Imaging studies of patients with malignant fibrous histiocytoma using C-11-alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB)

• Published in: Clinical nuclear medicine Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 22
• Main Authors: Schmall, B, Conti, P S, Bigler, R E, Zanzonico, P B, Reiman, R E, Benua, R S, Yeh, S D, Dahl, J R, Lee, R, Laughlin, J S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-01-1987
• Subjects: Adult; Aminoisobutyric Acids; Carbon Radioisotopes; Female; Femoral Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Gallium Radioisotopes; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Radionuclide Imaging; Technetium Tc 99m Medronate; Thoracic Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging
• ISSN: 0363-9762
• DOI: 10.1097/00003072-198701000-00005

Alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), a synthetic, nonmetabolized amino acid which is rapidly transported into viable cells by the A-type or alanine-preferring amino acid transport system, has been labeled with the short-lived, positron-emitting radionuclide carbon-11. Carbon-11 labeled AIB is currently being evaluated as a tumor imaging agent for in vivo amino acid transport studies in patients with cancer. In this study, C-11 AIB was used to image two patients with malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH), a pleomorphic sarcoma. Following intravenous administration of C-11 AIB, tumors in the distal femur of one patient and in the anterior chest wall of another patient were well visualized using high energy gamma scintigraphy. Since therapy may alter the accumulation of amino acids in tumor tissue, studies using C-11 AIB in patients with MFH before and after chemotherapy are in progress.