Antinuclear antibody screening by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using multiple nuclear antigens

The oxidation of aminopyrine, an N-alkyl aromatic amine, by the hydroperoxidase activity of lipoxygenase was studied. Aminopyrine gave rise to a purple color in the presence of H2O2 and lipoxygenase, the color being proportional to the aminopyrine radical cation. The H2O2/aminopyrine radical cation molar ratio was 0.5. The overall reaction was considered as an enzymic-chemical second order mechanism with substrate regeneration. From the equations, the apparent constant of the radical cation's decomposition (k'app) was evaluated under different experimental conditions. It was found to be inversely proportional to the proton concentration but unaffected by the concentration of aminopyrine. These results suggest a new comprehensive mechanism for N-demethylation, which takes into account the described presence of both nitrogen- and carbon-centered radicals and the marked effect of pH on the stability of the radical cation.     

Epitope characterization of malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde adducts using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Malondialdehyde (MDA) and acetaldehyde react together with proteins in a synergistic manner and form hybrid protein adducts, designated as MAA adducts. In a previous study, a polyclonal antibody specific for MAA-protein adducts was used in an immunoassay to detect the presence of MAA adducts in livers of ethanol-fed rats. In the present study, the specific epitope recognized by the antibody was defined and the chemistry of MAA adduct formation was further characterized. When several synthetic analogs were tested for their ability to inhibit antibody binding in a competitive ELISA, the results indicated that the major determinant of antibody binding was a highly fluorescent cyclic adduct composed of two molecules of MDA and one of acetaldehyde. The structure of this adduct was shown to be a 4-methyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarbaldehyde derivative of an amino group of a protein. Examination of MAA adduct formation with a variety of proteins indicated that in addition to this specific fluorescent adduct, MAA adducts were also comprised of other nonfluorescent products. The amount of fluorescent epitopes present on a given protein was the major determinant of antibody binding as assessed in a competitive ELISA, although the efficiency of inhibition of antibody binding by these fluorescent epitopes on MAA-adducted proteins varied depending upon the particular protein. However, when these MAA-adducted proteins were hydrolyzed with Pronase, the concentration of these modified proteins necessary to achieve 50% inhibition of antibody binding in a competitive ELISA fell into a much narrower range of values, indicating that protein hydrolysis equalized the accessibility of the antibody to bind the epitope on these various derivatized proteins. In summary, a cyclic fluorescent adduct of defined structure has been identified as the epitope recognized by our MAA adduct antibody. In addition to this specific adduct, MAA adducts are also comprised of other nonfluorescent products.     

Characterization of an immuno-dominant antigen in Brucella ovis and evaluation of its use in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

A panel of 45 Brucella ovis serologically positive sera were tested in immunoblots against B. ovis outer membrane proteins Omp31 and Omp25, purified by preparative SDS-gel electrophoresis. Forty-three sera reacted with Omp31, while only 11 reacted with Omp25, suggesting that Omp31 is identical to the previously reported immuno-dominant 29-kDa protein. Attempts to purify Omp31 on a larger scale by using procedures such as ion exchange-, reversed phase-, affinity- and gel filtration chromatography suggested that the outer membrane proteins were aggregated with rough lipopolysaccharide. Only denaturing SDS-gel filtration chromatography was able to separate proteins of about 29 kDa from rough lipopolysaccharide but did not separate Omp31 from Omp25 in B. ovis preparations. When used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, this 29-kDa protein preparation was less sensitive and less specific than the routinely used heat-extracted B. ovis antigen. A readily available recombinant E. coli, expressing the gene for Omp31 from Brucella melitensis 16 M, was used to extract and enrich recombinant Omp31 by a temperature-dependent Triton X-114-based technique. When this material was used in immunoblots with the 45 sera from B. ovis-infected sheep and with 10 monoclonal antibodies, raised against B. ovis Omp31, major differences in the antibody reactivity between the recombinant B. melitensis Omp31 and the B. ovis Omp31 were found. Such differences were unexpected because of the known structural and immunological relatedness of outer membrane proteins from various Brucella species. These results indicated that the antibody-response in B. ovis naturally-infected sheep against the immuno-dominant Omp31 was directed against epitopes which were only accessible when the protein was aggregated with rough lipopolysaccharides, or which were formed after aggregation but were not present in the recombinant protein.     

