Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 7, 2026
Fluorescence-mediated Tomography for the Detection and Quantification of Macrophage-related Murine Intestinal Inflammation
Published on: December 15, 2017
68Ga-FAPI PET/CT for non-invasive characterization and activity assessment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn´s disease
Josefin Debus1, Isabelle von Götze2, Johannes Brandt3
1Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Purpose:
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) comprise ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). Management of IBD requires assessment of disease activity, severity, extent and complications. Here, we describe the signal behavior of both CD and UC in 68Gallium- fibroblast activation protein inhibitor-based radiopharmaceuticals-46-positron emission tomography (68Ga-FAPI-46-PET) and evaluate the potential of 68Ga-FAPI-46-PET for activity assessment in IBD.
Patients And Methods:
This analysis includes data of 43 IBD patients and 43 control patients examined by 68Ga-FAPI-46-PET/computed tomography (CT). Disease activity of IBD patients was assessed by colonoscopy. FAPI-positive gastrointestinal tract (GIT)-findings and healthy appearing GI structures were contoured. Non-IBD related FAPI-positive GIT-findings were ruled out by interdisciplinary consensus. Static and dynamic PET-parameters of FAPI-positive IBD lesions and healthy appearing GI structures were extracted and PET signalling was analyzed with respect to IBD subtype and disease activity.
Results:
We examined 20 CD patients and 23 UC patients (29 with active, 14 with inactive disease). FAPI-uptake in most healthy appearing GI structures of IBD patients was significantly increased compared to controls. Of 80 FAPI-positive GIT-findings, 14 were ruled out as non-IBD related and 66 FAPI-positive IBD lesions were analyzed. We observed equally high lesional FAPI-uptake in CD and UC. All patients with active disease showed at least one intensively FAPI-positive IBD lesion, while only 4/14 patients with inactive disease showed any FAPI-positive IBD lesion. Lesional and patientwise FAPI-uptake was significantly higher in active than in inactive disease. FAPI-positive IBD lesions showed a characteristic kinetic behaviour with two types of uptake patterns - one showing a continuous increase and the other an early peak followed by a plateau.
Conclusion:
68Ga-FAPI-46-PET/CT appears promising for assessing disease activity in terms of fibroblast activation in both CD and UC.
More Related Videos
15:49Flexible Colonoscopy in Mice to Evaluate the Severity of Colitis and Colorectal Tumors Using a Validated Endoscopic Scoring System
Published on: October 16, 2013
09:42Murine Endoscopy for In Vivo Multimodal Imaging of Carcinogenesis and Assessment of Intestinal Wound Healing and Inflammation
Published on: August 26, 2014
Related Concept Videos
01:26Imaging Studies III: Gastrointestinal Motility Studies and Virtual Colonoscopy
Radionuclide Testing
Radionuclide testing is a sophisticated medical technique for assessing gastrointestinal motility. It focuses on gastric emptying and colonic transit time. Radioactive markers track the movement of food through the digestive system, providing insights into gastrointestinal disorders.
In gastric emptying studies, a meal's liquid and...
01:29Drugs for Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis in IBD
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, commonly known as IBD, refers to a collection of disorders that lead to persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which impacts the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal segment.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic, systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that predominantly affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is marked by...
01:25Ultrasound II: Endoscopic Ultrasound and FibroScan
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS):
01:27Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...