Prognostic role of PET/CT in endometrial cancer

Objectives: The present study evaluates the prognostic value of metabolic parameters related to the primary tumor identified in preoperative fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) scans in patients with endometrial cancer (EC).  Material and methods: This study included 120 patients with EC who underwent PET/CT in the preoperative period. The patients’ age, maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), SUVmean, metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and the total lesion glycolysis (TLG) value of the primary tumor on PET/CT; as well as the stage, histological subtype, grade and size of the primary EC; the degree of myometrial invasion (MI) cervical invasion (CI), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), lymph node metastasis (LNM) and distant metastasis (DM) were all recorded. The relationship of these factors with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated.  Results: The study included 120 patients with EC with a mean age of 62.3 ± 0.02 years. Of the total, 32 patients died around the time of the analysis and 38 patients showed disease progression. The mean OS was 32.7 ± 1.6 months and the mean PFS was 30.5 ± 2.8 months. No significant relationship was identified between the SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, TLG values, patient age, tumor size, histology, grade and MI degree, and OS or PFS. Disease stage, LVI, CI, LNM and DM were identified as prognostic factors for OS and PFS.  Conclusions: The present study found no significant relationship between preoperative PET parameters in EC and OS and PFS, although prospective studies involving a larger number of patients are required.

The value of PET/CT in determining lymph node metastasis of endometrial cancer

Objectives: In our study, the role of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-18 FDG PET/CT) in determining lymph node metastasis of endometrial cancer was evaluated. Material and methods: The present retrospectively registered study included 80 patients with endometrial cancer who underwent PET/CT in preoperative period. The patients underwent total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and lymph node dissection. Lymph node status was evaluated in histopathologic examination and PET/CT imaging and, the results were compared. Results: There were 80 patients (mean age 62 years) in the present study. Lymph node metastasis was detected in five patients, whereas 75 patients had no lymph node metastasis. A total of 1,471 lymph nodes were examined histopathologically, revealing benign findings in 1,433 (pelvic = 1018, paraaortic = 415) and malignant findings in 38 (pelvic = 28, paraaortic = 10) lymph nodes. The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of PET/CT in determining lymph node metastasis was 95%, 80% and 96% in patient-based evaluation, and 97.4%, 78.9% and 98.6% in lymph node-based evaluation, respectively. The detection sensitivity of PET/CT was 0%, 81.4% and 100% in metastatic lymph nodes with a short diameter of ≤ 4 mm, 5–9 mm and ≥ 10 mm, respectively. PET/CT could detect 73.3% of metastatic lymph nodes that had < 10 mm short diameter. Conclusions: PET/CT is useful method in detecting lymph node metastasis especially that are disregarded by CT or MR in endometrial cancer. Although PET/CT doesn’t fully replace the surgical staging, its utilization in preoperative period may guide surgical procedure

The prognostic significance of serum CA125 levels with ER, PR, P53 and Ki-67 expression in endometrial carcinomas

Objectives: The present study evaluates the relationship between the expression levels of hormone receptors (HRs), Ki-67, p53 and serum cancer antigen 125 (CA125) levels in endometrial cancer and clinicopathological risk factors, and determines their prognostic values. Material and methods: This retrospective study included 49 patients with endometrial cancer whose estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) Ki-67 and p53 expression levels were determined through immunohistochemical methods, and whose preoperative serum CA125 levels were measured. These factors relationship with various clinicopathological factors, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was investigated. Results: The study included 49 patients with EC with a mean age of 61 ± 10 years. The rate of HR positivity was significantly higher in the endometrioid histology group than in the non-endometroid histology group (p = 0.026). A high level of Ki- 67 expression was found to be associated with a non-endometroid histology (p = 0.016), and a high tumor grade (p < 0.001) and a high p53 expression were found to be associated with advanced disease stage (p = 0.026). A positive correlation was found between p53 and Ki-67, a negative correlation was found between p53 and Ki-67 and the presence of HR. Significant relationship was not found between HR status, p53, Ki-67, CA125 and either other clinicopathological risk factors or survival. Conclusions: While HR positivity indicates favorable clinicopathological prognostic factors, high Ki-67 and high p53 expression indicate unfavorable ones. However, no direct effect of these factors on prognosis was found in this study

