Uptake of aortic 18F-FDG is correlated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and leptin in a general population.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the relationship between aortic 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) uptake and clinical and laboratory findings related to atherosclerosis in a general population.

METHODS

18F-FDG uptake in the ascending aorta was measured on the positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans of 211 Japanese adults. The maximum target-to-background ratio (TBR) was compared with clinical and laboratory atherosclerosis findings.

RESULTS

By multivariate regression analysis adjusted for age and sex, TBR-ascending aorta (TBR-A) was significantly correlated with various clinical and laboratory parameters, such as body mass index, log visceral fat area, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), log fasting immunoreactive insulin, log homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, log total adiponectin and log-leptin, in all subjects. Furthermore, by multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for confounding factors, TBR-A was significantly correlated with LDL-C (β = 0.001, p = 0.03) and log-leptin (β = 0.336, p<0.01) in all subjects.

CONCLUSION

TBR-A was significantly correlated with LDL-C and log-leptin independent from confounding factors. Our results suggest that aortic 18F-FDG uptake is a good marker of atherosclerosis, even in a general population.