Evaluation of the sentinel immunized node for immune monitoring of cancer vaccines.

Background: We hypothesized that lymph nodes draining sites of cutaneous vaccination could be identified by sentinel node biopsy techniques, and that measuring T-cell response with lymphocytes obtained from these lymph nodes would provide a more sensitive measure of immunogenicity than would the same measurement made with peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL).

Methods: ELISpot analysis was used to determine the magnitude of vaccine-specific T-cell response in the sentinel immunized nodes (SIN), random lymph nodes, and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) obtained from patients enrolled in clinical trials of experimental melanoma vaccines.

Results: The SIN biopsy was successful in 97% of cases and morbidity was very low.

Comparison of multistation MR angiography with integrated parallel acquisition technique versus conventional technique with a dedicated phased-array coil system in peripheral vascular disease.

Purpose: To assess the impact of integrated parallel acquisition technique (iPAT) on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), venous contamination, and overall image interpretability for peripheral magnetic resonance (MR) angiography with use of a dedicated phased-array coil system.

Materials And Methods: Three-dimensional contrast material-enhanced conventional MR angiography and iPAT peripheral MR angiography was performed at three stations (pelvis, thigh, calf) in 38 consecutive patients on a 1.5-T high-performance cardiovascular system (conventional MR angiography, n=19; iPAT MR angiography, n=19).

Heart rate characteristics: novel physiomarkers to predict neonatal infection and death.

Objective: Monitoring of regulated physiologic processes using physiomarkers such as heart rate variability may be important in the early diagnosis of subacute, potentially catastrophic illness. Early in the course of neonatal sepsis, there are physiomarkers of reduced heart rate variability and transient decelerations similar to fetal distress. The goal of this study was to determine the degree of increased risk for sepsis, urinary tract infection (UTI), and death when these abnormal heart rate characteristics (HRC) were observed.

Magnetic resonance urography for the assessment of potential renal donors: comparison of the RARE technique with a low-dose gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance urography technique in the absence of pharmacological and mechanical intervention.

The aim of this study was to determine whether magnetic resonance urography without pharmacological (diuretic) stimulation and mechanical compression allows conclusive evaluation of the urinary system in potential renal donors. In 28 consecutive patients magnetic resonance urography (MRU) was performed on a 1.5-T system.

Tumor control outcomes of patients treated with trimodality therapy for locally advanced prostate cancer.

Objectives: To evaluate, in a pilot study, the tumor control outcomes of our approach and define the pretreatment characteristics that predict a response to therapy. Patients with advanced clinically localized prostate cancer have a high likelihood of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure 3 to 5 years after initial treatment. We adopted trimodality therapy (neoadjuvant and adjuvant androgen ablation, external beam radiotherapy [RT], and a brachytherapy boost) to augment biochemical disease-free survival in this patient population.