Edwin Van Beek

The University of Edinburgh | UoE · Edinburgh Imaging facility Queens Medical Research Institute

Coronary 18F-sodium fluoride (18F-fluoride) uptake is a marker of both atherosclerotic disease activity and disease progression. It is currently unknown whether there are rapid temporal changes in coronary 18F-fluoride uptake and whether these are more marked in those with clinically unstable coronary artery disease. This study aimed to determine t...

Activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in humans is a strategy to treat obesity and metabolic disease. Here we show that the serotonin transporter (SERT), encoded by SLC6A4, prevents serotonin-mediated suppression of human BAT function. RNA sequencing of human primary brown and white adipocytes shows that SLC6A4 is highly expressed in human, but...

Background In the Scottish Computed Tomography of the Heart (SCOT-HEART) trial in individuals with stable chest pain, a treatment strategy based on coronary CT angiography (CTA) led to improved outcomes. Purpose To assess 5-year cumulative radiation doses of participants undergoing investigation for suspected angina due to coronary artery disease w...

Background In the Scottish Computed Tomography of the Heart (SCOT-HEART) trial in individuals with stable chest pain, a treatment strategy based on coronary CT angiography (CTA) led to improved outcomes. Purpose To assess 5-year cumulative radiation doses of participants undergoing investigation for suspected angina due to coronary artery disease w...

Background: 18F-GP1 is a novel positron-emitting radiotracer that is highly specific for activated platelets and thrombus. In a proof-of-concept study, we aimed to determine its potential clinical application in establishing the role and origin of thrombus in ischemic stroke. Methods: Eleven patients with recent ischemic stroke (n=9) or transien...

Importance: Recurrent coronary events in patients with recent myocardial infarction remain a major clinical problem. Noninvasive measures of coronary atherosclerotic disease activity have the potential to identify individuals at greatest risk. Objective: To assess whether coronary atherosclerotic plaque activity as assessed by noninvasive imagin...

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): British Heart Foundation - Prof Marc Dweck Senior Fellowship, and BHF Research Excellence Award 3 for Dr Anna K Barton. Background Myocardial fibrosis is a key healing response following myocardial infarction (MI). Although scar formation...

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): British Heart Foundation Life Molecular Imaging provide reagents for GP1 production free of charge. Background and Purpose 18F-GP1 is a novel positron-emitting radiotracer that has high and specific binding affinity for the activated glycoprotein IIb/IIIa recepto...

The poster is about integration of an AI imaging tool VLN used in radiology in UK NHS hospitals.

Background: Assessments of coronary disease activity with 18F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography and radiomics-based precision coronary plaque phenotyping derived from coronary computed tomography angiography may enhance risk stratification in patients with coronary artery disease. We sought to investigate whether the prognostic informat...

Objective In patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms, sodium [ ¹⁸ F]fluoride positron emission tomography identifies aortic microcalcification and disease activity. Increased uptake is associated with aneurysm expansion and adverse clinical events. The effect of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) on aortic disease activity and sodium [ ¹⁸ F]fluor...

Introduction: Recent evidence suggests a high prevalence of undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These individuals are at risk of exacerbations and delayed treatment. We analyzed an at-risk population for the prevalence of abnormal spirometry to provide clarity into who should undergo early spirometry. Methods: We analyzed d...

Aims Bioprosthetic aortic valve degeneration demonstrates pathological similarities to aortic stenosis. Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a well-recognized risk factor for incident aortic stenosis and disease progression. The aim of this study is to investigate whether serum Lp(a) concentrations are associated with bioprosthetic aortic valve degeneration....

Objective: In patients with acute chest pain who have had myocardial infarction excluded, plasma cardiac troponin I concentrations ≥5 ng/L are associated with risk of future adverse cardiovascular events. We aim to evaluate the association between cardiac troponin and coronary plaque composition in such patients. Methods: In a prespecified second...

Background Targeted lung cancer screening is effective in reducing mortality by upwards of twenty percent. However, screening is not universally available and uptake is variable and socially patterned. Understanding screening behaviour is integral to designing a service that serves its population and promotes equitable uptake. We sought to review t...