Detection of rubella virus-specific immunoglobulin G in saliva by an amplification-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using monoclonal antibody to fluorescein isothiocyanate

An immunoglobulin G (IgG)-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for rubella virus is described. The assay uses a fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-anti-FITC amplification system. The detection limit of the ELISA was approximately 7 IU of rubella virus-specific IgG per ml of serum sample. For saliva samples the performances of the capture ELISA and previously described radioimmunoassay were assessed, and the results of those two assays were compared to the rubella virus-specific IgG result obtained by a commercial ELISA (Behring Enzygnost) with a panel of paired serum and saliva samples. This comparison showed that the capture ELISA with saliva was more sensitive than the radioimmunoassay and that the results correlated better with the serum IgG result than the results of the radioimmunoassay did, with an overall sensitivity of 82% and a rank correlation of 0.68, whereas the sensitivity and rank correlation for the radioimmunoassay were 74% and 0.45, respectively. For subjects of 10 years of age or younger, the ELISA with saliva had a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 100% compared to the results of the ELISA (Behring Enzygnost) for rubella virus-specific IgG with corresponding serum samples. The sensitivity was much lower for subjects ages 17 years or older. The assay may have wider epidemiological use with saliva specimens, particularly those from children.     

Measurement of antibody/antigen association rate constants in solution by a method based on the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

A reliable ELISA based method has been developed for measuring in solution antigen/antibody association rate constants. Its rationale is as follows: antigen and antibody are mixed in solution to initiate the association. At different time intervals aliquots are withdrawn to determine by an indirect ELISA the amount of free antibody that remains in solution. The disappearance of the free mAb reflects the time course of the association reaction. To test the validity of this method, the association rate constant of a monoclonal antibody for its antigen was measured and compared with that obtained previously by a method using fluorescence. The good agreement between the results obtained with the ELISA-based method and those obtained previously by fluorescence measurement indicates that the method described permits determination of true association rate constants in solution. The present method offers several advantages. It uses only minute amounts of sample which need not be purified; it requires no radioactive or fluorescent labelling of the antibody or the antigen, and it can be applied to any type of complex between macromolecules if an ELISA test can be set up to detect quantitatively one of the macromolecules.     

Detection of Aeromonas hydrophila serogroup 0:34 in faeces using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

The efficacy of gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA) enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the diagnosis and differentiation of soft-tissue, neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesion has not been well established. Thirty patients with soft tissue masses (18 neoplastic and 12 non-neoplastic) were studied, using MR imaging with and without administration of Gd-DTPA. Gd-DTPA proved helpful in characterisation of several entities, including differentiation of solid mass from proteinaceous cyst, demonstration of tumour nodules within haemorrhagic or necrotic masses, and delineation of tumour adjacent to oedema. The use of Gd-DTPA may provide additional information for tissue specificity and, in complicated cases, Gd-DTPA may also provide essential information that cannot be obtained using other methods. We recommend the use of contrast enhanced MR as an adjunct to conventional MR imaging in the initial assessment of musculoskeletal soft tissue masses. However, T2-weighted images show better tissue contrast of the lesions, and are equal to contrast enhanced images in delineation of tumour margins. Non-contrast enhanced images are, therefore, probably adequate for the delineation of lesions for surgical planning when a diagnosis has already been made.     

Evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antinuclear antibodies

Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are clinically important indicators of collagen diseases. As corresponding antigens for ANAs vary considerably, patients with collagen diseases usually demonstrate several ANAs coincidentally, making difficult to detect the full spectrum of ANAs in each patient's serum. To design an efficient system for measuring ANAs, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) which adsorbs eight kinds of recombinant or purified antigens in each well of a multiwell plate was used and results were compared to those obtained with conventional assays by the fluorescent antinuclear antibodies (FANA), and double immunodiffusion (DID) methods. The positivity rates of 106 sera from patients with collagen diseases and 286 sera from healthy subjects were 92.5% and 5.5%, respectively. Sixty-one of 65 positive sera (93.8%) in the corresponding ANAs positive sera by DID or other conventional assay methods were positive by ELISA. Anti-SSA/Ro antibody could be detected with higher sensitivity by this assay method than with the FANA and DID method, but the sensitivities for anti-Scl-70 antibody and anti-centromere antibody were lower. Application of this ELISA method for measuring ANAs along with the FANA test may be beneficial for diagnosis of collagen diseases.     

Determination of captopril in human blood by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

An immunoassay for the quantitation of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril in human plasma is described. Antisera very specific for captopril were produced by immunization with captopril conjugated to bovine serum albumin or porcine thyroglobulin via the drug's thiol group. The antibodies were used to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with a detection limit of 0.3 ng mL-1 and intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation of 7 and 12%, respectively. Apart from stabilizing captopril by the addition of N-ethyl maleimide, the assay was used to detect the drug in human plasma without further extraction or purification. Our immunoassay provides a very sensitive and rapid (four hours) alternative for the study of captopril pharmacokinetics.     

Amphetamines in hair by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Human hair was collected from the occipital crown region of the head from several subjects; these hair samples were presumptively positive for amphetamines by a previously evaluated immunoassay. Hair was washed briefly with methanol to remove external contamination, then extracted with hot methanol for 2 h to recover the drugs. The extracts were evaporated to dryness, reconstituted in buffer, and analyzed using a new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique adapted for the detection of amphetamines in hair. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used as the reference technique. Cross-reactivity of several related compounds was evaluated by equating the inverse of the ligand concentration at 50% antibody binding to the affinity constant for each compound. The ratio of a compound's affinity constant to that for d-methamphetamine was used to derive percent crossreactivity. These experiments yielded values of 30.8% for d-amphetamine, 7.4% for I-methamphetamine, 4.3% for phentermine, 2.9% for I-amphetamine, and <1% for ephedrine, methylenedioxyamphetamine, and methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Cross-reactivity of unrelated compounds was found to be non-existent. The optimum cutoff concentration was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to be 300 pg/mg and the observed limit of detection was 60 pg/mg. Intra-assay precision at 300 pg/mg was 3.3% (coefficient of variation, CV), and the interassay CV was 10.5%. The sensitivity and specificity of the method were 83% and 92%, respectively.     

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for human metallothionein-1 in plasma and urine

The development of a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for human metallothionein-1 is reported. Metallothionein was purified from postmortem human liver and used to raise high-titer antibodies in rabbits. The assay was specific for human metallothionein-1 (MT-1), and there was no significant cross-reaction with human metallothionein-2. The detection limit (sensitivity) of the assay was 5 ng/ml, and the added MT-1 could be fully recovered from plasma and urine. The normal reference range for MT-1 was 32 +/- 16 ng/ml in plasma and 10 +/- 6 ng MT-1 per micromole of creatinine in random samples of urine. No significant differences were found between the values for males and females. The concentration of MT-1 was greatly increased between 24 and 48 hours after surgery, indicating that the protein behaves like an acute phase reactant in human subjects.     

Serological studies on Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infections in goats using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

This study investigated matrix formation of rabbit meniscal fibrochondrocytes synthesized in vitro and the viability of fibrochondrocytes encapsulated in fibrin gel after transplantation into rabbit meniscal lesion sites in vivo. The matrix of newly formed meniscal fibrochondrocytes encapsulated in fibrin gel was evaluated using immunohistochemical methods. The meniscal cells in the three-dimensional encapsulating fibrin gel proliferated well for a 2-month period. Examination of the in vivo transplantation confirmed that the newly formed cartilage produced S-100 protein. These observations suggest that meniscal fibrochondrocytes encapsulated in fibrin gel are suitable for cell division and matrix production, and the use of fibrin gel as a scaffolding delivery substance may be beneficial for the transplantation of viable meniscal fibrochondrocytes in resurfacing meniscoplasty.     