HPLC-DAD elucidation of phenolic compounds from plant organ extracts with inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli replikative DNA polymerase IIIα (DnaE)

Bu yüksek lisans tezinde 11 bitkinin replikatif DNA polimeraz inhibisyonu, antimikrobial aktivite ve bazı kimysal içerikleri çalışılmıştır. Bitkilerden bazılarının tamamı, bazılarının meyve, yaprak, çiçek kısımları kullanıldı. Replikatif bakteriyal DNA polimeraz olarak Escherichia coli (E. coli) replikatif DNA polimeraz III? (DnaE) seçildi ve rekombinant üretildi. Bunun için DnaE'i kodlayan gen PZR ile çoğaltıldı ve pET-100 TOPO vektörüne klonlandı. Ni-afinite ile saflaştırıldı. 11 bitkinin metanol ve DMSO özütleri hazırlandı. Metanol özütleri DnaE karşı inhibisyonun belirlenmesi için primer uzatma deneylerinde kullanıldı. Bu amaçla sentetik olarak dizayn edilen ve florojenik primer ihtiva eden 45/20-mer DNA kullanıldı. Rosa canina bitkisinin çiçek kısmının DnaE üzerinde güçlü bir şekilde inhibisyon gösterdiği belirlendi. Sorbus caucasica ve Sorbus aucuparia bitkilerin yaprak ve meyvelerinin de inhibisyon gösterdiği belirlendi. Sorbus aucuparia (meyve, yaprak), Sorbus caucasica (meyve, yaprak) ve Rosa canina (çiçek, meyve) DMSO ekstraktlarının gram (+) ve gram (-) bakteriler üzerine antimikrobiyal testi yapıldı. Sorbus türlerinin ekstraktlarında gram (+) bakteriler üzerinde antimikrobiyal aktivitesi olmadığı gözlendi. Rosa canina meyve özütlerinin gram (+) ve gram(-) olmak üzere bu iki grup bakteri üzerinde antimikrobiyal aktivitesi olduğu belirlendi. İnhibisyon görülen bitkilerin metanol ekstraktları sıvı-sıvı ekstraksiyon yöntemi ile sulu ortamda sırasıyla dietil eter, etil asetat, bütanol ve kalan sulu kısım olmak üzere dört ayrı fraksiyona ayrıldı ve ardından HPLC-DAD ile bu ekstraktların fenolik bileşikleri aydınlatıldı. Rosa canina bitkisinin çiçek ve meyve özütlerinde gallik asit ve gallik asitin türevi olan ellacik asit bulundu. Sorbus aucuparia ve Sorbus causacisa bitkilerinin yaprak ve meyve özütlerinde klorojenik asit ve rutin bileşikleri bulundu. Inhibition of replicative bacterial DNA polymerase, antimicrobial activity and chemical compounds of eleven plants were investigated in this Master Thesis. The whole or some parts (such as leaf, flower and fruit) of plants were used in assay. E. coli replicative DNA polymerase III? (DnaE2) was selected to research inhibition affects of plant compounds and it was produced as recombinant. The gene coding DnaE2 was amplified from E. coli K12 genom by PCR and inserted into the pET100-TOPO expression vector. It was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) and purified by Ni-affinity chromorography. Methanol and DMSO extracts of eleven plant samples were prepared. Methanol extracts were used to investigate their inhibitory affect on polymerase by primer extension assay and DMSO extracts were used to investigate the antimicrobial activity on selective microorganisms by agar diffusion methods. Flourogenic labeled 45/20-mer synthetic DNA used in primer extension assay. According to results, a strong inhibition against to DnaE2 was determined in flower exract of Rosa canina. At the same way, it was determined that Sorbus caucasica and Sorbus aucuparia had the same affect on DnaE2. Antimicrobial activity of Sorbus aucuparia (fruit and leaf), Sorbus caucasica (fruit and leaf) and Rosa canina (flower and fruit) was investigated for Gram (-) and Gram (+) microorganisms. There was no antimicrobial affects in Sorbus extract against to Gram (+), but fruit extract of Rosa canina had antimicrobial affect against to both Gram (+) and Gram (-). The plant extracts having inhibitory affect on DnaE2 was fractioned into four sub-fractions (in order to dietyl eter, etyl acetate, butanol and liquid part) by liquid-liquid extraction method prepared in water and then phenolic compounds in each fraction were identified by HPLC-DAD system. Gallic acid and its derivate (ellagic acid) were found in flower and fruit extracts of Rosa canina. Clorogenic and rutin compounds were found in leaf and fruit extract of Sorbus aucuparia and Sorbus caucasica

"Samverkan mellan förskollärare och vårdnadshavare. Grunden för en givande förskoletid" : En kvalitativ intervjustudie om inskolning i förskolan.

