Alveolus-capillary permeability on both normal and HIV seroreactive individuals

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the alveolus-capillary permeability by the lung clearance rate of 99mTc-DTPA(Technetium99m-diethylene triamine penta-acetate), (LCR-DTPA), both in normal and in asymptomatic HIV seroreactive patients. Thirty individuals were studied, 21 seronegative normal volunteers and 9 HIV seroreactive patients presenting normal chest radiography and no respiratory infection symptoms. LCR-DTPA was determined by inhaling 99mTc-DTPA and obtaining images in a gamma camera. The 99mTc-DTPA clearance rate in normal individuals was 0.99±0.15%.min-1 and in patients 2.31±1.25%.min-1. There was a significant statistical difference between the two groups (p< 0.05). Two patients who presented LCR-DTPA higher than 4.3 %.min-1 presented pneumocystis pneumonia one month later. Seroreactive AIDS patients, previously asymptomatic that presented pneumonia later showed higher LCR-DTPA than the seroreactive who did not develop the illness. These results suggested that LCR-DTPA could be a predictive method for the clinical development of pneumocystis pneumonia in asymptomatic HIV seroreactive patients.