HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH RSS TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Iwasaki, T. Articles by Nagai, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Iwasaki, T. Articles by Nagai, R.

Immunoscintigraphy of Aortic Dissection with ^99mTc-Labeled Murine Anti–Smooth Muscle Myosin Monoclonal Antibody in Rats

Second Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Nuclear Medicine, Gunma University School of Medicine, Gunma; Immunology Laboratory, Diagnostic Division, Yamasa Corporation, Chiba; and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Aortic dissection is among the most common of fatal conditions of the aorta. Prompt and accurate diagnosis of the site and extent of the lesion is necessary for adequate therapy. However, this catastrophic disease, characterized by extensive damage to smooth muscle cells, lacks specific signs and symptoms. As a result, the diagnosis is still frequently missed today and a new diagnostic method to specifically identify aortic dissection would be attractive. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of radioimmunoscintigraphy using ^99mTc-anti–smooth muscle myosin monoclonal antibody (SM-MAb) for the noninvasive diagnosis of aortic dissection in the rat experimental model. Methods: The accumulation of ^99mTc-anti-SM-MAb was studied, and scintigraphic imaging with ^99mTc-anti-SM-MAb was performed in rats immediately after experimental aortic dissection and 1 and 2 wk later. Results: The radioactivity of ^99mTc-anti-SM-MAb in the dissected aorta showed a significant increase compared both with the normal portion of the aorta and with blood 6 h after injection of the radiotracer; the ratio of the percentage injected dose per gram (%ID/g) in the lesion to that retained in the normal portion was 4.17 ± 1.47. Scintigraphic imaging with ^99mTc-anti-SM-MAb allowed distinct visualization of the dissected aorta with specific accumulation of antibody 6 h after tracer injection. Selective accumulation of the tracer in the dissected portion of the aorta persisted even 1 wk after aortic injury, allowing clear visualization of the dissected lesion by scintigraphy. Conclusion: Radioimmunoscintigraphy using anti-SM-MAb is a potentially useful noninvasive diagnostic method for imaging aortic dissection.

Key Words: radioimmunoscintigraphy • myosin • smooth muscle • dissecting aortic aneurysm