In-111-labeled platelet scintigraphies in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
Chronic hepatitis C has been recognized to be associated with thrombocytopenia. The use of indium (In-111) oxine-labeled platelets has provided an important tool for classifying the mechanism of thrombocytopenia. In this study, we utilized In-111 oxine-labeled platelet scintigraphies to evaluate patients with chronic hepatitis C (with and without thrombocytopenia).


METHODS
Eleven patients with chronic hepatitis C were included in this study. Six patients (3 male, 3 female) were diagnosed with thrombocytopenia (< 140 x 10(9)/L) (group A) and five patients (3 male, 2 female) had normal platelet counts (> 140 x 10(9)/L) (group B). Spleen to heart and spleen to liver ratios were calculated from 24-hour platelet scintigraphic images.


RESULTS
The spleen to heart ratios in group A and group B were 5.18 +/- 2.09 and 5.17 +/- 2.17, respectively (P = 0.465). The spleen to liver ratio of group A and B were 3.08 +/- 1.60 and 2.38 +/- 0.87, respectively (P = 0.870).


CONCLUSIONS
Our study revealed that patients with hepatitis C infection may have thrombocytopenia independent of hypersplenism.
Wang
Shyh-Jen
SJ
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, No. 160, Sec. 3, Taichung Harbor Road, Taichung 407, Taiwan.
Tsai
Shih-Chuan
SC
Chen
Gran-Hum
GH
Lan
Joang-Liang
JL
Yen
Tzu-Chen
TC
D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D006971:Hypersplenism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D015125:Oxyquinoline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D010976:Platelet Count; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
D007205:Indium Radioisotopes; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C032950:indium oxine; D015125:Oxyquinoline