CORRELATION BETWEEN THE UPTAKE OF SODIUM FLUORESCEIN IN THE TISSUE AND XE-133 CLEARANCE AND LASER-DOPPLER FLUXMETRY IN MEASURING CHANGES INSKIN CIRCULATION

We have measured the plantar forefoot skin circulation by the uptake o f sodium fluorescein (fluorescein flowmetry), Xe-133 clearance and las er Doppler fluxmetry in 24 healthy subjects and correlated measurement s under basal conditions and after provocation by alcohol intake and a pplication of external heat, To assess the change in skin circulation between the initial measurement at rest and the second measurement aft er provocation, the coefficient of correlation (r) of the fluorescein flowmetry to the fast Slope of the Xe-133 elimination curve was 0.46 ( p < 0.05), to the slow slope of the Xe-133 elimination curve 0.66 (p < 0.001) and to laser Doppler fluxmetry 0.86 (p < 0.001), The coefficie nt of correlation (r) of the fluorescence appearance time to fluoresce in flowmetry was 0.65 (p < 0.001), to the fast slope of the Xe-133 eli mination curve 0.14 (p = 0.42), to the slow slope of the Xe-133 elimin ation curve 0.47 (p < 0.05) and to laser Doppler fluxmetry 0.63 (p < 0 .001), The uptake of sodium fluorescein as measured by fluorescein flu xmetry correlates well with both Xe-133 clearance and laser Doppler fl uxmetry in assessing a change in skin circulation in healthy humans, T he fluorescence appearance time also correlates to the slow slope of t he Xe-133 elimination curve and to laser Doppler fluxmetry though to a lesser extent.