Correlation of Standardized Uptake Value and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient in Integrated Whole-Body PET/MRI of Primary and Recurrent Cervical Cancer

Background

To evaluate a potential correlation of the maximum standard uptake value (SUV_max) and the minimum apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC_min) in primary and recurrent cervical cancer based on integrated PET/MRI examinations.

Methods

19 consecutive patients (mean age 51.6 years; range 30–72 years) with histopathologically confirmed primary cervical cancer (n = 9) or suspected tumor recurrence (n = 10) were prospectively enrolled for an integrated PET/MRI examination. Two radiologists performed a consensus reading in random order, using a dedicated post-processing software. Polygonal regions of interest (ROI) covering the entire tumor lesions were drawn into PET/MR images to assess SUV_max and into ADC parameter maps to determine ADC_min values. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated to assess a potential correlation between the mean values of ADC_min and SUV_max.

Results

In 15 out of 19 patients cervical cancer lesions (n = 12) or lymph node metastases (n = 42) were detected. Mean SUV_max (12.5±6.5) and ADC_min (644.5±179.7×10⁻⁵ mm²/s) values for all assessed tumor lesions showed a significant but weak inverse correlation (R = −0.342, p<0.05). When subdivided in primary and recurrent tumors, primary tumors and associated primary lymph node metastases revealed a significant and strong inverse correlation between SUV_max and ADC_min (R = −0.692, p<0.001), whereas recurrent cancer lesions did not show a significant correlation.

Conclusions

These initial results of this emerging hybrid imaging technique demonstrate the high diagnostic potential of simultaneous PET/MR imaging for the assessment of functional biomarkers, revealing a significant and strong correlation of tumor metabolism and higher cellularity in cervical cancer lesions.     

The adaptations in muscle architecture following whole body vibration training

Objective:This study aims to investigate the effect of 8-week whole-body vibration (WBV) added to conventional training on muscular architecture, dynamic muscle strength and physical performance compared to controls in young basketball players.Methods:Sixteen young basketball players between the ages of 14-16 years were randomly assigned to whole body vibration group (VG) or control group (CG). Both groups were trained with a conventional program. Pennation angle (PeA), fascicle length and muscle thickness of Rectus Femoris (RF) and Vastus lateralis were measured by ultrasonography. Isokinetic dynamic muscle testing at 180 °/s and 60°/s, squat jump (SJ) and flexibility were evaluated before and after 8 weeks of training programs. Primary outcome measure was the fascicle length.Results:Fascicle length of RF, SJ height and flexibility increased significantly within VG compared to pretraining (p<0.05). SJ height increased in VG compared to CG significantly following training (p<0.05). PeA, fascicle length, muscle thicknesses, strength and flexibility did not differ between groups.Conclusion:Eight weeks of WBV training improved fascicle length of RF, SJ height, and flexibility compared to pre-training. Addition of WBV to conventional training did not cause improvement in muscle architecture, strength and flexibility compared to conventional training alone.     

The WHO Maternal Near-Miss Approach and the Maternal Severity Index Model (MSI): Tools for Assessing the Management of Severe Maternal Morbidity

Objectives

To validate the WHO maternal near-miss criteria and develop a benchmark tool for severe maternal morbidity assessments.

Methods

In a multicenter cross-sectional study implemented in 27 referral maternity hospitals in Brazil, a one-year prospective surveillance on severe maternal morbidity and data collection was carried out. Diagnostic accuracy tests were used to assess the validity of the WHO maternal near-miss criteria. Binary logistic regression was used to model the death probability among women with severe maternal complications and benchmark the management of severe maternal morbidity.

Results

Of the 82,388 women having deliveries in the participating health facilities, 9,555 women presented pregnancy-related complications, including 140 maternal deaths and 770 maternal near misses. The WHO maternal near-miss criteria were found to be accurate and highly associated with maternal deaths (Positive likelihood ratio 106.8 (95% CI 99.56–114.6)). The maternal severity index (MSI) model was developed and found to able to describe the relationship between life-threatening conditions and mortality (Area under the ROC curve: 0.951 (95% CI 0.909–0.993)).

Conclusion

The identification of maternal near-miss cases using the WHO list of pregnancy-related life-threatening conditions was validated. The MSI model can be used as a tool for benchmarking the performance of health services managing women with severe maternal complications and provide case-mix adjustment.     

