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Medical Science Monitor : International... Apr 2018BACKGROUND Comprehensive and precise assessment of rectal carcinoma is crucial before surgery to plan an individual treatment strategy. New functional techniques, such...
BACKGROUND Comprehensive and precise assessment of rectal carcinoma is crucial before surgery to plan an individual treatment strategy. New functional techniques, such as intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), have emerged and could lead to more detailed information. The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference between the rectal tumor parenchyma and normal wall by IVIM and to explore the correlations of IVIM parameters and histopathology. MATERIAL AND METHODS We prospectively enrolled 128 patients with pathologically proven rectal non-mucinous carcinoma with differentiation degree and 16 patients with mucinous carcinoma. All patients underwent routine MR examination and IVIM sequence. The IVIM maps were automatically generated and 3 ROIs were drawn on the maximal rectal tumor parenchyma and normal rectal wall. The Wilcoxon signed rank test, t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman's rank correlation test were performed. RESULTS All IVIM parameters demonstrated the difference between rectal tumor parenchyma and normal wall (PD<0.001; PD*=0.014; Pf<0.001). Poorly differentiated carcinoma had a significantly lower f value (Pf=0.049) than well/moderately-differentiated carcinoma. In addition, mucinous carcinoma had a higher D (PD=0.001) and a lower D* value (PD*=0.001) than non-mucinous carcinoma. Correlation analysis between IVIM parameters and histopathology showed that D (|r|=0.538, PD=0.000) and D* (|r|=0.267, PD*=0.001) had statistically significant correlations with histological type and f (|r|=0.175, Pf=0.048) was significantly correlated with differentiation degree. CONCLUSIONS The IVIM parameters of rectal tumor parenchyma and normal wall were significantly different. D appears to be a valid and promising parameter to indicate histological features of rectal carcinoma.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Contrast Media; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Female; Humans; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Rectal Neoplasms; Rectum; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 29679528
DOI: 10.12659/msm.908574 -
AoB PLANTS Oct 2023While nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) storage can support long-lived woody plants during abiotic stress, the timing and extent of their use are less understood, as are...
While nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) storage can support long-lived woody plants during abiotic stress, the timing and extent of their use are less understood, as are the thresholds for cell mortality as NSCs and water supplies are consumed. Here, we combine physiological and imaging tools to study the response of to a 6-week experimental drought. We focused on the spatial and temporal dynamics of starch consumption and cell viability in the xylem and phloem of the stem. Starch dynamics were further corroborated with enzymatic starch digestion and X-ray microcomputed tomography imaging. Starch depletion in the stems of droughted plants was detected after 2 weeks and continued over time. We observed distinct differences in starch content and cell viability in the xylem and phloem. By the end of the drought, nearly all the starch was consumed in the phloem ray parenchyma (98 % decrease), and there were almost no metabolically active cells in the phloem. In contrast, less starch was consumed in the xylem ray parenchyma (30 % decrease), and metabolically active cells remained in the ray and vessel-associated parenchyma in the xylem. Our data suggest that the higher proportion of living cells in the phloem and cambium, combined with smaller potential NSC storage area, rapidly depleted starch, which led to cell death. In contrast, the larger cross-sectional area of the xylem ray parenchyma with higher NSC storage and lower metabolically active cell populations depleted starch at a slower pace. Why NSC source-sink relationships between xylem and phloem do not allow for a more uniform depletion of starch in ray parenchyma over time is unclear. Our data help to pinpoint the proximate and ultimate causes of plant death during prolonged drought exposure and highlight the need to consider the influence of within-organ starch dynamics and cell mortality on abiotic stress response.
PubMed: 37899975
DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plad062 -
PloS One 2020Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes include tumor-reactive lymphocytes and regulatory T-cells. However, the prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in oral...
BACKGROUND
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes include tumor-reactive lymphocytes and regulatory T-cells. However, the prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unclear.
