SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
Table S1. Classification of Aortitis
Noninfectious aortitis
Large-vessels vasculitis
GCA (Giant cell arteritis)
Takayasu arteritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
SLE (Systemic lupus erythematosus)
HLA-B27 associated spondyloarthropathies
Medium and small vessel vasculitis
ANCA-associated vasculitides
Wegener arteritis
Polyarteritis nodosum
Microscopic polyangiitis
Behçet disease
Cogan syndrome
Relapsing polychondritis
Sarcoidosis
Idiopathic conditions
Idiopathic aortitis
Inflammatory aortic aneurysm (IgG4)
Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (periaortitis)
Radiation-induced aortitis
Infectious aortitis
Bacterial (salmonella, staphylococcus, streptococcus...)
Viral (HIV or AIDS)
Mycobacterial (mycobacterium tuberculosis)
Syphilitic
Mycotic aortic aneurysm
Aortic graft infections
Source: Gornik HL et al, 2008 [1].
PET/CT protocol and images acquisition
In the framework of a prospective study supported by an EC FP7 grant, a PET/CT was performed in
almost all patients referred to our department of Cardiovascular Surgery with a known aortic disease.
PET/CT data were acquired in 2 hospitals, using either a Gemini BB (16-slice CT, Philips) in 12
patients (CHU) and a Discovery LS (16-slice CT, GE Healthcare) in 7 patients (CHC). All patients
fasted for at least 6 hours. Plasma blood glucose level was measured before administration of the
tracer and was within normal limits in all cases. FDG (3.7 MBq/kg body weight) was injected through
an indwelling catheter. The uptake time was 60 minutes. A low-dose CT (thickness 5mm, increment
5mm, voltage 120 kV, current 25 mA/slice) was first acquired, followed by the PET emission scan
from the skull to the upper thighs (1-3 minutes per bed position depending on the scanner and patient’s
body habitus). The study was completed by an arterial phase CT (thickness 2 mm, increment 1 mm,
120 keV, 100mA/slice). Data were corrected for decay, scatter, random, attenuation and reconstructed
using an interactive 3D algorithm. Low-dose CT data were used for attenuation correction. The
acquisition protocol was slightly different at the CHC: Continuous arterial phase CT from the skull to
the upper thighs was performed (thickness 2.5mm, 120kVp, automatic adaptation of the amperage at
each tube rotation optimized with indications provided by the scout view) and followed by the PET
emission scan covering the same regions (4 minutes per bed position). Data were corrected for decay,
scatter, random, attenuation and reconstructed by mean of ordered subset expectation maximization
(OSEM) reconstruction algorithm performed with 2 iterations and 21 ordered subsets. CT raw data
were used for attenuation correction. Any increased focal uptake compared with the background, was
recorded as positive according to the visual analysis.
Histology protocol
Five µm paraffin-embedded sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Immunostaining was
performed in the Ventana (Roche Molecular Biochemicals) auto-stainer. Briefly, antigen retrieval was
achieved with citrate/EDTA buffer and the different primary antibodies were incubated for 32 min.
The revelation was performed with a specific kit for the Ventana auto-stainer (Ultra-View Universal
kit, Roche) and the 3, 3’-diaminobenzidine (DAB, Dakocytomation). The different antibodies used
were CD3 antibody (DakoCytomation, polyclonal, 1/300), CD20 antibody (DakoCytomation, L-20,
1/800) and CD68 antibody (DakoCytomation, KP-1, 1/1800).