The high kinetic stability of the Cu2+ complex of the chelator 4-[(1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradec-1-yl)-methyl]benzoic acid was demonstrated at physiological pH as well as under acidic conditions. The chelating agent was conjugated to AB35, a monoclonal antibody directed against CEA, without a significant loss of immunoreactivity. The conjugate could, under optimal labeling conditions, be labeled with 67Cu in acetate buffer with a full occupancy of ligands within 20 min. This radiolabeled conjugate showed no transfer of radiocopper to serum proteins in human serum over 7 days. The biodistribution in tumor-bearing mice was measured and compared to that of iodinated AB35. Tumor uptake was high with 15 +/- 3% ID (injected dose)/g after 24 h and 32 +/- 7% ID/g after 96 h for the 67Cu-labeled antibody and 13 +/- 4% ID/g after 24 h and 14 +/- 2% ID/g after 96 h for the 125I-labeled antibody. Whereas radioactivity in normal organs decreased with time after 24 h, increased residence time was shown up to 4 days with the 67Cu-labeled AB35.

The rate of gastric emptying was measured in newborns and young infants by a new radio-isotopic method. 28 control babies and 6 infants with projectile vomiting were given a 50 ml standard milk feeding containing 15 muCi of Indium-113m-microcolloid. The radioactivity in the stomach was counted at regular intervals with a gamma-camera. The gastric emptying followed an exponential pattern with a "half-life" of 87 plus or minus 29 minutes in 24 out of 28 control babies. In 6 patients with projectile vomiting gastric emptying was impaired severely. Three of them with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis showed complete stasis of gastric contents. Gastric emptying returned to normal 8-16 days after pyloromyotomy. It is suggested that the radioisotopic technique is helpful in evaluating the severity of pyloric stenosis and that it is of value in studies of the action of pharmacological substances on gastric emptying.

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A randomized open trial was undertaken to compare the antithrombotic efficacy of a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH; Sandoparin) with that of dextran 70 in patients undergoing surgery for hip fracture. One hundred thirteen patients received LMWH once daily subcutaneously at a fixed dosage while 103 patients received intravenous dextran 70. Postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was assessed by a diagnostic algorithm using the 125Iodine fibrinogen uptake test as screening and Duplex ultrasonography and/or ascending venography as confirming techniques for suspected DVT. The frequency of DVT was significantly lower in the LMWH group than in the dextran group (15.5 versus 32.6%, p less than 0.005). Proximal DVT was rare in both groups (LMWH: 2%, Dextran: 1%). Only one case of fatal fat pulmonary embolism was observed during the 10 day prophylaxis period in a patient receiving Dextran. Three cases of pulmonary embolism occurred later; one fatal event in the dextran group on day 14, and two cases in the LMWH group (one fatal and one non-fatal event) on day 14 and 17, respectively. There was no major bleeding complication in either group. We conclude that the LMWH we used is safe, was well tolerated, and has a significantly better thromboprophylactic effect than dextran 70.