Distribution of intrapleural and intravenous Corynebacterium parvum in humans; 99mTc-, and 131I-labeled bacteria

The distribution of Corynebacterium parvum labeled with 131iodine or 99mtechnetium was studied in 17 patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. The labeled bacteria were given intravenously or intrapleurally and monitored by whole-body gamma tracking and samples of blood and urine. Even though the rate of physical decay is quite different for 131iodine and 99mtechnetium, the tracking time of labeled bacteria was limited to 24 h after injection for both radioactive isotopes. Technetium labeling was preferred because of greater imaging resolution and less radiation dose to the patient. Following intravenous administration, labeled C. parvum was found predominantly in the liver and spleen, and in a lesser amount in the lung. Radioactivity was confined to the pleural cavity after intrapleural injection. These results suggest the combined intravenous and intrapleural route of adjuvant immunosupportive agents such as C. parvum for operable lung cancer patients.