Bone mineralisation adjacent to cemented and uncemented acetabular cups: analysis by [18F]-fluoride-PET in a randomised clinical trial.

PURPOSE: We present a randomised clinical trial using F-PET/CT to analyse new bone metabolic mineralisation adjacent to acetabular cups following total hip arthoplasty (THA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: THA was performed on 26 patients (26 cases) with hip OA. Patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA) were randomly assigned to operations with cemented or uncemented acetabular components. The contralateral, healthy acetabulum was used as referent for normal bone metabolism. The patients were analysed with radiography, clinical scoring, and F-PET/CT preoperatively, and at 6 weeks and 6 months postoperatively. RESULTS: No major complications were recorded, and clinical results were good in all patients. Radiography showed all cups to be stable. The bone-forming activity, as measured by F-PET/CT, was quantified as standardised uptake values (SUV). The mean SUV was 4.6 (6 weeks) and 3.5 (6 months) around the uncemented cups, and 4.8 and 4.0, respectively, for the cemented cups. Normal healthy bone metabolism in the referent was 2.8 and 2.7 SUV at 6 weeks and 6 months, respectively. P < 0.01 for the cemented group at 6 weeks and 6 months, for the uncemented group only at 6 weeks. INTERPRETATION: An acetabulum affected by OA has elevated SUV activity. Both cemented and uncemented cups had elevated bone metabolic activity at 6 weeks. The raised activity was interpreted as an effect from bone mineralisation secondary to surgical trauma and healing, and to the OA. At 6 months, activity was more normalised for the uncemented group than for the cemented, suggesting healing may terminate faster in the uncemented group. Postoperative bone metabolic activity can be analysed in detail by F-PET/CT.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01623687.

Fingerprint pattern of bone mineralisation on cemented and uncemented femoral stems: analysis by [18F]-fluoride-PET in a randomised clinical trial.

PURPOSE: We present a randomised clinical study using 18F-fluoride positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-PET/CT) to analyse the osteoblastic part of bone metabolism (new bone mineralisation) in periprosthetic bone adjacent to femoral stems following total hip arthoplasty (THA) surgery. Patients with hip osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to THA surgery with cemented or uncemented femoral components. PATIENTS AND METHODS: THA was performed on 26 patients (26 cases) with hip osteoarthritis. The patients received either an uncemented HA-coated femoral stem or a cemented one. The contralateral healthy femur was used as referent for normal bone metabolism. The patients were analysed with clinical score, radiography and F-PET/CT preoperatively, and postoperatively at 6 weeks and 6 months. After 2 years, clinical score and radiography was analysed again. We used the Polar Map system for analysing and presenting the PET results in 13 regions of interest adjacent to the whole stem. RESULTS: The clinical results were good in all patients; there were no major complications. Radiographically, all stems were stable. PET analyses after 6 weeks showed that bone mineralising activity was significantly higher around the uncemented stems, both compared to the cemented group and to the contralateral healthy reference femur group. The cemented group also had elevated activity but only at a barely significant level. INTERPRETATION: Mineralising activity analysed with F-PET/CT was significantly higher for the uncemented group and also decreased at a slower rate. F-PET/CT is a useful new tool for analysing secondary stabilisation of femoral stems after THA. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT01623687).

Regional lung ventilation and perfusion by electrical impedance tomography compared to single-photon emission computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a noninvasive imaging modality that allows real-time monitoring of regional lung ventilation ([Formula: see text]) in intensive care patients at bedside. However, for improved guidance of ventilation therapy it would be beneficial to obtain regional ventilation-to-perfusion ratio ([Formula: see text]) by EIT. APPROACH: In order to further explore the feasibility, we first evaluate a model-based approach, based on semi-negative matrix factorization and a gamma-variate model, to extract regional lung perfusion ([Formula: see text]) from EIT measurements. Subsequently, a combined validation of both [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] measured by EIT against single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is performed on data acquired as part of a porcine animal trial. Four pigs were ventilated at two different levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP 0 and 15 cm H2O, respectively) in randomized order. Repeated injections of an EIT contrast agent (NaCl 10%) and simultaneous SPECT measurements of [Formula: see text] (81mKr gas) and [Formula: see text] (99mTc-labeled albumin) were performed. MAIN RESULTS: Both [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] from EIT and SPECT were compared by correlation analysis. Very strong (r 2 = 0.94 to 0.95) correlations were found for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in the dorsal-ventral direction at both PEEP levels. Moderate (r 2 = 0.36 to 0.46) and moderate to strong (r 2 = 0.61 to 0.82) correlations resulted for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in the right-left direction, respectively. SIGNIFICANCE: The results of combined validation indicate that monitoring of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] by EIT is possible. However, care should be taken when trying to quantify [Formula: see text] by EIT, as imaging artefacts and model bias may void necessary spatial matching.

