Assessment of liver function in chronic liver diseases and regional function of irradiated liver by means of 99mTc-galactosyl-human serum albumin liver scintigraphy and quantitative spectral analysis.
Scintigraphy with 99mTc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid galactosyl human serum albumin (99mTc-GSA) was performed on 102 patients, then the hepatic extraction fraction (HEF), the rate constant for liver uptake of the tracer from the blood (K1) and the hepatic blood flow index (HBFI) were determined by spectral analysis. The HEF, K1 and HBFI values correlated moderately or closely with various indices of hepatic function, and the HEF and K1 values decreased according to the stage of liver dysfunction. The HEF and K1 values linearly and nonlinearly correlated with HH15 and LHL15, respectively. The HEF, K1 and HBFI values for the irradiated portion of 20 patients before and alter irradiation were compared. The HEF value in patients with a cirrhotic liver significantly (p < 0.002) decreased compared with that in patients with a normal liver at a dose of less than 40 Gy, whereas the HBFI value in patients with a normal liver significantly (p < 0.05) decreased compared with that in patients with a cirrhotic liver at a dose of 40 Gy or greater. This method appears to be a simple, non-invasive and useful tool with which to quantitatively evaluate liver function and it also helps clarify changes in regional function of the irradiated liver.
Fukui
A
A
Department of Radiology, Uwajima City Hospital, Ehime, Japan. afukui@dr1.uwajima-mh.go.jp
Murase
K
K
Tsuda
T
T
Fujii
T
T
Ikezoe
J
J
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008102:Liver Circulation; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; C070561:technetium Tc 99m DTPA-galactosyl-human serum albumin; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate