Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of the Breast at 3T: Pre- and Post-Contrast Evaluation for Breast Lesion Characterization

Purpose. To determine whether in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3T can provide accurate breast lesion characterization, and to determine the effect of gadolinium on the resonance of tCho. Methods. Twenty-four positive-mammogram patients were examined on a 3T MR scanner. 1H-MRS was performed before and after gadolinium administration. tCho peak was qualitatively evaluated before and after contrast injection. Results. Fourteen out of 27 lesions proved to be malignant after histopathological diagnosis. Using 1H-MRS, before contrast injection, 6/14 confirmed malignancies and 11/13 benign lesions were correctly classified; while, after contrast injection, 11/14 confirmed malignancies and 12/13 benign processes were correctly classified. Post gadolinium 1H-MRS proved useful in picking up tCho signal, improving the overall accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity by 35%, 83%, and 9%, respectively. Conclusion. 1H-MRS overall accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in detecting breast lesion's malignancy were increased after gadolinium administration. It is prudent to perform 1H-MRS before contrast injection in large breast lesions to avoid choline underestimation. In cases of small or non-mass lesions, it is recommended to perform 1H-MRS after contrast injection for better voxel prescription to enable a reliable preoperative diagnosis

Gross calcification of the small bowel in a continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patient with sclerosing peritonitis

We present here the case of a continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patient who developed sclerosing calcifying peritonitis with gross macroscopic calcification of the small bowel, a rare and life-threatening complication of sclerosing peritonitis. A 40-year-old female had been on CAPD for 7 years. A peritoneal biopsy during an open cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis showed sclerosing peritonitis, but the patient refused to change dialysis modality. She remained free of symptoms for 3 years, but then was admitted with cloudy effluent, abdominal pain, and referred pain to the left shoulder. A white blood cell count showed 25,000 cells/microL, and a peritoneal cell count showed 1000 cells/microL. An abdominal computed tomography scan was nondiagnostic. The patient was started on intraperitoneal antibiotics, but 3 days later she was taken for surgery because of acute abdomen. Laparotomy revealed a tanned and thickened peritoneum and a small bowel with significant fibrosis and foci of calcification on the antimesenteric surface. Enterectomy and primary anastomosis was performed. Pathology revealed extensive mural fibrosis, calcium deposition, and localized inflammatory infiltration of the small bowel. The patient developed an anastomotic leak and, despite a second operation, died in the intensive care unit from septic shock. Although some authors report successful outcomes in similar cases by using surgery or other treatments (parenteral nutrition, immunosuppression), or both, we urgently recommend that, if sclerosing calcifying peritonitis is diagnosed, the patient be switched promptly to hemodialysis

Estimating the agreement between the metabolic rate calculated from prediction equations and from a portable indirect calorimetry device: An effort to develop a new equation for predicting resting metabolic rate

Background: Many studies have been performed over time in order to determine the reliability of metabolic rate prediction equations. Purpose: To evaluate the agreement, in terms of bias, absolute bias and accuracy between metabolic rate prediction equations and measured metabolic rate using indirect calorimetry system (IC), investigating also the factors affecting this agreement. Methods: The anthropometric features of 383 Caucasian participants of all Body Mass Index (BMI) classes were recorded and Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) was measured by using the IC Fitmate portable device. The resulting values were compared with the predictive values of Harris & Benedict, Schofield, Owen, FAO-WHO-UNU, Mifflin and Harrington equations. Results: A closer approximation in agreement was obtained using the Harrington equation (based on BMI, age and gender). The equations using variables, such as weight, height, age and gender demonstrated higher agreement than the equations using merely weight and gender. Higher educational level was associated with normal weight, while higher calorific ratio was found in the class of normal-weighted individuals. An inverse relationship between ΒΜΙ and RMR was also observed and a logarithmic equation for calculating RMR was created, which was differentiated in relation to BMI classes, using the weight and gender variables. Conclusion: A better measurement agreement between RMR prediction equations and IC may be achieved due to BMI consideration. The present findings contributed to a better understanding of the measured parameters, confirming the inverse relationship between BMI and RMR. Age group and gender variables may also exert significant role on the bias response of some RMR equations. © 2018 The Author(s)

Assessment of axillary lymph nodes involvement in patients with breast cancer depending on the tumor size and its histological and nuclear grades

