Objective:To evaluate the clinical predictive value of SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in the occurrence of cardiac death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).Methods:A retrospective follow-up was performed for 160 patients (109 males, 51 females; age: 68.5(61.0, 74.0) years) who underwent MPI in Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University between June 2017 and March 2024. The 17-segment 5-point method was used for image analysis to obtain the left ventricular myocardial perfusion and functional parameters. The patients were followed up for cardiac death, and divided into death group and survival group. Clinical data of those 2 groups were compare by χ2 test, the independent-sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to analyze the predictors related to cardiac death. The ROC curve was used to analyze the performance of predictors. Survival curves were obtained by the Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank test was performed to compare the difference between 2 groups. Results:The follow-up time of 160 patients with CKD was 26.0(10.0, 46.5) months. Of 160 patients, 17 died and 143 survived. There were statistically significant differences in body mass index (BMI), previous myocardial infarction, previous revascularization, hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), positive MPI, left ventricular end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), ejection fraction (EF), summed stress score (SSS), summed rest score (SRS) and summed difference score (SDS) between the death group and the survival group ( χ2 values: 4.58-16.13, t values: -2.34, -3.97, Z values: from -2.81 to 5.02, all P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that SSS (hazard ratio ( HR)=1.153, 95% CI: 1.062-1.252, P=0.001) and hs-CRP ( HR=1.031, 95% CI: 1.004-1.058, P=0.023) were independent risk factors for cardiac death in patients with CKD. The optimal cut-off value of SSS for predicting cardiac death in those patients was determined to be 8 with the AUC of 0.815, and the incidence of cardiac death in the SSS ≥8 group was significantly higher than that in the SSS<8 group (33.3%(12/36) vs 4.0%(5/124); χ2 = 25.44, P<0.001). Conclusion:MPI is an important imaging method for the evaluation of cardiac death in patients with CKD, SSS and hs-CRP are important risk factors in predicting cardiac death in those patients.

Objective:To investigate the gene expression of pulmonary metastatic papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and its association with lung metastasis, facilitating risk assessment and personalized therapeutic strategies.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 269 PTC patients (61 males, 208 females, age (38.9±11.9) years) treated at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University from January 2017 to June 2020, including 60 cases with lung metastasis and 209 without. Primary tumor tissues underwent targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for lung metastasis, and χ2 test was used to evaluate the differences between the effective and ineffective groups of radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy. Results:In 60 PTC patients with lung metastasis, the mutation rates of B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine protein kinase (BRAF) V600E, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter, and rearranged in transformation (RET) fusion mutations were 28.3%(17/60), 25.0%(15/60), and 26.7%(16/60), respectively. Univariate analysis demonstrated that age≥55 years, multifocality, lateral cervical lymph node metastasis, extrathyroidal extension, BRAF V600E mutation, RET fusion, and TERT promoter mutation were significantly associated with lung metastasis in PTC ( Wald χ2 values: 4.13-31.28, all P<0.05). However, no significant statistical associations were observed between lung metastasis and gender, rat sarcoma type GTPase family (RAS) mutation, tumor protein p53 (TP53) mutation, phosphatidylinositol-4, 5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) mutation, neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase 1 (NTRK1) fusion, or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion ( Wald χ2 values: 0.01-3.50, all P>0.05). Multivariate analysis identified TERT promoter mutation (odds ratio ( OR)=11.86, 95% CI: 3.68-38.29, P<0.001), multifocality ( OR=5.30, 95% CI: 2.41-11.69, P<0.001), extrathyroidal extension ( OR=3.98, 95% CI: 1.77-8.98, P=0.001), and lateral cervical lymph node metastasis ( OR=3.13, 95% CI: 1.28-7.68, P=0.013) as independent risk factors for lung metastasis in PTC. Conversely, BRAF V600E mutation emerged as a potential protective factor ( OR=0.09, 95% CI: 0.04-0.21, P<0.001). The proportions of BRAF V600E mutation ( χ2=20.49, P<0.001) and TERT promoter mutation ( χ2=4.91, P=0.027) were higher in the RAI ineffective group. Conclusions:BRAF V600E mutation, TERT promoter mutation and RET fusion are related gene expression in lung metastasis of PTC. Multifocality, extrathyroidal extension, lateral cervical lymph node metastasis and TERT promoter mutation are risk factors for lung metastasis of PTC (TERT is an independent molecular risk marker), while BRAF V600E mutation may be a protective factor. RAI treatment efficacy of PTC patients with lung metastasis and BRAF V600E mutation/TERT promoter mutation is worse.

