F-18 FDG PET/CT for detection of malignant involvement of peripheral nerves: case series and literature review.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of positron emission tomography plus computed tomography (PET/CT) scans in detecting malignant involvement of the peripheral nerves (PNs).

Material And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of all PET/CT studies performed at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2003 and 2009, and selected patients in whom F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT findings were suspicious for malignant involvement of the PNs. We identified 26 cases of suspected tumorous involvement of the PNs that was subsequently confirmed by either biopsy or clinical follow-up.

Diagnosis of Osteoarthritis by Cartilage Surface Smoothness Quantified Automatically from Knee MRI.

Objective: We investigated whether surface smoothness of articular cartilage in the medial tibiofemoral compartment quantified from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could be appropriate as a diagnostic marker of osteoarthritis (OA).

Method: At baseline, 159 community-based subjects aged 21 to 81 with normal or OA-affected knees were recruited to provide a broad range of OA states. Smoothness was quantified using an automatic framework from low-field MRI in the tibial, femoral, and femoral subcompartments.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in a patient with glioblastoma.

Malignant gliomas are aggressive malignancies which inevitably recur despite multimodality treatment. In a subset of patients who are longer term survivors of this disease, progressive radiologic worsening can also occur from late effects of radiation rather than recurrent tumor, a differential diagnosis that is commonly considered in this setting. However, other causes for radiologic progression are not as well recognized and could potentially confound management leading to incorrect treatment decisions.

Guillain-Barré syndrome and glioblastoma.

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is defined as an acute demyelinating peripheral neuropathy. We describe a case of GBS in a patient with glioblastoma undergoing chemotherapy treatment. A 57 year old woman diagnosed with glioblastoma developed a subacute progressive history of bilateral symmetric numbness of her fingers and toes, belt-type neuropathic pain, a left facial droop and upper and lower extremity muscle weakness.

A 96 well microtiter plate-based method for monitoring formation and antifungal susceptibility testing of Candida albicans biofilms.

Candida albicans remains the most frequent cause of fungal infections in an expanding population of compromised patients and candidiasis is now the third most common infection in US hospitals. Different manifestations of candidiasis are associated with biofilm formation, both on host tissues and/or medical devices (i.e.

Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging-guided tractography with integrated monopolar subcortical functional mapping for resection of brain tumors. Clinical article.

Object: The object of this study was to describe the utility and safety of using a single probe for combined intraoperative navigation and subcortical mapping in an intraoperative MR (iMR) imaging environment during brain tumor resection.

Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed those patients who underwent resection in the iMR imaging environment, as well as functional electrophysiological monitoring with continuous motor evoked potential (MEP) and direct subcortical mapping combined with diffusion tensor imaging tractography. RESULTS As a navigational tool the monopolar probe used was safe and accurate.

Utilization of intraoperative motor mapping in glioma surgery with high-field intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging.

Background/aims: The main goal of glioma surgery is to maximize tumor resection while minimizing neurologic injury. The use of high-field intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) and intraoperative cortical mapping (IOM) together enable the surgeon to increase the extent of tumor resection (EOR) and preserve the neurological function. However, there is insufficient evidence to validate the use of IOM with high-field iMRI.

NCCN task force report: management of neuropathy in cancer.

Neuropathy is a common, often debilitating complication of cancer and its treatment. Effective management of this disorder depends on early diagnosis and an understanding of its underlying causes in the individual patient. In January 2009, NCCN gathered a multidisciplinary group to review the literature and discuss intervention strategies currently available to patients as well as areas that require research efforts.

Simultaneous use of functional tractography, neuronavigation-integrated subcortical white matter stimulation and intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging in glioma surgery: technical note.

The importance of preserving function during glioma surgery cannot be overemphasized. There are a number of techniques utilized including functional MRI, direct electrophysiological monitoring and functional neuronavigation to maximize and safely resect gliomas. The intraoperative MRI is an extremely valuable tool and adds to the neurosurgeon's armamentarium.

Effects of inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase on basal retinal blood flow regulation.

Nitric oxide (NO) has been observed to regulate blood flow under basal and stimulated conditions in the retina. Recent evidence suggests that NO produced by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) may regulate blood flow in addition to that produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). The objective of the current study was to investigate the contribution of NO produced by nNOS in the regulation of basal retinal blood flow.

Prospective derivation and validation of a clinical prediction rule for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection.

Background & Aims: Prevention of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a substantial therapeutic challenge. A previous prospective study of 63 patients with CDI identified risk factors associated with recurrence. This study aimed to develop a prediction rule for recurrent CDI using the above derivation cohort and prospectively evaluate the performance of this rule in an independent validation cohort.

A prospective study of risk factors and historical trends in metronidazole failure for Clostridium difficile infection.

Background & Aims: Recent studies of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) have indicated a dramatic increase in metronidazole failure. The aims of this study were to compare current and historical rates of metronidazole failure and to identify risk factors for metronidazole failure.

Methods: Eighty-nine patients with CDI in 2004 to 2006 were followed for 60 days and were compared with a historical cohort of 63 CDI patients studied prospectively in 1998.

Helicobacter pylori infection stimulates plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 production by gastric epithelial cells.

Chronic infection with the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori significantly increases the risk of developing atrophic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric adenocarcinoma. H. pylori strains that possess the cag pathogenicity island, which translocates CagA into the host cells, augment these risks.

