[Lumbar pain and bone gammagraphy].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J Setoain.
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The aim of this study was to investigate the normal pattern of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) distribution in normal young and aged volunteers using technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (99m-Tc-HMPAO) as a tracer. The region brain perfusion of young and aged subjects was compared, especially regarding rCBF differences due to age and gender, and interhemispheric rCBF asymmetries. Sixty-eight right-handed normal volunteers - 40 young (mean age 29. 5+/-6.3 years) and 28 aged (mean age 71.2+/-4.3 years) - were included in the study. rCBF was estimated on the basis of a semiquantitative approach by means of a left/right index and two region/reference ratios, using the cerebellum and the whole brain activity as references. A good correlation between these two region/reference ratios was found (P<0.005 in all cerebral regions). The highest rCBF ratios corresponded to the cerebellum, followed by the occipital lobe. The remaining cortical regions (temporal, parietal, frontal and basal ganglia) showed slightly lower values. The white matter showed rCBF ratios substantially lower than the grey matter. In neither young nor aged subjects were significant rCBF differences between the genders found in any of the two region/reference indices employed. Aged subjects showed significantly lower rCBF ratios than young subjects in the left frontal lobe and in the posterior region of the left temporal lobe. In both young and aged subjects, lower perfusion was found in the left hemisphere, except for the white matter region in both age groups and the frontal lobe in the young subjects. Aged subjects presented a slightly higher interhemispheric asymmetry in the frontal lobe. However, interhemispheric asymmetry was minimal (-1. 01% to 3.14%). Consequently, a symmetrical rCBF distribution can be assumed between homologous regions, independent of age.
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To determine the sensitivity of 99TCm-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (99TCm-HMPAO) and a single-head SPET (single photon emission tomography) system in the detection of perfusion changes in the visual cortex due to different visual conditions, six normal healthy volunteers were studied under conditions of visual deprivation (blindfolded), visual stimulation (stroboscopic light) and baseline (dim light and eyes open). Visual cortex/whole-brain activity ratios, and the percentage of activity change between the different visual conditions were calculated after three-dimensional realignment of the images. The activity in the visual cortex was higher during visual stimulation than during the visual deprivation (P = 0.002, 17.6 +/- 8.6% increase) and baseline conditions (P = 0.009, 8.8 +/- 5.6% increase). Furthermore, the activity in the visual cortex was lower during the visual deprivation than in the baseline condition (P = 0.001, 8.1 +/- 2.9% decrease). 99TCm-HMPAO SPET, even with a single-head system, is capable of detecting changes in rCBF in the striate cortex, not only between conditions of visual stimulation and deprivation, but also between these two conditions and the baseline state.
A prospective study was carried out to determine the usefulness of 99TCm-human immunoglobulin G (HIG) scintigraphy in the assessment of the severity of joint inflammation. Twenty-four patients with rheumatoid arthritis were studied. The presence or absence of pain and/or swelling was evaluated in 34 joints and a clinical index taking into account the surface area of each joint was calculated. We measured the following biological markers of inflammation activity: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, haemoglobin, platelet count, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha and soluble receptors of IL-2. Scintigraphic was performed 4 h after the injection of 740 MBq 99Tcm-HIG. The scans were evaluated by visual and quantitative analysis and the scores in each joint were weighted for joint size. Pathological uptake of the radiopharmaceutical was noted in 46% (24/52) of joints evaluated as painful, 89% (146/164) of swollen joints and 94% (78/83) of both painful and swollen joints. Both the visual and the quantitative scintigraphic indices correlated significantly with the clinical index, the number of painful joints, the number of swollen joints and several biological markers of inflammation. A very high correlation was also found between the visual and the quantitative scintigraphic indices (r = 0.91, P < 0.0001). In conclusion, 99Tcm-HIG scintigraphy is an objective test to detect synovitis and to assess the severity of inflammation. A careful visual analysis of scans is good enough for routine evaluations and computer quantitative analysis should be used when more accurate intra-individual variation is required.
