Autofluorescence imaging of Barrett's esophageal lesions with additional transformation into spatial images of green autofluorescence intensity.

Background:  Early diagnosis of patients with Barrett's esophagus is required to  implement appropriate treatment to prevent neoplastic disease development. In  this work, we examined the usefulness of autofluorescence imaging as a method to increase the sensitivity of targeted biopsy under numerical color value control with  the additional conversion of autofluorescence images into spatial green autofluorescence intensity images.

Methods: 148 patients were included in the study.

Electromagnetic Fields Modify Redox Balance in the Rat Gastrointestinal Tract.

The aim of the study was to assess the influence of electromagnetic fields with divergent physical properties on the prooxidative and antioxidative balances in homogenates of the tongue, salivary glands, esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestines of rats. Forty rats were randomly divided into four equal groups, namely, a control group, a group exposed to low-frequency electromagnetic fields (LF-EMFs; frequency: 50 Hz; intensity: 10 kV/m; magnetic induction: 4.3 pT), a group exposed to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) emitted by mobile phones (frequency: 900 MHz), and a group exposed simultaneously to LF-EMFs and RF-EMFs emitted by mobile phones.

Monitoring PDT effects in basal cell carcinoma treatment using thermal imaging.

Background: One of the most frequent type of malignant skin lesion (almost 95 percent of all skin tumours) is basal cell carcinoma (BCC). It is often treated by radiotherapy using ionizing radiation as well by photodynamic therapy (PDT) which is a selective method directed only on cancer cells and well tolerated by patients.

Materials And Methods: Eight male patients of the Department and Clinic of Internal Diseases, Angiology and Physical Medicine in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia, in Katowice, Poland suffering from basal cell carcinoma were monitored by thermovision during the photodynamic therapy.

Clinical Trials and Basic Research in Photodynamic Diagnostics and Therapies from the Center for Laser Diagnostics and Therapy in Poland.

The purpose of this review is to present an overview of the development of photodiagnostic and photodynamic therapy (PDD and PDT) techniques in Poland. The paper discusses the principles of PDD, including fluorescent techniques in determining precancerous conditions and cancers of the skin, digestive tract, bladder and respiratory tract. Methods of PDT of cancer will be discussed and the current state of knowledge as well as future trends in the development of photodynamic techniques will be presented, including the possibility of using photodynamic antimicrobial therapy.

Can fluorescence and autofluorescence imaging be useful in diagnosis of basal cell cancer? Proposition of algorithms.

Background: The most common non-melanoma skin carcinomas (NMSC) are basal cell carcinomas (BCC). Autofluorescence study may allow a non-invasive distinction of neoplastic lesions from benign lesions, whereas fluorescence spectroscopy enables qualification of the patient for possible photodynamic or surgical treatment. The aim of the study is to assess the suitability of autofluorescence and fluorescence imaging in the diagnosis of the stage of advancement, and the morphological type of changes in basal cell carcinoma of the skin.

Does the Numerical Colour Value (NCV) correlate with preneoplastic and neoplastic colorectal lesions?

Background: White light endoscopy (WLE) is the gold standard for detection of colorectal cancer. Autofluorescence endoscopy (AFE) is among the novel methods expected to increase the sensitivity and specificity of endoscopic diagnosis. The main objective of the study was to determine the diagnostic efficacy of AFE for the detection of preneoplastic and neoplastic colorectal lesions and to identify high-grade neoplasia using Numerical Colour Value (NCV).

The effect of ALA-PDT under normoxia and cobalt chloride (CoCl)-induced hypoxia on adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, VCAM-1) secretion by colorectal cancer cells.

Background: The most fundamental problem in cancer biology research is to understand the mechanisms of cancer cell resistance to oncological therapies. Literature reports emphasize the important role of adhesion molecules: intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) in cancer progression and resistance to treatment. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) could become the component of a personalized approach to colorectal cancer, therefore we examined the effects of ALA (δ-aminolevulinic) acid PDT in normoxia and under cobalt chloride (CoCl)-induced hypoxia on ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 secretion by colorectal cancer cells.

Whole-Body Cryostimulation as an Effective Method of Reducing Oxidative Stress in Healthy Men.

