[18F]DPA-714: Effect of co-medications, age, sex, BMI and TSPO polymorphism on the human plasma input function

Abstract

Purpose: We aimed to assess the effect of concomitant medication, age, sex, body mass index and 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) binding affinity status on the metabolism and plasma pharmacokinetics of [¹⁸F]DPA-714 and their influence on the plasma input function in a large cohort of 201 subjects who underwent brain and whole-body PET imaging to investigate the role of neuroinflammation in neurological diseases.

Methods: The non-metabolized fraction of [¹⁸F]DPA-714 was estimated in venous plasma of 138 patients and 63 healthy controls (HCs; including additional arterial sampling in 16 subjects) during the 90 min brain PET acquisition using a direct solid-phase extraction method. The mean fraction between 70 and 90 min post-injection ([¹⁸F]DPA-714_70-90) and corresponding normalized plasma concentration (SUV_70-90) were correlated with all factors using a multiple linear regression model. Differences between groups (arterial vs venous measurements; HCs vs patients; high- (HAB), mixed- (MAB) and low-affinity binders (LAB); subjects with vs without co-medications, females vs males were also assessed using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA tests. Finally, the impact of co-medications on the brain uptake of [¹⁸F]DPA-714 at equilibrium was investigated.

Results: As no significant differences were observed between arterial and venous [¹⁸F]DPA-714_70-90 and SUV_70-90, venous plasma was used for correlations. [¹⁸F]DPA-714_70-90 was not significantly different between patients and HC_S (59.7 ± 12.3% vs 60.2 ± 12.9%) despite high interindividual variability. However, 47 subjects exhibiting a huge increase or decrease of [¹⁸F]DPA-714_70-90 (up to 88% or down to 23%) and SUV_70-90 values (2-threefold) were found to receive co-medications identified as inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A4, known to catalyse [¹⁸F]DPA-714 metabolism. Comparison between cortex-to-plasma ratios using individual input function (VT_IND) or population-based input function derived from untreated HCs (VT_PBIF) indicated that non-considering the individual metabolism rate led to a bias of about 30% in VT values. Multiple linear regression model analysis of subjects free of these co-medications suggested significant correlations between [¹⁸F]DPA-714_70-90 and age, BMI and sex while TSPO polymorphism did not influence the metabolism of the radiotracer. [¹⁸F]DPA-714 metabolism fell with age and BMI and was significantly faster in females than in males. Whole-body PET/CT exhibited a high uptake of the tracer in TSPO-rich organs (heart wall, spleen, kidneys…) and those involved in metabolism and excretion pathways (liver, gallbladder) in HAB and MAB with a strong decrease in LAB (-89% and -85%) resulting in tracer accumulation in plasma (4.5 and 3.3-fold increase).

Conclusion: Any co-medication that inhibits or induces CYP3A4 as well as TSPO genetic status, age, BMI and sex mostly contribute to interindividual variations of the radiotracer metabolism and/or concentration that may affect the input function of [¹⁸F]DPA-714 and consequently its human brain and peripheral uptake.

Trial registration: INFLAPARK, NCT02319382, registered December 18, 2014, retrospectively registered; IMABIO 3, NCT01775696, registered January 25, 2013, retrospectively registered; INFLASEP, NCT02305264, registered December 2, 2014, retrospectively registered; EPI-TEP, EudraCT 2017-003381-27, registered September 24, 2018.

Keywords: CYP; Metabolism; Neuroinflammation; Positron Emission Tomography; TSPO; [18F]DPA-714.