Variability and reproducibility of rubidium-82 kinetic parameters in the myocardium of the anesthetized canine

Kinetic analysis of 82Rb dynamic PET data produces quantitative measures which could be used to evaluate ischemic heart disease. These measures have the potential to generate objective comparisons of different patients or the same patient at different times. To achieve this potential, it is essential to determine the variability and reproducibility of the kinetic parameters.

A total of 48 82Rb dynamic PET datasets were acquired from two pure bred beagles. Each animal underwent eight 82Rb PET studies with essentially the same protocol for three successive weeks. Data were acquired with the Donner 600-Crystal Positron Tomograph (PET600). In each week, single-slice dynamic 82Rb PET datasets were collected with the animal at rest at three different gantry positions separated by 5 mm. Additional dataset were collected after dipyridamole infusion and after administration of aminophylline to induce a return to rest. A two-compartment kinetic model with correction for myocardial vasculature and spillover from the left ventricular blood pool was used to analyze the dynamic datasets. Model parameters for uptake (k1), washout (k2) and vascular fraction (fv) were estimated in 11-14 myocardial regions of interest (ROIs) using a weighted least-squares criterion. Statistical fluctuation due to the PET acquisition process was minimized by using a relatively high 82Rb dose (about 30 mCi) to take advantage of the high count rate capacity of the PET600.

The variation in mean k1, where the mean is taken over the myocardial ROIs was 10%-20% (Dog 1) and 15%-50% (Dog 2) among the rest studies conducted on the same date. Similar variation was evident in comparing studies in the same animal for different weeks.

Spatial and temporal variation in estimates of the uptake rate (k1) of 82Rb in the resting myocardium of the anesthetized canine are small in relation to the functional increase in k1 following dipyridamole infusion.