[123I]-phenylpentadecanoic acid uptake in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

Background The rate constant for global fatty acid influx (k1) was studied in 12 male patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Method: 10 normal subjects served as controls. 201‐Thallium (201TI) and [123I]‐phenyl‐pentadecanoic acid (IPPA) were administered during bicycle exercise under fasting conditions. Results All patients showed non‐homogeneous tracer uptake defects for 201TI and IPPA. k1 was significantly higher in DCM patients than controls. k1 showed significant inverse correlation between cardiac index, left‐ventricular ejection fraction, left‐ventricular enddiastolic pressure and echocardiographic left‐ventricular ejection fraction. Conclusion We presume that an increased regional rate constant of IPPA influx into the myocardial tissue in patients with DCM reflects a compensatory mechanism of altered myocardium.