Usefulness of Bone Metabolic Markers in the Diagnosis of Bone Metastasis from Lung Cancer

Bone metastasis is common in lung cancer patient and the diagnosis of bone metastasis is usually made by using imaging techniques, especially bone scintigraphy. However, the diagnostic yield from bone scintigraphy is limited. The aim of this study is to assess the clinical usefulness of urinary pyridinoline cross-linked N-telopeptides of Type I collagen (NTx), urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD), and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the assessment of bone metastasis in patients with lung cancer. Urinary NTx, DPD, and serum ALP were measured in 151 lung cancer patients (33 with and 118 without bone metastasis). Lung cancer patients with bone metastasis had a higher urinary excretion of NTx and DPD, and a higher serum ALP than those without bone metastasis. NTx had a better receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve than DPD and ALP, since the areas under the ROC curve were 0.82, 0.79, and 0.71, respectively. Although correlation coefficients among NTx, DPD and ALP were significantly positive (p < 0.005), the strongest relationship was appeared between NTx and DPD (R=0.616). In conclusion, our results showed the utility of the new bone markers in detecting bone metastasis and suggested that measurement of urinary NTx was valid diagnostic method of bone metastasis from lung cancer

Complete response to FOLFOX4 therapy in a patient with advanced urothelial cancer: a case report

No standard has been established for salvage therapy in gemcitabine refractory advanced urothelial cancer. We report the complete response to FOLFOX4 therapy of a metastatic urothelial cancer patient, for whom adjuvant gemcitabine plus cisplatin combination chemotherapy had failed. A 54-year-old male patient with urothelial cancer (transitional cell carcinoma) in the right kidney underwent three rounds of adjuvant gemcitabine-cisplatin chemotherapy after extensive radical nephrectomy. However, he had new liver, lung metastases and synchronous two separate primary colon cancer. The lung metastasis lesion was confirmed as a metastatic urothelial cancer via percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB). Liver and lung metastasis lesions disappeared after the 4th cycle of FOLFOX4 chemotherapy. In addition, colon cancer also disappeared after the 8th cycle of FOLFOX4 chemotherapy. The patient was still showing a complete response after 4 months. Clinical trials using the FOLFOX regimen as salvage therapy for gemcitabine-refractory advanced urothelial cancer are warranted

Gas-Filled Phospholipid Nanoparticles Conjugated with Gadolinium Play a Role as a Potential Theragnostics for MR-Guided HIFU Ablation

To develop a long-circulating theragnostics, meaning therapeutics and diagnostics for MR-guided HIFU ablation, we designed and prepared Gd-C5F12-phospholipid nanobubbles (PLNs) 30–100 nm in diameter. The biochemical and physical characterization of Gd-C5F12-PLNs were performed. Since Gd-C5F12-PLN-50 (Φ = 50 nm) and Gd-C5F12-PLN-100 (Φ = 100 nm) enhanced the hyperthermal effect of HIFU size- and concentration-dependently in a tissue-mimicking phantom, its circulation, distribution, tumor accumulation and tumor ablation were examined in tumor-bearing mice. The plasma-half life of Gd-C5F12-PLNs was longer than 1.5 hrs. Gd-C5F12-PLNs mainly accumulated in the liver and the spleen, suggesting that they are slowly secreted through the hepatobiliary pathway. Monitored by the T1 signal intensity of MR, Gd-C5F12-PLNs accumulated in tumor tissues for 8 hours in mice. HIFU with Gd-C5F12-PLN-100 showed the increased tumor ablation area as compared with HIFU alone. The results suggest that Gd-C5F12-PLNs exhibit a potential theragnostics for MR-guided HIFU ablation

High-resolution crystal structure of the non-specific lipid-transfer protein from maize seedlings

AbstractBackground: The movement of lipids between membranes is aided by lipid-transfer proteins (LTPs). Some LTPs exhibit broad specificity, transferring many classes of lipids, and are termed non-specific LTPs (ns-LTPs). Despite their apparently similar mode of action, no sequence homology exists between mammalian and plant ns-LTPs and no three-dimensional structure has been reported for any plant ns-LTP.Results We have determined the crystal structure of ns-LTP from maize seedlings by multiple isomorphous replacement and refined the structure to 1.9 å resolution. The protein comprises a single compact domain with four α-helices and a long C-terminal region. The eight conserved cysteines form four disulfide bridges (assigned as Cys4–Cys52, Cys14–Cys29, Cys30–Cys75, and Cys50–Cys89) resolving the ambiguity that remained from the chemical determination of pairings in the homologous protein from castor bean. Two of the bonds, Cys4–Cys52 and Cys50–Cys89, differ from what would have been predicted from sequence alignment with soybean hydrophobic protein. The complex between maize ns-LTP and hexadecanoate (palmitate) has also been crystallized and its structure refined to 1.8 å resolution.Conclusion The fold of maize ns-LTP places it in a new category of all-α-type structure, first described for soybean hydrophobic protein. In the absence of a bound ligand, the protein has a tunnel-like hydrophobic cavity, which is large enough to accommodate a long fatty acyl chain. In the structure of the complex with palmitate, most of the acyl chain is buried inside this hydrophobic cavity

Combined Photodynamic Therapy and Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injection for the Treatment of Adult Coats' Disease: A Case Report

A 68-year-old woman presented with a visual field defect in her right eye. The fundus of her right eye showed multiple telangiectatic vessels, retinal hemorrhages, and subretinal exudates in the inferior peripheral retina. Nine months later, the subretinal exudates extended to the fovea despite treatment with laser photocoagulation. Cryotherapy was not possible at the time because of the posterior location of the retinal telangiectatic vessels. She was treated with a combination of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and intravitreal bevacizumab injection: three injections were given at 2-month intervals. After this combined therapy, her right fundus revealed a significant regression of abnormal retinal vessels and subretinal exudates. A fluorescein angiography showed no leakage from the abnormal retinal vessels. At 9 months after the combined therapy, she was able to maintain a stable visual acuity and visual field. This is the first case report that demonstrates the efficacy of the combined treatment of PDT and intravitreal bevacizumab injection in Coats's disease. This combined therapy is a kind of treatment modality for adult Coats' disease in cases which cryotherapy cannot be employed and are refractory to laser photocoagulation