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The time course of urinary excretion of two enzymatic indicators of renal damage, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and alanine aminopeptidase (AAP) was measured in female Wistar rats at different ages. NAG and AAP are localized at different sites of the nephron and are released into the urine when kidney damage occurs. Total protein flow, urinary volume and creatinine flow were also determined. In a parallel experiment, the effect of aging on renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was examined in young (1.5-month) adult (3-month) and elderly (20-month) female rats. Clearance following a single injection of [131I]o-iodohippurate (hippuran, OIH) was used for the measurement of effective RBF and as an index of tubular cell function. [125I]Iothalamate (IOT) clearance was used to measure GFR. With advancing age, an increase in NAG and AAP urinary flow appeared. The increases in protein excretion were greater than and previous to those of enzyme excretion. It is shown that absolute RBF and GFR (ml/min) in old rats are greater than in young or adult animals. When absolute RBF or GFR was divided by kidney weight (ml/min/g) no clearance changes appeared in any age group studied; only when clearance was expressed in relation to body weight (ml/min/100 g), a decrease in RBF and GFR was evidenced. This indicates that the rate of increase of both RBF and GFR with age is similar to that of kidney weight and lower than that of body weight. The present findings indicate that urinary markers of renal injury increase with age, whereas GFR and RBF only decrease when expressed as clearance related to body weight.
Recently, it has been suggested that lateral (LAT) spine bone mass measurements by absorptiometry may be more sensitive for detecting bone loss than the standard anteroposterior (AP) projection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the precision of LAT spine dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and its diagnostic sensitivity. A group of 1554 subjects with no risk factors that might affect bone metabolism and 185 osteoporotic patients with vertebral fractures were studied. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured in the lumbar spine (standard AP and LAT projections) and proximal femur with a DEXA absorptiometer. The precision of the measurements was assessed in 15 volunteers. Diagnostic sensitivity was evaluated by the Z-score method. Comparing young people and the elderly, spine bone loss in the latter was similar for AP and LAT projections, when it was evaluated in absolute values (glcm2). However, when it was evaluated in percentage terms, bone loss was about twice as high in the LAT projection. LAT spine BMD correlated significantly with all the other areas assessed. The best correlation was found with the standard AP projection (r = 0.67, P < 0.0001). The precision in the LAT projection was found to be within an acceptable range (1.6% in normal subjects, 2% in osteoporotic patients), even though it was about twice that obtained in the AP projection. Diagnostic sensitivity was also better with the AP projection. It is concluded that LAT spine BMD measurements can be assessed with acceptable precision although it is about twice as high as for AP spine measurements.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The aim of our study was to assess bone mineral density (BMD) in pre-menopausal women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the influence of disease activity and use of corticosteroids. Lumbar and femoral BMD were measured in 43 patients with SLE (28 on regular steroid therapy, 15 with recent onset, non-treated) and compared with 43 healthy women matched for age. In addition, 21 SLE patients treated with corticosteroids were followed-up with a mean of 36.6 +/- 12.7 months. BMD was significantly lower in SLE patients with prednisone doses > or = 7.5 mg/day than those of recent onset (lumbar: 1.07 +/- 0.11 vs 1.15 +/- 0.13, P = 0.039; femur: 0.85 +/- 0.13 vs 0.98 +/- 0.21, P = 0.034) and the control group (lumbar: 1.07 +/- 0.11 vs 1.13 +/- 0.10, P = 0.040; femur: 0.85 +/- 0.13 vs 0.93 +/- 0.10, P = 0.028). In addition, 18% of SLE steroid users had osteoporosis. Lumbar and femoral BMD were inversely correlated with the time of treatment and the cumulative doses of prednisone. There were no significant BMD changes during the 3-yr follow-up period. In conclusion, in SLE pre-menopausal patients lumbar and femoral BMD is decreased and related to long-term corticosteroid therapy.
