Radiation synovetomy with various radiopharmaceuticals has been used to alleviate pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis and related joint diseases for more than 40 years. It is an attractive alternative to the surgical synovectomy for the management of the various joint diseases. Recently, the development of new radiopharmaceuticals labeled with 90Y, 32P, 186Re, 188Re, 153Sm, 165DY and 166Ho, for the effective management of synovial inflammation and related arthritic problems are gaining attention. In this article the general concepts and the clinical application of radiation synovectomy are reviewed.
Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Inflammation ; Joint Diseases ; Joints* ; Radiopharmaceuticals

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Scintillation proximity assay (SPA) is a unique type of radioimmunoassay and makes it possible to use radioisotopes for monitoring binding reactions continuously without separation procedure. Microbeads containing a fluorophor are covalently linked to antibody or receptor. When a radiolabeled antigen or ligand is added it binds to the beads and the emitted short range electrons, excite the fluorophor in the beads. The light emitted can be measured in a scintillation counter. 3H or 125I has been used for SPA. The sensitivities achieved with SPA are comparable to the sensitivities of other procedures. SPA is applicable to immunology, receptor binding, monitoring interactions of biomolecules and study for the kinetics of interaction between receptors and ligands.
Allergy and Immunology ; Kinetics ; Ligands ; Microspheres ; Radioimmunoassay ; Radioisotopes ; Scintillation Counting

No abstract available.
Genetic Therapy*

PURPOSE: The pvrpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of radioactivity quantitation in Tc-99m SPECT by using combined scatter and attenuation correction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cylindrical phantom which simulates tumors (T) and normal tissue (B) was filled with varying activity ratios of Tc-99m. We acquired emission scans of the phantom using a three-headed SPECT system (Trionix, Inc.) witb two energy windows (photopeak window: 126 154 keV and scatter window: 101 123 keV). We performed the scatter correction with dual-energy window subtraction method (k=0.4) and Chang attenuation correction. Three sets of SPECT images were reconstructed using combined scatter and attenuation correction (SC+AC', attenuation correction (AC) and without any correction (NONE). We compared T/B ratio, irnage contrast [(T-B)/(T+B)) and absolute radioactivity with true values. RESULTS: SC+AC images had the highest mean values of T/B ratios. Image contrast was 0.92 in SC+AC, which was close to the true value of 1, and higher than AC (0.77) or NONE (0.80). Errors of true activity by SPECT images ranged from 1 to 11% for SC+AC, 22-47% for AC, and 2 16% for NONE in a phantom which was located 2.4cm from the phantom surface. In a phantom located 10,0cm from the surface, SC+AC underestimated by ?4%, NON.E 40%. However, AC overestimated by 10%. CONCLUSION: We conclude that accurate SPECT activity quantitation of Tc-99m distribution can be achieved by dual window scatter correc.tion combined with attenuation correction.
Radioactivity ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Nuclear oncolgy is important in the diagnosis, staging, and long-term surveillance of a number of cancers. Over the past 10 years there has been an explosion of new radioisotopic tracers aimed at detecting, staging and eventually treating tumors. Clinicians and oncologists can now use specific radiolabeled metabolic tracers, monoclonal antibodies, and molecular probes based on the sequencing of the human genome. The current applications of positron emission tomography (PET) in oncology have included characterizing tumor lesions, differentiating recurrent disease from treatment effects, staging tumors, evaluating the extent of disease, and monitoring therapy. The future developments in medicine may use the unique capabilities of PET not only in diagnostic imaging but also in molecular medicine and genetics. Radioimmunoscintigraphy is a technique which uses radiolabeled antibodies to visualize tumors, taking advantage of antigens preferentially expressed by malignant tissue. However, the implementation of radiolabeled antibodies as "magic bullets" for detection and treatment of diseases such as cancer has required addressing several shortcomings of murine monoclonal antibodies. Genetic engineering provides a powerful approach for redesigning antibodies for use in oncologic applications in vivo. Recently, noninvasive molecular imaging has been developed. Most current molecular imaging strategies are "indirect" and involve the coupling of a "reporter gene" with a complementary "reporter probe". Imaging the level of probe accumulation provides indirect information related to the level of reporter gene expression. In this article, the author discuss the current status of PET, radioimmunoscintigraphy, gene imaging and receptor imaging with a brief review on nuclear oncology.
Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Explosions ; Genes, Reporter ; Genetic Engineering ; Genetics ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; Molecular Imaging ; Molecular Medicine ; Molecular Probes ; Nuclear Medicine* ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radioimmunodetection

Upper G-I bleeding is a dangerous situation and effeetive control method without surgery is desirable. A hemostatic technique utilizing the dehydrating and fixative properties of pure ethanol was developed in Japan. This technique was performed through an endoscopic injector, in divided dose of 0,1 ~ 0.2 ml into several spots in the area surrounding the bleeding vessel in patients upper G-I bleeding excluding esophageal varies. We applieii this technique in treatment of 11 cases showing active bleeding of fresh blood clots. Rebleeding occurred in 2 cases(20%) and complete hemostasis was achieved in 9 cases(80%). We think this technique is safe and simple as an endoscopic hemostatic measure.
Ethanol* ; Hemorrhage* ; Hemostasis ; Hemostatic Techniques ; Humans ; Japan

No abstract available.
Mucormycosis* ; Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime*

No abstract available.
Brain* ; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex* ; Herpes Simplex* ; Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*