Lower Posterior Cingulate N-Acetylaspartate to Creatine Level in Early Detection of Biologically Defined Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was recently defined as a biological construct to reflect neuropathologic status, and both abnormal amyloid and tau are required for a diagnosis of AD. We aimed to determine the proton MR spectroscopic (1H-MRS) patterns of the posterior cingulate in biologically defined AD. A total of 68 participants were included in this study, comprising 37 controls, 16 early AD, and 15 late AD, who were classified according to their amyloid and tau status and presence of hippocampal atrophy.

Fatty Pancreas Is Independently Associated With Subsequent Diabetes Mellitus Development: A 10-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

Background & Aims: Although the association between fatty pancreas and metabolic syndrome has been suggested in retrospective studies, long-term prospective data on the effect of fatty pancreas on various metabolic outcomes are lacking. We aimed to prospectively investigate the association between fatty pancreas and the development of major metabolic outcomes.

Methods: A total of 631 subjects from a population study using fat-water magnetic resonance imaging to quantify pancreatic and liver fat content during 2008 to 2010 were followed up prospectively until December 2020 (mean follow-up time, 11.

Pre-treatment amide proton transfer imaging predicts treatment outcome in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Objective: To investigate the value of pre-treatment amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) imaging for predicting survival of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Materials And Methods: Pre-treatment APTw imaging was performed in 77 NPC patients and the mean, 90th percentile, skewness, and kurtosis of APT asymmetry (APT, APT, APT, and APT, respectively) were obtained from the primary tumor. Associations of APTw parameters with locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and disease-free survival (DFS) after 2 years were assessed by univariable Cox regression analysis and significant APTw parameters, together with age, sex, treatment, and stage as confounding variables, were added to the multivariable model.

Pre-treatment intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging predicts treatment outcome in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate whether pre-treatment intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) can predict treatment outcome after 2 years in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Method: One hundred and sixty-one patients with newly diagnosed NPC underwent pre-treatment IVIM-DWI. Univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the correlation of the mean values of the pure diffusion coefficient (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), perfusion fraction and apparent diffusion coefficient with local relapse-free survival (LRFS), regional relapse-free survival (RRFS), distant metastases-free survival (DMFS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

Amide proton transfer MRI detects early changes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: providing a potential imaging marker for treatment response.

Purpose: To determine if treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) induces early changes in amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to perform a preliminary evaluation of APTw imaging in response assessment.

Methods: Sixteen patients with NPC planned for treatment with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy underwent APTw imaging of the primary tumour pre-treatment and 2-week intra-treatment. Difference in pre- and intra-treatment APT mean (APT) was compared using the Wilcoxon signed rank test.

Head and Neck Tumors: Amide Proton Transfer MRI.

Purpose To evaluate the utility of amide proton transfer (APT) imaging in the characterization of head and neck tumors. Materials and Methods This retrospective study of APT imaging included 117 patients with 70 nasopharyngeal undifferentiated carcinomas (NUCs), 26 squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), eight non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs), and 13 benign salivary gland tumors (BSGTs). Normal tissues were examined in 25 patients.

Diffusion-weighted imaging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma to predict distant metastases.

Our study aimed to identify diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) parameters obtained from primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) at initial presentation, that can predict patients at risk of distant metastases. One hundred and sixty-four patients underwent pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging and DWI. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), ADC, and ADC were obtained by histogram analysis.

Diet-Quality Scores and Prevalence of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Population Study Using Proton-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

Dietary pattern analysis is an alternative approach to examine the association between diet and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study examined the association of two diet-quality scores, namely Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) and Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) with NAFLD prevalence. Apparently healthy Chinese adults (332 male, 465 female) aged 18 years or above were recruited through a population screening between 2008 and 2010 in a cross-sectional population-based study in Hong Kong.

Prevalence and Severity of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Non-Obese Patients: A Population Study Using Proton-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

Objectives: Some studies suggest that non-obese patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may have more severe disease. We aim to study the epidemiology and severity of non-obese NAFLD.

Methods: A total of 911 community subjects were randomly recruited from the census database of the Hong Kong Government.

Higher estimated net endogenous Acid production may be associated with increased prevalence of nonalcoholic Fatty liver disease in chinese adults in Hong Kong.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been associated with reduced growth hormone levels and signaling. Such hormonal changes also occur in metabolic acidosis. Since mild metabolic acidosis can be diet induced, diet-induced acid load may constitute a nutritional factor with possible influence on NAFLD development.

Incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Hong Kong: a population study with paired proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Background & Aims: Because abdominal ultrasonography cannot reliably quantify hepatic steatosis, accurate data on the incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are lacking. We aimed to study the population incidence of NAFLD with state-of-the-art non-invasive tests.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study.

PNPLA3 gene polymorphism and response to lifestyle modification in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background And Aim: Lifestyle modification is the cornerstone for the management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and patatin-like phospholipase 3 (PNPLA3) is one of the most important genetic determinants of NAFLD. We aimed to investigate the effect of PNPLA3 gene polymorphism on the response to lifestyle modification in NAFLD patients.