Simultaneous positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (PET-MRI) combines the anatomical detail and tissue characterization of MRI with the functional information from PET. Within the coronary arteries, this hybrid technique can be used to identify biological activity combined with anatomically high-risk plaque features to better...

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are characterized by shared exposures and clinical features, but distinct genetic and pathologic features exist. These features have not been well-studied using large-scale gene expression datasets. We hypothesized that there are divergent gene, pathway,...

Background: The diagnosis and management of myocardial infarction are increasingly complex, and establishing the presence of intracoronary thrombosis has major implications for both the classification and treatment of myocardial infarction. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate whether positron emission tomographic (PET) and compu...

Introduction: Targeted lung cancer screening is effective in reducing lung cancer and all-cause mortality according to major trials in the United Kingdom and Europe. However, the best ways of implementing screening in local communities requires an understanding of the population the programme will serve. We undertook a study to explore the views o...

Background Assessments of coronary disease activity with 18F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography (18F-NaF PET) and radiomics-based precision coronary plaque phenotyping derived from contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) have both been shown to enhance risk stratification in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). To date, no stud...

Objective To determine the natural history of coronary 18F-fluoride uptake over 12 months in patients with either advanced stable coronary artery disease or a recent myocardial infarction. Methods Patients with established multivessel coronary artery disease and either stable disease or a recent acute myocardial infarction underwent coronary 18F-f...

Objective We aimed to assess the impact of diabetes mellitus on quantitatively assessed plaque burden in patients with and without diabetes mellitus in the Scottish COmputed Tomography of the HEART (SCOT-HEART) trial. Methods Coronary artery calcium (CAC) score was assessed on non-contrast computed tomography (CT). Coronary stenoses, visually asse...

AIM To evaluate the performance of a machine learning based algorithm tool for chest radiographs (CXRs), applied to a consecutive cohort of historical clinical cases, in comparison to expert chest radiologists. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study comprised 1,960 consecutive CXR from primary care referrals and the emergency department (992 and 968 case...

Background MRI and fluorine 18-labeled sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) PET can be used to identify features of plaque instability, rupture, and disease activity, but large studies have not been performed. Purpose To evaluate the association between 18F-NaF activity and culprit carotid plaque in acute neurovascular syndrome. Materials and Methods In this...

Abstract Background Aortic microcalcification activity is a recently described method of measuring aortic sodium [18F]fluoride uptake in the thoracic aorta on positron emission tomography. In this study, we aimed to compare and to modify this method for use within the infrarenal aorta of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms. Methods Twenty-five...

Objective In this study, we evaluated a commercially available computer assisted diagnosis system (CAD). The deep learning algorithm of the CAD was trained with a lung cancer screening cohort and developed for detection, classification, quantification, and growth of actionable pulmonary nodules on chest CT scans. Here, we evaluated the CAD in a ret...

Purpose: To assess the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and quantitative atherosclerotic plaque at CT. Materials and methods: In this post hoc analysis of the prospective Scottish Computed Tomography of the HEART trial (November 2010 to September 2014), hepatosteatosis and coronary artery calcium score were measured a...

Objectives We sought to assess the relative and additive values of pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation and low-attenuation noncalcified plaque (LAP) to predict future risk of myocardial infarction. Background PCAT attenuation and LAP burden can both predict outcomes. Methods In a post hoc analysis of the multicenter SCOT-HEART (Scottis...

BACKGROUND: Type 2 myocardial infarction is caused by myocardial oxygen supply-demand imbalance, and its diagnosis is increasingly common with the advent of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays. Although this diagnosis is associated with poor outcomes, widespread uncertainty and confusion remain among clinicians as to how to investigate and man...

Objectives In a proof-of-concept study, this investigation aimed to establish whether ¹⁸F-sodium fluoride (¹⁸F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET) combined with computed tomography (CT) angiography could identify aortic medial disease activity in patients with acute aortic syndrome. Background Acute aortic syndrome is associated with aortic me...

