Characterization of Hemoglobin, Water, and NIR Scattering in Breast Tissue: Analysis of Intersubject Variability and Menstrual Cycle Changes

Near-infrared imaging was used to quantify typical values of hemoglobin concentration, oxygen saturation, water fraction, scattering power, and scattering amplitude within the breast tissue of volunteer subjects. A systematic study of the menstrual variations in these parameters was carried out by measuring a group of seven premenopausal normal women (aged 41 to 47 years) in the follicular (days 7 to 14 of the cycle) and secretory phases (days 21 to 28) of the cycle, for two complete menstrual cycles. An average increase in hemoglobin concentration of 2.6 μM or 13% of the background breast values was observed in the secretory phase relative to the follicular phase (p\u3c0.0001), but no other average near-infrared parameter changes were significant. While repeatable and systematic changes were observed in all parameters for individual subjects, large intersubject variations were present in all parameters. In a survey of thirty-nine normal subjects, the total hemoglobin varied from 9 to 45 μM, with a systematic correlation observed between total hemoglobin concentration and breast radiographic density. Scattering power and scattering amplitude were also correlated with radiographic density, but oxygen saturation and water fraction were not. Images of breast lesions indicate that total hemoglobin-based contrast can be up to 200% relative to the background in the same breast. Yet, since the background hemoglobin values vary considerably among breasts, the maximum hemoglobin concentrations observed in cancer tumors may vary considerably as well. In light of these observations, it may be important to use hemoglobin contrast values relative to the background for a given breast, rather than absolute hemoglobin contrast when trying to compare the features of breast lesions among subjects

Interpreting hemoglobin and water concentration, oxygen saturation, and scattering measured in vivo by near-infrared breast tomography

Near-infrared spectroscopic tomography was used to measure the properties of 24 mammographically normal breasts to quantify whole-breast absorption and scattering spectra and to evaluate which tissue composition characteristics can be determined from these spectra. The absorption spectrum of breast tissue allows quantification of (i) total hemoglobin concentration, (ii) hemoglobin oxygen saturation, and (iii) water concentration, whereas the scattering spectrum provides information about the size and number density of cellular components and structural matrix elements. These property data were tested for correlation to demographic information, including subject age, body mass index, breast size, and radiographic density. Total hemoglobin concentration correlated inversely to body mass index, likely because lower body mass indicates proportionately less fat and more glandular tissue, and glandular tissue contains greater vascularity, hence, more total hemoglobin. Optical scattering was correlated to breast diameter, subject age, and radiographic density. In the radiographic density, fatty breasts had low scattering power and extremely dense breasts had higher values. This observation is consistent with low attenuation of conventional x-rays with fat and higher attenuation in glandular tissues. Optically, fatty tissues have large scatterers leading to a low scattering power, whereas glandular or fibrous tissues have more cellular and collagen-based structures that lead to high scattering power. The study presents correlative data supporting the hypothesis that optical measurements of absorption and scattering can provide physiologically relevant information about breast tissue composition. These breast constituents vary significantly between individuals and can be altered because of changes in breast physiology or pathological state

Near-infrared scattering spectrum differences between benign and malignant breast tumors measured in vivo with diffuse tomography

Astract: Near-infrared spectral tomographic imaging was used to show that a statistically significant difference exists in the spectral scattering power and amplitude between a group of benign (n=7) and malignant (n=6) tumor tissues imaged in vivo.</p

In vivo hemoglobin and water concentrations, oxygen saturation, and scattering estimates from near-infrared breast tomography using spectral reconstruction

Rationale and Objectives. Near-infrared (NIR) imaging has its niche in quantifying and characterizing functional changes in tissue relating to vascularity and metabolic status. Here, NIR tomography was applied to study mammographically normal breast tissue in vivo by evaluating relationships between functional parameters so obtained to clinical representers in an effort to understand factors influencing tissue compositional changes. Materials and Methods. A new spectral reconstruction method that is considered to provide the most accurate estimates of hemoglobin level, oxygen saturation, water fraction, scattering power, and amplitude was used to assess healthy breast tissue imaged in vivo by means of NIR tomography. The approach directly recovers functional parameters with inherent inclusion of spectral behavior enforced through the incorporation of a priori model assumptions. Sixty subjects were imaged by using a frequency-domain instrument followed by spectral image reconstruction and statistical analysis for significant correlations. Results. The new analysis shows statistically significant inverse correlations between body mass index and breast total hemoglobin and water fractions. Water fraction also correlated inversely with age and separated certain categories of breast density. Average scatter power was indicative of breast radiographic density composition, whereas scatter amplitude varied inversely with breast diameter. Total hemoglobin correlated with water fraction, whereas water correlated with scatter power. Conclusion. The changes observed here are attributable to volume fraction alterations and provide some of the most comprehensive data on breast composition variations with demographic factors.</p

Human Gut Microbiota: Toward an Ecology of Disease

Composed of trillions of individual microbes, the human gut microbiota has adapted to the uniquely diverse environments found in the human intestine. Quickly responding to the variances in the ingested food, the microbiota interacts with the host via reciprocal biochemical signaling to coordinate the exchange of nutrients and proper immune function. Host and microbiota function as a unit which guards its balance against invasion by potential pathogens and which undergoes natural selection. Disturbance of the microbiota composition, or dysbiosis, is often associated with human disease, indicating that, while there seems to be no unique optimal composition of the gut microbiota, a balanced community is crucial for human health. Emerging knowledge of the ecology of the microbiota-host synergy will have an impact on how we implement antibiotic treatment in therapeutics and prophylaxis and how we will consider alternative strategies of global remodeling of the microbiota such as fecal transplants. Here we examine the microbiota-human host relationship from the perspective of the microbial community dynamics