📋 Tender Overview
Project Type
Coordinated Research Project
Project Code
E13057
CRP
2377
Approved Date
3 September 2026
Project Status
New - Collecting or Evaluating proposals
Description
Prognostic Value of Arterial 18F-FDG PET Imaging - The PIAF Trial Phase 2
In order to define distinct and reliable arterial 18 Fluoro Deoxyglucose (FDG) thresholds identifying patients at risk for cardiovascular events and to provide internationally applicable standardization of PET cardiovascular Imaging readouts, patients with a history of myocardial infarction and will be included into phase 2 of this international multicentre trial. Non-enhanced whole-body FDG PET/CT will be performed in all patients and the arterial FDG uptake in the carotid arteries as well as the aorta will be quantified by calculating different uptake parameters. Separate analyses on the predictive values of FDG uptake in hematopoietic tissues (spleen, bone marrow), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) as well as different brain regions (e. g. amygdala) will be provided. Furthermore, we will elaborate on inter-organ crosstalk and metabolic connectome analyses in the second part of the PIAF trial. We will continue to derive specific blood biomarkers which are linked to atherosclerotic disease with predictive power for future cardiovascular events. Within a 2-year follow-up period, cardiovascular events (acute coronary syndrome, non-fatal ischemic stroke, ischemic cardiac death, other causes of death, coronary/vascular revascularization, new-onset of angina, symptomatic peripheral arterial disease and heart failure) will be recorded. The broader database consisting of PIAF 1 and 2 data will enable the application of modern AI-based analysis strategies including deep-learning-based artery and organ segmentation and automated PET quantification. Furthermore, novel diagnostic algorithms for patients with known coronary artery disease can be standardized and implemented in position papers and international guidelines.
Objectives
Test the hypothesis that specific brain uptake, hematopoietic tissue (spleen, bone marrow) and visceral adipose tissue as well as metabolic whole body connectome values provide added value of combining those uptake values with arterial uptake and that these values independently predict the risk of subsequent clinically relevant CV events in a large cohort of individuals at increased risk.
