Quantitative evaluation for intravascular structures of vertebral artery dissection with a novel zoomed high-resolution black-blood MR imaging.

Background: Although non-stroke vertebral artery dissection (VAD) is diagnosed using MRI, detecting the subtle intravascular structure remains challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of quantitative intravascular scanning based on novel zoomed high-resolution black blood (Z-HB) MRI for distinguishing VAD from other vessel pathologies.

Methods: Twenty-one patients with non-stroke VAD and 18 with symptomatic atherosclerotic plaques in their vertebral artery underwent Z-HB MRI and subsequent profile curve processing.

Characteristics of and risk factors for interstitial lung disease induced by chemotherapy for lung cancer.

Background: Drug-induced interstitial lung disease (DILD) is generally a serious adverse effect and almost always necessitates the discontinuation of the offending drug. Cancer pharmacotherapy is strongly associated with DILD, and the risk of DILD has been suggested to be higher in patients with lung cancer because of preexisting pneumonic disease.

Objective: The aim of this retrospective study was to identify the risk factors and prognostic factors for early death from interstitial lung disease (ILD) induced by chemotherapy for lung cancer.

Spontaneously hyperactive MEK-Erk pathway mediates paradoxical facilitation of cell proliferation in mild hypoxia.

Background: Oxygen is important for common eukaryotic cells to generate ATP. Pathophysiological conditions such as ischemic diseases cause tissue hypoxia. In addition, oxygen availability in deep tissues is supposed to be far lower than surrounding atmosphere even in healthy animals, and the oxygen partial pressures in most normal tissues are estimated to be around 40-50mmHg, so-called mild hypoxia.

Effect of ghrelin on autonomic activity in healthy volunteers.

Ghrelin is a novel growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide originally isolated from the stomach. Recently, we have shown that ghrelin suppresses cardiac sympathetic activity and prevents early left ventricular remodeling in rats with myocardial infarction. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of ghrelin on autonomic nerve activity in healthy human subjects.

Risk Factors for Early-Onset Peripheral Neuropathy Caused by Vincristine in Patients With a First Administration of R-CHOP or R-CHOP-Like Chemotherapy.

Background: Peripheral neuropathy is a well-known side effect of vincristine (VCR), a microtubule inhibitor used for R-CHOP or R-CHOP-like (namely R-CVP and R-THP-COP) regimens. Previous studies have shown that both the total dose of VCR and the number of treatment cycles are related to the incidence of VCR-induced peripheral neuropathy (VIPN). However, VIPN will also occur during the first treatment cycle regardless of the total dose of VCR or number of treatment cycles (early-onset VIPN).