11C-methionine PET of acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Tissue uptake of L-[methyl-11C]-methionine (11C- methionine) has been used to monitor amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis. We examined whether 11C-methionine was retained in areas of myocardial infarction after successful reperfusion. Methods: Nine patients with infarction in the left anterior descendent region underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary artery intervention within 24 h and 201Tl SPECT, 18F-FDG PET, and 11C-methionine PET within 2 wk of infarction onset. The standardized uptake values of the infarcted area and of the normal area were measured. Results: The 11C-methionine images showed increased uptake in the infarcted area, whereas the 201Tl SPECT and 18F-FDG PET images showed decreased uptake. The highest accumulation of 11C-methionine in the infarcted area was observed during the early phase of AMI. Conclusion: 11C-methionine uptake is elevated in infarcted areas and may reflect the early acute phase of damage healing, that is, the initial process of remodeling. Copyright © 2009 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine, Inc.