Comparison of indium-111 oxinate labelled autologous granulocytes with indium-111 oxinate and indium-111 chloride as abscess scanning agents. An experimental study in an animal model.

Bacterial abscesses were evoked in goats. Imaging of these abscesses was obtained by means of labelling autologous granulocytes with 111In oxinate, reinjection of the cells into the animal, and scintigraphy by gamma camera one day later. Comparable imaging results, however, were obtained after intravenous injection of 111In oxinate or of 111In chloride. The gamma camera images were supported by tissue distribution studies. In the case of administration of 111In oxinate to the goats, the radioactivity accumulated in the cell fraction of the blood to a significant extent. This did not occur in the case of plain 111In chloride. It remained unexplained why such different accumulation in cells did not result in differences in the scintigraphic studies. Blood clearance studies supplied conclusive evidence that the granulocytes stayed in the circulation for several days following labelling with 111In oxinate and reinjection of the cells into the animals.