Tc-99m galactosyl-neoglycoalbumin (NGA) is a new liver imaging agent that specifically binds to a hepatocyte specific membrane receptor, the hepatic binding protein. Scintigraphy with Tc-99m NGA is a noninvasive method that provides functional images of the liver. This report deals with one case of fulminant hepatic failure in which hepatic scintigraphy with Tc-99m NGA predicted hepatic recovery before clinical and biochemical parameters, being a prognostic index in this patient.
The aim of this study was to assess outpatients' satisfaction with the service received in the nuclear medicine service of the Hospital Clinic i Provincial of Barcelona in February 1993. The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: group 1 received information about their diagnostic procedure, whereas group 2 did not (a control group). A questionnaire was used to assess patients' degree of satisfaction. The questionnaire was administered to 803 patients, 243 (30.26%) of whom completed it and returned it. The following factors were significantly related to high scores on the satisfaction scale: age (P < 0.015), waiting time (P < 0.001), treatment by assisting personnel (P < 0.001), treatment by personnel at the service reception (P < 0.01), waiting room habitability (P < 0.01), communication variables (P < 0.03) and low scores on the anxiety scale (P < 0.02). Group 1 perceived more positively treatment by personnel at reception (P < 0.041), treatment by assisting personnel (P < 0.027), waiting room habitability (P < 0.035) and communication variables (P < 0.001). The anxiety scale scores among this group were significantly lower. We conclude that when information is supplied to patients, their anxiety decreases before a diagnostic procedure, which significantly improves their perception of the factors that generate satisfaction among patients.
Three hundred and eighty-one consecutive patients referred to our Nuclear Medicine Service from the Cardiology Department during a period of two years have been studied to evaluate Coronary Artery Disease (CAP) using 99mTc-MIBI single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The sensitivity and specificity for detecting CAD in the whole group of patients, referred (n = 161) or not (n = 220) for coronary angiography, were calculated following Diamond's method, and were found to be 87% and 92%, respectively. Diamond's method estimates these values from those obtained in the subset of patients with angiography referral (sensitivity 91% and specificity 85%) and the pattern of SPECT responses of both groups (69% and 52%, respectively). A new segmental score system was used to evaluate the location and extent of CAD in the catheterized group. The sensitivity for detecting individual artery disease was 69% and specificity was 81%. The sensitivity in patients with single, double and triple-vessel disease was 90%, 96% and 89%, respectively. In the subgroup of patients without infarction (n = 66) the sensitivity and specificity were 76% (19/25) and 90% (37/41).
111In-labeled platelet scintigraphy was used to confirm immunological intolerance as the cause of prolonged febrile syndrome in hemodialyzed patients with a nonfunctioning renal allograft. Thirty-six patients with febrile syndrome (> 38 degrees C) and a nonfunctioning renal graft were studied. Thirteen patients were under minimal steroids (5-10 mg/day) and 23 were free of immunosuppressive therapy. A control group of 6 patients without fever and with a nonfunctioning renal graft was also included. The labeling of autologous platelets with 111In-mercaptopyridine was performed following a modified technique of Thakur. Scans were obtained at 24 and 48 hr after injection of 100-200 microCi of 111In-labeled platelets. A platelet uptake index (PUI) was calculated to evaluate the results of the scintigraphy. A PUI > 1.5 at 24 or 48 hr was considered positive and suggestive of immunological activity in the nonfunctioning renal allograft. In the study group the PUI was considered positive in 26 patients and negative in 10. In 3 patients with positive PUI, fever disappeared after steroid treatment, and transplantectomy was performed in the remaining 23. In 8 of the 10 patients with a negative PUI, fever disappeared with antimicrobial therapy. In the control group, a negative PUI was obtained in all cases. The sensitivity of PUI in demonstrating immunological intolerance of the nonfunctioning renal allograft was 93% with a specificity of 100%. Our results suggest that this new approach with 111In-labeled platelet scintigraphy may constitute a good marker for discriminating the origin of the febrile syndrome in patients with a nonfunctioning renal allograft. A positive PUI (> 1.5) strongly suggested immunological intolerance of the nonfunctioning allograft.
