Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in differentiation of soft tissue sarcoma from benign lesions: a systematic review of literature.

Objective: To systematically review the literature assessing the role of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) in the differentiation of soft tissue sarcomas from benign lesions.

Materials And Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed with the following keywords: multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, DCE-MR perfusion, soft tissue, sarcoma, and neoplasm. Original studies evaluating the role of DCE-MRI for differentiating benign soft-tissue lesions from soft-tissue sarcomas were included.

Percutaneous ultrasound-guided needle tenotomy for treatment of chronic tendinopathy and fasciopathy: a meta-analysis.

Objectives: To systematically assess the efficacy of percutaneous ultrasound-guided needle tenotomy (PUNT) in the treatment of chronic tendinopathy and fasciopathy.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed with the following search terms: tendinopathy, tenotomy, needling, Tenex, fasciotomy, ultrasound-guided, and percutaneous. Inclusion criteria consisted of original studies evaluating pain or function improvement after PUNT.

Cystic lesions and bursae around the knee: do they matter in knee osteoarthritis?

The cause of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and knee pain associated with OA is not well understood. Periarticular cystic lesions and bursae around the knee are among the most common morphologic features identified on MRI in the setting of OA. Despite widespread association of these lesions with knee OA and their inclusion in semiquantitative MRI scoring assessment systems for knee OA, the role that these lesions play in the development of knee pain and OA remains uncertain.

Preoperative MRI Shoulder Findings Associated with Clinical Outcome 1 Year after Rotator Cuff Repair.

Background Investigation of the use of preoperative MRI for providing prognostic information regarding clinical outcome following rotator cuff repair has been limited. Purpose To determine whether patients with more severe rotator cuff tears of the shoulder at preoperative MRI have a greater degree of residual pain and disability after rotator cuff repair. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included a cohort of 141 patients who underwent surgical repair of a full-thickness rotator cuff tear at a single institution between April 16, 2012, and September 3, 2015.

Postoperative Imaging Findings Associated with Transpalpebral Craniotomy Approach to Anterior Cranial Fossa.

 The transpalpebral "eyelid" approach is a novel alternative to the traditional ciliary or supraciliary incision for supraorbital frontal craniotomy and access to the anterior cranial fossa. Though a prior publication from our institution has described the surgical approach in detail along with cosmetic and clinical outcomes, postoperative imaging findings have not yet been described. As this surgical technique becomes more widely practiced, it is essential for neuroradiologists, oculoplastic surgeons, and skull base neurosurgeons to be familiar with the expected postoperative imaging findings, especially those that prompt subsequent intervention.

The Role of Imaging in Determining Return to Play.

Return-to-play (RTP) predictions focus on how long it takes an athlete to return to their full athletic activity after sustaining an injury. This article focuses on the role of imaging and the radiologist in RTP predictions for the most common and controversial injuries affecting athletes.

Evaluation of a rapid von Willebrand factor activity latex immuno assay for monitoring of patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD) receiving DDAVP or VWF replacement therapy.

Haemostatic management of surgery in patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD) includes DDAVP or von Willebrand factor (VWF)-containing concentrates. Although the recommendations are for monitoring by VWF activity assays, it is quite common for clinicians to use factor VIII due usually to longer turnaround times required for VWF ristocetin cofactor assay (VWF:RCo) measurements. The aim of this study was to evaluate use of the rapid HaemosIL VWF activity (VWF:Act) latex immuno assay (LIA) on an automated coagulometer (ACL TOP(™) 700; Instrumentation Laboratory, Bedford, MA, USA) compared to platelet-based VWF:RCo assays in this setting.

Common Cervical and Cerebral Vascular Variants.

Successful open and endovascular carotid artery intervention depends on a thorough foundational knowledge of cervical and intracranial vascular anatomy. It is essential for the carotid interventionist to be familiar with the common and rare variants of the cervical and intracranial vasculature, and to understand the implications of these variants for the performance of carotid intervention with protection of the distal circulation. This article provides interventionists with a basic description of the normal and relevant variant vascular anatomy from the aortic arch to the circle of Willis, and outlines the potential difficulties that specific variants may present for endovascular therapy.

Angiotensin-II mediates nonmuscle myosin II activation and expression and contributes to human keloid disease progression.

Aberrant fibroblast migration in response to fibrogenic peptides plays a significant role in keloid pathogenesis. Angiotensin II (Ang II) is an octapeptide hormone recently implicated as a mediator of organ fibrosis and cutaneous repair. Ang II promotes cell migration but its role in keloid fibroblast phenotypic behavior has not been studied.

The Effect of Preoperative Aspirin and/or Heparin Therapy on Coagulation and Postoperative Blood Loss after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.

Objective: To assess the effects of preoperative aspirin and/or intravenous heparin therapy on perioperative coagulation tests and postoperative blood loss for 24-hour after coronary artery bypass surgery.

Methods: Multiple conventional coagulation tests, activated clotting time, thrombelastograph, skin bleeding time and platelet aggregation were performed before induction of anaesthesia, following protamine administration and after skin closure in 45 patients.

Results: There was no significant difference in either coagulation tests or postoperative blood loss (median of 860 mL with a range of 275 to 2800 mL, versus 833 ml with a range of 500-1380 mL) between the aspirin and no-aspirin patients.

Once-daily enoxaparin in the outpatient setting versus unfractionated heparin in hospital for the treatment of symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis.

Background: Once- and twice-daily low-molecular-weight heparin administered in hospital have been shown to be effective and safe for treating deep-vein thrombosis. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of deep-vein thrombosis treatment using once-daily subcutaneous enoxaparin in the outpatient setting with intravenous unfractionated heparin in hospital.