Background: Aortic microcalcification activity is a recently described method of measuring aortic ¹⁸F-sodium fluoride uptake in the thoracic aorta on positron emission tomography . In this study, we aimed to compare and to modify this method for use within the infrarenal aorta of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms. Methods: Twenty-five patien...

Introduction: Patients who require mechanical ventilation after self-poisoning with ingested organophosphorus (OP) insecticides often die. Aspiration of stomach contents may contribute to lung injury and lethality. This study was designed to assess the severity of direct and indirect pulmonary injury created by pulmonary instillation of mixtures o...

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate whether thoracic ¹⁸F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography (PET) could improve the identification of patients at the highest risk of ischemic stroke. Background Aortic atherosclerosis represents an important contributor to ischemic stroke risk. Identifying patients with high-risk aorti...

Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the potential of ¹⁸F-sodium fluoride (¹⁸F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET) to identify graft vasculopathy and to investigate the influence of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery on native coronary artery disease activity and progression. Background As well as developing graft vasculop...

Objectives Using a novel glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor radiotracer 18F-GP1, we investigated whether positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) could detect thrombus formation on bioprosthetic aortic valves. Background Bioprosthetic valve thrombosis may have implications for valve function and durability. Methods Ex vivo experime...

Purpose/Objectives Computed tomography coronary angiography (CCTA) is central to many diagnostic strategies for suspected coronary artery disease (1). However, radiation exposure remains an important concern in cardiovascular imaging due to the potential lifetime risks of cancer (2). In Scottish Computed Tomography of the Heart (SCOT-HEART) trial,...

Background Patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome in whom myocardial infarction has been ruled-out are at risk of future adverse cardiac events. However, the optimal approach to risk stratify and investigate these patients is uncertain. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study of 250 patients presenting to the Emergency Department...

Introduction Coronary artery calcification is a marker of cardiovascular risk, but its association with qualitatively and quantitatively assessed plaque subtypes on coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA) is unknown. Methods In this post-hoc analysis, CT images and clinical outcomes were assessed in SCOT-HEART trial participants. Agat...

Background Arterial 18F-sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) activity on positron emission tomography (PET) is a marker of active microcalcification and atherosclerosis. Coronary 18F-NaF activity (CMA) predicts coronary artery disease progression and subsequent myocardial infarction. Objective To investigate whether aortic 18F-NaF activity (AMA) predicts tho...

Background Coronary artery thrombus is typically present in type 1 myocardial infarction, but small volumes in the setting of an uncertain culprit lesion may be beyond the detection limit of current imaging modalities. Purpose Using a novel glycoprotein IIb/IIIa-receptor radiotracer, 18F-GP1, we investigated whether positron emission tomography-co...

Objectives: To determine the contribution of comorbidities on the reported widespread myocardial abnormalities in patients with recent COVID-19. Methods: In a prospective two-centre observational study, patients hospitalised with confirmed COVID-19 underwent gadolinium and manganese-enhanced MRI and CT coronary angiography (CTCA). They were comp...

Background Patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome in whom myocardial infarction has been excluded are at risk of future adverse cardiac events. Objectives This study evaluated the usefulness of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) to select patients for further investigation after myocardial infarction has been excluded. Methods...

Aims: Coronary artery calcification is a marker of cardiovascular risk, but its association with qualitatively and quantitatively assessed plaque subtypes is unknown. Methods and results: In this post-hoc analysis, computed tomography (CT) images and 5-year clinical outcomes were assessed in SCOT-HEART trial participants. Agatston coronary arter...

Background: There remain major uncertainties regarding disease activity within the retained native aortic valve as well as bioprosthetic valve durability following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We aimed to assess native aortic valve disease activity and bioprosthetic valve durability in patients with TAVI in comparison to subjects...

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a heterogeneous condition that can affect the lung parenchyma, pulmonary vasculature, and cardiac chambers. Accurate diagnosis often requires multiple complex assessments of the cardiac and pulmonary systems. MRI is able to comprehensively assess cardiac structure and function, as well as lung parenchymal, pulmonary v...