Förskolans verksamhet handlar om möten med människor. För att förskolan ska bli en plats där familjerna känner sig trygga och där barnen kan ta del av verksamheten krävs det en väl planerad och förberedd introduktion. Studiens syfte är att vi vill få en djupgående förståelse för hur inskolningar i förskolan genomförs. Undersökningen har utgått ifrån anknytnings teori där resultatet sedan har analyserats med hjälp av genom teori. Studien har utgått från intervjuer med fem förskollärares och fem vårdnadshavares aspekter. Det är för att vi vill få en helhetssyn på vad de betraktar är viktiga faktorer för att förstärka barnets trygghet under inskolningar och deras definition av en god samverkan mellan förskollärare och vårdnadshavare samt vad vårdnadshavarna anser är en lyckad inskolning. Vårdnadshavarna som deltog i studien hade inom de senaste två åren genomgått inskolningar. Förskollärarna som intervjuades arbetade i olika verksamheter. Genom att vi använde oss av metoden kvalitativa intervjuer så fick vi resultat som besvarade studiens frågeställningar. Av resultatet framkommer ett antal viktiga faktorer som både förskollärare och vårdnadshavare anser vara en stor vikt vid inskolningar. Samtliga förskollärare och vårdnadshavare betonar att trygghet vid inskolningar är det viktigaste målet, eftersom trygghet är grunden för barnets trivsel, lärande och fortsatta utveckling. I studien konstateras det att alla barn har olika behov och för att kunna tillgodose varje barns behov krävs det att man individanpassar inskolningen. Detta krävs en förtroendefull samverkan mellan vårdnadshavare och förskollärare samt en noggrann och kunskapsrik planering tillsammans med arbetslaget. Delstudie 1 som handlar om förskollärare som respondenter är skriven av Sara Sebhat med följande resultat och analys. Delstudie 2 som består av vårdnadshavare som respondenter är skriven utav Emine Budak med följande resultat och analys

"Samverkan mellan förskollärare och vårdnadshavare. Grunden för en givande förskoletid" : En kvalitativ intervjustudie om inskolning i förskolan.

Förskolans verksamhet handlar om möten med människor. För att förskolan ska bli en plats där familjerna känner sig trygga och där barnen kan ta del av verksamheten krävs det en väl planerad och förberedd introduktion. Studiens syfte är att vi vill få en djupgående förståelse för hur inskolningar i förskolan genomförs. Undersökningen har utgått ifrån anknytnings teori där resultatet sedan har analyserats med hjälp av genom teori. Studien har utgått från intervjuer med fem förskollärares och fem vårdnadshavares aspekter. Det är för att vi vill få en helhetssyn på vad de betraktar är viktiga faktorer för att förstärka barnets trygghet under inskolningar och deras definition av en god samverkan mellan förskollärare och vårdnadshavare samt vad vårdnadshavarna anser är en lyckad inskolning. Vårdnadshavarna som deltog i studien hade inom de senaste två åren genomgått inskolningar. Förskollärarna som intervjuades arbetade i olika verksamheter. Genom att vi använde oss av metoden kvalitativa intervjuer så fick vi resultat som besvarade studiens frågeställningar. Av resultatet framkommer ett antal viktiga faktorer som både förskollärare och vårdnadshavare anser vara en stor vikt vid inskolningar. Samtliga förskollärare och vårdnadshavare betonar att trygghet vid inskolningar är det viktigaste målet, eftersom trygghet är grunden för barnets trivsel, lärande och fortsatta utveckling. I studien konstateras det att alla barn har olika behov och för att kunna tillgodose varje barns behov krävs det att man individanpassar inskolningen. Detta krävs en förtroendefull samverkan mellan vårdnadshavare och förskollärare samt en noggrann och kunskapsrik planering tillsammans med arbetslaget. Delstudie 1 som handlar om förskollärare som respondenter är skriven av Sara Sebhat med följande resultat och analys. Delstudie 2 som består av vårdnadshavare som respondenter är skriven utav Emine Budak med följande resultat och analys

