Conditions: Carotid Artery Disease Carotid Stenosis
Keywords: carotid artery disease carotid stenosis carotid endarterectomy RDG-K5 PET imaging
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 3
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to investigate the ability of the compound\[F-18\]RGD-K5, when used as a tracer during PET (positron emission tomography) imaging, to detect regions of unstable atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery of subjects being considered for carotid endarterectomy (CEA),and to confirm this ability through histological studies of samples of carotid artery plaques that will be collected during the planned carotid surgery.

Detailed description:
Patients will be chosen for the study based on presence of carotid artery stenosis ascertained by CTA and carotid artery ultrasound. Patients will receive and intravenous injection of the radiolabeled PET tracer,\[F-18\]RGD-K5, and will undergo PET imaging of their carotid arteries bilaterally. PET images will be analyzed to determine the standard uptake value (SUV) of \[F-18\]RGD-K5 uptake by the carotid artery plaque and this will be compared to the SUV of the background (blood pool in the aorta). This will be expressed as a target to background ratio (TBR). Investigators expect to find a significant uptake of \[F-18\]RGD-K5 by carotid artery palque and investigators therefore expect to find a TBR that is significantly \>1. Investigators also expect to find that plaque from patients who show a TBR \>1 will also be enriched for histologic markers for inflammation and angiogenesis.

Arms:
arm 1: This is an observational study of a group of individuals who all have carotid artery stenosis. The observation will be the measurement of \[F-18\]RGD-K5 uptake by the carotid artery plaque after intravenous administration of this radiolabeled tracer using PET imaging.

Interventions: intervention 1: [F-18] RDG-K5
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Up to fifteen (15) subjects with carotid stenosis \>50% who are undergoing planned carotid endarterectomy will be imaged under PET with \[F-18\] RDG-K5

Protocol document: