(68)Ga-DOTATOC PET and gene expression profile in patients with neuroendocrine carcinomas: strong correlation between PET tracer uptake and gene expression of somatostatin receptor subtype 2

Ingrid H Olsen, Seppo W Langer, Birgitte H Federspiel, Jytte Oxbøl, Annika Loft, Anne Kiil Berthelsen, Jann Mortensen, Peter Oturai, Ulrich Knigge, Andreas Kjær

Abstract

Somatostatin receptor expression on both protein and gene expression level was compared with in vivo (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT in patients with neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC). Twenty-one patients with verified NEC who underwent a (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT between November 2012 and May 2014, were retrospectively included. By real-time polymerase chain reaction, we quantitatively determined the gene expression of several genes and compared with (68)Ga-DOTATOC PET uptake. By immunohistochemistry we qualitatively studied the expression of assorted proteins in NEC. The median age at diagnosis was 68 years (range 41-84) years. All patients had WHO performance status 0-1. Median Ki67 index was 50% (range 20-100%). Gene expression of somatostatin receptor subtype (SSTR) 2 and Ki67 were both positively correlated to the (68)Ga-DOTATOC uptake (r=0.89; p<0.0001 and r=0.5; p=0.021, respectively). Furthermore, SSTR2 and SSTR5 gene expression were strongly and positively correlated (r=0.57; p=0.006). This study as the first verifies a positive and close correlation of (68)Ga-DOTATOC uptake and gene expression of SSTR2 in NEC. SSTR2 gene expression has a stronger correlation to (68)Ga-DOTATOC uptake than SSTR5. In addition, the results indicate that the gene expression levels of SSTR2 and SSTR5 at large follow one another.

Original languageEnglish
JournalAmerican Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Volume6
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)59-72
Number of pages14
ISSN2160-8407
Publication statusPublished - 2016

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