Incremental predictive value of myocardial scintigraphy with 123I-BMIPP in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Underrecognized Utility of 123I-BMIPP in CAD Diagnosis Outside of Japan

123I-BMIPP (Iodine-123 labeled beta-methyl-p-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid) is a radiotracer that facilitates non-invasive assessment of myocardial fatty acid metabolism through single photon emission computed tomography imaging. Given that fatty acids serve as one of the primary energy sources for cardiac muscle, reduced uptake of 123I-BMIPP offers valuable insights into the pathophysiology of various cardiac conditions, particularly in coronary artery disease (CAD). Despite its reported efficacy, the use of 123I-BMIPP remains limited outside Japan, primarily due to regulatory and supply challenges. However, in Japan, 123I-BMIPP is clinically utilized for CAD patients with various ischemic conditions as the protocol does not require stress tests or contrast iodine and has a relatively short acquisition time. This review highlights the clinical applications of 123I-BMIPP across various conditions and aims to promote its broader adoption in clinical practice, both in Japan and internationally.

Assessing a Myocardial Area at Risk in Non-ST Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction Without Wall Motion Abnormalities Using Cardiac Magnetic Resonance and Radionuclide Imaging

Evaluation of a myocardial area at risk is clinically important because it contributes to clinical decision-making and management of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Herein, we reported a case of non-ST-elevation AMI (non-STEMI) without wall motion abnormalities on echocardiography, in which the myocardial area at risk was evaluated by two modalities; cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and radionuclide imaging. Coronary angiography revealed significant luminal stenosis in the diagonal branch and the obtuse marginal branch. It remained unclear which branch was the culprit. T2-weighted CMR revealed myocardial edema in the left ventricular anterolateral area. Based on the extent of myocardial edema, the patient was diagnosed with non-STEMI in the area corresponding to the diagonal branch. The area exhibiting impaired fatty acid metabolism on iodine-123-beta-methyl-p-iodophenyl penta-decanoic acid (123I-BMIPP) imaging matched well with the area showing myocardial edema on T2-weighted CMR. In conclusion, both CMR and BMIPP imaging are powerful tools in identifying a myocardial area at risk even in non-STEMI without wall motion abnormalities. This should contribute to clinical decision-making and management of patients with AMI.

Serial change in perfusion-metabolism mismatch after coronary artery bypass grafting

OBJECTIVE

Myocardial ischemia is known to suppress fatty acid metabolism and favor glucose metabolism. However, changes in myocardial metabolism after coronary revascularization are not fully elucidated.

METHODS

Thirty-eight patients with coronary artery disease were retrospectively enrolled. These patients had undergone stress perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and ¹²³I-BMIPP SPECT in both the short-term (6.4 ± 4.7 months) and mid-term (29.9 ± 7.2 months) after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting. Tracer uptake was graded using a 17-segment, 5-point scoring model. Serial changes in SRS (summed rest score), SDS (summed difference score), the BMIPP score (total defect score of BMIPP), and the mismatch score (BMIPP score-SRS) were evaluated. In addition, persistent perfusion-metabolism mismatch (PM) was defined as mismatch score minus SDS of 3 or more during the mid-term postoperative period. The clinical parameters associated with PM were examined.

RESULTS

From short- to mid-term postoperative period, the extent of infarcted myocardium (SRS) did not change significantly (7.8 ± 8.0 to 7.1 ± 7.0, P = 0.117). The extent of ischemic myocardium (SDS), the BMIPP score and the mismatch score, which reflects perfusion-metabolism mismatch, were significantly improved (2.0 ± 2.8 to 0.7 ± 1.0, P = 0.010; 12.2 ± 9.0 to 9.5 ± 7.9, P < 0.001; 4.4 ± 3.7 to 2.5 ± 2.6, P < 0.001; respectively). Remarkably, perfusion-metabolism mismatch persisted in 13 patients (34%) even in the mid-term postoperative period. eGFR and SYNTAX score were independent predictors of persistent perfusion-metabolic mismatch in multivariable analysis (OR = 0.951, 95% CI 0.898-0.985, P = 0.010 and OR = 1.126, 95% CI 1.011-1.254, P = 0.031, respectively). The mismatch score both in the short- and mid-term significantly correlated with SYNTAX score (r = 0.400 and r = 0.472, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Fatty acid metabolism disturbance improved from short- to mid-term postoperative period in patients with successful reperfusion by coronary artery bypass grafting. However, in patients with severe atherosclerosis, impaired fatty acid metabolism was sustained until the mid-term postoperative period, even though ischemia had resolved.

Prognosis and recurrence in cardiac sarcoidosis: Serial assessment of BMIPP SPECT and FDG-PET

BACKGROUND

We analyzed 18F-Fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and 123I-betamethyl-p-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) performed for cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) patients taking prednisolone, identified recurrence by FDG-PET, and investigated BMIPP as a recurrence and prognostic factor in CS.

METHODS AND RESULTS

CS patients who underwent BMIPP and FDG-PET within 2 months were enrolled. The recurrence-free group included patients with standardized uptake value (SUVmax) < 4 in the myocardium consecutively for ≥ 2 years. The total BMIPP SPECT defect score (BDS) was used to estimate myocardial damage. The predictability of the initial BDS and SUVmax for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Overall, 73 patients and 250 BMIPP and FDG-PET sets were analyzed retrospectively (mean follow-up, 3.5 years). The BDS was significantly greater for the recurrence group (N = 21) vs recurrence-free group (20 ± 13 vs 14 ± 12, P = 0.041). Patients with BDS ≥16 had a significantly higher MACE rate than patients with BDS < 16 (log-rank test, P = 0.016). However, MACE occurrence was comparable between patients with SUVmax ≥ 4 and < 4.

