• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.1-24
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• 1982

Several recent advances in our knowledge of thyroid physiology have broad application to the diagnosis and management of thyroid disorders. For in the thyroid, more than other endocrine organs, pathophysiology can be translated directly into the diagnosis and management of thyroid disease. Graves' disease is a syndrome including goiter with hyperthyroidism, exophthalmos and dermopathy. The pathogenesis of Graves' disease is not yet clearly identified, but various autoantibodies to the thyroid gland and immunopathologic studies indicate that autoimmune processes are involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. The diagnosis and management of Graves' disease are largely dependent on radionuclide techniques as radioimmunoassay, radioactive iodine therapy and so on. Several laboratory tests are also developed to determine the remission of this disase including TRH stimulation test, $T_3$ suppression test and detection of thyroid stimulating immunoglobulins. Autoimmune thyroiditis is almost certainly a primary immunologic disease and the incidence tends to increase recently, mainly due to the application of biopsy technique in thyroid diseases. Thyroid nodules have been a great challenge to physicians because of the possibility of malignancy. But recently, cytologic examination of thyroid aspirate provides a very simple and also reliable diagnostic method in patients with thyroid nodules. In 163 patients with thyroid nodules, only 19.3% was revealed to be malignant. Therefore cytologic examination of thyroid aspirate and thyroid biopsy should be included in the diagnosis of nodular patients prior to surgical intervention. In this paper, a comprehensive review is presented on the pathogenesis, clinical features, laboratory findings and therapeutic modalities of various thyroid diseases on the basis of over 80 researches performed during the past 20 years at radioisotope clinic, Seoul National University Hospital.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.302-307
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• 2003

The long-term clinical issues in Kawasaki disease are concerned with the coronary artery lesions that result in aneurysmal formation, thrombotic occlusion, progression to ischemic heart disease, and premature atherosclerosis. We here report a 3 month old infant with Kawasaki disease complicated by giant coronary aneurysm with thrombosis. After urokinase(10,000 IU/kg) and heparin(400 IU/kg) were injected for two days as thrombolytic agents, thrombi were successfully dissolved. Even though long-term oral anticoagulation with low-dose aspirin, dipyridamole and coumadin were administered, thrombosis of the left main coronary artery was slowly increased. five years later, coronary angiography showed nearly total occlusion of the left anterior descending artery and collaterals from the right posterior branch and radionuclide scan demonstrated complete reversible perfusion defect of several portions of the left ventricle.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.43-50
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• 1985

With the improvement of hemodialysis, the course of the disease in patient with endstage renal disease has been clearly improved. Nevertheless, among several shortcomings to our present mode of renal replacement therapy, cardiovascular complications have been the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Several factors such as anemia, arteriovenous shunting of blood, intermittent extracorporeal circulation and hypertension may be contributing. But little is known about the quantitative cardiac hemodynamic characteristics occurred during hemodialysis. The purpose of this study is to observe the sequential hemodynamic changes before, during and after the hemodialysis and to investigate reliable parameters in the detection of ventricular dysfunction. In the present study, equilibrium radionuclide cardiac angiography was performed and left and right ventricular volume indices, ejection phase indices of both ventricular, performance were measured in the 16 stable patients with chronic renal failure treated with maintenance hemodialysis sequentially i.e. before, during (early and late phase) and after the hemodialysis. The results obtained were as follows; 1) The indices of the left ventricular function were not changed during the hemodialysis but increased after the hemodialysis. 2) The indices of the right ventricular function(EF, SVI) were significantly decreased in the early phase (15, 30 minutes after starting extracorporeal circulation) but recovered after the hemodialysis. 3) The ratio of right ventricular to left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly decreased in the early phase and the lung volume indices were significantly increased at the same phase. As a conclusion, hemodialysis improves left ventricular function maybe due to increased contractility, and effects on the right ventricular function maybe due to the increased lung volume in the early phase of hemodialysis.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.262-266
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• 1999

