Calcium Metabolism Evaluated by 47Ca Kinetics Methodologic Aspects with Optimization of a Whole-Body Counter

Abstract

Optimization of a four-crystal stretcher geometry whole-body (WB) counter was performed. The measured geometric characteristic did not differ significantly from the theoretically calculated characteristic (p>0.05). The linearity of the WB counter was high in the range 3.7 kBq to 3.7 MBq. Longtime variability of local background was CV=3.7 per cent. In vivo sensitivity was calculated to 18 cpm/kBq and the detection limit to about 5 kBq. The reproducibility was estimated to 0.7 per cent. The WB counter was used in ⁴⁷Ca turnover and calcium balance studies of 15 normal individuals. The data were analysed according to a modification of the expanding calcium pool model using an improved Bauer-Carlsson-Lindquist formulation. Variability and method errors of main parameters for calcium metabolism were evaluated.