Rapid Bolus Administration Does not Increase The Extravasation Rate of Albumin: A Randomized Controlled Trial in The Endotoxemic Pig.

Some experimental data suggest that rapid bolus administration of albumin causes less plasma-expanding effects than slow, continuous infusion. To determine whether rapid bolus administration, in comparison with slow infusion, results in greater extravasation of albumin in experimental septic shock we performed a randomized controlled trial with 32 endotoxemic pigs. The animals were monitored and ventilated with standard intensive care equipment and given 10 mL × kg 5% albumin labeled with Technetium-99m, either as a rapid 15-min bolus (Bolus group, n = 16) or as a 2-h infusion (Infusion group, n = 16). Radioactivity was monitored in plasma, extracellular microdialysate, and urine for 6 h. Physiological parameters were monitored hourly. Radioactivity in the liver, spleen, kidney, and lung was analyzed post mortem.The plasma area under the curve activity0-6 h was 4.4 ±â€Š0.9 × 10 in the Bolus group and 4.4 ±â€Š1.1 × 10 counts × min × mL × h in the Infusion group. Blood hemoglobin levels increased in both groups, suggesting severe capillary leakage. Yet, there were no group differences in albumin radioactivity in plasma, muscle tissue, urine, or in the post-mortem analysis of the organs. Following albumin administration, circulatory and respiratory parameters were similar in the two groups.In conclusion, the present results suggest that albumin might be given as a bolus without leading to increased extravasation of albumin, in contrast to previous animal experiments in rodents.

Lung inflammation persists after 27 hours of protective Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network Strategy and is concentrated in the nondependent lung.

OBJECTIVE: PET with [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose can be used to image cellular metabolism, which during lung inflammation mainly reflects neutrophil activity, allowing the study of regional lung inflammation in vivo. We aimed at studying the location and evolution of inflammation by PET imaging, relating it to morphology (CT), during the first 27 hours of application of protective-ventilation strategy as suggested by the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network, in a porcine experimental model of acute respiratory distress syndrome. DESIGN: Prospective laboratory investigation. SETTING: University animal research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Ten piglets submitted to an experimental model of acute respiratory distress syndrome. INTERVENTIONS: Lung injury was induced by lung lavages and 210 minutes of injurious mechanical ventilation using low positive end-expiratory pressure and high inspiratory pressures. During 27 hours of controlled mechanical ventilation according to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network strategy, the animals were studied with dynamic PET imaging of [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose at two occasions with 24-hour interval between them. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake rate was computed for the total lung, four horizontal regions from top to bottom (nondependent to dependent regions) and for voxels grouped by similar density using standard Hounsfield units classification. The global lung uptake was elevated at 3 and 27 hours, suggesting persisting inflammation. In both PET acquisitions, nondependent regions presented the highest uptake (p = 0.002 and p = 0.006). Furthermore, from 3 to 27 hours, there was a change in the distribution of regional uptake (p = 0.003), with more pronounced concentration of inflammation in nondependent regions. Additionally, the poorly aerated tissue presented the largest uptake concentration after 27 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Protective Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network strategy did not attenuate global pulmonary inflammation during the first 27 hours after severe lung insult. The strategy led to a concentration of inflammatory activity in the upper lung regions and in the poorly aerated lung regions. The present findings suggest that the poorly aerated lung tissue is an important target of the perpetuation of the inflammatory process occurring during ventilation according to the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network strategy.

Mechanical ventilation worsens abdominal edema and inflammation in porcine endotoxemia.

