Radionuclide Studies in Intestinal Transplantation

Abstract

Three patients who received intestinal allografts were studied using two distinct radionuclide investigations. In the first, 111In or 99mTc-labeled leukocyte scanning was performed to assist in the diagnosis of rejection. It was able to demonstrate the occurrence of rejection in the transplanted intestine, and the response to antirejection therapy. In 1 case, the abnormality on the scan preceded the histological confirmation of rejection. The second technique studied mucosal integrity by serial 51Cr-EDTA/14C-mannitol permeability tests. These studies demonstrated the initial marked impairment and the slow return to normal function of the intestinal mucosal barrier. In 1 patient, this occurred by 91 days; in another, it took 232 days. A single assay performed in the third patient at the time of allograft rejection was also abnormal. Both radionuclide tests were helpful in the care of these complicated cases.

Direct Cell Radiolabeling for in Vivo Cell Tracking with PET and SPECT Imaging

“…Bone-marrow derived MSCs were also imaged in the brains of rats with traumatic brain injury . Finally, radiolabeled leukocytes have been used preclinically to evaluate graft rejection as an alternative to biopsies, ,,− showing for example that 18 F-labeled lymphocytes could distinguish between allograft rejection and other causes of organ-specific toxicity …”

De Novo Food Allergy After Intestinal Transplantation: A Report of Three Cases

“…Isolauri et al (13,14) have shown that intestinal permeability increases in patients with acute viral gastroenteritis. Graft rejection appears to impair intestinal mucosal barrier function, which recovers very slowly after treatment (15). Patient 3 did have Rotavirus enteritis before the onset of food allergy.…”

Complications after intestinal transplantation: Traditional and new

“…This has led to the development of numerous diagnostic methods, which have not been validated in human intestinal transplantation or have limited value ( 8, 9). Apart from intestinal permeability studies ( 10), which are not fully reliable, and, more recently, scintigraphic scanning using 99 Technetium‐labelled leucocytes ( 11), there are no simple tests reflecting the state and/or function of the entire graft. Hence, regular biopsies of the proximal and distal ends of the graft for histologic or immunohistochemical analysis, are required ( 12–14).…”