Usefulness of 18 F-FDG PET/computed tomography metabolic parameters in predicting sarcopenia and prognosis of treatment-naive patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Sarcopenia tremendously impacts the quality of life but remains debatable in prognostication in treatment-naive patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Hence, this study aimed to find a clinically feasible approach using 18 F-FDG PET/computed tomography (CT) imaging parameters and clinical characteristics to predict sarcopenia and determine independent prognostic factors.

Methods: Clinical characteristics and 18 F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters, including maximum standard uptake value, metabolic tumor volume, and total lesion glycolysis of primary tumor (SUVmax_P, MTV_P, and TLG_P) and combination of whole-body lesions (MTV_C and TLG_C) were collected in 344 treatment-naive patients with NSCLC.

Role of F-FDG PET/CT and sarcopenia in untreated non-small cell lung cancer with advanced stage.

Background: Sarcopenia is essential in managing advanced stage (III-IV) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but is laborious to diagnose using currently available method. This study aimed to establish a simple approach to predict sarcopenia using F-FDG PET/CT parameters and clinical characteristics and determine their roles in prognostication in advanced stage NSCLC.

Methods: Untreated 202 NSCLC patients with stage III-IV were retrospectively reviewed.

Clinical and prognostic role of 2-[F]FDG PET/CT and sarcopenia in treatment-naïve patients with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.

T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) is a rare and highly aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This study aimed to explore the role of 2-[F]FDG PET/CT, sarcopenia, clinical features, and treatment regimens in 49 treatment-naïve patients with T-LBL, and assess their predictive value in the prognosis. Sarcopenia was measured as skeletal muscle index (SMI) at L3 level from the CT component of PET/CT images.

Physiologically intense FDG uptake of distal spinal cord on total-body PET/CT.

Objective: Physiologically mild-to-moderate FDG uptake of the spinal cord was reported. However, we noticed intense FDG uptake of distal spinal cord in several patients without definite spinal cord lesions on total-body PET/CT. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the frequency, pattern, intensity, and associations of FDG uptake in such cases on total-body PET/CT.

A New Prognostic Index Combines the Metabolic Response and RECIST 1.1 to Evaluate the Therapeutic Response in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) is occasionally insufficient for evaluation. We proposed a new prognostic index (NPI) that combines the standardized uptake value (SUV), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and RECIST. In total, 116 patients with lung cancer who underwent consecutive positron emission tomography-computed tomography prior to and after the initial treatment were included.

A single nucleotide polymorphism in hsa‑miR‑146a is responsible for the development of bronchial hyperresponsiveness in response to intubation during general anesthesia.

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) is the most common clinical manifestation identified in asthmatic patients, and intubation is the major factor that stimulates the airway of patients receiving general anesthetic. In the present study, nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) was identified as a target gene of micro (mi)R‑146a using in silico analysis and luciferase assay. Furthermore, the regulatory role of miR‑146a was demonstrated by the observation that the NOS1 expression level in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) transfected with miR‑146a mimics was significantly downregulated and the NOS1 expression level in PASMCs transfected with miR‑146a inhibitors was significantly upregulated.

[Effect of electro-scalp acupuncture on cerebral dopamine transporter in the striatum area of the patient of Parkinson's disease by means of single photon emission computer tomography].

Objective: To probe the mechanism of electro-scalp acupuncture in treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) by single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT).

Methods: Five cases of PD received electro-scalp acupuncture at Dingnie Qianxiexian (MS 6), Epangxian III (MS 4), Dingpangxian I (MS 8), Dingpangxian II (MS 9) and Zhenxia Pangxian (MS 14). Contralateral points were selected for pathologic change on one side and bilateral points were selected for pathologic lesion on both sides.

[Effects on electro-scaip acupuncture on cerebral dopamine transporter in patients with Parkinson' s disease].

Objective: To investigate the effect of electro-scalp acupuncture (ESA) on dopamine transporter (DAT) in basal ganglia (BG) of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Methods: Ten patients with primary PD were divided equally into two groups randomly. Patients in the treated group received ESA at points of MS6, MS4, MS8, MS9 and MS14, for patients with unilateral lesions, ESA was applied on contralateral points, while for those with bilateral lesions, points of both sides were stimulated, the depth of puncturing was made to arrive at the galea aponeurotica.

[Effects of needling in Baihui (DU20), Shuigou (DU26) and Shenmen (HT7) on glucose metabolism in the lentiform nucleus in patients with vascular dementia].

Objective: To observe the effect of needling in Baihui (DU20), Shuigou (DU26) and Shenmen (HT7) on glucose metabolism in the lentiform nucleus in patients with vascular dementia.

Methods: Ten patients with vascular dementia were randomized equally into control group to receive the treatment of needling in the routine acupoints for hemiplegia (chosen from 6 Yang meridians of hand and foot) and treatment group with needling in 3 additional acupoints of Baihui (DU20), Shuigou (DU26) and Shenmen (HT7) for dementia. All the patients were examined by positron emission tomography (PET) to detect glucose metabolism in the bilateral lentiform nuclei before and after treatment.

[Effect of scalp acupuncture on glucose metabolism in brain of patients with depression].

Objective: To observe the effect of scalp acupuncture (SA) on the glucose metabolism in different regions of brain in patients with depression by positron emission computed tomography (PET).

Methods: Twelve depressive patients were treated by scalp acupuncture on middle line of vertex (MS5), middle line of forehead (MS1) and bilateral lateral line 1 of forehead (MS2), once a day for six days per week, and received PET detection on different region of brain before and after 6 weeks acupuncture treatment. Semiquantitative analysis was used to compare the average values of radioactive count gotten from various brain regions before and after treatment, which could reflect the condition of glucose metabolism at the brain region detected.