The diagnostic value of [18F]-FDG-PET/CT in hematopoietic radiation toxicity: a Tibet minipig model

This study was undertaken to assess the diagnostic value of 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography ([18F]-FDG-PET/CT) in the detection of radiation toxicity in normal bone marrow using Tibet minipigs as a model. Eighteen Tibet minipigs were caged in aseptic rooms and randomly divided into six groups. Five groups (n = 3/group) were irradiated with single doses of 2, 5, 8, 11 and 14 Gy of total body irradiation (TBI) using an 8-MV X-ray linear accelerator. These pigs were evaluated with [18F]-FDG-PET/CT, and their marrow nucleated cells were counted. The data were initially collected at 6, 24 and 72 h after treatment and were then collected on Days 5–60 post-TBI at 5-day intervals. At 24 and 72 h post-TBI, marrow standardized uptake value (SUV) data showed a dose-dependent decrease in the radiation dose range from 2–8 Gy. Upon long-term observation, SUV and marrow nucleated cell number in the 11-Gy and 14-Gy groups showed a continuous and marked reduction throughout the entire time course, while Kaplan–Meier curves of survival showed low survival. In contrast, the SUVs in the 2-, 5- and 8-Gy groups showed early transient increases followed by a decline from approximately 72 h through Days 5–15 and then normalized or maintained low levels through the endpoint; marrow nucleated cell number and survival curves showed approximately the same trend and higher survival, respectively. Our findings suggest that [18F]-FDG-PET/CT may be helpful in quickly assessing the absorbed doses and predicting the prognosis in patients.