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Pulmonary clearance of99mTc-DTPA: A noninvasive assessment of epithelial integrity

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Abstract

Nonstratified epithelium lines the respiratory tract from the trachea to distal lung units. An abnormality in the integrity of this critical barrier to the outside environment has been suggested as promoting or exacerbating a wide variety of clinical disorders ranging from asthma to acute lung injury syndromes. Recently the noninvasive measurement of the clearance rate of aerosolized and deposited99mtechnetium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (99mTc-DTPA) has been used to assess pulmonary epithelial integrity. This paper discusses the merits and limitations of this technique, which is presently under extensive investigation in many research centers investigating pulmonary disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics (Chest Division), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto

    Hugh O’Brodovich

  2. Department of Radiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    Geoffrey Coates

Authors
  1. Hugh O’Brodovich
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  2. Geoffrey Coates
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O’Brodovich, H., Coates, G. Pulmonary clearance of99mTc-DTPA: A noninvasive assessment of epithelial integrity. Lung 165, 1–16 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02714416

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02714416

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