Two methods for 3D realignment of activation brain single-photon emission tomographic (SPET) studies are analyzed. The first is based on principal axes transformation (PAT). The second uses the results of the first method as initial values to start a least-squares iterative process (LS) to search for the maximum value of the correlation function. Both methods were tested with simulated and real studies. The results of the PAT method showed a maximum translation error of 0.3 +/- 0.1 pixels and a rotational error of 1.2 +/- 0.7 degrees in a total of 100 runs. For the LS method these errors were 0.2 +/- 0.1 and 0.6 +/- 0.3. The realignment for 34 real studies was assessed by three expert observers. The alignment was found to be satisfactory in all cases for the LS method, and in 18 cases (53%) for the PAT method. From the results we conclude that a combination of both methods allows the accurate realignment of SPET neuroactivation studies.
Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in six neuroleptic-naive, young, acute schizophrenic patients and six normal control subjects. We evaluated rCBF changes in prefrontal areas at rest and during a prefrontal activation task, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Schizophrenic patients had significantly higher prefrontal blood flow than did control subjects during the resting conditions. During activation, the control group showed significant increases in prefrontal blood flow, whereas the schizophrenic group did not. These results suggest that at rest there is no evidence of hypofrontality, whereas hyperfrontality seems to be the most frequent pattern in our selected sample of young acute neuroleptic-naive schizophrenic patients. Furthermore, schizophrenic patients seem to be unable to increase prefrontal blood flow under conditions that challenge the prefrontal cortex.
We present here results on the labelling of red blood cells with 99mTc-HMPAO as an alternative method to the usual in vitro technique. Anticoagulant agents, the labelling medium with plasma, and the lapse of time between 99mTc-HMPAO preparation and labelling are the main factors which affect the efficiency of the procedure. A 93.9 +/- 2.3% labelling yield was obtained with freshly prepared 99mTc-HMPAO. In vitro (tracer elution of 4.3 +/- 1.2% at 60 mins) and in vivo (percentage of plasma activity at 60 mins, 7.8 +/- 2.8%) stability of the label, as well as image quality, qualify 99mTc-HMPAO labelled red blood cells as a suitable agent for clinical use.
Three correlative 99mTc-HMPAO brain SPECT studies were performed on an AIDS patient from the early stage of a CNS toxoplasma lesion to its resolution after specific therapy. A hyperactive area in the right parieto-occipital lobe appeared in the first SPECT study, matching the heterogeneous T2-weighted image with Gd-DTPA enhancement reported on MRI. Both studies were performed 3 days after the onset of neurological symptoms when no abnormalities were found on a CT scan. This fact can be explained by the hyperemia that occurs in the acute stage of inflammation. Three months later, along with clinical improvement under specific treatment, both MRI and brain SPECT were normal. No hypoperfusion was seen in SPECT images, probably because the necrotic phase of the toxoplasma lesion was not reached in this case.
UNLABELLED: This study assesses prefrontal and temporal regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) changes in young, neuroleptic-naive schizophrenic patients with acute disease. METHODS: A selected population of 10 young, never-treated schizophrenic women with acute disease was studied by two hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) brain SPECT sessions, performed 48 hr apart, both at rest and during a prefrontal activation task using the Wisconsin Card Sort Test (WCST). All patients met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edition-revised criteria for schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder, were neuroleptic-naive and had acute symptoms. RESULTS: Under resting conditions, the schizophrenic group had significantly higher rCBF in the prefrontal regions, mainly in the left side and including the anterior cingulate, than did the controls. In addition, schizophrenic patients showed significant interhemispheric differences in prefrontal and posterior temporal index values at rest (left hyperfrontality and left hypotemporality). During WCST activation, the control group showed significant increases in prefrontal blood flow, whereas the schizophrenic group did not. CONCLUSION: These results support a physiologic dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia that is present at the onset of the illness prior to neuroleptic treatment. Furthermore, both left hyperfrontality and left hypotemporality may indicate a brain lateralization defect in schizophrenia.