The true impact and long-term damage to organs such as the lungs after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remain to be determined. Noninvasive molecularly targeted imaging may play a critical role in aiding visualization and understanding of the systemic damage. We have identified α v β 6 as a molecular target; an epithelium-specific cell surface receptor that is low or undetectable in healthy adult epithelium but upregulated in select injured tissues, including fibrotic lung. Herein we report the first human PET/CT images using the integrin α v β 6 -binding peptide ( 18 F-α v β 6 -BP) in a patient 2 mo after the acute phase of infection. Minimal uptake of 18 F-α v β 6 -BP was noted in normal lung parenchyma, with uptake being elevated in areas corresponding to opacities on CT. This case suggests that 18 F-α v β 6 -BP PET/CT is a promising noninvasive approach to identify the presence and potentially monitor the persistence and progression of lung damage.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, fibrosis, Integrins, Positron emission tomography, peptides, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus, Infection, peptide, lung, progression, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, persistence, Lungs, Patient, Visualization, molecular, Critical, integrin, noninvasive, lung parenchyma, PET/CT, lung damage, cell surface receptor, acute respiratory syndrome, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, tissues, acute phase, molecular target, organs, organ, surface receptor, MONITOR, systemic damage, approach, identify, healthy, elevated, upregulated, epithelium-specific cell, undetectable, 【제목키워드】 imaging,