Correlation of glioma proliferation assessed by flow cytometry with 99mTc-Tetrofosmin SPECT uptake☆

Received 19 February 2009; received in revised form 13 June 2009; accepted 9 August 2009.

Abstract

Objectives

Brain single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has been proposed as a potentially useful modality for the metabolic assessment of various brain tumors.

Material and methods

In a 10-patient prospective pilot study we evaluated whether 99mTc-Tetrofosmin (99mTc-TF) uptake correlates with glioma proliferative activity assessed by flow cytometric analysis. 99mTc-TF brain SPECT was performed shortly before surgical tumor excision.

Results

Eight patients were diagnosed with glioblastoma multiform and 2 with anaplastic astrocytoma. All tumors were aneuploid. We found a significant positive linear correlation between 99mTc-TF uptake and percentage of tumor cells on the S-phase of the cell cycle (r=0.92, P=0.001).

Conclusion

Initial evidence suggests that 99mTc-TF could provide a non-invasive indicator of glioma proliferative activity.

Keywords: Glioma, Flow cytometry, 99mTc-Tetrofosmin SPECT

a Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

b Nuclear Medicine Department, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

c Haematology Laboratory-Unit of Molecular Biology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

d Department of Neurology, Neurosurgical Institute, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

Corresponding author at: P.O. Box 103, Neohoropoulo, Ioannina, 455 00, Greece. Tel.: +30 26510 48795; fax: +30 6948 525134.

☆ No other study has assessed whether 99mTc-Tetrofosmin uptake correlates with glioma proliferative activity, as assessed by flow cytometry.

PII: S0303-8467(09)00212-1

doi:10.1016/j.clineuro.2009.08.009

5 of 31