Obstruction of the extrahepatic bile ducts is the most common cause of conjugated hyperbilirubinemia in early infancy. More than 90% of such obstructive lesions are accounted for by extrahepatic biliary atresia. A rare lesion is obstruction of the common duct by impacted, thickened secretions and bile. Bile plug syndrome is defined as extrahepatic obstruction of the bile ducts by bile sludge in term infants without anatomic abnormalities, congenital chemical defects of bile, or hepatocellular lesions. Obstruction of extrahepatic ducts by plugs of biliary material apperas to be due to the inspissation and precipitation of bile and mucus within the lumen of the ducts. Cholestasis and precipitation of bile develop in association with abnormal composition of bile in cystic fibrosis, hepatocellular damage, prolonged erythroblastic jaundice, altered biliary dynamics with total parenteral nutrition, gut dysfunction, diuretic therapy, exchange transfusions and perinatal hemolysis. In those cases, the term inspissated bile syndrome is used. The clinical and laboratory findings in bile plug syndrome are identical to those observed in biliary atresia and choledochal cyst. The diagnosis can be suspected based on the findings of clinical and laboratory examinations together with hepatobiliary imaging, ultrasonography, radionuclide scan and liver biopsy. We experienced a case of spontaneous resolution of bile plug syndrome in a 4-year-old girl. We report this case with brief review related literatures.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.425-432
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• 1998

Purpose: For the purpose of using Re-188 as a therapeutic radionuclide, we performed the quality control of the W-188/Re-188 generator system. Materials and Methods: Several quality control tests of the Re-188 eluate from generator were carried out for about 300 days. After elution of Re-188 with normal saline (20 ml), chromatogram and gamma-ray spectrum of Re-188 eluate were obtained. The presence of aluminum which was derived from the alumina bed of the generator was detected by using aluminum ion indicator kit. Re-188 eluate was allowed to decay for several days, and then W-188 breakthrough in the Re-188 eluate was measured by detecting gamma-ray at 227 keY and 290 keV. The pH and the pyrogenicity of the eluate were checked. The Re-188 bolus was concentrated with ion exchange columns. Results: The radioactivity of Re-188 eluate from the generator was $67.4{\pm}7.0%$ of W-188 during 270 days, and it was highest at third day after previous elution. Radiochemical purity of Re-188 eluate obtained from chromatogram was higher than 99%. Gamma-ray spectrum of Re-188 eluate showed a peak at 155 keV. Aluminum ion and W-188 contamination were not detected. The PH of Re-188 eluate was 3 and the concentration yield was 85%. Conclusion: Our experiments and results on quality control tests of Re-188 eluate from W-188/Re-188 generator may be useful for setting W-188/Re-188 generator in hospitals.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.383-393
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• 2008

Purpose: Cancer specific killing can be achieved by therapeutic gene activated by cancer specific promotor. Expression of sodium iodide symporter (NIS) gene causes transportation and concentration of iodide into the cell, therefore radioiodine treatment after NIS gene transfer to cancer cell could be a form of radionuclide gene therapy. luciferase (Luc) gene transfected cancer cell can be monitored by in vivo optical imaging after D-luciferin injection. Aims of the study are to make vector with both therapeutic NIS gene driven by AFP promoter and reporter Luc gene driven by CMV promoter, to perform hepatocellular carcinoma specific radiodiodine gene therapy by the vector, and assessment of the therapy effect by optical imaging using luciferase expression. Materials and Methods: A Vector with AFP promoter driven NIS gene and CMV promoter driven Luc gene (AFP-NIS-CMV-Luc) was constructed. Liver cancer cell (HepG2, Huh-7) and non liver cancer cell (HCT-15) were transfected with the vector using liposome. Expression of the NIS gene at mRNA level was elucidated by RT-PCR. Radioiodide uptake, perchlorate blockade, and washout tests were performed and bioluminescence also measured by luminometer in these cells. In vitro clonogenic assay with 1-131 was performed. In vivo nuclear imaging was obtained with gamma camera after 1-131 intraperitoneal injection. Results: A Vector with AFP-NIS-CMV-Luc was constructed and successfully transfected into HepG2, Huh-7 and HCT-15 cells. HepG2 and Huh-7 cells with AFP-NIS-CMV-Luc gene showed higher iodide uptake than non transfected cells and the higher iodide uptake was totally blocked by addition of perchlorate. HCT-15 cell did not showed any change of iodide uptake by the gene transfection. Transfected cells had higher light output than control cells. In vitro clonogenic assay, transfected HepG2 and Huh-7 cells showed lower colony count than non transfected HepG2 and Huh-7 cells, but transfected HCT-15 cell did not showed any difference than non transfected HCT-15 cell. Number of Huh-7 cells with AFP-NIS-CMV-Luc gene transfection was positively correlated with radioidine accumulation and luciferase activity. In vivo nuclear imaging with 1-131 was successful in AFP-NIS-CMV-Luc gene transfected Huh-7 cell xenograft on nude mouse. Conclusion: A Vector with AFP promoter driven NIS and CMV promoter driven Luc gene was constructed. Transfection of the vector showed liver cancer cell specific enhancement of 1-131 cytotoxicity by AFP promoter, and the effect of the radioiodine therapy can be successfully assessed by non-invasive luminescence measurement.