Background: Whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) is the therapeutic exposure of the total human body (without underwear) to a very low temperature (below -100°C) for 120-180 s. Currently, WBC is used more frequently not only in the treatment of patients suffering from various diseases, but also by healthy people as a wellness method.

Objectives: The aim of this research is to evaluate the impact of WBC procedures on oxidative stress parameters in healthy men.

Proposal of thermal imaging application in photodynamic therapy-Preliminary report.

There are many different skin lesions that manifest a skin temperature gradient. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most frequently occurring type of malignant skin lesion (almost 95% of all skin tumors). BCC is sometimes treated by using photodynamic therapy which is very well tolerated by patients and provides good results, especially in superficial skin layer lesions.

The role of fluorescence diagnosis in clinical practice.

Fluorescence diagnosis is a fast, easy, noninvasive, selective, and sensitive diagnostic tool for estimation of treatment results in oncology. In clinical practice the use of photodynamic diagnosis is focused on five targets: detection for prevention of malignant transformation precancerous changes, detection of neoplasmatic tissue in the early stages for fast removal, prevention of expansion and detection of recurrence of the cancer, monitoring therapy, and the possibility of excluding neoplasmatic disease. In this article, selected applications of fluorescence diagnosis at the Center for Laser Diagnostics and Therapy in Bytom, Poland, for each of these targets are presented.

Clinical evaluation of twenty cases of heterotopic gastric mucosa of upper esophagus during five-year observation, using gastroscopy in combination with histopathological and microbiological analysis of biopsies.

Aim Of The Study: Heterotopic gastric mucosa of the upper esophagus (HGMUE) may be connected with disorders of the upper gastrointestinal tract, exacerbated by Helicobacter pylori. Furthermore, HGMUE may be the origin of malignant progression to cervical esophageal carcinoma.

Material And Methods: In this work, 20 patients with diagnosed heterotopic gastric mucosa of the upper esophagus (HGMUE) were subjected to 5-year follow-up to determine the extent and structure of histopathological changes within HGMUEs, as well as HGMUE dysplasia and metaplasia, and risk of their malignant transformation.

Does the temperature gradient correlate with the photodynamic diagnosis parameter numerical colour value (NCV)?

Background: Photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) as well as thermovision belong to the category of non-invasive optical diagnosis techniques. Among many different skin cancer diseases, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most frequently occurring one (almost 95% of all skin tumours). In contrast, seborrhoeic keratosis represents almost 70% of benign skin tumours.

Comparison of cryotherapy and photodynamic therapy in treatment of oral leukoplakia.

Oral leukoplakia is a pre-malignant lesion of the oral mucosa. The aim of this study is to compare the curative effects of photodynamic therapy and cryotherapy in the treatment of oral leukoplakia. The first group, treated by photodynamic therapy (δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), 630-635 nm wavelength), consisted of 48 patients suffering from leukoplakia.

Autofluorescence endoscopy with "real-time" digital image processing in differential diagnostics of selected benign and malignant lesions in the oesophagus.

Background: Oesophageal papilloma and Barrett's oesophagus are benign lesions known as risk factors of carcinoma in the oesophagus. Therefore, it is important to diagnose these early changes before neoplastic transformation.

Method: Autofluorescence endoscopy is a fast and non-invasive method of imaging of tissues based on the natural fluorescence of endogenous fluorophores.

Twenty years of experience with PDD and PDT in Poland--review.

This article is a review of laboratory and clinical research undertaken in Poland in PDD and PDT over the past 20 years. These are divided into two parallel research areas. The first is based on clinical trials where new modalities of photosensitizer synthesis, molecular mechanisms of PDT and other aspects are investigated.

The role of autofluorescence diagnostics in the oral mucosa diseases.

Background: Laser-induced fluorescence diagnostics (LIFE) can be used as an imaging system of precancerous and neoplasmatic lesions of oral mucosa. LIFE system utilizes healthy and neoplasmatically changed tissue in autofluorescence, without using any fluorescence substances. Neoplasmatic lesions are visible in pseudo colors, healthy tissue as a shade of green color and abnormal tissue as a shade of red color.