TY - JOUR
T1 - The benefits of folic acid-modified gold nanoparticles in CT-based molecular imaging
T2 - radiation dose reduction and image contrast enhancement
AU - Beik, Jaber
AU - Jafariyan, Maryam
AU - Montazerabadi, Alireza
AU - Ghadimi-Daresajini, Ali
AU - Tarighi, Parastoo
AU - Mahmoudabadi, Alireza
AU - Ghaznavi, Habib
AU - Shakeri-Zadeh, Ali
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by IUMS, ZaUMS, and GMU (financial assistance or equipments).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2018/11/17
Y1 - 2018/11/17
N2 - X-ray computed tomography (CT) requires an optimal compromise between image quality and patient dose. While high image quality is an important requirement in CT, the radiation dose must be kept minimal to protect the patients from ionizing radiation-associated risks. The use of probes based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) along with active targeting ligands for specific recognition of cancer cells may be one of the balanced solutions. Herein, we report the effect of folic acid (FA)-modified AuNP as a targeted nanoprobe on the contrast enhancement of CT images as well as its potential for patient dose reduction. For this purpose, nasopharyngeal KB cancer cells overexpressing FA receptors were incubated with AuNPs with and without FA modification and imaged in a CT scanner with the following X-ray tube parameters: peak tube voltage of 130 KVp, and tube current–time products of 60, 90, 120, 160 and 250 mAs. Moreover, in order to estimate the radiation dose to which the patient was exposed during a head CT protocol, the CT dose index (CTDI) value was measured by an X-ray electrometer by changing the tube current–time product. Raising the tube current–time product from 60 to 250 mAs significantly increased the absorbed dose from 18 mGy to 75 mGy. This increase was not associated with a significant enhancement of the image quality of the KB cells. However, an obvious increase in image brightness and CT signal intensity (quantified by Hounsfield units [HU]) were observed in cells exposed to nanoparticles without any increase in the mAs product or radiation dose. Under the same Au concentration, KB cells exposed to FA-modified AuNPs had significantly higher HU and brighter CT images than those of the cells exposed to AuNPs without FA modification. In conclusion, FA-modified AuNP can be considered as a targeted CT nanoprobe with the potential for dose reduction by keeping the required mAs product as low as possible while enhancing image contrast.
AB - X-ray computed tomography (CT) requires an optimal compromise between image quality and patient dose. While high image quality is an important requirement in CT, the radiation dose must be kept minimal to protect the patients from ionizing radiation-associated risks. The use of probes based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) along with active targeting ligands for specific recognition of cancer cells may be one of the balanced solutions. Herein, we report the effect of folic acid (FA)-modified AuNP as a targeted nanoprobe on the contrast enhancement of CT images as well as its potential for patient dose reduction. For this purpose, nasopharyngeal KB cancer cells overexpressing FA receptors were incubated with AuNPs with and without FA modification and imaged in a CT scanner with the following X-ray tube parameters: peak tube voltage of 130 KVp, and tube current–time products of 60, 90, 120, 160 and 250 mAs. Moreover, in order to estimate the radiation dose to which the patient was exposed during a head CT protocol, the CT dose index (CTDI) value was measured by an X-ray electrometer by changing the tube current–time product. Raising the tube current–time product from 60 to 250 mAs significantly increased the absorbed dose from 18 mGy to 75 mGy. This increase was not associated with a significant enhancement of the image quality of the KB cells. However, an obvious increase in image brightness and CT signal intensity (quantified by Hounsfield units [HU]) were observed in cells exposed to nanoparticles without any increase in the mAs product or radiation dose. Under the same Au concentration, KB cells exposed to FA-modified AuNPs had significantly higher HU and brighter CT images than those of the cells exposed to AuNPs without FA modification. In conclusion, FA-modified AuNP can be considered as a targeted CT nanoprobe with the potential for dose reduction by keeping the required mAs product as low as possible while enhancing image contrast.
KW - CT dose index
KW - folic acid
KW - gold nanoparticles
KW - image contrast
KW - molecular imaging
KW - X-ray computed tomography
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U2 - 10.1080/21691401.2017.1408019
DO - 10.1080/21691401.2017.1408019
M3 - Article
C2 - 29233015
AN - SCOPUS:85038026900
SN - 2169-1401
VL - 46
SP - 1993
EP - 2001
JO - Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine and Biotechnology
JF - Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine and Biotechnology
IS - 8
ER -