Sternal nonunion on bone scintigraphy: A case report

Sternal non-union is a severe complication of sternotomy closure following open heart surgeries. Healing problems typically occur in 0.3% to 5% of patients. Technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) bone scintigraphy has been used to assess bone nonunion to predict the healing response for proper management. In this report, we present the case of a marked sternal nonunion following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), using radionuclide bone scintigraphy

Effects of Phosphorus and Copper on Factors Influencing Nutrient Uptake, Photosynthesis, and Grain Yield of Wheat

Author Institution: Department of Agronomy, The Ohio State UniversityApplication of large amounts of phosphorus fertilizers is used to enhance early plant growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). This practice can lead to an accumulation of phosphorus in soil and a reduced copper uptake by plants which may result in a reduction of plastocyanin concentrations in chloroplasts. As a result, photosynthetic rates and crop yield can be adversely affected. While copper uptake is sometimes enhanced by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi, large accumulations of soil phosphorus can reduce VAM-enhanced copper uptake

The role of gated myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (GMPS) in myocarditis: A case report and review of the literature

Acute myocarditis is one of the most challenging diagnoses and treatments in cardiology. The acute viral myocarditis diagnosis is usually based on high suspicion, history taking, and physical examination. Likewise, the use of chest radiography, electrocardiography (ECG), and echocardiography is helpful in making a final diagnosis, but all are non-specific. In addition, in imaging query, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) depicts some degree of cardiac inflammation in the course of myocarditis. Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has also been shown to be useful in diagnosis, and this noninvasive technique diminishes the need for myocardial biopsy. The current study presents the diagnostic and prognostic role of MPI in a 25-year-old patient with suspected myocarditis. The patient underwent gated-technetium-99m-lablled, methoxyisobutyl isonitrile, single photon emission computed tomography (Gated 99mTc-MIBI SPECT) that showed nonheterogeneous absorption with remarkable decreased radiotracer uptake in the myocardium in both stress and rest phases. In addition, the gated mode demonstrated decreased wall motion and thickening of the myocardium with a sum motion score (SMS) of 28, a sum thickening score (STS) of 15, and a measured LVEF of 34%. The study concludes that 99mTC-MIBI SPECT imaging is a useful modality in the preparation of supplementary diagnostic and prognostic information in viral myocarditis. Copyright © 2011 Via Medica

Association of fibroblast growth factor (FGF-21) as a screening biomarker for chronic progressive external ophthalmoplesia

Purpose: To investigate whether or not fibroblast growth factor (FGF-21) can be used as a screening biomarker in chronic progressive external ophthalmoplesia (CPEO) patients. Methods: FGF-21 concentration was measured in the serum of 24 patients with CEPO phenotype and 24 control samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and determined the deletion of mitochondrial genome by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: FGF-21 concentration in 50% of CPEO patients showed notable differences from that in control subjects. FGF-21 concentration ratio in patient group, 2 disorder control groups (mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial) and normal group, respectively, was 294.87 ± 42.10 (p 50 years age group who show acute symptoms. © Pharmacotherapy Group, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, 300001 Nigeria. All rights reserved

One-year prognosis of patients with normal myocardial perfusion imaging using technitium-99m sestamibi in suspected coronary artery disease: A single-center experience of 1,047 patients

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of a normal stress technetium-99m (99mTc)-Sestamibi single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with different probabilities of coronary artery disease (CAD). Material and Methods: A total of 1,047 subjects with a normal 99mTc-MIBI SPECT were followed up for one year and hard and soft cardiac events were assessed. Hard cardiac events were defined as cardiac death or non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI). Soft cardiac events included the patient's development of recurrent chest pain requiring coronary revascularization or significant stenosis in coronary arteries on angiography. Results: Overall, 1,047 patients (248 men and 799 women; mean age: 60.07 ± 12.31, range 29-92) were enrolled. Three hard cardiac events occurred in the groups; two had cardiac arrest and one non-fatal MI. As a result, the annualized hard cardiac event rate was 0.28%, the annualized cardiac mortality rate was 0.19%, and the rate of overall annualized cardiac events was 1.25%. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in cardiac events among patients with various pretest likelihoods of CAD (p value=0.04). Conclusion: Our data confirmed that patients with a normal 99mTc-Sestamibi myocardial SPECT are associated with a very low incidence of cardiovascular events. © The Author(s) 2011

Sister chromatid exchange in peripheral blood lymphocytes as a possible breast cancer risk biomarker: A study of Iranian patients with breast cancer

Introduction: Sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) can be induced by variousgenotoxic treatments, suggesting that SCEs refl ect a DNA repair process and it may be a good index for assessment of genomic instability. However, the occurrence of genetic instability and in particular, of spontaneous SCEs has been strongly linked to cancer. Several chromosomal regions and many genes have been implicated in breast cancer.Materials and Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 31 Iranian breast cancer patients and 11 healthy women. SCE was measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes by adding to Ham’sF10 medium in presence of PHA, BrdU (5-bromo-deoxy Uridine) fl uorochrome Hoechst 33258, exposure to UV light and Giemsa staining. Then, SCE frequencies of patient and control groups were compared by the Mann-Withney U-test.Results: Signifi cantly difference was observed between two groups (