INTRODUCTION: We hypothesized that mechanical ventilation per se increases abdominal edema and inflammation in sepsis and tested this in experimental endotoxemia. METHODS: Thirty anesthetized piglets were allocated to one of five groups: healthy control pigs breathing spontaneously with continuous positive pressure of 5 cm H2O or mechanically ventilated with positive end-expiratory pressure of 5 cm H2O, and endotoxemic piglets during mechanical ventilation for 2.5 hours and then continued on mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure of either 5 or 15 cm H2O or switched to spontaneous breathing with continuous positive pressure of 5 cm H2O for another 2.5 hours. Abdominal edema formation was estimated by isotope technique, and inflammatory markers were measured in liver, intestine, lung, and plasma. RESULTS: Healthy controls: 5 hours of spontaneous breathing did not increase abdominal fluid, whereas mechanical ventilation did (Normalized Index increased from 1.0 to 1.6; 1 to 3.3 (median and range, P<0.05)). Endotoxemic animals: Normalized Index increased almost sixfold after 5 hours of mechanical ventilation (5.9; 4.9 to 6.9; P<0.05) with twofold increase from 2.5 to 5 hours whether positive end-expiratory pressure was 5 or 15, but only by 40% with spontaneous breathing (P<0.05 versus positive end-expiratory pressure of 5 or 15 cm H2O). Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 in intestine and liver were 2 to 3 times higher with mechanical ventilation than during spontaneous breathing (P<0.05) but similar in plasma and lung. Abdominal edema formation and TNF-α in intestine correlated inversely with abdominal perfusion pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure increases abdominal edema and inflammation in intestine and liver in experimental endotoxemia by increasing systemic capillary leakage and impeding abdominal lymph drainage.

Analysis of bone mineralization on uncemented femoral stems by [18F]-fluoride-PET: a randomized clinical study of 16 hips in 8 patients.

PURPOSE: We present the first study using fluoride-positron emission CT (F-PET/CT) to analyze mineralization of bone in the femur adjacent to uncemented stems following total hip arthroplasty (THA). We studied patients who were operated bilaterally for osteoarthritis with 2 different stems during the same surgical session. PATIENTS AND METHODS: THA was performed bilaterally during the same surgical session in 8 patients with bilateral osteoarthritis of the hip. An SL-PLUS stem was inserted in one hip and a BetaCone stem was inserted in the contralateral hip, with randomization of side and sequence. A second group of 12 individuals with a normal healthy hip was used as reference for normal bone metabolism. Clinical and radiographic evaluation was performed preoperatively, postoperatively, and at 2 years. We used [18F]-fluoride-PET/CT to analyze bone mineralization adjacent to the stems 1 week, 4 months, and 12 months after surgery. We modified the Polar Map system to fit the upper femur for analysis and presentation of the PET results from 12 regions of interest adjacent to the whole stem. RESULTS: The clinical results were good at 2 years. By radiography, all stems were stable. At PET analyses 1 week after surgery, the activity was higher for the SL-PLUS group than for the BetaCone group. The activity was statistically significantly higher for both stems than the reference values at 4 months, and was most pronounced in the upper femur. At one year, the activity had declined more for the BC group than for the SL group. INTERPRETATION: The bone mineralization activity varied between different regions for the same stem and between different time periods for each group. F-PET/CT is a novel and valuable tool for analysis of bone mineralization patterns around uncemented femoral stems in detail. The combination of PET/CT analysis and the modified Polar Map system may provide a useful tool for future studies of metabolic bone responses to prosthetic implants.

Evaluating abdominal oedema during experimental sepsis using an isotope technique.

PURPOSE: Abdominal oedema is common in sepsis. A technique for the study of such oedema may guide in the fluid regime of these patients. PROCEDURES: We modified a double-isotope technique to evaluate abdominal organ oedema and fluid extravasation in 24 healthy or endotoxin-exposed ('septic') piglets. Two different markers were used: red blood cells (RBC) labelled with Technetium-99m ((99m)Tc) and Transferrin labelled with Indium111 ((111)In). Images were acquired on a dual-head gamma camera. Microscopic evaluation of tissue biopsies was performed to compare data with the isotope technique. RESULTS: No (99m)Tc activity was measured in the plasma fraction in blood sampled after labelling. Similarly, after molecular size gel chromatography, (111)In activity was exclusively found in the high molecular fraction of the plasma. Extravasation of transferrin, indicating the degree of abdominal oedema, was 4·06 times higher in the LPS group compared to the healthy controls (P<0·0001). Abdominal free fluid, studied in 3 animals, had as high (111)In activity as in plasma, but no (99m)Tc activity. Intestinal lymphatic vessel size was higher in LPS (3·7 ± 1·1 µm) compared to control animals (0·6 + 0·2 µm; P<0·001) and oedema correlated to villus diameter (R(2) = 0·918) and lymphatic diameter (R(2) = 0·758). A correlation between a normalized index of oedema formation (NI) and intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) was also found: NI = 0·46*IAP-3·3 (R(2) = 0·56). CONCLUSIONS: The technique enables almost continuous recording of abdominal oedema formation and may be a valuable tool in experimental research, with the potential to be applied in the clinic.