• Korean Journal of Digital Imaging in Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.113-117
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• 2010

This research attempts to qualitatively evaluate the intensity change by radiopharmaceuticals and obtain computed tomography using phantom injected with various nuclide. Cylindrical phantom is used for comparing and analysing the effect on diagnosis image during radiopharmaceuticals inspection. Inside of the phantom, water is injected and computed tomography image is scanned. During nuclear medicine invitro, frequently used radiopharmaceuticals, $^{99m}TcO_4$ 20 mCi and $^{18}F$ 14 mCi, is diluted in the water phantom and scanned in the same method. Traverse image obtained by CT scan is divided into six traverse image in the same slice of each scanned image. CT-number(HU) value of 10 measuring point is measured in 2 cm interval based on the center of the phantom. Measured HU value, based on the water phantom, is compared with the image after injecting $^{99m}TcO_4$ and $^{18}F$. Average scale of water is 2.8~1.6 HU, $^{99m}TcO_4$ is 3.0~1.6 HU and $^{18}F$ is 1.2~0 HU. Average of water is $2.3{\pm}0.17$ HU, $^{99m}TcO_4$ is $2.2{\pm}0.85$ HU and F-18 is $0.7{\pm}0.95$ HU. Based on water, reduced value of about 0.1 HU and about 0.5 HU is acquired from $^{99m}TcO_4$ and F-18. Radionuclide used in nuclear medicine inspection utilizes 100~200 KeV energy and obtains image through scintillation camera and PET-CT utilizes 511 KeV positron annihilation energy to obtain image. What we learned from this research is that gamma rays from these energies used in CT scan for diagnosis purpose or radioactive therapy plan can change the intensity of the image. The nuclear medicine inspection for reducing the effect of emitted gamma ray diagnosis image should be obtained after a period of time considering half-life which would be reduced distortion or changed in image.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 2015

Lutetium-177 ($T_{1/2}=6.71day$) is an adequate radionuclide for therapy, which has both beta emission ($E_{max}=497keV$) for therapeutic effect and gamma emission (113 and 208 keV) for imaging. $^{177}Lu$ labeled ethylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetrakis (methylene phosphonic acid) (EDTMP) and 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraaminomethylenephosphonate (DOTMP) have been proposed as radiopharmaceuticals for bone pain palliation. In this study, we compared radiochemistry and biodistribution of $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP and $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP. EDTMP and DOTMP were synthesized, and 1 mg of each was labeled with $^{177}Lu$ at pH 7~8 with high efficiency (>98%). For comparative biodistribution studies, $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP or $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP were injected into ICR-mice through tail vein, and then biodistribution data were obtained as percentages of injected dose per gram of tissue (% ID/g). Urine excretions of both agents in mice were checked for 7 days. Rat images were also obtained after injection of $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP or $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP. $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP (100% at 1 min) showed faster labeling than $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP (100% at 30 min). Both of them were stable at least for 21 days at room temperature. High bone uptakes were found for both $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP and $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP: 38.0 and 34.1% ID/g at 3 hr, respectively; and 33.2 and 18.8% ID/g at 7 day, respectively. Rapid excretions to urine were found for both agents ($^{177}Lu$-EDTMP: 56%, $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP: 63% at 1 day). Other organs showed very low uptakes. Rat images of both $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP and $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP showed high bone uptakes and low soft tissue uptakes. In conclusion, both $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP and $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP showed high potential as bone pain palliation agents. $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP showed higher bone uptake and slower bone clearance in mice than those of $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 1991

Radioaerosol inhalation imaging (RII) has been used in radionuclide pulmonary studies for the past 20 years. The method is well accepted for assessing regional ventilation because of its usefulness, easy fabrication and simple application system. To evaluate its clinical utility in the study of impaired regional ventilation in bronchial asthma, we obtained and analysed RIIs in 31 patients (16 women and 15 men; age ranging 21-76 years) with typical bronchial asthma at the Department of Radiology, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical college, from January, 1988 to August, 1989. Scintiscans were obtained with radioaerosol produced by a BARC(Bhabha Atomic Reserch Center, India) nebulizer with 15 mCi of $^{99m}Tc-phytate$. The scanning was peformed in anterior, posterior and lateral projections following 5-minute inhalation of radioaerosol on sitting position. The scans were analyzed and correlated with the results of pulmonary function study and the findings of chest radiography. Fifteen patients had concomitant lung perfusion image with $^{99m}Tc-MAA$. Follow-up scans were obtained in 5 patients after bronchodilator therapy. The patients were divided into (1) attack type (4 patients), (2) resistant type (5 patients), (3) remittent type (10 patients) and (4) bronchitic type (12 patients). Chest radiography showed hyperinflation, altered pulmonary vascularity, thickening of the bronchial wall and accentuation of basal interstitial markings in 26 of the 31 patients. Chest radiographs were norma! in the remaining 5 patients. Regardless of type, the findings of RII were basically the same, and characterized by the deposition of radioaerosol in the central parts or in the main respiratory air ways along with mottled nonsegmental ventilation defects in the periphery. Peripheral parenchymal defects were more extensive than that of expected findings from clinical symptoms, pulmonary function test and chest radiograph. Broomstick sign was present in 17 patients. The abnormality of RII was poorly correlated with perfusion scans. In all 5 patients treated with bronchodilators, follow-up study demonstrated a decrease in the degree of radioaerosol deposition in the central air way with improved ventilation defects. This study indicates that RII is a useful technique for the evaluation of regional ventilation abnormality and the effect of treatment with bronchodilators in patients with bronchial asthma.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 1995

Medical Internal Radiation Dose(MIRD) schema was developed for calculating the absorbed dose from the administered radiopharmaceuticals. With the biological distribution data and the physical properties of the radionuclide we can estimate the absorbed dose by the MIRD schema. For the thyroid cancer patients received $^{131}I$ therapy, the absorbed dose to the bone marrow is the limiting factor to the administered dose, and the duration of admission is deter-mined by the retained activity in the whole body. To monitor the whole body radioactivity, we used Eberline Smart 200 system using ionization chamber as a detector. With the time activity curve of the whole body, total body residence time was obtained. From the ICRP publication 53, the residence times of the source organs, such as kidney, urinary bladder content and stomach, were used to calculate the absorbed doses of the target organs, such as stomach, red marrow, bladder wall and remaineder total body. In 8 thyroid cancer patients with 175 mci of $^{131}I$ administered orally, the mean absorbed dose in the bladder wall was 375.1, in the stomach 285.1, red marrow 25.4 and total body 22.4 rad respectively. For the monitoring of the large administered activity, this method seemed to be quite useful.