Measurement of central µ-opioid receptor binding in vivo with PET and [11C]carfentanil: a test–retest study in healthy subjects

• Published in: European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 275 - 286
• Main Authors: Hirvonen, Jussi, Aalto, Sargo, Hagelberg, Nora, Maksimow, Anu, Ingman, Kimmo, Oikonen, Vesa, Virkkala, Jussi, Någren, Kjell, Scheinin, Harry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.02.2009; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Brain - metabolism; Cardiology; Fentanyl - analogs & derivatives; Fentanyl - blood; Fentanyl - pharmacokinetics; Health; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Imaging; Male; Medical imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nuclear Medicine; Oncology; Original Article; Orthopedics; Positron-Emission Tomography; Protein Binding; Radioisotopes; Radiology; Receptors, Opioid, mu - metabolism; Reference Standards; Time Factors; Tissue Distribution; Tomography; Mu opioid receptor; Positron emission tomography; Imaging; (11C)carfentanil
• ISSN: 1619-7070; 1619-7089
• DOI: 10.1007/s00259-008-0935-6

Purpose [ 11 C]Carfentanil has been widely used in positron emission tomography (PET) studies for measuring µ-opioid receptor binding in humans, but the reproducibility of the binding parameter estimates is unknown. Materials and methods Eight healthy volunteers were scanned twice during the same day with [ 11 C]carfentanil PET, and binding to receptors was assessed with both reference tissue and arterial plasma input-based models using region of interest (ROI) and voxel-based quantification. Results The two-tissue compartmental model distribution volume (V T ) was highly reproducible as indicated by low variability (VAR < 6%) and high intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC > 0.93). BP ND (BP relative to the nondisplaceable tissue compartment) was also highly reproducible (VAR < 10%, ICC > 0.90) both at ROI- and voxel-level, and reference tissue-based models provided stable estimates after 40 min. Conclusions The reproducibility of [ 11 C]carfentanil binding parameter estimates is excellent with outcome measures based on both arterial plasma and reference tissue input, and a scanning time of 40 min appears sufficient.