Regional lung perfusion estimated by electrical impedance tomography in a piglet model of lung collapse.

The assessment of the regional match between alveolar ventilation and perfusion in critically ill patients requires simultaneous measurements of both parameters. Ideally, assessment of lung perfusion should be performed in real-time with an imaging technology that provides, through fast acquisition of sequential images, information about the regional dynamics or regional kinetics of an appropriate tracer. We present a novel electrical impedance tomography (EIT)-based method that quantitatively estimates regional lung perfusion based on first-pass kinetics of a bolus of hypertonic saline contrast. Pulmonary blood flow was measured in six piglets during control and unilateral or bilateral lung collapse conditions. The first-pass kinetics method showed good agreement with the estimates obtained by single-photon-emission computerized tomography (SPECT). The mean difference (SPECT minus EIT) between fractional blood flow to lung areas suffering atelectasis was -0.6%, with a SD of 2.9%. This method outperformed the estimates of lung perfusion based on impedance pulsatility. In conclusion, we describe a novel method based on EIT for estimating regional lung perfusion at the bedside. In both healthy and injured lung conditions, the distribution of pulmonary blood flow as assessed by EIT agreed well with the one obtained by SPECT. The method proposed in this study has the potential to contribute to a better understanding of the behavior of regional perfusion under different lung and therapeutic conditions.

Ventilation distribution studies comparing Technegas and "Gallgas" using 68GaCl3 as the label.

UNLABELLED: Ventilation distribution can be assessed by SPECT with Technegas. This study was undertaken in piglets with different degrees of ventilation inhomogeneity to compare PET using (68)Ga-labeled pseudogas or "Gallgas" with Technegas. METHODS: Twelve piglets were studied in 3 groups: control, lobar obstruction, and diffuse airway obstruction. Two more piglets were assessed for lung volume (functional residual capacity). RESULTS: In controls, SPECT and PET images showed an even distribution of radioactivity. With lobar obstruction, the absence of ventilation of the obstructed lobe was visible with both techniques. In diffuse airway obstruction, SPECT images showed an even distribution of radioactivity, and PET images showed more varied radioactivity over the lung. CONCLUSION: PET provides detailed ventilation distribution images and a better appreciation of ventilation heterogeneity. Gallgas with PET is a promising new diagnostic tool for the assessment of ventilation distribution.

Effects of measurement of plasma activity input on normalization of glomerular filtration rate to plasma volume in dogs.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) normalized to body fluid volumes to adjust for differing body size and conformation is more physiologically correct than a relationship with body weight (BW). GFR can be normalized to plasma volume by a renographic method that uses the Rutland-Patlak plot with plasma activity and kidney activity inputs. A plasma time-activity curve is obtained from a region of interest (ROI) of the left ventricle (LV), the size of which is in theory not critical. The aims of the study were to evaluate the effect of different LV ROI sizes, the effect of extravascular activity in the thorax over the LV ROI, and different time intervals for the semilogarithmic LV plot. Seventy-two scintigrams were used, with three different-sized automatic and a manual LV ROI, all with and without subtracting extravascular activity, and with LV curve time intervals of 30-120 s and 60-240 s. GFR/plasma volume was not affected by LV ROI sizes but significantly affected by extravascular activity subtraction and different time intervals. Subtracting extravascular activity from the LV ROI did not improve precision, but increased variability caused by different LV ROI sizes and time intervals chosen for the LV plot. The ROI for measuring extravascular activity apparently contained a considerable and variable intravascular component, which when subtracted, created noisy and unreliable LV curves. Manual LV ROI, without extravascular subtraction, and a time interval for LV input between 1 and 4 min are recommended as they gave the least variability determined by statistical analysis. With these methods, normal individual GFR/plasma volume in normal beagle dogs was 29.2 +/- 6.5 ml/min/l.

Effect of observer variability on glomerular filtration rate measurement by renal scintigraphy in dogs.

