Scintigraphic evaluation of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison of technetium-99m human non-specific immunoglobulins, leucocytes and albumin nanocolloids.
Technetium-99m-labelled, non-specific, polyclonal, human immunoglobulin G (99mTc-hIG) has been used to quantify synovial inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. A comparison was carried out between the scintigraphic results obtained with this tracer, 99mTc-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime-labelled white blood cells (99mTc-WBC) and 99mTc-albumin nanocolloids (99mTc-NC). Twenty patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis and suffering from clinically active synovitis were studied with 99mTc-hIG. The number and sites of the involved joints had been previously assessed on the basis of the presence of pain and/or swelling. A radiological examination had already been carried out on all the joints. Two days after the 99mTc-hIG scan, 10 patients (group 1) underwent 99mTc-WBC scintigraphy and the other 10 (group 2) underwent a 99mTc-NC scan. The results show that the results of 99mTc-hIG and 99mTc-NC scans are in agreement with clinical examinations in the majority of cases. However, a certain number of positive joint scans corresponding to negative clinical examinations was found. The numerical distribution of these results according to the radiological stages seems to show that 99mTc-hIG is more useful than 99mTc-NC in the initial phases of the disease. The 99mTc-WBC scan was negative in a consistent percentage of the joints previously assessed as clinically and 99mTc-hIG scan positive.
Liberatore
M
M
Department of Experimental Medicine, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Clemente
M
M
Iurilli
A P
AP
Zorzin
L
L
Marini
M
M
Di Rocco
E
E
Colella
A C
AC
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007596:Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007962:Leukocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013585:Synovitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013667:Technetium; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime
D007136:Immunoglobulins; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; C065376:technetium Tc 99m immunoglobulin; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D013667:Technetium