应用酶联免疫吸附试验检测血清桥粒芯蛋白抗体水平监测寻常型天疱疮患者病情变化

目的:研究较大样本寻常型天疱疮(pemphigus vulgaris,PV)患者,血清抗桥粒芯蛋白(desmoglein,Dsg)1和抗Dsg3特异性抗体酶联免疫吸附试验(enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,ELISA)指数长期的变化情况,观察其与病情变化的相关性,探讨其用于病情监测、预测疾病复发和指导治疗的可行性.方法:对20例确诊PV的患者进行长期随访,收集患者在各随访时间点的血清,记录每次随访时的病情并进行评分(autoimmune bullous skin disorder intensity score,ABSIS);检测患者血清的间接免疫荧光(indirect immunofluorescence,IIF)滴度、Dsg3 ELISA指数和Dsg1 ELISA指数;利用统计学方法和做图方法分析病情评分与Dsg3 ELISA指数、Dsg1 ELISA指数和IIF滴度之间的关系.结果:PV患者皮肤和口腔的病情评分,分别与Dsg3 ELISA指数、Dsg1 ELISA指数和IIF滴度均具有显著性关联(P＜0.01),患者疾病活动期和临床缓解期两组间Dsg3 ELISA指数、Dsg1 ELISA指数和IIF滴度差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.01).各组患者相关性分析发现,Dsg3 ELISA指数、Dsg1 ELISA指数和IIF滴度几乎均与病情平行波动变化,ELISA指数优于IIF的平行性,并且ELISA指数可以预测病情是否会反复,从而指导治疗.结论:PV患者血清抗Dsg3抗体ELISA指数与病情变化平行波动,可以反映疾病的活动程度,可用于病情监测,并可为临床上预测疾病复发,指导临床调整治疗提供有利的实验室证据.     

Serodiagnosis of tuberculosis by detection of antituberculous glycolipid antigen (TBGL antigen) antibodies in serum using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay: clinical evaluation of anti-TBGL antibodies assay kit

Kyowa Medex Co., Ltd. developed the kit for the sero-diagnosis of tuberculosis, which detects IgG antibodies against tuberculous glycolipids antigen containing cord factor (TBGL antigen) prepared from M. tuberculosis using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. We evaluated the kit using clinical specimens and the results are as follows: 1) In total, 34 out of 39 cases (87.2%) with active pulmonary tuberculosis showed positive anti-TBGL antibody. 2) Patients with cavity, patients with extensive lesions and patients excreting large amount of acid fast bacilli tended to show high positivity rates. 3) The antibody titers increased in 7 out of 11 cases after starting the antituberculous chemotherapy. 4) The use of the antibody is unsuitable for the determination of the activity of tuberculosis since the antibody titers only slightly decreased even after chemotherapy for two years. 5) Two out of four nontuberculous mycobacteriosis cases showed high antibody titers 6) All three AIDS patients with tuberculosis showed low antibody titers. 7) The antibody was negative in almost all healthy controls showing a positive PPD skin test after vaccination with BCG, and it was therefore assumed that the antibody titer is not increased by BCG vaccination. 8) The antibody titers of the staff members working in the tuberculosis wards were not high compared with those of staff members working in the other wards.     

