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. 2021 Nov;35(11):1264-1269.
doi: 10.1007/s12149-021-01675-8. Epub 2021 Aug 31.

Temporal metabolic response to mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations in oncology patients

Pooja Advani  1 , Saranya Chumsri  1 , Tanmayi Pai  2 , Zhuo Li  3 , Akash Sharma  4 , Ephraim Parent  5
Affiliations

Temporal metabolic response to mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations in oncology patients

Pooja Advani et al. Ann Nucl Med. 2021 Nov.

Abstract

Background: mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are known to provide an immune response seen on FDG PET studies. However, the time course of this metabolic response is unknown. We here present a temporal metabolic response to mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in oncology patients undergoing standard of care FDG PET.

Methods: 262 oncology patients undergoing standard of care FDG PET were included in the analysis. 231 patients had at least one dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine while 31 patients had not been vaccinated. The SUVmax of the lymph nodes ipsilateral to the vaccination was compared to the contralateral to obtain an absolute change in SUVmax (ΔSUVmax).

Results: ΔSUVmax was more significant at shorter times between FDG PET imaging and COVID-19 mRNA vaccination, with a median ΔSUVmax of 2.6 (0-7 days), 0.8 (8-14 days), and 0.3 (> 14 days), respectively.

Conclusion: Consideration should be given to performing FDG PET at least 2 weeks after the COVID-19 vaccine.

Keywords: COVID-19; FDG; Vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

No funding was obtained for this study. Dr. Pooja Advani received research funding from Genentech. Dr. Saranya Chumsri receives research funding from Merck and Pfizer. Dr. Ephraim Parent receives research funding from Blue Earth Diagnostics. The other authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Box plot diagram of FDG PET ΔSUVmax values [vaccinated arm for vaccinated patients (or either arm for the not vaccinated patients)—SUVmax in the contralateral arm] in vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients] and days between vaccinations
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Selected images from serial FDG PET/CT examinations for a patient who received 2 doses of Moderna vaccination, with the second dose approximately 1 month before initial imaging. Trans-axial FDG PET (A) fused FDG PET/CT (B) transaxial non-contrast CT image (C) and FDG PET MIP (D) show two non-enlarged but hypermetabolic left axillary lymph nodes, ipsilateral to the COVID-19 vaccination sites in the left arm. ΔSUVmax was 6.7 and 6.8, in the anterior and posterior nodes, respectively
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Selected images from serial FDG PET/CT examination for a patient who received 1 dose of Pfizer vaccination 11 days before initial imaging, as well as a second FDG PET/CT approximately 3 months later for clinical oncologic follow-up, with interval administration of the second dose of COVID-19 vaccination. FDG PET MIP (A) trans-axial FDG PET (B) fused FDG PET/CT (C) and trans-axial non-contrast CT images show a non-enlarged but hypermetabolic left axillary lymph node; ΔSUVmax = 5.9. On the subsequent evaluation, FDG PET MIP (H) trans-axial FDG PET (E) fused FDG PET/CT (F) and trans-axial non-contrast CT images FDG PET (G) images at matching levels show resolution of FDG uptake in the same-sized lymph node, now seen only on the CT image
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

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