Evaluation of transplanted kidney function with 123I-ortho-iodo-hippurate

A non-invasive study for evaluating transplanted kidney function was developed using 123I-ortho-iodo-hippurate (OIH) with radionuclide image processing technique. Twenty patients with transsplanted kidneys in few weeks to several years after transplantation were imaged after the administration of 1mCi 123I-OIH. Functional images with 4 kinds of parameters were processed and evaluated. The one with a parameter of regional counts in early secretory phase of renogram, multiplied by the effective renal blood flow (ERBF), seemed to be the most promissing indicator for the function of transplanted kdneys. The ERBF was calculated by counting 5- and 25-minute blood samples. The functional images representing regional function of blood flow and secretion of kidneys add another valuable information to the conventional serum creatinine and BUN values. (author)