Deoxyglucose uptake by a head and neck squamous carcinoma: Influence of changes in proliferative fraction

Purpose: Positron emission tomography, using the glucose analogue fluorodeo xy-D-glucose (FDG), is proving to be useful in the early response detection of head and neck tumors. Presently mechanisms underlymg changes in FDG upt ake after therapy are poorly understood. Response of tumors to therapy is o ften accompanied by a decrease in tumor cell proliferation. The purpose of this study was to assess whether or not changes in the uptake of deoxygluco se (DG) may reflect differences in proliferative fraction independent of ot her metabolic changes induced by using therapeutic agents. Methods and Materials: HN5 head and neck tumor cells were grown to differen t cell densities producing populations of cells with different proliferativ e indices without the need for exogenous agents to manipulate cell-cycle ki netics. H-3-DG uptake, S-phase fraction (Spf), and lactate production were determined in each population of cells, Results: Large differences in Spf between populations of cells were associa ted with differences in DG incorporation. Lactate production was also found to correlate strongly with DG uptake. Conclusion: Therapy-induced changes in FDG uptake by tumors may be partly d ue to changes in proliferation. (C) 200 Elsevier Science Inc.