(11)C-Acetate PET Imaging in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

BACKGROUND: Activation of glial cells is a cardinal feature in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology, and acetate has been reported to be selectively uptaken by astrocytes in the CNS. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of PET with (11)C-acetate for MS diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six patients with relapsing-remitting MS and 6 healthy volunteers (HV) were enrolled. The (11)C-acetate brain uptake on PET was measured in patients with MS and HV. Volume-of-interest analysis of cerebral gray and white matter based on the segmentation technique for co-registered MRI and voxel-based statistical parametric analysis were performed. Correlation between (11)C-acetate uptake and the lesion number in T1- and T2- weighted MR images were also assessed. RESULTS: The standardized uptake value (SUV) of (11)C-acetate was increased in both white and gray matter in MS patients compared to HV. Voxel-based statistical analysis revealed a significantly increased SUV relative to that in the bilateral thalami (SUVt) in a broad area of white matter, particularly in the subcortical white matter of MS patients. The numbers of T2 lesions and T1 black holes were significantly correlated with SUV of (11)C-acetate in white and gray matter. CONCLUSIONS: The (11)C-acetate uptake significantly increased in MS patients and correlated to the number of MRI lesions. These preliminary data suggest that (11)C-acetate PET can be a useful clinical examination for MS patients.