Prognostic significance of normalized distance from maximum standardized uptake value to tumor centroid on [F]FDG PET/CT in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: The maximum [F]FDG uptake of a cancer lesion has been found to relocate from the center to the periphery during progression. This behavior suggests that the normalized distances from the hotspot of radiotracer uptake to the tumor centroid (NHOC) and to the tumor perimeter (NHOP) could serve as novel geometric PET parameters indicative of tumor aggressiveness. This study aimed to explore the prognostic relevance of NHOC and NHOP in [F]FDG PET/CT for predicting the response to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Diagnostic Ability of Quantitative Parameters of Whole-Body Bone SPECT/CT Using a Full-Ring 360° Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride Camera for Detecting Bone Metastasis in Patients with Prostate Cancer.

This study aimed to assess the diagnostic capability of quantitative parameters from whole-body bone single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) in detecting bone metastases in prostate cancer patients; Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 82 prostate cancer patients who underwent staging bone scintigraphy with a full-ring 360° Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride (CZT) SPECT/CT system. From the SPECT/CT images, we measured the maximum (SUVmax) and mean (SUVmean) standardized uptake values at six normal bone sites (skull, humerus, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, iliac bone, and femur), and the SUVmax for both metastatic and benign bone lesions. Ratios of lesion SUVmax-to-maximum and mean uptake values at the skull, humerus, and femur were computed for each lesion; Results: SUVmax and SUVmean at the skull and femur exhibited significantly lower variance compared to those at the thoracic spine, lumbar spine, and iliac bone, and revealed no significant differences between patients with and without bone metastasis.

Comparative analysis of hypofractionated short-course versus standard radiation therapy in elderly patients with glioblastoma: analysis of nationwide database.

Purpose: Hypofractionated short-course radiation therapy (SCRT) is an alternative treatment option for elderly or frail patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) post-surgery. This study compares survival outcomes and treatment costs between patients receiving SCRT and those undergoing standard long-course radiation therapy (LCRT).

Methods: This retrospective study utilized health insurance claims and national cancer registry data from Korea to compare overall survival (OS) and treatment costs between patients receiving SCRT and LCRT across all ages and sub-group analysis within the subgroup of cases aged 65 and older from 2016 onwards, a period when intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) was widely adopted.

Chimeric adenovirus-based herpes zoster vaccine with the tPA signal peptide elicits a robust T-cell immune response.

Herpes zoster (HZ), or shingles, is caused by reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which remains latent in the sensory ganglia until immunity wanes with age. The representative HZ vaccine, Shingrix is efficacious but causes side effects due to vaccine adjuvants. Therefore, the development of highly efficacious vaccines with minimal side effects is required.

Prognostic Significance of the Bone Marrow-to-Aorta Uptake Ratio on 2-Deoxy-2-[F]fluoro-d-glucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Patients with Cholangiocarcinoma.

2-Deoxy-2-[F]fluoro-d-glucose (FDG) uptake of the reticuloendothelial system on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is known to be related to systemic inflammatory response to cancer cells in patients with diverse malignancies. This retrospective study aimed to investigate whether FDG uptake by the reticuloendothelial system had a prognostic value in predicting progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in 138 cholangiocarcinoma patients. Quantifying FDG uptake of the aorta, bone marrow (BM), liver, and spleen from staging FDG PET/CT images, we found significant correlations between the BM-to-aorta uptake ratio (BAR), spleen-to-aorta uptake ratio, and BM-to-liver uptake ratio with tumor stage and serum inflammatory markers.

Relationship of FDG PET/CT imaging features with tumor immune microenvironment and prognosis in colorectal cancer: a retrospective study.

Background: Imaging features of colorectal cancers on 2-deoxy-2-[F]fluoro-d-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) have been considered to be affected by tumor characteristics and tumor immune microenvironment. However, the relationship between PET/CT imaging features and immune reactions in tumor tissue has not yet been fully evaluated. This study investigated the association of FDG PET/CT imaging features in the tumor, bone marrow, and spleen with immunohistochemical results of cancer tissue and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with colorectal cancer.

Prognostic Impact of Visceral Adipose Tissue Imaging Parameters in Patients with Cholangiocarcinoma after Surgical Resection.

Visceral adiposity is known to be related to poor prognosis in patients with cholangiocarcinoma; however, the prognostic significance of the qualitative features of adipose tissue in cholangiocarcinoma has yet to be well defined. This study investigated the prognostic impact of adipose tissue imaging parameters reflecting the quantity and qualitative characteristics of subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) adipose tissue on recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in 94 patients undergoing resection of cholangiocarcinoma. The area, mean computed tomography (CT) attenuation, and mean 2-deoxy-2-[F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) uptake of SAT and VAT on positron emission tomography (PET)/CT for staging work-up were measured, and the relationship of these adipose tissue imaging parameters with clinicopathological factors and survival was assessed.

Evaluating the Necessity of Adaptive RT and the Role of Deformable Image Registration in Lung Cancer with Different Pathologic Classifications.

Background: This study aimed to analyze differential radiotherapy (RT) responses according to the pathological type of lung cancer to see the possibility of applying adaptive radiotherapy (ART).

Methods: ART planning with resampled-computed tomography was conducted for a total of 30 patients (20 non-small-cell lung cancer patients and 10 small-cell lung cancer patients) using a deformable image registration technique to reveal gross tumor volume (GTV) changes according to the duration of RT.

Results: The small-cell lung cancer group demonstrated an average GTV reduction of 20.

