TC-99M-HUMAN IMMUNOGLOBULIN (HIG) - 1ST RESULTS OF A NEW AGENT FOR THE LOCALIZATION OF INFECTION AND INFLAMMATION

Technetium (99mTc) labelled, polyclonal human immunoglobulin (HIG) is a new agent that detects focal infection and inflammation. This new agent was compared in 40 patients with the accepted standard, namely111In-oxine-labelled leucocytes. This comparison resulted in a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 96% for99mTc-HIG when111In-oxine leucocytes were defined as giving the true result. The new agent was shown to localize both sepsis and active inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There was 100% concordance in the 16 patients with IBD who were imaged with both99mTc-HIG and111In-oxine leucocytes. Discordant results were obtained in one case of suspected osteomyelitis, which was false-positive on the99mTc-HIG scan, and one case of pyrexia of unkown origin when the99mTc-HIG was false-negative and the111In-oxine leucocyte scan demonstrated accumulation of tracer in the caecum at 24 h post-injection. Normal distribution for99mTc-HIG demonstrated activity in the kidneys and bladder and that 50% of the tracer is cleared through the kidneys during the first 24 h post-injection. There were no major or minor side-effects. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.