Fluorine F 18 Nitric Oxide Synthase PET/CT for the Detection of Inflammation in Patients with and without Alcohol Use Disorder, [18F] NOS Study
This phase I trial evaluates the extent of brain and other organ inflammation using a radioactive tracer called fluorine F 18 (18F) nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and an imaging scan called positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in patients with current alcohol use disorder and those without. Alcohol is the third leading risk factor for premature death and disability and a leading cause of preventable cancers. Chronic alcohol use disorder (AUD) has detrimental effects on immune responses, and induces inflammation in many organs including the brain, lungs, heart and liver. The purpose of this research is to measure the extent of brain and other organ inflammation in different groups of participants using the radioactive tracer called [18F]NOS. A radioactive tracer is a type of imaging drug that is labeled with a radioactive tag and injected into the body. This study will see how the tracer is taken up in the brain and other organs using PET/CT. PET scan is a procedure in which a small amount of radioactive tracer is injected into a vein, and a scanner is used to make detailed, computerized pictures of areas inside the body where the tracer is taken up to find cancer cells in the body. CT utilizes x-rays that traverse body from the outside. CT images provide an exact outline of organs and potential inflammatory tissue where it occurs in patient’s body. [18F]NOS is an experimental radioactive molecule used in PET imaging to measure inflammation in various organs in the body, including the brain. This study may help researchers learn whether there are differences in brain inflammation and inflammation in other organs between patients with current alcohol use disorder and those without.