Objective:To prepare domestic 64Cu-1, 4, 7, 10-tetraazacyclododecane-1, 4, 7, 10-tetraacetic acid- D-Phe1-Tyr3-Thr8-octreotide (DOTATATE), and to verify its distribution and preliminary diagnostic value in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Methods:DOTATATE was labeled with the domestic 64Cu to obtain 64Cu-DOTATATE. The lipophilicity, in vitro stability, and pharmacokinetics were studied. Biodistribution experiments and microPET imaging were performed on NCI-H727 (somatostatin receptor (SSTR)2 positive expression) tumor-bearing nude mice. The preliminary clinical applications were conducted on 10 NETs patients (5 males, 5 females; age (58.5±13.0) years) from Chinese PLA General Hospital between May 2023 and April 2024. Data were analyzed by using independent-sample t test. Results:64Cu-DOTATATE was successfully prepared with the radiochemical purity greater than 98%, log P of -2.609±0.051 and good stability. Pharmacokinetic experiments in BALB/c mice suggested rapid blood clearance of the drug (elimination half-time of 22.78min). Biodistribution results in tumor-bearing mice showed that 64Cu-DOTATATE was mainly metabolized through the liver and kidneys, with significant tumor uptake at 1h ((2.519±0.273) percentage activity of injection dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g)) and sustained high uptake at 24h ((4.331±0.549)%ID/g). MicroPET imaging of tumor-bearing mice showed a slight increase in uptake and good retention at 24h, with a significant statistical difference compared to the blocked group ((2.197±0.250) vs (0.985±0.064) % ID/g; t=6.40, P=0.008). The tumor/liver ratios were 0.075±0.007, 0.083±0.011, 0.118±0.005, 0.263±0.031 at 1, 2, 6 and 24h, respectively. Preliminary clinical application indicated that 64Cu-DOTATATE exhibited good targeting in patients, and the liver radioactivity distribution was moderate (SUV max=10.62±3.46), providing good image quality. Conclusion:Domestic 64Cu-DOTATATE PET/CT imaging is a promising imaging evaluation method in NETs with the value for further clinical research.

Objective:To investigate the value of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and 18F-prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-1007 in the differential diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by using PET/MR imaging. Methods:From June 2019 to December 2022, a retrospective analysis was conducted on 134 patients ((65.5±10.0) years) with prostate diseases who underwent 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/MR whole-body examination at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, with the prostate specific antigen (PSA) level continuously rising to >4μg/L within 1 month and not yet receiving treatment. Patients were divided into 2 groups (PSA<10μg/L and PSA≥10μg/L). The PET/MR examination included high b-value diffusion imaging, and the ROI was delineated based on the prostate diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) high-signal area and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) low-signal area by the professional radiology physician. The SUV max, mean kurtosis (MK), and mean diffusivity (MD) were obtained. Spearman rank correlation analysis was performed, and ROC curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy. Results:Of 134 patients, 72 were with PSA<10μg/L and 62 were with PSA≥10μg/L. There were 68 patients who obtained biopsy results, including 37 cases of BPH and 31 cases of PCa. In PSA<10μg/L group, there were no significant correlations between MK and SUV max, MK and PSA ( rs values: 0.22, 0.06, P values: 0.065, 0.603). In the PSA≥10μg/L group, there were positive correlations between MK and SUV max, MK and PSA ( rs values: 0.52, 0.40, P values: 0.008, 0.005). In the PSA<10μg/L group, SUV max, MK, and MD showed no diagnostic value (AUCs: 0.44-0.67, all P>0.05), while the AUC for combined diagnosis using these three parameters was 0.78( P=0.008). In the PSA≥10μg/L group, the AUCs of SUV max, MK, and MD were 0.81( P=0.001), 0.84( P<0.001) and 0.72( P=0.023) respectively, and the AUC for combined diagnosis using these three parameters was 0.91( P<0.001). Conclusion:The combination of MK, MD and SUV max improves the diagnostic efficacy of PCa in PET/MR examination.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical predictive value of SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in the occurrence of cardiac death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).Methods:A retrospective follow-up was performed for 160 patients (109 males, 51 females; age: 68.5(61.0, 74.0) years) who underwent MPI in Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University between June 2017 and March 2024. The 17-segment 5-point method was used for image analysis to obtain the left ventricular myocardial perfusion and functional parameters. The patients were followed up for cardiac death, and divided into death group and survival group. Clinical data of those 2 groups were compare by χ2 test, the independent-sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to analyze the predictors related to cardiac death. The ROC curve was used to analyze the performance of predictors. Survival curves were obtained by the Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank test was performed to compare the difference between 2 groups. Results:The follow-up time of 160 patients with CKD was 26.0(10.0, 46.5) months. Of 160 patients, 17 died and 143 survived. There were statistically significant differences in body mass index (BMI), previous myocardial infarction, previous revascularization, hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), positive MPI, left ventricular end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), ejection fraction (EF), summed stress score (SSS), summed rest score (SRS) and summed difference score (SDS) between the death group and the survival group ( χ2 values: 4.58-16.13, t values: -2.34, -3.97, Z values: from -2.81 to 5.02, all P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that SSS (hazard ratio ( HR)=1.153, 95% CI: 1.062-1.252, P=0.001) and hs-CRP ( HR=1.031, 95% CI: 1.004-1.058, P=0.023) were independent risk factors for cardiac death in patients with CKD. The optimal cut-off value of SSS for predicting cardiac death in those patients was determined to be 8 with the AUC of 0.815, and the incidence of cardiac death in the SSS ≥8 group was significantly higher than that in the SSS<8 group (33.3%(12/36) vs 4.0%(5/124); χ2 = 25.44, P<0.001). Conclusion:MPI is an important imaging method for the evaluation of cardiac death in patients with CKD, SSS and hs-CRP are important risk factors in predicting cardiac death in those patients.

