UP-REGULATION OF GRANULOCYTE CD11B (CR-3) AFTER LABELING WITH TC-99M HEXAMETHYLPROPYLENE AMINE OXIME

Today technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (Tc-99m-HMPAO) is widely used for leucocyte scintigraphy, as Tc-99m-HMPAO selectively l abels granulocytes in mixed leucocyte suspensions. However, the influe nce of cell labelling on the expression of specific adhesion proteins has not been studied before. Therefore, we investigated five patients, four of whom had established Crohn's disease. We found that leucocyte with Tc-99m-HMPAO induces increased of the glucoprotein receptor CD11 b on granulocates, but it is not clear whether this upregulation affec ts the functional integrity of the granulocytes.