Imaging of the inflammatory response in ischemic canine myocardium with 111indium-labeled leukocytes.

Myocardial leukocyte infiltration is one hallmark of acute myocardial infarction. In order to detect noninvasively this inflammatory response associated with acute myocardial infarction, we produced coronary occlusion in eight dogs, intravenously administered autologously labeled indium-111 (111In) leukocytes and scintigraphically monitored accumulation of radionuclide in myocardium. Seventy-two hours after coronary occlusion, 111In-labeled white cells accumulated in regions corresponding to myocardial infarcts, and positive images with 111In-labeled leukocytes correlated well with images obtained with technetium-99m pyrophosphate and computer-reconstructed tomograms obtained with nitrogen-13-labeled ammonia. In contrast, two control dogs subjected to sham operation did not exhibit positive 111In-leukocyte images. Scintigraphic results with 111In-labeled leukocytes were verified in vitro by analysis of radioactivity in normal myocardium and in infarcts. Thus, leukocytic infiltration associated with acute myocardial infarction can be detected noninvasively in vivo.