Mechanism of gallium 67 accumulation in inflammatory tissue

The present study was undertaken to elucidate the accumulation mechanism of gallium 67 in inflammatory tissue. 67Ga accumulation in inflammatory tissue was observed by macro- and microautoradiogram. Permeability indices were calculated for serum albumin from blood vessels into inflammatory and normal tissue. Neutrophils and macrophages did not play a major role in 67Ga accumulation in the inflammatory tissue because 67Ga could hardly be detected in the sites in which neutrophils were crowded; the accumulation was concentrated in the intercellular space around these cells in the tissue. Permeability indices for inflammatory tissue were much greater than those for normal tissues. It is thought from the present study and previously reported results that 67Ga, together with plasma from permeable blood vessels, readily penetrates the inflammatory tissue and stays there by binding to the acid mucopolysaccharide present in the tissue.