Methods: This was a post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial on a lifestyle modification program in community NAFLD patients.

Fatty pancreas, insulin resistance, and β-cell function: a population study using fat-water magnetic resonance imaging.

Objectives: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common chronic liver disease. Fatty pancreas has also been described but is difficult to assess. It is now possible to measure pancreatic and liver fat accurately with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Non-Gaussian analysis of diffusion weighted imaging in head and neck at 3T: a pilot study in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Purpose: To technically investigate the non-Gaussian diffusion of head and neck diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) at 3 Tesla and compare advanced non-Gaussian diffusion models, including diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), stretched-exponential model (SEM), intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and statistical model in the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Materials And Methods: After ethics approval was granted, 16 patients with NPC were examined using DWI performed at 3T employing an extended b-value range from 0 to 1500 s/mm(2). DWI signals were fitted to the mono-exponential and non-Gaussian diffusion models on primary tumor, metastatic node, spinal cord and muscle.

Molecular characterization of the fecal microbiota in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis--a longitudinal study.

Background: The human gut microbiota has profound influence on host metabolism and immunity. This study characterized the fecal microbiota in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The relationship between microbiota changes and changes in hepatic steatosis was also studied.

Community-based lifestyle modification programme for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized controlled trial.

Background & Aims: Healthy lifestyle is the most important management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed at assessing the efficacy of a community-based lifestyle modification programme in the remission of NAFLD.

Methods: This was a parallel group, superiority, randomized controlled trial.

The use of dynamic tracer concentration in veins for quantitative DCE-MRI kinetic analysis in head and neck.

Background: Head and neck Magnetic Resonance (MR) Images are vulnerable to the arterial blood in-flow effect. To compensate for this effect and enhance accuracy and reproducibility, dynamic tracer concentration in veins was proposed and investigated for quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI analysis in head and neck.

Methodology: 21 patients with head and neck tumors underwent DCE-MRI at 3T.

Treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with probiotics. A proof-of-concept study.

Background: Probiotics have profound effect on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in animal models. We aimed to test the hypothesis that probiotics treatment was superior to usual care in reducing liver fat in NASH patients.

Material And Methods: Patients with histology-proven NASH were randomized to receive probiotics (n = 10) or usual care (n = 10) for 6 months.

Quantitative evaluation of dual-flip-angle T1 mapping on DCE-MRI kinetic parameter estimation in head and neck.

Purpose: To quantitatively evaluate the kinetic parameter estimation for head and neck (HN) dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI with dual-flip-angle (DFA) T1 mapping.

Materials And Methods: Clinical DCE-MRI datasets of 23 patients with HN tumors were included in this study. T1 maps were generated based on multiple-flip-angle (MFA) method and different DFA combinations.

Liver fat reduction with niacin is influenced by DGAT-2 polymorphisms in hypertriglyceridemic patients.

Niacin reduces plasma triglycerides, but it may increase free fatty acids and insulin resistance during long-term treatment. We examined the effect of extended-release niacin on liver fat content in Chinese patients with dyslipidemia and whether the common diacylglycerol acyltransferase-2 (DGAT2) polymorphisms influenced this effect. The 39 patients (baseline liver fat content: 12.

Non-invasive diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by combined serum biomarkers.

Background & Aims: The diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and steatohepatitis (NASH) is limited by the need for liver biopsy. We aimed at testing the accuracy of cytokeratin-18 fragment (CK-18), adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (AFABP) and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) for the diagnosis of NAFLD and NASH.

Methods: 146 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 74 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were included.

Hepatitis B virus infection and fatty liver in the general population.

Background & Aims: In animal studies, expression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) proteins causes hepatic steatosis. We aimed to study the prevalence of fatty liver in people with and without HBV infection in the general population.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional population study in Hong Kong Chinese.

Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and advanced fibrosis in Hong Kong Chinese: a population study using proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy and transient elastography.

Objective: Knowledge of the epidemiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is incomplete because liver biopsy cannot be performed on the general population to assess disease severity. New non-invasive tests allow accurate and safe assessment in healthy individuals. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of NAFLD and advanced fibrosis in the general Hong Kong Chinese population.

High-resolution MR imaging of talar osteochondral lesions with new classification.

Purpose: Retrospective review of high-resolution MR imaging features of talar dome osteochondral lesions and development of new classification system based on these features.

Material And Methods: Over the past 7 years, 70 osteochondral lesions of the talar dome from 70 patients (49 males, 21 females, mean age 42 years, range 15-62 years) underwent high-resolution MR imaging with a microscopy coil at 1.5 T.

Radiation injury of the parotid glands during treatment for head and neck cancer: assessment using dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging.

The parotid gland is an important organ at risk of complications of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. In this study, we examined the potential of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) for assessment of radiation injury to the parotid glands. DCE-MRI was performed before and 3 months after radiotherapy in patients treated for head and neck cancer.