Technetium-labelled liposome imaging for deep-seated infection

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Abstract
Negatively charged phospholipid liposomes were labeled with 99mTc and used as a radioisotopic tracer to detect focal inflammatory lesions in deep-seated sepsis and rheumatoid arthritis. Patients received an i.v. injection of the radiolabeled liposome preparation and were submitted to scintigraphy on the following day. Both the human volunteer and patients showed uptake in liver and spleen but no radioactivity was observed associated with the intestines. Radioactive uptake was visualized in infected prosthetic joints, tubo-ovarian abscess and osteomyelitis. In a patient with active rheumatoid arthritis radioactive uptake was confined to clinically affected joints. The preliminary findings suggest potential for Tc labeled liposomes as a diagnostic tracer.