Keloid scars are common benign fibroproliferative reticular dermal lesions with unknown etiology and ill-defined management with a high rate of recurrence post-surgery. The progression of keloids is characterized by increased deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, invasion into the surrounding healthy skin, and inflammation.~Fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAP-a) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV(DPPIV) are proteases located at the plasma membrane promoting cell invasiveness and tumor growth and have been previously associated with keloid scars. Thus this prospective study is going to investigate whether 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT may be superior for diagnosis, therapy response assessment, and follow-up of keloid.~Integrin αvβ3 is an important member of the integrin receptor family and expressed preferentially on regenerative vascular endothelial cells and some tumor cells, but no or very low expressed on the quiescent vessel cells and other normal cells. The αvβ3 integrin is a key mediator of angiogenesis and thus may be an important diagnostic and therapeutic target associated with active keloid development processes.~This study aims to explore whether FAP and angiogenesis play a role in the mechanisms of scar tissue progression, as well as the diagnostic efficacy of these two imaging agents, and to be able to evaluate relevant treatments for personalized therapy.
Keloid scars are common benign fibroproliferative reticular dermal lesions. Fibroblasts are considered to be the key cellular mediators of fibrogenesis in keloid scars. The αvβ3 integrin is a key mediator of angiogenesis and thus may be an important diagnostic and therapeutic target associated with active keloid development processes. Thus this prospective study is going to investigate whether 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT and/or 68Ga-RGD PET/CT may provide evidence for diagnosis and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.