[Evaluation of clinical usefulness of 99mTc-GSA, a functional hepatic imaging agent--correlation with per-rectal portal scintigraphy].

Liver scintigraphy using 99mTc-GSA, which binds specifically to the asialoglycoprotein receptors on the surface of the hepatocytes, was performed in 41 patients with chronic liver disease (11 chronic hepatitis cases and 30 liver cirrhosis) to investigate the correlations between the images and the various liver function tests. Two liver functional indexes, HH15 for plasma clearance of 99mTc-GSA and LHL15 for liver accumulation of 99mTc-GSA, showed significant differences between the chronic hepatitis group and the decompensated liver cirrhosis group. These indexes also showed significant correlations with the liver function tests such as serum albumin level and prothrombin time. HH15 and LHL15 correlated with the per-rectal portal shunt index obtained in 10 patients by 99mTcO4- per-rectal portal scintigraphy. These results suggest that HH15 and LHL15 have value as new liver functional indexes.