METHODS
We used immunohistochemistry to evaluate the presence of tumor-infiltrating FoxP3⁺ T-cells and CTLA-4⁺ cells in four distinct histological compartments (tumor parenchyma and stroma at the tumor center, and parenchyma and stroma at the invasive front) and assessed the association between the prevalence of these cells and the histopathological status of 137 patients with OSCC.
RESULTS
Five-year overall survival, disease-specific survival, and recurrence-free survival were favorable in patients with high numbers of FoxP3⁺ T-cells in the parenchyma of the invasive front. Recurrence-free survival and metastasis-free survival were decreased in patients with high numbers of CTLA-4⁺ cells in the parenchyma of the invasive front.
CONCLUSIONS
The presence of FoxP3⁺ T-cells in the parenchyma of the invasive front may be a useful prognostic factor. Our results indicate that FoxP3⁺ T-cells may exert site-specific anti-tumor effects but may not play an immunosuppressive role in OSCC. In addition, our results suggest that CTLA-4+ cells suppress the function of FoxP3+ T-cells and promote anti-tumor immunity in OSCC.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; CTLA-4 Antigen; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Female; Forkhead Transcription Factors; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating; Male; Middle Aged; Mouth Neoplasms; Neoplasm Staging; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; Survival Rate; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory
PubMed: 32785290
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237465 -
Scientific Reports May 2021To compare changes in spectral CT iodine densities of hepatic parenchyma and vessels before and after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in hepatitis B...
To compare changes in spectral CT iodine densities of hepatic parenchyma and vessels before and after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver cirrhosis. Twenty-five patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis who received TIPS for gastroesophageal varices bleeding were recruited. Each patient underwent three phases contrast CT before and after TIPS within 4 weeks, with the raw data reconstructed at 1.25-mm-thick slices. Iodine density (in milligrams per milliliter) was measured on iodine-based material decomposition image. Multiple regions of interest (ROIs) in liver parenchyma, aorta and portal vein were selected from three slices of images. Portal vein trunk was set as the central one, and mean liver parenchymal iodine densities from arterial phase (AP), venous phase (VP) and equilibrium phase (EP) were recorded. Quantitative indices of iodine density (ID), including normalized ID in liver parenchyma for arterial phase (NIDLAP), ID of liver parenchyma for venous phase (IDLVP), ID of portal vein in venous phase (IDPVP) and liver arterial iodine density fraction (AIF), were measured and compared before and after TIPS. Based on Child-Pugh stage, 4, 12 and 9 patients were classified as grade A, B, and C, respectively. Liver volume was comparable before and after TIPS (1110.5 ± 287.4 vs. 1092.0 ± 276.3, P = 0.28). After TIPS, ID was decreased in aorta (146.0 ± 34.5 vs. 120.9 ± 30.7, P < 0.01) whereas increased in liver parenchyma at arterial phase, as demonstrated by IDAP (9.3 ± 3.1 vs. 13.4 ± 4.4 mg/mL) and AIF (0.40 ± 0.11 vs. 0.58 ± 0.11, P < 0.01). For venous or equilibrium phase, quantitative indices remained stable (23.1 ± 4.5 vs. 23.0 ± 5.3, 19.8 ± 4.1 vs. 19.4 ± 4.6) mg/mL (Ps > 0.05). For portal vein, ID and NID were increased after TIPS (23.1 ± 11.7 vs. 36.5 ± 13.0, 16.4 ± 8.5 vs. 31.8 ± 12.8) (P < 0.01). No positive correlation between iodine density and preoperative Child-Pugh score was observed. Based on iodine density measurement, spectral CT as a noninvasive imaging modality may assess hepatic parenchyma and vascular blood flow changes before and after TIPS in HBV-related liver cirrhosis.Clinical registration number: ChiCTR- DDC-16009986.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Contrast Media; Female; Hepatitis B virus; Humans; Iodides; Liver; Liver Cirrhosis; Male; Middle Aged; Portasystemic Shunt, Transjugular Intrahepatic; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 34006977
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89764-6 -
Cureus Jan 2023Emphysematous pyelonephritis is an acute severe necrotizing infection of the renal parenchyma and its surrounding tissues that results in the presence of gas in the...