Objective:To investigate the gene expression of pulmonary metastatic papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and its association with lung metastasis, facilitating risk assessment and personalized therapeutic strategies.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 269 PTC patients (61 males, 208 females, age (38.9±11.9) years) treated at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University from January 2017 to June 2020, including 60 cases with lung metastasis and 209 without. Primary tumor tissues underwent targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for lung metastasis, and χ2 test was used to evaluate the differences between the effective and ineffective groups of radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy. Results:In 60 PTC patients with lung metastasis, the mutation rates of B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine protein kinase (BRAF) V600E, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter, and rearranged in transformation (RET) fusion mutations were 28.3%(17/60), 25.0%(15/60), and 26.7%(16/60), respectively. Univariate analysis demonstrated that age≥55 years, multifocality, lateral cervical lymph node metastasis, extrathyroidal extension, BRAF V600E mutation, RET fusion, and TERT promoter mutation were significantly associated with lung metastasis in PTC ( Wald χ2 values: 4.13-31.28, all P<0.05). However, no significant statistical associations were observed between lung metastasis and gender, rat sarcoma type GTPase family (RAS) mutation, tumor protein p53 (TP53) mutation, phosphatidylinositol-4, 5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) mutation, neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase 1 (NTRK1) fusion, or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion ( Wald χ2 values: 0.01-3.50, all P>0.05). Multivariate analysis identified TERT promoter mutation (odds ratio ( OR)=11.86, 95% CI: 3.68-38.29, P<0.001), multifocality ( OR=5.30, 95% CI: 2.41-11.69, P<0.001), extrathyroidal extension ( OR=3.98, 95% CI: 1.77-8.98, P=0.001), and lateral cervical lymph node metastasis ( OR=3.13, 95% CI: 1.28-7.68, P=0.013) as independent risk factors for lung metastasis in PTC. Conversely, BRAF V600E mutation emerged as a potential protective factor ( OR=0.09, 95% CI: 0.04-0.21, P<0.001). The proportions of BRAF V600E mutation ( χ2=20.49, P<0.001) and TERT promoter mutation ( χ2=4.91, P=0.027) were higher in the RAI ineffective group. Conclusions:BRAF V600E mutation, TERT promoter mutation and RET fusion are related gene expression in lung metastasis of PTC. Multifocality, extrathyroidal extension, lateral cervical lymph node metastasis and TERT promoter mutation are risk factors for lung metastasis of PTC (TERT is an independent molecular risk marker), while BRAF V600E mutation may be a protective factor. RAI treatment efficacy of PTC patients with lung metastasis and BRAF V600E mutation/TERT promoter mutation is worse.