CONCLUSIONS

BDS is a predictive marker of recurrence and MACE. SUV is not related to MACE. Recurrence, defined by prednisolone treatment-induced SUV variability, was observed in approximately 30% of CS patients.

Novel iodinated tracers, MIBG and BMIPP, for nuclear cardiology

With the rapid growth of molecular biology, in vivo imaging of such molecular process (i.e., molecular imaging) has been well developed. The molecular imaging has been focused on justifying advanced treatments and for assessing the treatment effects. Most of molecular imaging has been developed using PET camera and suitable PET radiopharmaceuticals. However, this technique cannot be widely available and we need alternative approach. ¹²³I-labeled compounds have been also suitable for molecular imaging using single-photon computed tomography (SPECT) ¹²³I-labeled meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) has been used for assessing severity of heart failure and prognosis. In addition, it has a potential role to predict fatal arrhythmia, particularly for those who had and are planned to receive implantable cardioverter-defibrillator treatment. ¹²³I-beta-methyl-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) plays an important role for identifying ischemia at rest, based on the unique capability to represent persistent metabolic alteration after recovery of ischemia, so called ischemic memory. Since BMIPP abnormalities may represent severe ischemia or jeopardized myocardium, it may permit risk analysis in CAD patients, particularly for those with chronic kidney disease and/or hemodialysis patients. This review will discuss about recent development of these important iodinated compounds.

Prognostic value of myocardial metabolic imaging with BMIPP in the spectrum of coronary artery disease: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

We conducted a systematic review to summarize the current literature on the prognostic value of BMIPP imaging, fatty-acid metabolic imaging, for the prediction of cardiovascular events in coronary artery disease.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Electronic databases (including Japanese medical literature search engines) were searched by a Japanese investigator using a predefined search strategy. Eleven studies, all conducted in Japan, were included in the meta-analysis. In three studies involving 541 patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome who were excluded for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), an abnormal finding on BMIPP imaging was significantly associated with future hard events (cardiac death or non-fatal myocardial infarction). The negative predictive value of BMIPP imaging for future hard events was 98.9% (96.8-99.7%) over 3.5 years. In six studies involving 542 patients with AMI, a larger defect on BMIPP imaging was significantly associated with future hard events. The prognostic value of perfusion-metabolism mismatch compared with myocardial perfusion imaging was dependent upon the relative timing of BMIPP imaging, revascularization, and myocardial perfusion damage.

CONCLUSIONS

BMIPP imaging is useful for the risk stratification of patients with coronary artery disease, particularly patients with acute chest pain.

Clinical utility of myocardial fatty acid imaging in patients with end-stage renal disease

The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) appears to be much higher in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing dialysis than in a non-ESRD population. Cardiac death due to myocardial ischemia significantly contributes to the high mortality rate of ESRD patients. However, the method for screening for CAD in ESRD patients has not been established, because the frequency of silent myocardial ischemia is high and examinations requiring stress are often difficult to perform among this population. Myocardial fatty acid imaging may be a new modality to detect myocardial ischemia and identify the group at high risk for cardiac death among ESRD patients without adding any stress.

Metabolic imaging using SPECT

INTRODUCTION

In normal condition, the heart obtains more than two-thirds of its energy from the oxidative metabolism of long chain fatty acids, although a wide variety of substrates such as glucose, lactate, ketone bodies and amino acids are also utilised. In ischaemic myocardium, on the other hand, oxidative metabolism of free fatty acid is suppressed and anaerobic glucose metabolism plays a major role in residual oxidative metabolism. Therefore, metabolic imaging can be an important technique for the assessment of various cardiac diseases and conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In SPECT, several iodinated fatty acid traces have been introduced and studied. Of these, (123)I-labelled 15-(p-iodophenyl)3-R, S-methylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) has been the most commonly used tracer in clinical studies, especially in some of the European countries and Japan.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In this review article, several fatty acid tracers for SPECT are characterised, and the mechanism of uptake and clinical utility of BMIPP are discussed in detail.

Delayed recovery of fatty acid metabolism after transient myocardial ischemia: a potential imaging target for "ischemic memory"

The myocardium preferentially oxidizes free fatty acids for energy production. However, the dependency of this metabolic pathway on oxygen makes this process vulnerable to ischemia. The energy requirements of the myocardium are subsequently met by the oxidation of carbohydrates, particularly glucose. Recovery of fatty acid metabolism lags behind restoration of perfusion, resulting in the phenomenon of metabolic stunning. This decrease of fatty acid utilization following ischemia can be imaged with fatty acid radiotracers, particularly beta-Methyl-p-(123)I-iodophenyl pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP), which demonstrates markedly limited metabolism via beta-oxidation, resulting in prolonged retention in the cardiomyocyte. Thus, in patients presenting with chest pain and no prior myocardial infarction, abnormal BMIPP uptake at rest reflects metabolic alteration caused by the preceding ischemia, also termed ischemic memory.