A purified inactivated vaccine derived from Vero cell-adapted zika virus elicits protection in mice.

The Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in 2015-2016 raised public health concerns and created a pressing need for vaccine development. However, no vaccine has been developed and most of the ones under development use a single serotype of ZIKV. In this study, we established a Vero cell-adapted ZIKV strain (GMZ-002) and developed a purified inactivated virus (PIV) vaccine.

99mTc-MIBI uptake as a marker of mitochondrial membrane potential in cancer cells and effects of MDR1 and verapamil.

We investigated the relation of 99mTc-MIBI uptake to mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in cancer cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells (PDCs). In T47D and HT29 cells with low MDR1 expression, FCCP dose-dependently reduced MMP and 99mTc-MIBI accumulation in similar patterns with nearly perfect linear relationships. T47D and HT29 cells with high MDR1 expression had low 99mTc-MIBI accumulation that was minimally affected by FCCP dose.

Associations of Metabolic Syndrome with Total Testosterone and Homocysteine Levels in Male Korean Workers.

Background: Low testosterone is associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS), and homocysteine (Hcy) is elevated in individuals with MetS. We investigated the relationships of total testosterone (TT) and serum Hcy levels with MetS in male Korean workers.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study including 8,606 male workers, aged 20 to 58 years, who underwent a physical examination in 2015.

Triticum aestivum ethanolic extract improves non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice fed a choline-deficient or high-fat diet.

Background: Although non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become more prevalent with the rapid increase of obesity worldwide, no specific treatment has been developed. Several studies have shown that wheatgrass extract Triticum aestivum (TA) improves lipid metabolism. In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy of GM-T (an ethanolic TA extract) in a murine NAFLD model.

Comparison of the clinical performance of OmniPlex-HPV and GeneFinder HPV for the detection and genotyping of human papillomaviruses in cervical specimens.

Purpose: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women is known to promote the development of cervical neoplasia. Specific HPV genotypes are more highly associated with disease, and therefore detection and genotyping of HPV infection is critical for preventing and effectively treating cervical cancer. Consequently, various assays using diverse technologies have been developed to detect HPV genotype.

Hepatic FDG uptake is associated with future cardiovascular events in asymptomatic individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: Hepatic F-18 fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) uptake is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the value of hepatic FDG uptake for predicting future cardiovascular events has not been explored.

Methods And Results: Study participants were 815 consecutive asymptomatic participants who underwent a health screening program that included FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), abdominal ultrasonography, and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurements (age 51.

Anti-obesity effect of Triticum aestivum sprout extract in high-fat-diet-induced obese mice.

Obesity is a common disease worldwide that often results in serious conditions including hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Many herbal medicines have been examined with regard to ameliorating obesity. We investigated the anti-obesity effects of 50% EtOH extract of Triticum aestivum sprout (TAEE) in high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obese mice.

Analysis of HBV genotype, drug resistant mutations, and pre-core/basal core promoter mutations in Korean patients with acute hepatitis B.

Acute hepatitis B, caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) strains with drug resistant mutations or pre-core/basal core promoter (PC/BCP) mutations, is a public health concern, because this infection is often associated with poor disease outcome or difficulty in therapeutic choice. The HBV genotype, the prevalence of drug resistant mutations, and PC/BCP mutations in Korean patients with acute hepatitis B were studied. From 2006 to 2008, 36 patients with acute hepatitis B were enrolled prospectively in four general hospitals.

Prognostic Value of Volume-Based Metabolic Parameters Measured by (18)F-FDG PET/CT of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Purpose: To date, the prognostic value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT for patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) has not been well characterized. We investigated the prognostic value of volumetric parameters using (18)F-FDG PET/CT in this patient population.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 20 cases of pathologically proven PNET in patients who had undergone pre-therapeutic (18)F-FDG PET/CT.

Performance evaluation of the TheraTyper-GJB2 assay for detection of GJB2 gene mutations.

Mutations in the GJB2 gene are the most common cause of congenital hearing loss in many populations. This study describes the development of a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based minisequencing assay, TheraTyper-GJB2, for the detection of c.35delG, c.

Adefovir and lamivudine combination therapy in patients with entecavir-resistant chronic hepatitis B: antiviral responses and evolution of mutations.

Objective: This study was designed to prospectively evaluate the antiviral responses and evolution of resistance mutations during adefovir (ADV) plus lamivudine (LMV) therapy in patients with entecavir (ETV)-resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Methods: Twenty chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who had been receiving ETV for more than 6 months and developed virologic breakthrough due to ETV resistance were consecutively enrolled.

Results: Patients received ADV plus LMV therapy for 12 months.

Primary Benign Intraosseous Meningioma on (18)F-FDG PET/CT Mimicking Malignancy.

We present a case of primary benign intraosseous meningioma in the sphenoid bone mimicking malignancy. A 44-year-old female patient who had a protruding right eye and headache came to our hospital. MRI showed a large, destructive, heterogeneously well-enhancing soft tissue mass in the right sphenoid bone suggesting malignancy.

Intratumoral Metabolic Heterogeneity for Prediction of Disease Progression After Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Inoperable Stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: We evaluated the value of variable (18)F-FDG PET/CT parameters for the prediction of disease progression after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with inoperable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: One hundred sixteen pretreatment FDG PET/CT scans of inoperable stage III NSCLC were retrospectively reviewed (stage IIIA: 51; stage IIIB: 65). The volume of interest was automatically drawn for each primary lung tumor, and PET parameters were assessed as follows: maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) using the boundaries presenting SUV intensity exceeding 3.