Objective:To prepare domestic 64Cu-1, 4, 7, 10-tetraazacyclododecane-1, 4, 7, 10-tetraacetic acid- D-Phe1-Tyr3-Thr8-octreotide (DOTATATE), and to verify its distribution and preliminary diagnostic value in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Methods:DOTATATE was labeled with the domestic 64Cu to obtain 64Cu-DOTATATE. The lipophilicity, in vitro stability, and pharmacokinetics were studied. Biodistribution experiments and microPET imaging were performed on NCI-H727 (somatostatin receptor (SSTR)2 positive expression) tumor-bearing nude mice. The preliminary clinical applications were conducted on 10 NETs patients (5 males, 5 females; age (58.5±13.0) years) from Chinese PLA General Hospital between May 2023 and April 2024. Data were analyzed by using independent-sample t test. Results:64Cu-DOTATATE was successfully prepared with the radiochemical purity greater than 98%, log P of -2.609±0.051 and good stability. Pharmacokinetic experiments in BALB/c mice suggested rapid blood clearance of the drug (elimination half-time of 22.78min). Biodistribution results in tumor-bearing mice showed that 64Cu-DOTATATE was mainly metabolized through the liver and kidneys, with significant tumor uptake at 1h ((2.519±0.273) percentage activity of injection dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g)) and sustained high uptake at 24h ((4.331±0.549)%ID/g). MicroPET imaging of tumor-bearing mice showed a slight increase in uptake and good retention at 24h, with a significant statistical difference compared to the blocked group ((2.197±0.250) vs (0.985±0.064) % ID/g; t=6.40, P=0.008). The tumor/liver ratios were 0.075±0.007, 0.083±0.011, 0.118±0.005, 0.263±0.031 at 1, 2, 6 and 24h, respectively. Preliminary clinical application indicated that 64Cu-DOTATATE exhibited good targeting in patients, and the liver radioactivity distribution was moderate (SUV max=10.62±3.46), providing good image quality. Conclusion:Domestic 64Cu-DOTATATE PET/CT imaging is a promising imaging evaluation method in NETs with the value for further clinical research.

Objective:To investigate the value of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and 18F-prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-1007 in the differential diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by using PET/MR imaging. Methods:From June 2019 to December 2022, a retrospective analysis was conducted on 134 patients ((65.5±10.0) years) with prostate diseases who underwent 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/MR whole-body examination at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, with the prostate specific antigen (PSA) level continuously rising to >4μg/L within 1 month and not yet receiving treatment. Patients were divided into 2 groups (PSA<10μg/L and PSA≥10μg/L). The PET/MR examination included high b-value diffusion imaging, and the ROI was delineated based on the prostate diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) high-signal area and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) low-signal area by the professional radiology physician. The SUV max, mean kurtosis (MK), and mean diffusivity (MD) were obtained. Spearman rank correlation analysis was performed, and ROC curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy. Results:Of 134 patients, 72 were with PSA<10μg/L and 62 were with PSA≥10μg/L. There were 68 patients who obtained biopsy results, including 37 cases of BPH and 31 cases of PCa. In PSA<10μg/L group, there were no significant correlations between MK and SUV max, MK and PSA ( rs values: 0.22, 0.06, P values: 0.065, 0.603). In the PSA≥10μg/L group, there were positive correlations between MK and SUV max, MK and PSA ( rs values: 0.52, 0.40, P values: 0.008, 0.005). In the PSA<10μg/L group, SUV max, MK, and MD showed no diagnostic value (AUCs: 0.44-0.67, all P>0.05), while the AUC for combined diagnosis using these three parameters was 0.78( P=0.008). In the PSA≥10μg/L group, the AUCs of SUV max, MK, and MD were 0.81( P=0.001), 0.84( P<0.001) and 0.72( P=0.023) respectively, and the AUC for combined diagnosis using these three parameters was 0.91( P<0.001). Conclusion:The combination of MK, MD and SUV max improves the diagnostic efficacy of PCa in PET/MR examination.

The pathogenesis of ovarian cancer is concealed, which is prone to recurrence and metastasis and carries a very poor prognosis. The precise imaging assessment of abdominopelvic tumor burden is crucial for debulking surgery decision in patients with ovarian cancer. Fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET imaging has shown a great prospect of clinical application, which provides a new imaging technique for the diagnosis and staging of ovarian cancer. This review summarizes the clinical value and research progress of 68Ga-FAPI PET in the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.

In recent years, targeted PET imaging of chemokine CXC subfamily receptor 4 (CXCR4) has become a prominent area of research, offering considerable potential for precise diagnosis, tracking disease progression noninvasively, guiding therapeutic strategies, and monitoring treatment responses. This article reviews recent achievements in noninvasive molecular imaging techniques targeting CXCR4 expression, with a particular focus on the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying CXCR4 and the clinical utility of the molecular probe 68Ga-pentixafor PET for diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, the paper discusses the clinical translation of CXCR4 molecular imaging and highlights prospective research directions.