Observer variation in kidney depth measurement for correction of soft-tissue attenuation and kidney region of interest (ROI) drawing was evaluated using 60 clinical dogs with a wide range of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) for their effect on the calculated percentage uptake of 99mTc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) and individual kidney GFR by scintigraphy. Kidney depth was measured separately on the lateral image using two color tables: a threshold and a continuous red-green-blue. Within-observer variability of the semi-automatic ROI drawing of the estimated total GFR was up to 10% for the right kidney (RK) and 9% for the left kidney (LK). The variability was lower between observers, 6% for RK and 8% for LK. Manual ROI drawing caused more within observer variation than semi-automatic: up to 14% for RK and 11% for LK. Continuous red-green-blue table caused more variation within and between observers than threshold table. Average within-observer variability from both observers of kidney depth measurement on different color tables could vary up to 5.5% and 6.5% variation of the GFR of RK and LK, respectively. Most variation affecting the DTPA percentage uptake came from the ROI drawing technique. Variations of the method because of the effects of both kidney depth and kidney ROI drawing were up to 8% and 10% for RK and LK, respectively. To minimize these variations a threshold scale should be used for the kidney depth measurement and an automatic or semi-automatic ROI should be used whenever possible. In sequential examinations the same person should make all the measurements.

Noise correlation in PET, CT, SPECT and PET/CT data evaluated using autocorrelation function: a phantom study on data, reconstructed using FBP and OSEM.

BACKGROUND: Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Computed Tomography (CT), PET/CT and Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT) are non-invasive imaging tools used for creating two dimensional (2D) cross section images of three dimensional (3D) objects. PET and SPECT have the potential of providing functional or biochemical information by measuring distribution and kinetics of radiolabelled molecules, whereas CT visualizes X-ray density in tissues in the body. PET/CT provides fused images representing both functional and anatomical information with better precision in localization than PET alone. Images generated by these types of techniques are generally noisy, thereby impairing the imaging potential and affecting the precision in quantitative values derived from the images. It is crucial to explore and understand the properties of noise in these imaging techniques. Here we used autocorrelation function (ACF) specifically to describe noise correlation and its non-isotropic behaviour in experimentally generated images of PET, CT, PET/CT and SPECT. METHODS: Experiments were performed using phantoms with different shapes. In PET and PET/CT studies, data were acquired in 2D acquisition mode and reconstructed by both analytical filter back projection (FBP) and iterative, ordered subsets expectation maximisation (OSEM) methods. In the PET/CT studies, different magnitudes of X-ray dose in the transmission were employed by using different mA settings for the X-ray tube. In the CT studies, data were acquired using different slice thickness with and without applied dose reduction function and the images were reconstructed by FBP. SPECT studies were performed in 2D, reconstructed using FBP and OSEM, using post 3D filtering. ACF images were generated from the primary images, and profiles across the ACF images were used to describe the noise correlation in different directions. The variance of noise across the images was visualised as images and with profiles across these images. RESULTS: The most important finding was that the pattern of noise correlation is rotation symmetric or isotropic, independent of object shape in PET and PET/CT images reconstructed using the iterative method. This is, however, not the case in FBP images when the shape of phantom is not circular. Also CT images reconstructed using FBP show the same non-isotropic pattern independent of slice thickness and utilization of care dose function. SPECT images show an isotropic correlation of the noise independent of object shape or applied reconstruction algorithm. Noise in PET/CT images was identical independent of the applied X-ray dose in the transmission part (CT), indicating that the noise from transmission with the applied doses does not propagate into the PET images showing that the noise from the emission part is dominant. The results indicate that in human studies it is possible to utilize a low dose in transmission part while maintaining the noise behaviour and the quality of the images. CONCLUSION: The combined effect of noise correlation for asymmetric objects and a varying noise variance across the image field significantly complicates the interpretation of the images when statistical methods are used, such as with statistical estimates of precision in average values, use of statistical parametric mapping methods and principal component analysis. Hence it is recommended that iterative reconstruction methods are used for such applications. However, it is possible to calculate the noise analytically in images reconstructed by FBP, while it is not possible to do the same calculation in images reconstructed by iterative methods. Therefore for performing statistical methods of analysis which depend on knowing the noise, FBP would be preferred.

Spontaneous breathing affects the spatial ventilation and perfusion distribution during mechanical ventilatory support.

