Comprehensive evaluation of renal function in the transplanted kidney.
(65/1995)
By means of a comprehensive renal function test based on the analysis of orthoidohippurate kinetics carried out 223 times in 86 renal transplatn patients, we have been able to separate clearly five clinical entities: normally functioning transplanted kidneys, acute tubular necrosis, cell-mediated rejection, humoral (chromin) rejection, and postrenal obstruction. Accurate prediction of the fate of the rejecting kidney can be made while still subclinical as much as a week before manifestations by other techniques are evident. Data on 22 donors studied 44 times are also presented. The comprehensive test consists of measurements of effective renal plasma flow (ERPF), sequential scintigraphy, calculations of excretory index (EI) (percent dose actually found in bladder and voided urine as a fraction of the percent dose expected at a given time after injection at the patient's specific ERPF), and residual urine volume. Formulas and regression equations for the calculation of ERPF, EI, residual urine, etc., are presented. (+info)
Technetium-99m MDP bone scintigraphic findings of hypercalcemia in accelerated phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia.
(66/1995)
Hypercalcemia in accelerated phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is very rare. Its pathogenesis is considered humoral hypercalcemia of malignancies mediated by parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP). In severe hypercalcemia, calcifications in kidneys, skin, vessels, heart, and stomach may occur. Our two cases were admitted because of severe hypercalcemia in accelerated phase of CML. On Tc-99m methylene diphosphonate (MDP) bone scintigraphies, a marked tracer accumulation was seen in the lung, heart, stomach and kidney. We report increased tracer accumulation of multiple organs on Tc-99m MDP bone scintigraphy in two rare hypercalcemic patients with CML. (+info)
Swyer-James-MacLeod syndrome.
(67/1995)
Swyer-James-MacLeod syndrome is a rare complication of respiratory tract infection occurring in early childhood. We report two children with chronic cough and recurrent wheezing who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for this disorder: 1) Unilateral loss of lung volume with hyperlucency on chest x-ray. 2) Unilateral reduction in vascularity on CT scan of the chest. 3) Unilateral loss of perfusion on Technetium 99c lung scan. (+info)
Radionuclide determination of cardiac chamber flow/volume characteristics.
(68/1995)
The flow/volume characteristics of an externally monitored radionuclide dilution curve may contain valuable information about specific cardiac chamber abnormalities. a simplified method of obtaining this flow/volume ratio on a standard scintillation camera is presented. Preliminary clinical application to right-sided cardiac lesions has been undertaken. The implications of flow/volume variation with time are discussed. (+info)
Candidacidal activities of human lactoferrin peptides derived from the N terminus.
(69/1995)
In light of the need for new antifungal agents, the candidacidal activities of human lactoferrin (hLF) and synthetic peptides representing the first, hLF(1-11), and second, hLF(21-31), cationic domains of its N terminus were compared. The results revealed that hLF(1-11) was more effective in killing fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans than hLF(21-31) and much more effective than lactoferrin, as determined microbiologically and by propidium iodide (PI) staining. By using hLF(1-11) and various derivatives, it was found that the second and third residues of the N terminus of hLF(1-11) were critical for its candidacidal activity. Detailed investigation to elucidate the mechanism of action of hLF(1-11) revealed a dose-dependent release of ATP by Candida upon exposure to hLF(1-11). Our observations that sodium azide reduced the PI uptake and candidacidal activity of hLF(1-11) and that, upon exposure to hLF(1-11), the fluorescent dye rhodamine 123 first accumulated inside the mitochondria and later was released into the cytoplasm indicate that the peptide triggers the energized mitochondrion. Furthermore, oxidized ATP, which interferes with the interaction of ATP with its extracellular receptors, blocked the candidacidal action of hLF(1-11), as measured microbiologically and by PI staining. Addition of ATP (or analogues) was not a sufficient stimulus to kill C. albicans or to act synergistically with suboptimal concentrations of the peptide. The main conclusions are that the first two arginines at the N terminus of hLF are critical in the candidacidal activity of hLF(1-11) and that extracellular ATP is essential but not sufficient for the peptide to exert its candidacidal activity. (+info)
Clinical experience with 99mTc-DMSA (dimercaptosuccinic acid), a new renal-imaging agent.
(70/1995)
Results are reported from the clinical evaluation of a new radiopharmaceutical for renal imaging, 99mTc-DMSA (dimercaptosuccinic acid). Sixty-five patients were studied and six of these patients' scintiphotos are illustrated. The physical characteristics of 99mTc and the mercurial-like kinetics of the chelate produced high-resolution scintiphotos of the renal parenchyma in patients of all ages and with a variety of disease entities. The commercial availability of the material in kit form permits its usage in all nuclear medicine facilities. (+info)
Labeling of phagocytes from human blood with 99mTc-sulfur colloid.
(71/1995)
Experments in this report have shown that peripheral blood leukocytes can be readily labeled with 99mTc-sulfur colloid during in vitro incubation. Phagocytic cells were preferentially labeled by this method. Labeling was enhanced in the presence of normal serum. The data suggest that labeling was accomplished by phagocytosis of the radiocolloid. Labeled granulocytes responded normally to chemotactic stimuli and excluded trypan blue dye normally. Buffy coat cells from 50 ml of peripheral blood could be labeled with 8 mCi of 99mTc after incubation with 20 mCi of TcSC. This report offers a method by which phagocytic cells can be selectively labeled with 99mTc in amounts suitable for scintillation scanning. (+info)
An evaluation of 99mTc-sulfur colloid liver scintiscans and their usefulness in metastatic workup: a review of 1,424 studies.
(72/1995)
To determine the clinical usefulness of liver scintiscanning in detecting metastatic disease of the liver, 1,424 liver studies performed on 1,115 patients were reviewed along with their charts. Five hundred eighty-one patients had histopathological evaluation by needle biopsy of the liver, laparotomy, and/or autopsy within a mean period of 40 days of liver scan. The histopatholigical findings were correlated with the liver sicntiscan findings and the latter gave an overall accuracy of 77.3%. (+info)