sacrificed, their tissue and tumor radioactivity distribution determined, and percentage of the injected-dose per gram （%ID/g） and tumor/ nontumor （T/NT） ratio calculated. High performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） was used to determine the 5-FU concentration in the tumor tissue and blood in the mice of both groups. RESULTS The percentage of 99m↑TC-5-FU-Ab-NPs labeling was 90%-95%. There was no obvious decrease in the antibody activity before and after labeling. The radio-immuno-imaging （RII） showed that the tumor image had developed 2 h after injection of the 99m↑TC-5-FU-Ab-NPs, and with time it was clearer at the 6th hour following the injection. The %lD/g of the tumor tissue at both 2 h and 6 h after the injection was significantly higher compared to the control group. The tumor %lD/g and the tumor to blood activity ratio （TB） of the experimental group at 6 h following the injection increased compared to that at 2 h, and at the same time, 5-FU concentration in the tumor of the experimental group continuously increased over time, and showed a significant difference compared to the 5-FU concentration in the tumor of the control group. CONCLUSION The 99m↑TC-5-FU-Ab-NPs prepared in this study are adequate to meet the demands of the RII, and the immune targeting ability of the anti-VEGF MCAB is reliable. Six hours after injection, the 99m↑TC-5-FU-Ab-NPs showed a relatively high specific concentration shadow in the human gastric carcinoma xenografts.

Current update on imaging for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms

Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms(panNEN)are a heterogeneous group of tumors with differing pathological,genetic,and clinical features.Based on clinical findings,they may be categorized into functioning and nonfunctioning tumors.Adoption of the 2017 World Health Organization classification system,particularly its differentiation between grade 3,well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors(panNET)and grade 3,poorly-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas(panNEC)has emphasized the role imaging plays in characterizing these lesions.Endoscopic ultrasound can help obtain biopsy specimen and assess tumor margins and local spread.Enhancement patterns on computed tomography(CT)and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)may be used to classify panNEN.Contrast enhanced MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging have been reported to be useful for characterization of panNEN and quantifying metastatic burden.Current and emerging radiotracers have broadened the utility of functional imaging in evaluating panNEN.Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography(PET)/CT and somatostatin receptor imaging such as Gallium-681,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid–octreotate PET/CT may be useful for improved identification of panNEN in comparison to anatomic modalities.These new techniques can also play a direct role in optimizing the selection of treatment for individuals and predicting tumor response based on somatostatin receptor expression.In addition,emerging methods of radiomics such as texture analysis may be a potential tool for staging and outcome prediction in panNEN,however further investigation is required before clinical implementation.