Usefulness of quantitative Tc-99m HMPAO and Ga-67 citrate lung scans in detecting pulmonary vascular endothelium damage and lung inflammation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a preliminary report.
Pulmonary vascular endothelium damage in 34 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was measured by technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (Tc-99m HMPAO) lung scan. The degree of damage was represented as lung/liver uptake (L/L) ratio. The patients were divided into two subgroups according to the following criteria: (a) clinical features, separated as stable or flare stage and (b) chest X-ray findings separated as positive or negative results. Meanwhile, quantitative gallium-67 citrate (Ga-67) lung scan was performed as Ga-67 uptake index (GUI) to evaluate the severity of inflammation in the SLE lungs. The results show (a) no significant statistical differences in the degree of pulmonary vascular endothelium damage (the L/L ratio on Tc-99m HMPAO lung scan) between the two subgroups according to clinical features or chest X-ray findings and (b) no good correlation between the degree of pulmonary vascular endothelium damage and lung inflammation (GUI on Ga-67 lung scan). In conclusion, the change in pulmonary vascular endothelium damage in SLE may be unrelated to the clinical presentation or chest X-ray findings, and its degree is not related to the severity of pulmonary inflammation.
Chang
C S
CS
Department of Anesthesia, Pain Service and Critical Care Medicine, China Medical College Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Liu
F Y
FY
Hsu
W H
WH
Lin
C C
CC
Lee
C C
CC
Kao
A
A
D000328:Adult; D002951:Citrates; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005708:Gallium; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply / Q000276:immunology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology
D002951:Citrates; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D005708:Gallium; C103850:gallium citrate