Open-label, dose escalation phase I study in healthy volunteers to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of a human monoclonal antibody to Clostridium difficile toxin A.

Background: Recent data suggest that Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea is becoming more severe and difficult to treat. Antibody responses to C. difficile toxin A are protective against symptomatic disease and recurrence.

Scanning laser ophthalmoscope-particle tracking method to assess blood velocity during hypoxia and hyperoxia.

The main objective was to evaluate a Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (SLO) based particle tracking method as a means of quantitative assessment of retinal blood velocity and vessel diameter changes in response to hypoxia and hyperoxia. Retinal blood velocities were measured by tracking fluorescent microspheres (1.0 microm diameter) in anesthetized adult pigmented rats.

Association between IgG2 and IgG3 subclass responses to toxin A and recurrent Clostridium difficile-associated disease.

Background & Aims: Individuals who mount a significant serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G response to toxin A are protected against recurrent Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD). We investigated whether humoral immune deficiencies and/or specific IgG subclass responses are associated with recurrent CDAD.

Methods: We compared the clinical characteristics and humoral immune responses of 13 patients with recurrent CDAD with 13 matched controls with a single CDAD episode.

The enhanced endothelin-1-induced contraction in cultured coronary arteries from mature female pigs is not antagonized by 17beta-estradiol.

We have previously reported that organ cultured coronary arteries from market-age pigs (6-9 months of age) exhibit an enhanced contraction to the atherosclerotic-associated peptide, endothelin-1 (ET-1). The objective of this study was to investigate the interaction of 17beta-estradiol with ET-1 in organ cultured coronary arteries from older female pigs (3-4 years old). A cumulative concentration-response relationship (1 x 10(-9) M to 3 x 10(-7) M) was generated to ET-1, and the isometric tension measured in fresh and organ cultured (4 days at 37 degrees C) arterial rings that were each pre-incubated for 50 min in different concentrations (1 x 10(-9) M to 1 x 10(-5) M) of 17beta-estradiol.

Computational modeling of factor Xa inhibition by immobilized tissue factor pathway inhibitor.

Coating surfaces of implanted devices with anticoagulants can reduce thrombosis and studies using a recombinant form of endogenous tissue factor pathway inhibitor (rTFPI) are promising. The anticoagulant function of immobilized rTFPI is thought to occur primarily by its inhibition of plasma clotting factor Xa (FXa); however the kinetics of this reaction at a surface are as yet unknown. To better understand the surface inhibition reaction under flow conditions, a theoretical model was developed delineating the roles of mass transport and reaction kinetics for an in vitro parallel plate device used in prior experimental studies [Hall et al.

Quantifying gastric Helicobacter pylori infection: a comparison of quantitative culture, urease breath testing, and histology.

Although there are several methods to detect Helicobacter pylori infection, there is no simple validated test to quantify the density of infection, which is believed to play a major role in the pathogenesis of H. pylori-associated gastritis and peptic ulceration. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare noninvasive and invasive tests for assessing the level of H.

Building process knowledge using inline spectroscopy, reaction calorimetry and reaction modeling--the integrated approach.

For over two decades, reaction engineering tools and techniques such as reaction calorimetry, inline spectroscopy and, to a more limited extent, reaction modeling, have been employed within the pharmaceutical industry to ensure safe and robust scale-up of organic reactions. Although each of these techniques has had a significant impact on the landscape of process development, an effective integrated approach is now being realized that combines calorimetry and spectroscopy with predictive modeling tools. This paper reviews some recent advances in the use of these reaction engineering tools in process development within the pharmaceutical industry and discusses their potential impact on the effective application of the integrated approach.

Update on the immunologic basis of Helicobacter pylori gastritis.

Purpose Of Review: Helicobacter pylori is a ubiquitous bacterial pathogen that has evolved to chronically infect the gastric mucosal surface, evade host immune clearance, and cause peptic ulcer disease or gastric neoplasia in a significant minority of infected individuals. Understanding the colonization, persistence, and virulence determinants of the bacterium as well as the innate and adaptive immune responses of the host are critically important if we are to develop novel treatment strategies for eradication of infection and prevention of H. pylori-induced gastroduodenal disease.

Transcriptional analysis of product-concentration driven changes in cellular programs of recombinant Clostridium acetobutylicumstrains.

Antisense RNA (asRNA) downregulation alters protein expression without changing the regulation of gene expression. Downregulation of primary metabolic enzymes possibly combined with overexpression of other metabolic enzymes may result in profound changes in product formation, and this may alter the large-scale transcriptional program of the cells. DNA-array based large-scale transcriptional analysis has the potential to elucidate factors that control cellular fluxes even in the absence of proteome data.

Antisense RNA downregulation of coenzyme A transferase combined with alcohol-aldehyde dehydrogenase overexpression leads to predominantly alcohologenic Clostridium acetobutylicum fermentations.

Plasmid pAADB1 for the overexpression of the alcohol-aldehyde dehydrogenase (aad) gene and downregulation of the coenzyme A transferase (CoAT) using antisense RNA (asRNA) against ctfB (the second CoAT gene on the polycistronic aad-ctfA-ctfB message) was used in order to increase the butanol/acetone ratio of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 fermentations. Acetone and butanol levels were drastically reduced in 824(pCTFB1AS) (expresses only an asRNA against ctfB) compared to 824(pSOS95del) (plasmid control). Compared to strain 824(pCTFB1AS), 824(pAADB1) fermentations exhibited two profound differences.