Detection and quantification of poultry probiotic bacteria in mixed culture using monoclonal antibodies in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Murine monoclonal antibodies were used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection and quantification of selected probiotic bacteria present in a continuous-flow competitive exclusion culture known to be effective at reducing chicken cecal and crop colonization by Salmonella typhimurium. Veillonella, Enterococcus avium and S. typhimurium were grown anaerobically in batch culture of Viande Levure broth in pure culture and mixed culture. The mixed cultures produced significantly more acetate and propionate than any of the pure cultures with acetate and propionate being the predominant volatile fatty acids. The association in mixed culture resulted in a significant increase in cell numbers compared to the respective pure cultures. The ELISA was capable of detecting 10(4) cells per ml of the bacteria. The plots of cell numbers determined by the ELISA versus direct plating increased in accordance with increases in cell numbers with r2 values of 0.950, 0.922 and 0.940 for the pure culture incubations and 0.901, 0.924 and 0.905 in the mixed culture incubation for E. avium, S. typhimurium and Veillonella, respectively. The results indicate that the monoclonal antibodies can be used to quantitatively assay individual probiotic bacterial species grown in a mixed culture incubation.     

A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measuring the levels of serum antibody to Haemophilus influenzae type b

1. The protein family of the neurotrophins, consisting of nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and Neurotrophin-3, -4/5, and -6 (NT-3; NT-4/5; NT-6) is well known to enhance the survival and to stabilize the phenotype of different populations of neurons in the central and the peripheral nervous system. These effects are mediated via binding to specific tyrosine kinase receptors (Trks) and to the low-affinity p75 neurotrophin receptor. 2. The neurotrophins NGF, BDNF, and NT-3 and the BDNF and NT-3 selective receptors (TrkB, TrkC) are expressed at high levels in neurons of the basal forebrain, the hippocampus, and the neocortex of the mammalian brain. The expression and secretion of NGF and BDNF in these brain areas is regulated by (physiological levels of) neuronal activity. 3. Exogenous application of the neurotrophins to hippocampal and neocortical neurons can enhance excitatory glutamatergic synaptic transmission via activation of Trk receptors. In addition, long-term potentiation (a potential cellular correlate for learning and memory formation in mammals) in the rodent hippocampus depends on endogenous supply of neurons with BDNF. 4. Judged by the analysis of electrophysiological data, the BDNF- and NT-3-induced enhancement of glutamatergic synapses is mediated by increasing the efficacy of glutamate release from the presynaptic neuron. However, neurotrophin-dependent postsynaptic enhancement of NMDA (but not AMPA) receptor responsiveness has also been shown. 5. On the molecular level, neither the pre- nor the postsynaptic modulation of glutamatergic synapses by neurotrophins is well understood. However, neurotrophins were shown to acutely affect intraneuronal Ca2+ levels and to influence molecular components of the transmitter release machinery, which could underly the presynaptic modifications, whereas BDNF-induced phosphorylation of NMDA-type glutamate receptors could account for the postsynaptic effects. 6. Taken together, these results suggest that the activity-dependent release of neurotrophins at frequently used synapses could modulate the synaptic efficacy at these junctions. Thus, neurotrophins might operate as locally released feedback modulators of synaptic transmission, and this could be a cellular correlate for certain aspects of information processing in the mammalian brain.     

Analysis of the thrombin inhibitor DuP 714 by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Resident proteins of the exocytic pathway contain at least two types of information in their primary sequence for determining their subcellular location. The first type of information is found at the carboxyl terminus of soluble proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and in the cytoplasmic domain of some ER and Golgi membrane proteins. It acts as a retrieval signal, returning proteins that have left the compartment in which they reside. The second type of information has been found in the membrane-spanning domain of several ER and Golgi proteins and, though the mechanism by which it operates is still unclear, it acts as a retention signal, keeping the protein at a particular location within the organelle. The presence of both a retrieval signal and a retention signal in a trans-Golgi network resident protein suggests that more than one mechanism operates to ensure correct localization of resident proteins along the exocytic pathway.     