Objectives Early in the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a high frequency of pulmonary embolism was identified. This audit aims to assess the frequency and severity of pulmonary embolism in 2020 compared to 2019. Methods In this retrospective audit, we compared computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) frequency and pulmonary embolism...

Introduction Pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation has emerged as a surrogate marker of pericoronary inflammation. To date, no studies have compared the impact of pericoronary adipose tissue(PCAT) attenuation and quantitative plaque burden on cardiac outcomes. We aimed to establish the relative merits of these approaches to risk prediction...

Background Widespread abnormalities of the myocardium have been reported in patients with COVID-19. However, these patients often have substantial co-morbidities and it is essential to understand whether cardiac abnormalities represent pre-existing disease or are the consequence of COVID-19. Objective To determine the contribution and cardiac impa...

Background Arterial 18F-sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) activity on positron emission tomography (PET) is a marker of active microcalcification and atherosclerosis. Coronary 18F-NaF activity (CMA) predicts coronary artery disease progression and subsequent myocardial infarction. We aimed to investigate whether aortic 18F-NaF activity (AMA) predicts thora...

Background Acute aortic syndrome is a catastrophic condition characterised by medial degeneration and cellular destruction within the aortic wall. 18F-Sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET) detects microscopic calcification as a marker of disease activity. This proof-of-concept study aims characterise 18F-NaF PET in patients w...

Background The aim of the study was to derive and compare metabolic parameters relating to benign and malignant pulmonary nodules using dynamic 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-D-glucose ( ¹⁸ F-FDG) PET/CT, and nodule perfusion parameters derived through perfusion computed tomography (CT). Patients and methods Twenty patients with 21 pulmonary nodule...

Background: Valvular calcification is central to the pathogenesis and progression of aortic stenosis, with pre-clinical and observational studies suggesting that bone turnover and osteoblastic differentiation of valvular interstitial cells are important contributory mechanisms. We aimed to establish whether inhibition of these pathways with denosum...

Coronary 18F-sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) angiography-based quantitative plaque analysis have shown promise in refining risk stratification in patients with coronary artery disease. We combined both of these novel imaging approaches to develop an optimal machine-learning model for the fut...

Objectives This study was designed to investigate whether coronary computed tomography angiography assessments of coronary plaque might explain differences in the prognosis of men and women presenting with chest pain. Background Important sex differences exist in coronary artery disease. Women presenting with chest pain have different risk factors...

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): British Heart Foundation Clinical Research Training Fellowship Background Calcification of the thoracic aorta is associated with poor vessel wall health. Early detection of this disease process may highlight those at risk of future cardio...

Background Standard methods for quantifying positron emission tomography (PET) uptake in the aorta are time consuming and may not reflect overall vessel activity. We describe aortic microcalcification activity (AMA), a novel method for quantifying ¹⁸ F-sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) uptake in the thoracic aorta. Methods Twenty patients underwent two hy...

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined by a mean pulmonary artery pressure greater than 20 mm Hg and classified into five different groups sharing similar pathophysiologic mechanisms, hemodynamic characteristics, and therapeutic management. Radiologists play a key role in the multidisciplinary assessment and management of PH. A working group was fo...

Pulmonary venous thromboembolism remains one of the most common, potentially lethal, disorders in clinical medicine with an estimated 7 per 10,000 population cases diagnosed annually. Most patients who reach hospital will ultimately survive the episode, although they will remain at risk of recurrent disease, acute complications such as pulmonary in...

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined by a mean pulmonary artery pressure greater than 20 mmHg and classified into five different groups sharing similar pathophysiologic mechanisms, haemodynamic characteristics, and therapeutic management. Radiologists play a key role in the multidisciplinary assessment and management of PH. A working group was fo...

Aims Valvular heart disease can be identified by calcification on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes. We assessed aortic and mitral valve calcification in patients presenting with stable chest pain and their association with cardiovascular risk factors, coronary artery disease, and...