Study of cell changes induced by radiolabelling of human lymphocytes with 99m-technetium

With the aim of evaluating cell changes possibly induced by labelling lymphocytes with 99m-technetium (99mTc), several rosette tests and stimulation assays with mitogens have been carried out before and after radiolabelling. The results presented here show that (i) as the rosette tests are not modified statistically, the original labelling method does not seem to induce short term membrane structure modification and (ii) as stimulation by mitogens decreases after labelling with 99mTc, medium term radiation damage, linked to autoirradiation of the cells, can be evoked. This study indicates that there is reason to limit the time taken to perform scintigraphic explorations with labelled lymphocytes in man.