MITF functions as a tumor suppressor in non-small cell lung cancer beyond the canonically oncogenic role.

Microphthalamia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is a critical mediator in melanocyte differentiation and exerts oncogenic functions in melanoma progression. However, the role of MITF in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still unknown. We found that is dominantly expressed in the low-invasive CL1-0 lung adenocarcinoma cells and paired adjacent normal lung tissues.

Effects of RF pulse profile and intra-voxel phase dispersion on MR fingerprinting with balanced SSFP readout.

Purpose: To investigate possible errors in T1 and T2 quantification via MR fingerprinting with balanced steady-state free precession readout in the presence of intra-voxel phase dispersion and RF pulse profile imperfections, using computer simulations based on Bloch equations.

Materials And Methods: A pulse sequence with TR changing in a Perlin noise pattern and a nearly sinusoidal pattern of flip angle following an initial 180-degree inversion pulse was employed. Gaussian distributions of off-resonance frequency were assumed for intra-voxel phase dispersion effects.

De-aliasing for signal restoration in Propeller MR imaging.

Purpose: Objects falling outside of the true elliptical field-of-view (FOV) in Propeller imaging show unique aliasing artifacts. This study proposes a de-aliasing approach to restore the signal intensities in Propeller images without extra data acquisition.

Materials And Methods: Computer simulation was performed on the Shepp-Logan head phantom deliberately placed obliquely to examine the signal aliasing.

Temporal Evolution of Parotid Volume and Parotid Apparent Diffusion Coefficient in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Treated by Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Investigated by Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: To concurrently quantify the radiation-induced changes and temporal evolutions of parotid volume and parotid apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated by intensity-modulated radiotherapy by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials And Methods: A total of 11 NPC patients (9 men and 2 women; 48.7 ± 11.

Effects of gender, age, and body mass index on fat contents and apparent diffusion coefficients in healthy parotid glands: an MRI evaluation.

Objectives: To establish standard apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and the fat content as a function of age, gender and body mass index (BMI) in healthy parotid glands, and to address the influences of fat suppression on ADC measurements.

Methods: A total of 100 healthy adults (gender and age evenly distributed) were prospectively recruited, with parotid fat content measured from gradient-echo images with fat-water separated using iterative decomposition with echo asymmetry and least squares (IDEAL). The ADCs were estimated using both fat-saturated and non-fat-saturated diffusion-weighted imaging via a periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER) technique.

Parotid perfusion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients in early-to-intermediate stage after low-dose intensity-modulated radiotherapy: evaluated by fat-saturated dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

Purpose: To investigate parotid perfusion in early-to-intermediate stage after parotid-sparing radiation dose using fat-saturated DCE-MRI, and to verify whether the perfusion alteration was related to radiation dose and the PSV.

Methods And Materials: Thirty-two parotid glands from 16 consecutive patients with pathologically proven nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated by IMRT were examined. The parotid glands received a radiation dose of 28.

Parotid fat contents in healthy subjects evaluated with iterative decomposition with echo asymmetry and least squares fat-water separation.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of three fat measurement methods for parotid glands in healthy subjects, with or without metallic dental implants.

Materials And Methods: The institutional review board approved this study, with informed consent obtained from 114 volunteers undergoing magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 1.5 T.