Analysis of genetic relationships among perennial and annual Cicer species growing in Turkey using RAPD markers

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fragments were used to assess genetic relationships among Cicer spp. growing in Turkey. Seven 10-mer primers selected from a 50 random oligonucleotide primer set, depending on their ability to amplify genomic DNA in all species, were used to detect RAPD variation in 43 wild and cultivated accessions representing ten species. These primers yielded 95 reproducible amplification products, 92 of which were polymorphic. Pairwise genetic distances of accessions estimated according to Nei and Li (1979) were used to produce a dendrogram using UPGMA. The dendrogram contained two main clusters, one of which comprised accessions of the four perennial species (Cicer montbretii, Cicer isauricum, Cicer anatolicum and Cicer incisum) together with the accessions of the three annual species (Cicer pinnatifidum, Cicer judaicum and Cicer bijugum), and the other cluster included the remaining three annual species (Cicer echinospermum, Cicer reticulatum and Cicer arietinum). Analysis of RAPD variation showed that C. incisum is the most similar perennial species to annuals, and C. reticulatum is the closest annual species to chickpea. These results generally agree with our allozyme study which was carried out using same Cicer collection and previous studies of relationships among annual species. The results also show that RAPD markers can be used to distinguish Cicer species and to survey genetic variation and relationships among taxonomic units in this genus.     

Biotization of Arabidopsis thaliana with Pseudomonas putida and assessment of its positive effect on in vitro growth

Determination of the optimal inoculation method and concentration to use for plant-bacteria interaction studies is important in many cases, such as the phytoremediation of heavy metals and other toxic compounds in contaminated areas. The aim of this study was to compare different concentrations and times of inoculation of Pseudomonas putida with various growth stages of Arabidopsis thaliana in 14-d in vitro cultures. A significant beneficial impact of the bacterium was detected in the shoot length and root weight of seedlings. The highest shoot length and root fresh and dry weights were detected in 14-d and 2 × 10³ cfu mL⁻¹ inoculated samples. In addition, the increase in root weight could be visualized with crystal violet staining, as relatively more root hair and lateral root formation occurred in seedlings inoculated with moderate concentrations of bacteria, possibly due to the ability of P. putida to produce indole-acetic acid. Moreover, the highest photosynthetic pigment accumulation was obtained with the highest bacterial inoculum (2 × 10⁶ cfu mL⁻¹), which was tested in 0- or 3-d-old seedlings. Rhizospheric bacterial colonization was also visualized with GFP-labeled bacteria by confocal microscopy. These results showed that biotization of A. thaliana with P. putida KT2440 did not cause severe oxidative stress in seedlings, because H₂O₂ accumulation levels together with CAT and POX activities were not significantly induced. Therefore, this strain could be used for several applications based on plant-bacteria interactions.

     

Production of stably transfected cell lines using immunoporation

Previous work from this laboratory has shown that immunoporation has the potential for the selective transfection of a range of different animal cells based on their immunological identity. The unique ability of immunoporation to target cells for transfection combined with the high efficiency of transfection and the high viability of cells make this method extremely promising for scientific and medical research. The experiments reported here show that not only can immunoporation produce transient transfection but also stably transfected cells are produced and such types of cells will be essential for the use of this method for gene therapy.     

Colocalization, physical, and functional interaction between Werner and Bloom syndrome proteins

The RecQ helicase family comprises a conserved group of proteins implicated in several aspects of DNA metabolism. Three of the family members are defective in heritable diseases characterized by abnormal growth, premature aging, and predisposition to malignancies. These include the WRN and BLM gene products that are defective in Werner and Bloom syndromes, disorders which share many phenotypic and cellular characteristics including spontaneous genomic instability. Here, we report a physical and functional interaction between BLM and WRN. These proteins were coimmunoprecipitated from a nuclear matrix-solubilized fraction, and the purified recombinant proteins were shown to interact directly. Moreover, BLM and WRN colocalized to nuclear foci in three human cell lines. Two regions of WRN that mediate interaction with BLM were identified, and one of these was localized to the exonuclease domain of WRN. Functionally, BLM inhibited the exonuclease activity of WRN. This is the first demonstration of a physical and functional interaction between RecQ helicases. Our observation that RecQ family members interact provides new insights into the complex phenotypic manifestations resulting from the loss of these proteins.