Aprile C, Villa G, Saponaro R, Piazza V, Suppi A, Yurisic D, Buonocore M, Marinone MG, et al
A new approach to the detection of dialysis related amyloidosis with 99m Tc aprotinin
33rd Congress of the Eur Dial Transplant Assoc
Nephrol Dial Transplant (Jun) 11:A235 1996

Imaging of amyloidosis in dialysis patients is rarely performed because radiotracers are costly and difficult to obtain. The authors have explored the potential of Tc-Aprotinin , a low cost and easily available tracer, in localizing amyloid deposits in 25 HD patients.

Significant accumulation in medium and large size joints was observed in 19 HD patients. In contrast, no accumulation was found in 8 non-uremic patients with osteoarthropathy. The uptake intensity as well as the number of joints visualized was directly related with the duration of HD treatment and with subjective pain score and functional impairment. Interestingly in three patients there was accumulation in the lung and in the thyroid. Furthermore all anephric patients exhibited accumulation of the radiotracer in the gastrointestinal system.

Comment: This pilot study suggests that Tc-Aprotinin is a promising tracer for dialysis amylodosis. The value of this radiotracer needs now to be formally assessed in a larger number of patients by using rock solid evidence of dialysis amyloidosis (histology) (Carmine Zoccali, M.D., Reggio Calabria, Italy).

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33rd Congress of the Eur Dial Transplant Assoc
CRF by organ system : Joint disease, beta-2 microglobulin