Background/Aim. There are a lot of studies aiding to the opinion that the involvement degree of axilla lymph nodes grows depending on increase of breast tumor size, and its histological and nuclear grades. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of axillary lymph nodes involvement, as well as the relation between the tumor size, histological and nuclear grades in a group of female patients who underwent breast cancer surgery, including levels 1-3 axillary dissection. Methods. Investigation covered 900 patients operated on during 2005-2008 who underwent modified radical mastectomy including axillar dissection. We assessed a number of involved lymph nodes, depending on tumor macroscopic size (T), histological grade (HG) and nuclear grade (NG). Results. A total number of examined lymph nodes was 9977. The incidence of involved lymph nodes was from 18.6% with T1 tumor size up to 60.2% with T4 tumor size. Concerning histological grade, the number of involved lymph nodes ranged from 14.2% (HGI) to 45.1% (HGIII); while in terms of nuclear grade, the number of involved lymph nodes ranged from 17.4% (NGI) to 54.5% (NGIV). By using χ2-test for trend and odds ratio (OR), the results showed that the axillary lymph nodes involvement degree was increased with the increase of the tumor size and its histological and nuclear grades. The risk of axillary lymphatic nodes involvement was 1.43 times higher in the group of T2 tumors size compared to the smaller tumors T1 size, and even up to 6.62 times higher in case of T4 tumor size. It was also increasied from 1.79 times for HGII to even 4.98 times for HGIII, and from 1.44 times for NGII to 5.71 times for NGIV. Conclusion. In breast cancer patients, there is a strong correlation between tumor size, its histological and nuclear grades and the risk of axillary lymph nodes involvement

Can bioelectrical impedance analysis and BMI be a prognostic tool in head and neck cancer patients? A review of the evidence

Background: Malnutrition can significantly affect disease progression and patient survival. The efficiency of weight loss and bioimpedance analysis (BIA)-derived measures in the evaluation of malnutrition, and disease progression and prognosis in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) are an important area of research. Method: The PubMed database was thoroughly searched, using relative keywords in order to identify clinical trials that investigated the role of BIA-derived measures and weight loss on the disease progression and prognosis of patients with HNC. Twenty-seven studies met the criteria. More specifically, six studies examined the prognostic role of the tissue electrical properties in HNC patients; five examined the role of the tissue electrical properties on identifying malnutrition; four studies looked at the changes in the tissue electrical properties of HNC patients; and 12 examined the prognostic role of weight loss on survival and/or treatment outcomes. Results: Several studies have investigated the role of nutritional status tools on prognosis in HNC patients. Current studies investigating the potential of BIA-derived raw data have shown that phase angle (PA) and capacitance of the cell membrane may be considered prognostic factors of survival. Weight loss may be a prognostic factor for treatment toxicity and survival, despite some conflicting evidence. Conclusions: Further studies are recommended to clarify the role of BIA-derived measures on patients’ nutritional status and the impact of PA on clinical outcomes as well as the prognostic role of weight loss. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Lymph Node Cellular Dynamics in Cancer and HIV: What Can We Learn for the Follicular CD4 (Tfh) Cells?

Lymph nodes (LNs) are central in the generation of adaptive immune responses. Follicular helper CD4 T (Tfh) cells, a highly differentiated CD4 population, provide critical help for the development of antigen-specific B cell responses within the germinal center. Throughout the past decade, numerous studies have revealed the important role of Tfh cells in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) pathogenesis as well as in the development of neutralizing antibodies post-infection and post-vaccination. It has also been established that tumors influence various immune cell subsets not only in their proximity, but also in draining lymph nodes. The role of local or tumor associated lymph node Tfh cells in disease progression is emerging. Comparative studies of Tfh cells in chronic infections and cancer could therefore provide novel information with regards to their differentiation plasticity and to the mechanisms regulating their development. © Copyright © 2018 Poultsidi, Dimopoulos, He, Chavakis, Saloustros, Lee and Petrovas

Influence of the sodium transport inhibition by amiloride on the transmesothelial resistance of isolated visceral sheep peritoneum

The peritoneal mesothelium is a barrier to ion transport in peritoneal dialysis. In the present study, we used Ussing chamber experiments to investigate the effect of amiloride on the transmesothelial electrical resistance (R(TM)) of isolated visceral sheep peritoneum. Peritoneal samples from the omentum of adult sheep were isolated directly after the death of the animals and were transferred to the laboratory within 30 minutes in a cooled Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution (4 degrees C, pH 7.5) bubbled with 95% O2/5% CO2. A visceral peritoneal planar sheet was mounted in an Ussing-type chamber and amiloride (10(-3) mol/L) was added apically and basolaterally. The R(TM) was measured before and serially for 30 minutes after the addition of amiloride. Because active ion transport is temperature dependent, the Ussing chambers were held at 37 degrees C. The results presented are the means + standard error of 12 experiments. The control R(TM) (before the addition of amiloride) was 21.86 +/- 0.46 omega x cm2. Basolateral addition of amiloride induced, within 1 minute, an increase in R(TM) to 27.26 +/- 0.39 omega x cm2, a level that persisted throughout the experiment. When amiloride was added apically, the results were similar with a rapid rise of R(TM) to 24.18 +/- 0.9 omega x cm2 and subsequent value persistence (p < 0.05). A clear association between R(TM) and active ion transport was shown in previous studies. The results of the present study indicate rapid action of amiloride on the permeability of the visceral peritoneum. The observed increase in the R(TM) indicates the existence of amiloride-sensitive sodium channels in the visceral peritoneal membrane. The clinical implications of these results should be further investigated