Emphysematous pyelonephritis is an acute severe necrotizing infection of the renal parenchyma and its surrounding tissues that results in the presence of gas in the renal parenchyma, collecting system, or perinephric tissue. The management of emphysematous pyelonephritis mainly depends on the extent of the disease. In this report, we present the case of a 48-year-old male who presented with left flank pain and imaging findings of left-sided emphysematous pyelonephritis with extensions of air into the pararenal space as well as a 5.6 cm bladder stone and severe right-sided hydroureteronephrosis. He initially received bilateral nephrostomy tubes, a left-sided perinephric draining tube, and intravenous antibiotics; however, his symptoms persisted. Ultimately, the patient underwent open cystolitholapaxy and left nephrectomy, with eventual resolution of symptoms.
PubMed: 36820121
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.33941 -
The Pan African Medical Journal 2016
Topics: Female; Humans; Low Back Pain; Middle Aged; Nephrectomy; Pyelonephritis, Xanthogranulomatous
PubMed: 27642430
DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2016.24.91.9598 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2023For implementation, performance evaluation and timing optimization of CT perfusion first pass analysis (FPA) by correlation with maximum slope model (MSM) in pancreatic...
For implementation, performance evaluation and timing optimization of CT perfusion first pass analysis (FPA) by correlation with maximum slope model (MSM) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, dynamic CT perfusion acquisitions of 34 time-points were performed in 16 pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients. Regions of interest were marked in both parenchyma and carcinoma. FPA, a low radiation exposure CT perfusion technique, was implemented. Blood flow (BF) perfusion maps were calculated using FPA and MSM. Pearson's correlation between FPA and MSM was calculated at each evaluated time-point to determine optimum timing for FPA. Differences in BF between parenchyma and carcinoma were calculated. Average BF for MSM was 106.8 ± 41.5 ml/100 ml/min in parenchyma and 42.0 ± 24.8 ml/100 ml/min in carcinoma, respectively. For FPA, values ranged from 85.6 ± 37.5 ml/100 ml/min to 117.7 ± 44.5 ml/100 ml/min in parenchyma and from 27.3 ± 18.8 ml/100 ml/min to 39.5 ± 26.6 ml/100 ml/min in carcinoma, depending on acquisition timing. A significant difference (p value < 0.0001) between carcinoma and parenchyma was observed at all acquisition times based on FPA measurements. FPA shows high correlation with MSM (r > 0.90) and 94% reduction in the radiation dose compared to MSM. CT perfusion FPA, where the first scan is obtained after the arterial input function exceeds a threshold of 120 HU, followed by a second scan after 15.5-20.0 s, could be used as a potential imaging biomarker with low radiation exposure for diagnosing and evaluating pancreatic carcinoma in clinical practice, showing high correlation with MSM and the ability to differentiate between parenchyma and carcinoma.
Topics: Humans; Adenocarcinoma; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Carcinoma; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Perfusion
PubMed: 37391443
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37381-w -
The Journal of the American Osteopathic... Aug 2020Hepatosteatosis (HS) is prevalent worldwide and can be measured via ultrasonographic (US) hepatic-renal (H/R) echo-intensity ratio.
CONTEXT
Hepatosteatosis (HS) is prevalent worldwide and can be measured via ultrasonographic (US) hepatic-renal (H/R) echo-intensity ratio.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the incidence of HS in rural communities of the Ecuadorian Chimborazo region and to validate portable US as an effective method of disease screening in rural settings.
METHODS
Sagittal right liver/kidney B-mode US was performed in individuals from 4 villages using a portable US scanner equipped with a 3.5-MHz curvilinear probe. National Institutes of Health ImageJ software was used to computerize tissue echogenicity in both renal cortex and hepatic parenchyma offline. Regions of interest of 900 pixels were used for measuring pixel intensity of the right renal cortex and hepatic parenchyma when calculating the H/R ratio. The difference in pixel intensity between liver parenchyma and renal cortex was analyzed using an unpaired t test. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to test intra- and interobserver reliability for computerizing the H/R ratio.
