18F-FDG PET/MRI to assess vascular inflammation following MI
Research type
Research Study
Full title
18F-FDG PET/MRI to assess vascular inflammation and immune response following acute myocardial infarction
IRAS ID
243838
Contact name
Marc Dweck
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 2 days
Research summary
We are aiming to utilise an imaging technique known as PET-MRI to image patients before and after their planned septal ablation treatment. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive imaging method designed to identify specific biologically active processes within the body. When paired with magnetic resonance (MR) scans research has found it very useful at detecting inflammation and increased activity in different tissues. We plan to utilise this to assess the complex interaction between the cardiovascular events; the sympathetic nervous system; and immune system.
Alcohol septal ablation treatment (ASA) is used to treat patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It aims to damage excess heart muscle, creating a small 'heart attack' to remove obstruction to blood flow. This is achieved by injecting pure alcohol into a small heart artery supplying the target area of heart muscle. This scenario mimics - on a small scale - what would happen in a patient with a "true" heart attack. By studying patients before and after septal ablation treatment, we are trying to see what happens in different organs - heart, blood vessels, bone marrow, spleen and brain- and we hope to gain a better understanding of the interaction between cardiovascular disease and the immune system.
If successful, this study may enable us to tailor specific treatments to those with cardiovascular disease such as patients with blocked heart arteries.
Participants will have to PET-MRI scans, each lasting an average of 60 minutes (but may take up to 90 minutes), the first scan will be arranged prior to the ablation and the second scan within 10 days of their procedure. Bloods samples will be taken to correlate with each scan.
The idea is to assess the impact of myocardial infarction on vascular inflammation and the immune response. Several recent mouse studies have suggested MI increases inflammation in remote atherosclerotic plaque and that this might account for the high rates of recurrent MI and stroke following an index event. We are now trying to assess whether that happens in humans. This will be a developmental study that would require additional research.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
18/NS/0095
Date of REC Opinion
6 Sep 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion