[Methodological problems of sacroiliac joint scintigraphy (author's transl)]. / Methodische Probleme der Szintigrammanalyse im Bereich der Iliosakralgelenke.

Bone scintigraphy of the sacroiliac joints and the lumbar spine was performed in 35 patients with ankylosing spondylitis and 30 control subjects. The scans were evaluated by qualitative and quantitative assessment. The sacroiliac/sacrum ratio (index ISG/sacrum), the sacroiliac/lumbar spine ratio (index ISG/LWS), and the left sacroiliac joint/right sacroiliac joint ratio (index li. ISG/re. ISG) were calculated. The visual interpretation of colour scans proved to be unreliable. The index ISG/sacrum was more sensitive than the index ISG/LWS. The index li. ISG/re ISG was helpful as an additional criterion. When digital sacroiliac joint scintigraphy is well standardized it can be considered as a useful technique in early diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis.

[Value of scintigraphy for the early diagnosis of spondylitis ankylosans]. / Der Stellenwert der szintigraphischen Untersuchung für die Frühdiagnose der Spondylitis ankylosans.

Quantitative sacroiliac scintigraphy was performed in 33 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 34 patients with nonspecific low back pain, and 30 control subjects. Significantly increased uptakes over the sacroiliac joints (SIJ) were found in patients with AS and in patients with degenerative changes of the SIJ. No significant differences were found between patients with mechanical low back pain by lumbar strain or by degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and the control subjects. But there were 2 of 13 patients with low back pain by lumbar strain with pathologic uptakes over the ISG. Since the scintigraphic technique is not specific, it is necessary to compare the scintigraphic results with clinical and radiological findings in each patient. On this condition sacroiliac scintigraphy is useful in early diagnosis of AS.

[The scintigraphic investigation of the sacroiliac joints in ankylosing spondylitis ]. / Die szintigraphische Untersuchung der Iliosakralgelenke bei Patienten mit Spondylitis ankylopoetica.

Quantitative sacroiliac scintigraphy was performed in 41 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (Sp.a.) and in 90 control subjects. The sacroiliac/sacrum ratio (Index ISG/sacrum) was calculated. We examined the correlation between activity ratio on the one hand and age, subjective complaints, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and antiinflammatory therapy on the other. Significantly increased uptakes were found in the patient group as a whole compared with the controls. The activity index was highest in the early periods of the disease, so we conclude that scintigraphy is useful in the early diagnosis of Sp.a.

[Repetitive syncopale loss of consciousness by properly functioning pacemaker. Ophthalmodynamographic, ophthalmodynamometric, and cerebral-scinitigraphic investigations (author's transl)]. / Rezidivierende synkopale Bewusstlosigkeit bei intakter Herzschrittmacherfunktion. Ophthalmodynamographische, ophthalmodynamometrische und hirnszintigraphische Untersuchungen.

In spite of an intact pacemaker function, 3.8% of 444 patients with an implanted cardiac pacemaker taking part in a regular follow-up program had repetitive syncopes. The investigation thereafter, whether or not these attacks were symptoms of occlusive vascular disease of the carotid arteries, included a thorough physical and angiological examination, ophthalmodynamometry (ODM), ophthalmodynamography (ODG), and radionuclide angiography. The results were compared to those of a group of 46 cardiac pacemaker patients without syncopes after the implantation of the pacemaker: 29% of the patients with syncopes and 15% of the patients without syncopes showed ODM-, ODG-, and radionuclide angiography results compatible with carotid artery insufficiency; statistically, however, the group differences were insignificant. The reasons are discussed why ODM, ODG, and radionuclide angiography appear to be ineffective for the diagnosis of carotid artery occlusion in patients with an implanted cardiac pacemaker.

Mechanism of 67Ga accumulation in normal rat liver lysosomes.

67Ga accumulates in various malignant tumors and parenchymatous tissues. It was found to be associated with the soluble fraction of lysosomes (11). The present work investigates the mechanism of 67Ga accumulation in normal liver cells. Lysosomes were isolated from rat liver after intravenous injection of carrier free 67Ga. The soluble lysosomal fraction was obtained by sonication followed by centrifugation at 105,000 xg for 2 hrs. Gel filtration on Sephadex G 25 superfine was carried out on the soluble lysosomal fraction in order to investigate the stability of the 67Ga-protein complex within the lysosomes under EDTA treatment. After treatment with 1 mM/l EDTA a considerable amount of the protein bound radioactivity was found to be liberated. In further experiments the 67Ga binding lysosomal proteins were fractionated by electrophoresis on 7% polyacrylamide gels (0.5 cm x 5.5 cm). After staining with Coomassie blue 18 separated protein bands were apparent. 67Ga distribution within the gels was assessed by direct counting of radioactivity in gel slices. A considerable amount of the intralysosomal protein bound radioactivity migrated with a relative mobility of 0.36 corresponding to a protein band of molecular weight 85,000--90,000. This peak corresponded to the peak of 67Ga-labelled purified transferrin in control gels. These data were confirmed by immunoelectrophoresis combined with autoradiography: within the soluble lysosomal fraction a slight transferrin line could be identified. We conclude that 67Ga which is transported in the blood by transferrin (23) and taken up by the hepatic cell through endocytosis (32) is accumulated in the lysosomes associated with transferrin and its degraded fragments.

[Investigations on the accumulation of radio-bleomycin in gynaecological tumors (author's transl)]. / Untersuchungen zur Anreicherung von Radio-Bleomycin in gynäkologischen Tumoren

The indication for treatment with Bleomycin in gynaecological tumors is as yet not well defined. At present Bleomycin is primarily used for advanced gynaecological malignancies. Results of our investigations show that the individual affinity of gynaecological tumors to Bleomycin is very variable. In subsequent investigations it should therefore be determined whether the accumulation of radio-Bleomycin and the sensitivity of a gynaecological malignant tumor to Bleomycin therapy show a positive correlation. The probable chances of success of a course of chemotherapy with Bleomycin could then be predicted.

[Clinical application of iodine 123 with special consideration of radionuclide purity, measuring accuracy and radiation dose(author's dose)]. / Klinische Anwendung von Jod-123 unter Berücksichtigung von Radionuklidreinheit, Messgenauigkeit und Strahlenbelastung

Iodine 123 is a nearly "ideal" radionuclide for thyroid imaging. The production of Iodine 123 requires cyclotrons or accelerators. The production of multicurie amounts of Iodine 123 has been suggested through the use of high-energy accelerators (less than 60 MeV). Most of the methods for the production of Iodine 123 using a compact cyclotron result in contamination with f.e. Iodine 124 which reduces the spatial resolution af imagining procedures and increases the radiation dose to the patient. The radiation dose has been calculated for three methods of production. The various contamination with Iodine 124, Iodine 125, and Iodine 126 result in comparable radiation dose of Iodine 131, provided that the time between production and application is more than four half-live-times of Iodine 123.