Gallium-67 citrate in human tumors: ultrastructural localization by autoradiography

Journal Article · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978 · N.Y. State J. Med.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6934521

Manfredi, O L; Weiss, L R

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the localization of carrier-free /sup 67/gallium citrate in a variety of human tumors using electron microscopic autoradiography. Multiorgan surgical specimens were obtained from 76 patients with a variety of tumors 24 to 96 hours following intravenous administration of 45 microcuries per kilogram of body weight of carrier-free gallium-67. Specimens received for electron microscopy were fixed, dehydrated, and finally embedded in epon 812. Ultrathin sections were mounted on parlodion-coated rhodium grids and prepared with Kodak NTB-2 film emulsion by the wire loop technique. Specimens were exposed for three to five days at 20/sup 0/C based on specimen activity. Low-energy internal conversion and Auger electrons produced in the decay of gallium-67 permit high-resolution autoradiography. Tumors with greatest avidity for gallium-67 are Hodgkin'a disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as well as certain sarcomas. In some lymphomas no significant uptake of gallium-67 was demonstrated despite extensive disease. Significant tumor localization was also found in primary malignant lung tumors. Patients with non-neoplastic conditions such as sarcoidosis, viral pneumonia, abscess formation, and other inflammatory processes, showed significant concentration of radiogallium. Gallium-67 was predominantly localized as amorphous electron-dense bodies in single membrane-bound lysosomal-like cytoplasmic organelles and to a lesser extent in the nuclei and cytoplasm. Independent of cell morphology gallium-67 was distributed in lysosomes or in areas rich in lysosomal enzyme activity.

• OSTI ID: 6934521
• Journal Information: N.Y. State J. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: N.Y. State J. Med.; (United States) Vol. 78:6; ISSN NYSJA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL LOCALIZATION
CELL CONSTITUENTS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
GALLIUM 67
GALLIUM ISOTOPES
INFLAMMATION
INJECTION
INTAKE
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTRAVENOUS INJECTION
ISOTOPES
MICROSCOPY
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PATIENTS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
SCINTISCANNING