RESULTS
Forty patients were enrolled in the study (32 women and 8 men; mean age, 40 years). The mean (SD) H/R ratio of study patients was 3.61 (2.32), moderately higher than normal (normal, H/R <1.5). A significant difference was found in mean (SD) pixel value between hepatic parenchyma and renal cortex (52.82 [15.34] vs 19.93 [10.39]; P<.001). Thirty-four patients (85%) had an H/R ratio greater than 1.5. The intra- and interobserver reliability of computerizing H/R ratio was excellent (r=0.940; P<.01).
CONCLUSION
These findings suggest that HS is moderately present in persons in remote communities of Ecuador. The mean H/R ratio was greater than that in the diagnostic criteria for the disease. Portable US imaging may benefit these communities as an efficient method for the HS screening and diagnosis in rural areas.
PubMed: 32776127
DOI: 10.7556/jaoa.2020.095 -
IScience Sep 2023() is a pathogen causing chronic pulmonary infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Manipulation of lipids is an important feature of infection and on a...
() is a pathogen causing chronic pulmonary infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Manipulation of lipids is an important feature of infection and on a tissue-level scale is poorly understood. Using a mouse model of acute pulmonary infection, we explored the whole-lung phospholipid response using mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and spatial lipidomics. Using a histology-driven analysis, we isolated airways and parenchyma from both mock- and -infected lungs and used systems biology tools to identify enriched metabolic pathways from the differential phospholipid identities. Infection was associated with a set of 26 ions, with 11 unique to parenchyma and 6 unique to airways. Acyl remodeling was differentially enriched in infected parenchyma as the predominant biological function. These functions correlated with markers of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell influx, a defining feature of the lung response to infection, implicating enzymes active in phospholipid remodeling.
PubMed: 37680478
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107700 -
Surgical Endoscopy Jan 2023Traditionally, patients with large liver tumors (≥ 50 mm) have been considered for anatomic major hepatectomy. Laparoscopic resection of large liver lesions is...
BACKGROUND
Traditionally, patients with large liver tumors (≥ 50 mm) have been considered for anatomic major hepatectomy. Laparoscopic resection of large liver lesions is technically challenging and often performed by surgeons with extensive experience. The current study aimed to evaluate the surgical and oncologic safety of laparoscopic parenchyma-sparing liver resection in patients with large colorectal metastases.
METHODS
Patients who primarily underwent laparoscopic parenchyma-sparing liver resection (less than 3 consecutive liver segments) for colorectal liver metastases between 1999 and 2019 at Oslo University Hospital were analyzed. In some recent cases, a computer-assisted surgical planning system was used to better visualize and understand the patients' liver anatomy, as well as a tool to further improve the resection strategy. The surgical and oncologic outcomes of patients with large (≥ 50 mm) and small (< 50 mm) tumors were compared. Multivariable Cox-regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for survival.
RESULTS
In total 587 patients met the inclusion criteria (large tumor group, n = 59; and small tumor group, n = 528). Median tumor size was 60 mm (range, 50-110) in the large tumor group and 21 mm (3-48) in the small tumor group (p < 0.001). Patient age and CEA level were higher in the large tumor group (8.4 μg/L vs. 4.6 μg/L, p < 0.001). Operation time and conversion rate were similar, while median blood loss was higher in the large tumor group (500 ml vs. 200 ml, p < 0.001). Patients in the large tumor group had shorter 5 year overall survival (34% vs 49%, p = 0.027). However, in the multivariable Cox-regression analysis tumor size did not impact survival, unlike parameters such as age, ASA score, CEA level, extrahepatic disease at liver surgery, and positive lymph nodes in the primary tumor.
CONCLUSION
Laparoscopic parenchyma-sparing resections for large colorectal liver metastases provide satisfactory short and long-term outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Hepatectomy; Treatment Outcome; Liver Neoplasms; Laparoscopy; Colorectal Neoplasms; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 35922606
DOI: 10.1007/s00464-022-09493-3