Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg.  2003 Jun;36(6):379-383.

Nuclear Medicine Methods of Rejection Diagnosis in Transplanted Rat Model

• Chung WS
• Kim SH
• Kim H
• Kim YH
• Kang JH
• Choi YY
• Lee CB

Abstract

BACKGROUND: An accurate diagnosis of the severity of the rejection after a heart transplantation relies on endomyocardial biopsy, but because of its invasiveness and the need for repeated examination makes it is an inappropriate monitoring method. Therefore, we have tried to find a monitoring method that is continuous and less invasive. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Heterotopic heart transplantation using Ono-Lindsey Method was done in 20 rats, and then 99mTc-Pyrophosphate (PYP) scan was done after a month. Uptake ratio of transplanted heart to vertebrae (H/V) was obtained to be compared with the biopsy result. RESULT: Rejection was defined when the H/V uptake ratio was higher than 0.09, and we compared the uptake ratio with the results of biopsy. The result was true positives was 3, true negatives 12, false negatives 2, andfalse positives 3. Therefore sensitivity was 60% and specificity was 80%, diagnostic value was 75%.
CONCLUSION
99mTc-Pyrophosphate (PYP) scan was a useful method for the evaluation of the heart transplantation rejection and it will be helpful for monitoring rejection as an non-invasive and simple method.

Keyword

Heart transplantation; Graft rejection; Rejection; Radionuclide imaging

MeSH Terms

Animals
Biopsy
Diagnosis*
Graft Rejection
Heart
Heart Transplantation
Models, Animal*
Nuclear Medicine*
Radionuclide Imaging
Rats*
Sensitivity and Specificity
Spine
Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate
Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate