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Background: Regional cardiac sympathetic denervation is predictive of sudden cardiac arrest in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. The reproducibility of denervation scores between automated software programs has not been evaluated. This study seeks to: 1) compare the interrater reliability of regional denervation measurements using two analysis programs: FlowQuant® and Corridor4DM®; 2) evaluate test-retest repeatability of regional denervation scores.Methods: N=190 dynamic [ 11 C]meta-hydroxyephedrine (HED) PET scans were reviewed from the PAREPET trial in ischemic cardiomyopathy patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF≤35%). N=12 scans were excluded due to non-diagnostic quality. N=178 scans were analyzed using FlowQuant and Corridor4DM software, each by two observers. Test-retest scans from n=20 patients with stable heart failure were utilized for test-retest analysis. Denervation scores were defined as extent×severity of relative uptake defects in LV regions with <75% of maximal uptake. Results were evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC) and Bland-Altman coefficient of repeatability(RPC).

Guinea pigs exposed to laundry detergents containing B. subtilis enzymes (alcalase) under home use conditions, i.e. by inhalation, abraded skin or topical application and oral ingestion, produced sensitization reactions. The jejunum smooth muscles of these animals contracted in the presence of alcalase and the sera caused morphological changes of rat mast cells in the presence of alcalase. It was found that long periods (50–60 days) of chronic exposure was necessary to produce sensitization. The relevance of these results to sensitization of consumers to B. subtilis enzymes in laundry detergent is discussed.

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