lncRNA FAS-AS1 served as a diagnostic biomarker of end-stage renal disease and mediated vascular calcification via regulating oxidative stress and inflammation.

Purpose: Vascular calcification is a frequently occurring complication of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This study focused on the significance of long non-coding RNA Fas cell surface death receptor-antisense 1(lncRNA FAS-AS1) in ESRD-related vascular calcification aiming to explore a potential biomarker for the detection.

Methods: The study enrolled 65 healthy individuals, 79 ESRD patients (48 patients with vascular calcification), and 93 early-stage (I-IV) chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

Risk of second primary cancers in patients with rectal neuroendocrine neoplasms: a surveillance, epidemiology, and end results analysis.

Background: While an elevated risk of second primary cancers (SPCs) has been observed in many other cancers, risk of SPCs has not been quantified in patients with rectal neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs).

Methods: Survivors of primary rectal NENs diagnosed between 2000 and 2018 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-18 registries. Relative risk of SPCs was estimated as the standardized incidence ratio (SIR), which was calculated using SEER*Stat software.

Evaluation of the prognostic value of lncRNA UCA1 combined with extravascular lung water index and lung ultrasound score in patients with acute lung injury.

Introduction: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common and rapidly developing critical inflammatory lung disease in clinic. This study investigated the predictive value of lncRNA UCA1, extravascular lung water index (EVLWI), and lung ultrasound score (LUS) in predicting the overall outcome of patients with ALI.

Methods: Patients with ALI were recruited for detecting the content of UCA1, EVLWI, and LUS.

Combining serum AFP and CEUS LI-RADS for better diagnostic performance in Chinese high-risk patients.

Purpose: To evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of revised contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System version by combining LR-M category and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) under different cut-off values.

Material And Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 152 high-risk patients with 152 histology-proven nodules. For revised LI-RADS, nodules in LR-M with different elevated AFP thresholds have been reclassified as the LR-5 category.

Application value of conventional ultrasound and real-time shear wave elastography in patients with type 2 diabetic polyneuropathy.

Purpose: To explore the application value of conventional ultrasound and real-time shear wave elastography (SWE) to the tibial nerve (TN) and the common peroneal nerve (CPN) in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).

Materials And Methods: Thirty-three healthy volunteers, 33 diabetic patients without DPN, and 30 diabetic patients with DPN were enrolled in this study. The anteroposterior diameter (APD), the cross-sectional area (CSA), and the perimeter of the TN and the CPN were measured by conventional ultrasound, and the stiffness of the nerves was measured by SWE.

Virtual touch tissue imaging and quantification (VTIQ) in the evaluation of breast lesions: The associated factors leading to misdiagnosis.

Purpose: To investigate the factors that could cause a misdiagnosis in virtual touch tissue imaging and quantification (VTIQ) when differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions, and to analyze the imaging characteristics of those lesions with incorrect findings.

Methods: The conventional ultrasound (CUS) features and the VTIQ parameters of 153 benign lesions and 99 malignant lesions were retrospectively analyzed and compared with histopathological and/or core-needle biopsy (CNB)-proven results. Independent variables that led to inaccurate VTIQ results were selected by binary logistic regression analysis.

Pre-operative Conventional Ultrasound and Sonoelastography Evaluation for Predicting Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Malignant Breast Lesions.

The objective of our study was to evaluate the association between the sonoelastography features of breast tumor and axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) in patients with breast cancer. In a cohort of 106 women with breast cancer, the conventional ultrasound features and elasticity parameters by elasticity imaging and Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging & Quantification (VTIQ) were retrospectively analyzed. Ultrasound and elastography findings were compared with pathologic axillary lymph node status.

Comparison of strain and acoustic radiation force impulse elastography of breast lesions by qualitative evaluation.

Objectives: To compare the diagnostic performance of conventional strain elastography (CSE) and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) induced SE for qualitative assessment of breast lesions and evaluate the additional value of the two techniques combined with Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) respectively for the differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions.

Methods: In a cohort of 110 women, the conventional ultrasound (US) features and the elasticity scores of CSE and ARFI induced SE were recorded. The diagnostic performances of BI-RADS, elastography and BI-RADS plus elastography were evaluated, including the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), sensitivity, specificity and accuracy.

Differentiation of metastatic cervical lymph nodes with ultrasound elastography by virtual touch tissue imaging: preliminary study.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of acoustic radiation force impulse elastography for the differential diagnosis of cervical lymph nodes.

Methods: Virtual touch tissue imaging (Siemens Medical Solutions, Mountain View, CA) was analyzed in 81 patients (mean age, 46.6 years; range, 5-82 years) with 81 lymph nodes (45 metastatic nodes and 36 benign nodes).