HIV Infection Is Associated with Increased Fatty Infiltration of the Thigh Muscle with Aging Independent of Fat Distribution.

Background: Lower muscle density on computed tomography (CT) provides a measure of fatty infiltration of muscle, an aspect of muscle quality that has been associated with metabolic abnormalities, weakness, decreased mobility, and increased fracture risk in older adults. We assessed the cross-sectional relationship between HIV serostatus, age, thigh muscle attenuation, and thigh muscle cross-sectional area (CSA).

Methods: Mean CT-quantified Hounsfield units (HU) of the thigh muscle bundle and CSA were evaluated in 368 HIV-infected and 145 HIV-uninfected men enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) Cardiovascular Substudy using multivariable linear regression.

A mysterious gram-positive rods.

We encountered a patient with a history of intravenous drug use presenting with fever, malaise and nausea who was found to have cavitary lung lesions. Unexpectedly, gram positive rods grew out on day five on multiple blood cultures, which were later identified as Mycobacterium fortuitum. The patient underwent transesophageal echocardiogram, which showed aortic and tricuspid valve vegetations.

Pulmonary cavitary nodules on computed tomography: differentiation of malignancy and benignancy.

Objective: To establish computed tomographic findings that enable accurate differentiation between malignant and benign cavitary lung nodules.

Methods: Computed tomographic scans from 39 patients with malignant cavitary nodules and from 39 patients with benign cavitary nodules were independently assessed by 2 observers. They recorded the computed tomographic findings of both types of cavitary nodules and surrounding pulmonary parenchyma.

Volume histogram analysis for lung thin-section computed tomography: differentiation between usual interstitial pneumonia and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate volume histogram analysis between usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP).

Methods: Sixty cases (UIP, n = 22; NSIP, n = 38) were evaluated retrospectively. Three parameters (contrast, variance, and entropy) were calculated in 3 types of regions of interest (ROIs): (a) whole lung, (b) right lower lobe, and (c) cubic ROIs.

Pulmonary nodules: 3D volumetric measurement with multidetector CT--effect of intravenous contrast medium.

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the effect of contrast medium on the three-dimensional volumetric measurement of pulmonary nodules.

Materials And Methods: The study was approved by the local institutional review committee, with waiver of informed consent. Sixty pulmonary nodules in 60 patients (17 women, 43 men; age range, 29-82 years) were imaged before and after administration of contrast medium with a 64-channel multidetector computed tomographic (CT) scanner; reconstructed images with a section thickness of 0.

Preoperative assessment of thymic veins on multidetector row CT: optimization of contrast material volume.

Purpose: Preoperative localization of the thymic veins is considered important to prevent intraoperative severe bleeding prior to video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal dose of contrast material for preoperative CT imaging for the detection of thymic veins on the basis of patient weight.

Materials And Methods: The records of 31 patients who underwent thymectomy were examined retrospectively.

Pulmonary adenocarcinomas with ground-glass attenuation on thin-section CT: quantification by three-dimensional image analyzing method.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate software designed to calculate whole tumor volumes and the ratio of the solid component to whole volume (%solid) in pulmonary nodules with ground-glass opacity in three dimensions.

Methods: The study included 49 patients with histologically diagnosed adenocarcinomas smaller than 2 cm in diameter. The %solid was calculated both automatically using new software, and by manual measurement of the following four parameters by two observers: the ratio of the largest diameter (a) and the area (b) at the mediastinal window to those at the lung window, and the ratio of the largest diameter (c) and the area (d) of the solid component to those of the ground-glass component at the lung window.

Interferon alpha receptors are important for antiproliferative effect of interferon-alpha against human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Aim: Interferon (IFN)-alpha is a promising drug for the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We reported that responders to IFN-alpha/5-fluorouracil combination therapy expressed higher IFN alpha receptor (IFNAR)2 in tumor. Herein we studied involvement of IFNARs in response to IFN-alpha in HCC cells.

Computer-assisted lung nodule volumetry from multi-detector row CT: influence of image reconstruction parameters.

Purpose: To investigate differences in volumetric measurement of pulmonary nodules caused by changing the reconstruction parameters for multi-detector row CT.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-nine pulmonary nodules less than 2 cm in diameter were examined by multi-slice CT. All nodules were solid, and located in the peripheral part of the lungs.

Stronger growth-inhibitory effect of interferon (IFN)-beta compared to IFN-alpha is mediated by IFN signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Interferon (IFN) is a promising drug for prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in combination with chemotherapeutic agents. We previously reported that the spectra of antiproliferative activity and synergistic effect of IFN-beta when combined with anticancer drugs are more potent than those of IFN-alpha in HCC cells. However, the mechanism of the diverse antitumor effects of the IFNs is not understood yet.

Usual interstitial pneumonia and chronic idiopathic interstitial pneumonia: analysis of CT appearance in 92 patients.

Purpose: To retrospectively analyze computed tomographic (CT) findings of chronic idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) and to determine which findings are most helpful for distinguishing IIP from usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) with univariate and multivariate analyses.

Materials And Methods: Institutional review board approval and informed consent were not required for this retrospective review of patient records and images. Two observers working independently and without knowledge of the diagnosis evaluated the extent and distribution of various thin-section CT findings (ground-glass opacity, consolidation, reticulation, and honeycombing) in 92 patients (51 men, 41 women; mean age, 56 years; age range, 29-81 years) with a histologic diagnosis of UIP (n = 20), cellular nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) (n = 16), fibrotic NSIP (n = 16), respiratory bronchiolitis-associated interstitial lung disease (RB-ILD) (n = 11), desquamative interstitial pneumonia (DIP) (n = 15), or lymphoid interstitial pneumonia (LIP) (n = 14).

MR imaging of thymic epithelial tumors: correlation with World Health Organization classification.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of various subtypes of thymic epithelial tumors based on the World Health Organization classification.

Materials And Methods: The study included 64 patients with histologically proven thymic epithelial tumors. Two observers evaluated the MRI findings in terms of tumor size, contour, lobulation, shape, homogeneity, the presence of intratumor high- and low-signal foci, enhancement degree and pattern, the presence of capsule and septum, and associated mediastinal lymphadenopathy and pleural effusion.

Quantitative analysis for computed tomography findings of various diffuse lung diseases using volume histogram analysis.

Objectives: : The aim of this study was to achieve the quantitative analysis of the characteristic computed tomography (CT) findings and course of interstitial pneumonia using the volume histogram method.

Methods: : Contrast (CNT), variance (VAR), and entropy (EPY) values from whole-lung volume data were compared between normal lungs and 5 diseases that have characteristic CT findings. Thirteen cases with nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) were evaluated before and after treatment.

TGF-beta1-induced cell growth arrest and partial differentiation is related to the suppression of Id1 in human hepatoma cells.

Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta1) is a proposed regulator of Ids (inhibitors of DNA binding/differentiation) gene expression in epithelial cells. We previously reported that Id proteins are variously expressed in human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). However, the mechanism of regulation of Ids in HCC remains obscure.

Pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type lymphoma with increased accumulation of fluorine 18-fluorodeoxyglucose on positron emission tomography.

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type lymphoma has generally been thought not to show increased fluorine 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) accumulation on positron emission tomography (PET), based on previous research. Only a limited numbers of articles have been published on this topic, however, involving a small number of cases. Although positive FDG PET results might be uncommon in this entity, a case of increased FDG accumulation in a case of MALT type lymphoma of the lung is presented.