Abstract 15323: Comparison of in vitro [18]F-NaF Binding to Recovered Human Carotid Plaques After [18]F-NaF in vivo Clinical Imaging

Background: Vascular calcification is a cell-mediated, pathological process in which calcium accumulates in blood vessels. Microcalcification (<50 μm) is associated with high-risk and ruptured plaques, thus timely identification would help patient stratification and development of new pharmacotherapies. 18F-NaF PET/CT recently has emerged as a potential marker for microcalcifications, yet its specificity and sensitivity are not well characterized. Methods: Patients were imaged with 18F-NaF PET/CT prior to endarterectomy, carotids were recovered with IRB approval. Specimens were incubated in 10-9 M 18F-NaF and imaged with μPET/μCT. They were re-incubated in 18F-NaF, sectioned and autoradiographed. Finally, calcium was detected histologically. Results: Clinical CT detected macrocalcifications (>50 μm), while PET detected both macrocalcifications and areas with no apparent calcification. μCT matched …