Correlations between right ventricular function and increased 18F-fluorodeoxyglycose uptake of the right ventricle in patients with pulmonary hypertension in fasting and glucose loading conditions

Abstract

Purpose: This study was designed to measure glucose uptake of Right Ventricle (RV) in PH patients by 18F-Fluorodeoxyglycose (FDG) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging in fasting and glucose condition, and attempted to investigate the correlations between FDG uptake and right ventricular function as well as hemodynamics. Methods: Thirty eight patients with PH were observed prospectively. 18F-FDG PET scanning was performed in fasting and glucose loading conditions in all the patients, and the standardized uptake value (SUV) of RV was measured after corrected for partial volume effect. The ratio of RV to Left Ventricle (LV) SUV (RV/LV-SUV) was calculated. Right heart catheterization, echocardiography and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) were performed in all patients within 1 week. Results: RVSUV and LVSUV were higher in glucose loading than in fasting condition. RVSUV and RV/LVSUV in fasting condition showed significant relations with right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) derived from CMR (r=-0.341, P=0.036 and r=-0.345, P=0.034), and in glucose loading condition (r=-0.362, P=0.028 and r=-0.512, P=0.001). RV/LVSUV in glucose loading condition also correlated significantly with TAPSE (r=-0.347, P=0.035), IVA (r=-0.417, P=0.011) and RVFAC (r=-0.326, P=0.049). Conclusions: The glucose uptake of right ventricle increases with right ventricular systolic function decrease in PH patients, which is more significant in glucose loading than in fasting condition.