Peptide-based OspC enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis

Sera from 210 patients with Lyme borreliosis (LB) were studied by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on a synthetic peptide (pepC10) comprising the C-terminal 10-amino-acid residues of OspC of Borrelia burgdorferi. We found that 36.3 and 45.0% of the serum samples from patients with erythema migrans (EM) and neuroborreliosis (NB), respectively, displayed immunoglobulin M (IgM) anti-pepC10 reactivities, while these samples rarely (相似文献   

Use of the protective antigen of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and latex agglutination

To establish a safe and convenient serodiagnostic method for swine erysipelas, a purified protective protein antigen of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, which included a large amount of protective protein (64 kDa protein), was used for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the latex agglutination (LA) test. In the ELISA, the antisera to four different serovars (1a, 2, 5 and 20) of E. rhusiopathiae exhibit a positive reaction, while antisera to other species of bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus suis, Rhodococcus equi and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis) exhibit a negative reaction. In the LA test, the antisera to three different serovars (1a, 2 and 5) of E. rhusiopathiae reacted with P64-sensitized latex beads, while the antiserum to serovar 20 (2553 strain) did not. Moreover, the antisera to other species of bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus suis, Rhodococcus equi and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis) did not in this test. Comparing the results of the growth agglutination (GA), ELISA and LA tests of 284 swine sera, there was a high degree of correlation among the results. The detection of anti-E. rhusiopathiae antibodies in the GA, ELISA and LA tests were compared using sera from pigs immunized with P64, alkaline extract (AE) and live-cell vaccine (LV). In all three tests, anti-E. rhusiopathiae antibodies could be detected 1 week after immunization. The serum antibody titre as determined by the LA test increased moderately, as did that by the GA test, while that determined by ELISA increased rapidly. These results suggested that ELISA could be used to monitor changes in anti-E. rhusiopathiae antibody titre and the LA test could be used in the screening test for swine erysipelas.     

Sensitive quantitation of endotoxin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with monoclonal antibody against Limulus peptide C

Limulus peptide C, a 28-amino-acid fragment of coagulogen formed by the reaction of endotoxin with Limulus amebocyte lysate, was synthesized, and a monoclonal antibody against it was raised. A new microassay for endotoxin was developed, using this antibody in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for generated peptide C-like immunoreactivity. A linear relationship between absorbance and endotoxin concentration was obtained. Control standard endotoxin in water could be detected to a level of 0.001 endotoxin unit per ml. The endotoxin levels in plasma samples from normal humans, rabbit, mice, and guinea pigs were generally found to be below the detection limit of 0.01 endotoxin unit per ml of plasma. The color and turbidity of specimens did not interfere with the assay. The consumption of Limulus amebocyte lysate in the assay was less than 5% of that in the gel-clot and chromogenic assays. With raw lysate, which was much more stable in solution than chloroform-treated lysate, the assay was still highly sensitive to endotoxin but was totally unresponsive to natural glucans. The monoclonal antibody cross-reacted with peptide C-like immunoreactivity generated in Tachypleus amebocyte lysate, which gave equal sensitivity in the endotoxin assay.     

Evaluation of the antibody response in pigs vaccinated against Streptococcus suis capsular type 2 using a double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the value of dynamic sequential three-dimensional Fourier transformation (3DFT) MRI in differentiating various types of small liver tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-seven patients with 65 liver masses < 3 cm in size (42 hepatocellular carcinomas, 11 hemangiomas, 12 metastatic tumors) were studied by 3DFT fast imaging with steady-state precession (FISP) MRI [TR(ms)/TE(ms)/flip angle (degree): 20/8/30]. The slab thickness was 21-35 mm, and there were seven partitions. The 3DFT-FISP MR images were obtained immediately after 0.1 mmol/kg of gadopentetate dimeglumine was administered intravenously over 2-3 s (early phase), 60 s after (late phase I), and 120 s after (late phase II). RESULTS: Eighty-six percent of small hepatocellular carcinomas showed hyperintense enhancement relative to the surrounding liver parenchyma and iso- or hypointense enhancement with or without capsular enhancement in the late phase. Eighty-two percent of small hemangiomas showed peripheral globular enhancement in the early phase and total hyperintense or peripheral enhancement in the late phases. Ninety-two percent of the small metastatic liver tumors showed doughnut-like ring enhancement in the early phase. CONCLUSION: By dynamic 3DFT-FISP MRI, we were able to accurately evaluate the hemodynamics and morphological findings of each type of small liver tumor.