Methods: This randomized, parallel-group, open-label study was conducted in 18 centers in 4 countries.

Lymphocyte-facilitated tumour cell adhesion to endothelial cells: the role of high affinity leucocyte integrins.

Aim: Lymphocytes transiently express an active form of the beta_2 integrin LFA-1 (LFA-1Af) which has conformational changes in extracellular domains enabling higher affinity binding to the ligand ICAM-1. In this study, we investigated the role of lymphocytes bearing LFA-1Af as potential mediators of binding of ICAM-1-positive tumour cells to endothelium.

Methods: LFA-1 expression on 51Cr-PBLs was modulated in order to express high affinity LFA-1Af and conjugates were formed with 35S-labelled COLO526.

Prediction of the mediastinal drainage after coronary artery bypass surgery.

Using multiple correlation and linear regression approaches, we investigated the association between the amount of mediastinal drainage for the first 24 postoperative hours and clinical variables as well as multiple haematological tests performed at three time points: before anaesthesia induction, 10 minutes after protamine administration and just after skin closure, on 46 patients undergoing primary coronary artery bypass grafting. Three models from the three times were then developed to predict mediastinal drainage. The number of internal mammary grafts, the total number of grafts and plasma fibrinogen concentration were useful predictors of mediastinal drainage at all three times.

Characterization of activated lymphocyte-tumor cell adhesion.

This study demonstrates the variable expression of ICAM-1 and leukocyte function antigen-3 (LFA-3) on four tumor cell lines (COLO526, K562, Daudi, and HT-29). In addition, phorbol ester (PMA) activation of lymphocytes modulated LFA-1 from a uniform to a clustered surface distribution; whereas after treatment with high levels of Mg2+ ions, the unique epitope for high-affinity LFA-1 was identified using clone Mab24. Using a flow cytometric adhesion assay it was demonstrated that PMA-activated lymphocytes formed conjugates with COLO526 and Daudi, and that these conjugates were inhibited by anti-CD2 with varying inhibition by LFA-1 clones MHM24 and 25.

Antithyroid and antiadrenal autoantibodies in antiglomerular basement membrane disease, thin basement membrane disease and Alport syndrome.

The basement membranes of the glomerulus, thyroid and adrenal all contain the Goodpasture antigen, the target of autoantibodies in antiglomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease. Antithyroid antibodies can be associated with antiGBM disease, and there have been occasional reports of antithyroid antibodies in Alport syndrome, an inherited kidney disease where the GBM lacks the Goodpasture antigen. The aim of this study was to determine how often antithyroid and antiadrenal autoantibodies occurred in antiGBM disease, Alport syndrome and a related condition, thin basement membrane disease (TBMD).

Characterization of platelet aggregation induced by the human carcinosarcoma Colo 526: role of platelet activation, tumor cell cytoskeleton and tumor cell plasma membrane.

Tumor cell-platelet interactions have been shown to be involved in the process of metastasis. This study characterizes the aggregation of washed platelets induced by the human uterine carcinosarcoma Colo 526. Ultrastructural studies revealed a two-stage process in which the earliest events were the adhesion and degranulation of individual platelets in contact with the tumor cell membrane.

Extracellular ATP causes of loss of L-selectin from human lymphocytes via occupancy of P2Z purinocepters.

Lymphocytes from normal subjects or patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia are known to possess receptors for extracellular ATP termed P2Z purinoceptors whose physiological role is undefined. Addition of extracellular ATP (50-500 microM) to both normal and leukemic lymphocytes caused loss of binding of monoclonal antibodies to L-selectin (CD62L) on the cell surface. UTP, ADP, and adenosine (all at 500 microM) had no effect on L-selectin expression.

Laboratory studies of the effect of Pall extracorporeal leucocyte filters LG6 and AV6 on patients undergoing coronary bypass grafts.

A total of 14 patients with ischaemic heart disease undergoing coronary artery bypass grafts were studied for the effect of AV6 control filter and LG6 neutrophil filter, used in the extracorporeal circulation, on different laboratory parameters. There was no statistical difference between the effects of AV6 and LG6 filters on total white cells, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, platelets or haemoglobin. The expression of neutrophil activation antigens identified with a panel of monoclonal antibodies demonstrated that for the LG6 filter the leucocyte tyrosine phosphate CD45Ro fell during the procedure, whilst there were no significant changes in any of the other neutrophil antigens.

Agonists for endothelial P2 purinoceptors trigger a signalling pathway producing Ca2+ responses in lymphocytes adherent to endothelial cells.

Recirculation of lymphocytes through the body involves their frequent adhesion to endothelial cells but little is known of the signalling pathways between these two cell types. Lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia were loaded with the Ca(2+)-sensitive indicator, fura 2, and allowed to adhere to either glass or monolayers of human umbilical-vein endothelial cells. Addition of ATP or UTP (1-10 microM) to the superfusate produced a transient rise in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in the lymphocytes adherent to endothelium (24 of 35 cells).

Various cells release a stable small molecule that inhibits endothelium-dependent relaxation.

Previous studies have shown that neutrophils release a stable factor that inhibits endothelium-dependent relaxation. In the present studies, the effects of supernatants derived from various cells on endothelium-dependent relaxation were studied. Cells were obtained from seven sources: human hematopoietic cells including mononuclear leukocytes (MONO), polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells; cells of the cardiovascular system including human endothelial cell line ECV304, human smooth muscle cells, and rat myocardial cells; and the tumor cell line HPB.