Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38177615›Full record

ArticleMolecular imaging and biology2024

Evaluating the Patterns of FAPI Uptake in the Shoulder Joint: a Preliminary Study Comparing with FDG Uptake in Oncological Studies.

Yohji Matsusaka, Rudolf A Werner, Sebastian E Serfling, Andreas K Buck, Aleksander Kosmala, Takanori Sasaki, Alexander Weich, Takahiro Higuchi

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular imaging and biology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Advances in molecular imaging for osteoarthritis.Connective tissue research · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Yohji Matsusaka *Department of Nuclear Medicine and Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), Molecular Imaging of the Heart, University Hospital of Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Str. 6, ZIM House A4, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Rudolf A Werner *Department of Nuclear Medicine and Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), Molecular Imaging of the Heart, University Hospital of Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Str. 6, ZIM House A4, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Sebastian E SerflingDepartment of Nuclear Medicine and Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), Molecular Imaging of the Heart, University Hospital of Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Str. 6, ZIM House A4, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Andreas K BuckDepartment of Nuclear Medicine and Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), Molecular Imaging of the Heart, University Hospital of Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Str. 6, ZIM House A4, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Aleksander KosmalaDepartment of Nuclear Medicine and Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), Molecular Imaging of the Heart, University Hospital of Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Str. 6, ZIM House A4, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Takanori SasakiDepartment of Nuclear Medicine and Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), Molecular Imaging of the Heart, University Hospital of Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Str. 6, ZIM House A4, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Alexander Weich *Internal Medicine II and ENETS CoE NET-Zentrum Würzburg, Gastroenterology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Takahiro Higuchi *Department of Nuclear Medicine and Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), Molecular Imaging of the Heart, University Hospital of Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Str. 6, ZIM House A4, 97080, Würzburg, Germany. thiguchi@me.com.ORCID 0000-0001-9711-7835
Universitätsklinikum Würzburg · DEOkayama University · JPEuropean Neuroendocrine Tumor Society · DEJohns Hopkins University · US

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 453989101Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 507803309Foundation for Promotion of Material Science and Technology of Japan 21K19450
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) targeting PET has been introduced as a novel molecular imaging modality for visualizing cancer-associated fibroblasts. There have also been reports suggesting incidental findings of localized accumulation in the shoulder joints. However, further characterization in a larger patient cohort is still lacking.

methods77 consecutive patients (28 females; mean age, 63.1 ± 11.6) who underwent Ga-68 FAPI-04 PET/CT for diagnosis of solid tumors were included. The incidence and localization of tracer uptake in shoulder joints were investigated and compared with available F-18 FDG scans serving as reference.

resultsGa-68 FAPI-04 uptake was evaluated in 77 patients (154 shoulder joints), of whom 54 subjects (108 shoulder joints) also had available F-18 FDG scans for head-to-head comparison. On FAPI-targeted imaging, 67/154 shoulders (43.5%) demonstrated increased radiotracer accumulation in target lesions, which were distributed as follows: acromioclavicular (AC) joints in 25/67 (37.3%), followed by glenohumeral and subacromial (GH + SA) joints in 23/67 (34.3%), or both (AC and GH + SA joints) in the remaining 19/67 (28.4%). Ga-68 FAPI-04 correlated with quantified F-18 FDG uptake (r = 0.69, p < 0.0001). Relative to the latter radiotracer, however, in-vivo FAP expression in the shoulders was significantly increased (Ga-68 FAPI-04, 4.7 ± 3.2 vs F-18 FDG, 3.6 ± 1.3, p < 0.001).

conclusionOur study revealed focal accumulation of Ga-68 FAPI-04 in the shoulders, particularly in the AC joints, with higher uptake compared to the inflammatory-directed PET radiotracer F-18 FDG in oncological studies. As a result, further trials are warranted to investigate the potential of FAPI-directed molecular imaging in identifying chronic remodeling in shoulder joints. This could have implications for initiating anti-FAP targeted photodynamic therapy based on PET signal strength.

Indexed as

QuinolinesShoulder JointAgedFemaleFluorodeoxyglucose F18Gallium RadioisotopesHumansMiddle AgedPositron Emission Tomography Computed TomographyFluorodeoxyglucose F18Gallium-68Gallium RadioisotopesQuinolinesAcromioclavicular jointsF-18 fluorodeoxyglucoseFAPFibroblast activation inhibitorGa-68 FAPI-04OsteoarthritisPositron emission tomographyRheumatoid arthritisShoulder

Identifiers

PMID38177615
PMCPMC10972909
OpenAlexW4390578279

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.