OBJECTIVE: In acute respiratory failure, gas exchange improves with spontaneous breathing during airway pressure release ventilation (APRV). The mechanisms for this improvement are not fully clear. We have shown that APRV with spontaneous breathing reopens nonaerated lung tissue in dorsal juxtadiaphragmatic regions. We hypothesized that spontaneous breathing during APRV may redistribute ventilation and perfusion toward these reopened regions. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled study. SETTING: Animal research laboratory SUBJECTS: Twenty controlled mechanically ventilated pigs. INTERVENTIONS: Lung injury was induced by injection of oleic acid into the central circulation; thereafter, pigs were randomized to APRV with or without spontaneous breathing. To induce spontaneous breathing during APRV with spontaneous breathing, the mechanical respiratory rate was decreased by 50% in this group. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We measured respiratory mechanics, hemodynamics, gas exchange including the multiple inert gas elimination technique, and the spatial ventilation and perfusion distribution using single photon emission tomography. At similar minute ventilation and airway pressures, shunt remained stable during APRV with spontaneous breathing, whereas it increased during APRV without spontaneous breathing during the 2-hr study period (p = .006). Single photon emission tomography showed more ventilation (p < .001) and pulmonary blood (p < .025) flow in dorsal, juxtadiaphragmatic lung regions when spontaneous breathing was present. CONCLUSIONS: The beneficial effects of spontaneous breathing on intrapulmonary shunt and oxygenation are explained both by increased ventilation of aerated dependent lung tissue and by opening up nonaerated tissue so that ventilation is distributed to a larger share of the lung. Redistribution of perfusion is possibly secondary to the altered ventilation. The overall effect is a more efficient use of available lung tissue for gas exchange.

Increased pulmonary transit times in asymptomatic dogs with mitral regurgitation.

Pulmonary transit time (PTT) normalized to heart rate (nPTT) is a measure of the pulmonary blood volume (PBV) to stroke volume ratio (PBV/SV). It is an index of cardiac performance. To determine the effect of compensated mitral regurgitation (CMR) and decompensated mitral regurgitation (DMR) caused by valvular endocardiosis on the index nPTT, we measured nPTT by first-pass radionuclide angiocardiography and ECG in 13 normal dogs, 18 dogs with CMR, and 13 dogs with DMR. PTT was measured as time between onset of appearance of activity at the pulmonary trunk and the left atrium. In the normal dogs, the relationship between PTT and mean R-R interval (mRR) was PTT = 4.08 x mRR + 0.15 (R2 = 0.71). Normal nPTT was 4.4 +/- 0.6 (SD) (range. 3.6-5.3). in CMR, 6.3 +/- 1.6 (SD) (range, 4.0-9.7). and in DMR, 11.9 +/- 3.4 (SD) (range, 8.0-18.8). The differences among all groups were significant. Heart rates were 110 +/- 22 bpm in normal dogs, 111 +/- 20 in dogs with CMR, and 144 +/- 18 in dogs with DMR (P < .001 for difference between DMR group and normal and CMR groups). Increased nPTT in CMR indicates preclinical heart pump dysfunction. Heart rate-normalized pulmonary transit times may be a useful index of heart function in mitral regurgitation.

Effect of region of interest selection and uptake measurement on glomerular filtration rate measured by 99mTc-DTPA scintigraphy in dogs.

Determinations of different methods of measurement of uptake of 99mTc-DTPA using scintigraphy of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were made from 29 studies on 10 healthy beagle dogs. GFR was measured by calculating the percentage dose uptake (integral method) and rate of uptake (slope method) of 99mTc-DTPA using manual kidney regions of interest (ROI) and automatic kidney and background ROIs at different time periods of the uptake phase. These results were compared using linear regression analysis to the GFR obtained from 99mTc-DTPA plasma clearance using multiple blood samples. The best correlation coefficient between percentage DTPA uptake and GFR by DTPA clearance (r = 0.84, P < 0.001) was derived from time intervals between 30s-120s with a perirenal background ROI at 1 or 2 pixels out from the kidney ROI using automatic kidney ROI at 20% threshold. With the slope method, the best correlation coefficient (r = 0.85, P < 0.001) was obtained from time intervals between 30s-peak with the background ROI at 2 pixels out from the kidney ROI using automatic ROI at 35% threshold. The offset was higher, and the correlation varied more with different ROIs and the method was unreliable at time intervals extending beyond the peak radioactivity. Manual kidney ROIs with automatic background ROIs had slightly lower correlations. With DTPA renography both integral and slope uptake method with automatic kidney and background ROIs are accurate methods to estimate the GFR, but that the integral method is much more stable to variations in ROI size and the duration of the uptake phase of the renogram.