89 research outputs found
Quantitative and qualitative differences in subcutaneous adipose tissue stores across lipodystrophy types shown by magnetic resonance imaging
BACKGROUND: Lipodystrophies are characterized by redistributed subcutaneous fat stores. We previously quantified subcutaneous fat by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the legs of two patients with familial partial lipodystrophy subtypes 2 and 3 (FPLD2 and FPLD3, respectively). We now extend the MRI analysis across the whole body of patients with different forms of lipodystrophy. METHODS: We studied five subcutaneous fat stores (supraclavicular, abdominal, gluteal, thigh and calf) and the abdominal visceral fat stores in 10, 2, 1, 1 and 2 female subjects with, respectively, FPLD2, FPLD3, HIV-related partial lipodystrophy (HIVPL), acquired partial lipodystrophy (APL), congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL) and in six normal control subjects. RESULTS: Compared with normal controls, FPLD2 subjects had significantly increased supraclavicular fat, with decreased abdominal, gluteal, thigh and calf subcutaneous fat. FPLD3 subjects had increased supraclavicular and abdominal subcutaneous fat, with less severe reductions in gluteal, thigh and calf fat compared to FPLD2 subjects. The repartitioning of fat in the HIVPL subject closely resembled that of FPLD3 subjects. APL and CGL subjects had reduced upper body, gluteal and thigh subcutaneous fat; the APL subject had increased, while CGL subjects had decreased subcutaneous calf fat. Visceral fat was markedly increased in FPLD2 and APL subjects. CONCLUSION: Semi-automated MRI-based adipose tissue quantification indicates differences between various lipodystrophy types in these studied clinical cases and is a potentially useful tool for extended quantitative phenomic analysis of genetic metabolic disorders. Further studies with a larger sample size are essential for confirming these preliminary findings
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the spleen: an introduction and pictorial essay
A wide variety of pathologies can produce focal lesions within the spleen. These are being more frequently encountered as imaging technology improves. It is vital that radiologists are aware of these pathologies to enable accurate diagnosis. The role of ultrasound contrast in splenic disease will be discussed and illustrated with cases likely to be encountered by general and abdominal radiologists
Assay precision and risk of misclassification at rule-out cut-offs for high-sensitivity cardiac troponin
Clinical trials and guidelines support the use of very low high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) results to rule-out a myocardial infarction (MI) ( 1) ). The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine Committee on Clinical Applications of Cardiac Biomarkers committee, through a modeling approach, suggests assays need to have a lower limit near 3 ng/L and an analytical variation of 10% below 7 ng/L if these low values are to perform consistently in practice ( 2) ). Our objectives for the present study were to assess: i) if any type of instrument or individual instrument could achieve a coefficient of variation (CV) of ≤10% at very low hs-cTn cut-offs (i.e., targets) recommended in clinical pathways; ii) the frequency of results at the hs-cTn target, above the target and below the target, with the latter group representing potential misclassification to the low risk group where the target level would in the intermediate risk range.<br/
Severe cardiac phenotype of Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy in an infant with homozygous E189X BSCL2 mutation
<i>In Vitro</i> Optimization of EtNBS-PDT against Hypoxic Tumor Environments with a Tiered, High-Content, 3D Model Optical Screening Platform
Hypoxia and acidosis are widely recognized as major contributors
to the development of treatment resistant cancer. For patients with
disseminated metastatic lesions, such as most women with ovarian cancer
(OvCa), the progression to treatment resistant disease is almost always
fatal. Numerous therapeutic approaches have been developed to eliminate
treatment resistant carcinoma, including novel biologic, chemo, radiation,
and photodynamic therapy (PDT) regimens. Recently, PDT using the cationic
photosensitizer EtNBS was found to be highly effective against therapeutically
unresponsive hypoxic and acidic OvCa cellular populations <i>in vitro.</i> To optimize this treatment regimen, we developed
a tiered, high-content, image-based screening approach utilizing a
biologically relevant OvCa 3D culture model to investigate a small
library of side-chain modified EtNBS derivatives. The uptake, localization,
and photocytotoxicity of these compounds on both the cellular and
nodular levels were observed to be largely mediated by their respective
ethyl side chain chemical alterations. In particular, EtNBS and its
hydroxyl-terminated derivative (EtNBS-OH) were found to have similar
pharmacological parameters, such as their nodular localization patterns
and uptake kinetics. Interestingly, these two molecules were found
to induce dramatically different therapeutic outcomes: EtNBS was found
to be more effective in killing the hypoxic, nodule core cells with
superior selectivity, while EtNBS-OH was observed to trigger widespread
structural degradation of nodules. This breakdown of the tumor architecture
can improve the therapeutic outcome and is known to synergistically
enhance the antitumor effects of front-line chemotherapeutic regimens.
These results, which would not have been predicted or observed using
traditional monolayer or <i>in vivo</i> animal screening
techniques, demonstrate the powerful capabilities of 3D <i>in
vitro</i> screening approaches for the selection and optimization
of therapeutic agents for the targeted destruction of specific cellular
subpopulations
Effectiveness of Dextrose Prolotherapy for Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review
- …