title: Value of gallium-67 scintigraphy in monitoring the renal activity in lupus nephritis.
abstract: In this study, we evaluated the relationship between the gallium uptake in the kidneys and the results of renal biopsy. The renal uptake of gallium in 32 patients with lupus nephritis were evaluated according to the classification of the World Health Organization, the activity index (AI), and the chronicity index (CI). AI was significantly higher in patients with a positive gallium scan when compared with patients with a negative gallium scan (p = 0.0007). However, change in gallium uptake was not related to the CI or WHO classification (p = 0.68 and p = 0.79 respectively). Of the 16 patients with AI > or = 9, 13 (81.25%) had a positive gallium scan, while only 3 (18.7%) of the patients with AI < 9 had a positive scan. In addition, all patients (100%) with AI > or = 11 showed a positive gallium scan. We conclude that renal imaging with gallium has a good correlation with AI, and may be a useful alternative to renal biopsy in patients with lupus nephritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Chung-Tai College of Medical Technology, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging
chemical_list: D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes