Gallium-67 activity in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in sarcoidosis

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1986.tb18521.x· OSTI ID:5019533

Trauth, H A; Heimes, K; Schubotz, R; von Wichert, P

Roentgenograms and gallium-67 scans and gallium-67 counts of BAL fluid samples, together with differential cell counts, have proved to be useful in assessing activity and lung involvement in sarcoidosis. In active pulmonary sarcoidosis gallium-67 scans are usually positive. Quantitation of gallium-67 uptake in lung scans, however, may be difficult. Because gallium-67 uptake and cell counts in BAL fluid may be correlated, we set out to investigate gallium-67 activity in BAL fluid recovered from patient of different groups. Sixteen patients with recently diagnosed and untreated sarcoidosis, nine patients with healthy lungs, and five patients with CFA were studied. Gallium-67 uptake of the lung, gallium-67 activity in the lavage fluid, SACE and LACE levels, and alpha 1-AT activity were measured. Significantly more gallium-67 activity was found in BAL fluid from sarcoidosis patients than in that from CFA patients (alpha = .001) or patients with healthy lungs (alpha = .001). Gallium-67 activity in BAL fluid could be well correlated with the number of lymphocytes in BAL fluid, but poorly with the number of macrophages. Subjects with increased levels of SACE or serum alpha 1-AT showed higher lavage gallium-67 activity than did normals, but no correlation could be established. High gallium-67 activity in lavage fluid may be correlated with acute sarcoidosis or physiological deterioration; low activity denotes change for the better. The results show that gallium-67 counts in BAL fluid reflects the intensity of gallium-67 uptake and thus of activity of pulmonary sarcoidosis.

• OSTI ID: 5019533
• Journal Information: Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.; (United States)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
GALLIUM 67
DIAGNOSTIC USES
LUNGS
SCINTISCANNING
BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY
BRONCHI
LAVAGE
LYMPHOCYTES
MACROPHAGES
PATHOGENESIS
PATIENTS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
UPTAKE
ANIMAL CELLS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
GALLIUM ISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LEUKOCYTES
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PHAGOCYTES
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SOMATIC CELLS
USES
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics