Tumour imaging of indium-111 oxine-labelled autologous lymphocytes as a staging method in Hodgkin's disease.

Following indium-111 oxine-labelled autologous lymphocyte infusion, 39 lymphocyte scintigraphies were performed in 35 patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD). Lymphocytes were obtained after leukapheresis and Lymphoprep gradient centrifugation and were further purified by an adherence step to eliminate monocytes. A median of 1.2 (0.2-3.7) X 10(9) cells were labelled with 6.7 (range 1.9-16.6) Mbq indium-111 oxine and reinfused to the patients. Gamma camera imaging was performed with a GE 400 AT. An accumulation of radioactivity was seen at 54 of 61 sites with enlarged lymph nodes. Increased radioactivity was also seen at 16 sites with no previous clinical evidence of tumour involvement. These data seem very promising and with further methodological improvement lymphoscintigraphy may prove to be an important complement in the staging procedure and follow-up of patients with HD.