Succinylated gelatine: an alternative to hydroxyethyl starch for labelling leukocytes with 99mTc-HMPAO.

Background: Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) is the most used plasma expander in the sedimentation of the erythrocytes during the radiolabelling procedure for leukocytes in vitro.

Aim: To evaluate the usefulness of succinylated gelatine (GEL), another colloidal plasma expander, as an alternative to HES in this process.

Methods: Two identical blood samples were obtained from 30 patients referred to white blood cell scintigraphy.