The Contribution of Fluorine F-18-FDG PET/CT to Lung Cancer Diagnosis, Staging and Treatment Planning

WOS: 000435003600004PubMed ID: 29889029Objective: Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death throughout the world, and the correct choice of treatment based on early diagnosis and staging increases the chance of survival. The present study aims to investigate the contribution of fluorine 18-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-18-FDG PET/CT) to the management of lung cancer. Methods: In this study, 50 patients who underwent F-18-FDG PET/CT for lung cancer diagnosis and staging between February 2012 and February 2014 were included. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the primary lung lesion along with other findings of F-18-FDG PET/CT and the results of histopathologic and conventional examinations were evaluated retrospectively. The mean survival time of patients was determined, and the findings were compared by using statistical methods. Results: Histopathologic examinations revealed 51 lung cancers in 50 patients. The sensitivity, accuracy and positive predictive value of F-18-FDG PET/CT in detecting primary malignancy were 94%, 94%, 100%, respectively. Adenocarcinoma (n=23, 16.8 +/- 13.5) and squamous cell carcinoma (n=15, 17.9 +/- 5.6) did not differ significantly regarding their mean SUVmax values (p=0.2). A statistically significant positive correlation (r=0.4) was identified between tumor size and SUVmax value for 51 tumors (p=0.002). The F-18-FDG PET/CT result was true negative in nine, false positive in six, true positive in two, and false negative in four patients who underwent histopathologic evaluation of their lymph nodes. The F-18-FDG PET/CT changed treatment planning in 34% of the patients. No significant relationship was identified between SUVmax value of the tumor and patient survival in patients (p=0.118). Conclusion: The present study concluded that PET/CT was an efficient method in the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer since it provided useful information in addition to conventional methods. It was also observed that PET/CT scanning resulted in a change in therapeutic plans in the majority of patients. However, there was no statistically significant relationship between survival and the SUVmax of the primary mass

Gram (-) microorganisms DNA polymerase inhibition, antibacterial and chemical properties of fruit and leaf extracts of Sorbus acuparia and Sorbus caucasica var. yaltirikii

BELDUZ, Ali Osman/0000-0003-2240-7568; k, selvi/0000-0002-9912-8586; SANDALLI, Cemal/0000-0002-1298-3687WOS: 000400604700017PubMed: 27859484Investigation of novel plant-based agents might provide alternative antibiotics and thus fight antibiotic resistance. Here, we measured the ability of fruit and leaf extracts of Sorbus aucuparia (Sauc) and endemic Sorbus caucasica var. yaltirikii (Scau) to inhibit nonreplicative (Klenow Fragment-KF and Bacillus Large Fragment-BLF) and replicative (DnaE and PolC) bacterial DNA polymerases along with their antimicrobial, DPPH free radical scavenging activity (RSA), and chemical contents by total phenolic content and HPLC-DAD analysis. We found that leaf extracts had nearly 10-fold higher RSA and 5-fold greater TPC than the corresponding fruit extracts. All extracts had large amounts of chlorogenic acid (CGA) and rutin, while fruit extracts had large amounts of quercetin. Hydrolysis of fruit extracts revealed mainly caffeic acid from CGA (caffeoylquinic acid) and quercetin from rutin (quercetin-3-O-rutinoside), as well as CGA and derivatives of CGA and p-coumaric acid. Plant extracts of Sorbus species showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative microorganisms. Scau leaf extracts exhibited strong inhibition of KF activity. Sauc and Scau leaf extracts also strongly inhibited two replicative DNA polymerases. Thus, these species can be considered a potential source of novel antimicrobial agents specific for Gram-negative bacteria.Scientific and Technical Research Council of TurkeyTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [TUBITAK-113Z054]The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey, Grant/Award Number: TUBITAK-113Z05