Diagnostic features of lung metastases differentiated thyroid cancer

Background. The worldwide increasing incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) is mainly due to a rise in its major form of differentiated TC (DTC): papillary. Most patients with DTC have a good prognosis; 10-year survival overall rates are as high as 85 %, but not greater than 40 % in a group of patients with distant metastases. At the same time, the lung is the most frequent target for distant metastases, accounting for 70 % of all sites.Objective: to estimate and compare the capabilities of different diagnostic techniques to detect lung metastases of DTC. Materials and methods. The results of diagnosing lung metastases were retrospectively analyzed in 36 patients (33 women and 3 men; mean age 53 years) with DTC (29 patients with papillary TC and 7 with follicular TC) treated at the department of radiotherapy with systemic therapy, Chelyabinsk Regional Clinical Oncology Center from 2011 to 2014.Results. Chest X-ray could reveal pulmonary metastases in 13 (36 %) patients; lung pathology foci were absent in 23 (64 %) patients. 131I whole-body scintigraphy (WBS) proved to be of informative value in 24 (66.7 %) patients, it displayed no increased accumulation of the radiopharmaceutical in the lung of 12 (33.3 %) cases. Multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) of the chest was carried out in 22 (61 %) patients; out of them 21 (95.5 %) were found to have 1.4-to-20-mm lung cancer foci. 18Fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) positron emission tomography / computed tomography (PET / CT) was performed in 18 (50 %) patients, which showed 3–26-mm lung pathology foci in all the patents; out of them 16 (88.9 %) were detected to have metastases owing to the CT component of this method. Thus, the highest sensitivity was exhibited by MSCT (95.5 %), 18FDG PET / CT (100 % due to its CT component), and 131I WBS (66.7 %).Conclusion. When lung metastases of DTC are suspected, 1) chest X-ray should be used as a screening test; 2) 131I WBS should be performed in all patients; 3) MSCT of the chest is the gold standard for diagnosis; 4) 18FDG PET / CT should not be employed in routine practice

EFFECTS OF AN EIGHT-WEEK ATORVASTATIN TREATMENT ON SPONTANEOUS CYTOKINE PRODUCTION BY THE BLOOD MONONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES IN METABOLIC SYNDROME

The aim of this study was to assess effects of the eight-week course of atorvastatin therapy upon the levels of spontaneous cytokine production by mononuclear blood leukocytes (MNBC) in metabolic syndrome. An open-label prospective study included 36 patients with stage II hypertension (blood pressure < 180/110 mm Hg.) accomplished by metabolic syndrome. Along with clinical surveys performed at a specialized cardiological clinics, we assessed spontaneous cytokine production by MNBC during treatment with atorvastatin. It was shown that the 8-week treatment of these patients with atorvaststin, at individually matched daily doses (20to 40 mg) was associated with reduced serum concentration of acute phase proteins (C-reactive protein and neopterin), as well as decreased spontaneous production of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFα) by MNBCs. The latter finding is of great importance for pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome

SUBPOPULATIONS AND METABOLIC ACTIVITY OF BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS IN METABOLIC SYNDROME

Aim of study: to examine the features of expression of CD-markers of blood mononuclear leukocytes and their functional activity in the metabolic syndrome. Conducted a cross-sectional (transverse) study of 76 patients with essential hypertension (EH) II stage (BP <180/110 mm Hg.) [10] in conjunction with the metabolic syndrome and 20 people, formed the control group. Along with a complete clinical, laboratory and instrumental examination taken in a specialized cardiological clinic was conducted determination of surface markers of lymphocytes CD4+, CD8+ and monocytes CD36+ and assessment of the level of spontaneous production of reactive oxygen blood mononuclear leukocytes. Found that in patients with the metabolic syndrome compared with the control group the proportion of CD4+ lymphocytes and the level of spontaneous ROS production by mononuclear leukocytes significantly higher. The positive correlated interconnection between these indicators and the number of CD36+ monocytes with the majority of clinical and metabolic markers of MS confirmes their participation in mechanism of immune inflammation and oxidative stress in this pathological process