Inhibition by mercuric chloride of aquaporin-1 in the parietal sheep peritoneum: an electrophysiologic study

The peritoneal mesothelium is a barrier to ion transport in peritoneal dialysis. In this study, we used Ussing-chamber experiments to investigate the effect of HgCl2, an aquaporin-1 inhibitor, on the transmesothelial electrical resistance (RTM) of isolated sheep parietal peritoneum. Peritoneal samples from the diaphragm of adult sheep were isolated immediately after the death of the animal and were transferred within 30 minutes to the laboratory in a cooled Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution (4 degrees C, pH 7.5) bubbled with 95% O(2)/5% CO2. A planar sheet of the parietal peritoneum was mounted in an Ussing-type chamber and HgCl2 (10(-4) mol/L) was added apically or basolaterally. The RTM was measured before and serially after the addition of the HgCl2. The entire experimental apparatus was held at 37 degrees C, because active ion transport is temperature-dependent. The results presented are the mean +/- standard error of 12 experiments. The control RTM (that is, before the addition of HgCl) was 19.3 +/- 0.38 omega x cm2. Addition of HgCl2 apically induced a decrease in the RTM to 16.25 +/- 0.86 omega x cm2 within 1 minute. When added basolaterally, HgCl2 action was similar, with a rapid reduction in the RTM to 18.1 +/- 0.51 omega x cm2 (p < 0.05). A clear association between the RTM and the active transmesothelial ion transport was shown in previous studies. In the present study, rapid action of HgCl2 on the permeability ofthe parietal peritoneum was observed, resulting in a reduction in the RTM Taken together, these findings indicate that inhibition of aquaporin-1 alters the ionic permeability of the parietal peritoneal membrane

Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Nutritional Status in Women with Breast Cancer: What Is Their Impact on Disease Progression and Recurrence-Free Patients’ Survival?

Introduction: Nutritional status impacts the survival of patients with cancer. There are few studies that investigate the role of nutritional status on breast cancer survival in women with breast cancer, and even fewer regarding the impact of adhering to the Mediterranean diet (MD). The present study aims to assess the nutritional status, MD adherence, physical activity levels and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in women diagnosed with breast cancer and evaluate these parameters regarding recurrence-free survival. Methods: A total of 114 women, aged 35–87 years old, diagnosed with breast cancer in Larissa, Greece, participated in the study. Tumor histopathology was reported, and anthropometric indices were measured by a trained nurse, while questionnaires regarding nutritional status (via mini nutritional assessment), HRQOL via EORTC QLQ-C30, physical activity levels via IPAQ and Mediterranean diet adherence via MedDietScore were administered. The participants were followed-up for a maximum time interval of 42 months or until recurrence occurred. Results: A total of 74% of patients were overweight or obese, while 4% of women were undernourished, and 28% were at risk of malnutrition. After 42 months of follow-up, 22 patients (19.3%) had relapsed. The median time to recurrence was 38 months (IQR: 33–40 months) and ranged between 23 to 42 months. Higher levels of MD adherence were significantly associated with lower body mass index (BMI) values, earlier disease stage, smaller tumor size, absence of lymph node metastases and better physical activity levels (p < 0.05). Normal nutritional status was significantly associated with higher BMI values and better health-related quality of life (p ≤ 0.05). In univariate analysis, patients with higher levels of MD adherence and well-nourished patients had significantly longer recurrence-free survival (p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, MD adherence and nutritional status were independently associated with recurrence-free patients’ survival after adjustment for several confounding factors (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The impact of MD on time to recurrence is still under investigation, and future interventional studies need to focus on the role of adhering to the MD before and after therapy in survival and breast cancer progression. Furthermore, the present study also highlights the importance of an adequate nutritional status on disease progression, and the need for nutritional assessment, education and intervention in women with breast cancer. © 2022 by the authors