Correlation of acute pulmonal embolism with D-dimer levels and the diameter of the pulmonary trunk in thoracic multislice computed tomography : a single-centre retrospective analysis of 100 patients

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the correlation between D-dimer levels in positive thromboembolic thoracic computed tomography (CT) with the diameter of the pulmonary trunk and to study the relation between the D-dimer and the uni- or bilateralism of the lesions and the presence of pulmonal trunk involvement. We also analysed gender-specific differences in patients with and without dilatation of the pulmonal trunk. Material and methods: A total of 100 acute care patients (50 men and 50 women) with positive thromboembolic multiple detector computed tomography of the thorax, performed on two modern CT scanners, were retrospectively studied. All thoracic CTs were evaluated by two expert radiologists, with attention paid to the diameter of the pulmonary trunk and the correlation of D-dimer level with the uni-or bilateralism of the lesions. We also analysed sex-specific correlations. All patients underwent multislice computed tomography-examination after applying 70 ml iodinated non-ionic contrast media. Graphpad Prism 8.1.1 software was used for statistical data. Results: The "strongest" weak correlation resulted between D-dimer levels and the axial diameter of the pulmonal trunk. Considering the correlation between the axial diameter of the pulmonal trunk and gender-related distributions, we found that female patients had higher axial diameters than men. Another weak relationship, almost zero, was found between the D-dimer level and gender. Regarding the correlation between the uni- or bilateralism of thromboembolism and the D-dimer levels, we also found a weak correlation. Conclusions: This retrospective study showed that D-dimer levels, the diameter of the pulmonal trunk, the location, and gender-related distributions have almost no correlation and are not significantly predictive in imaging

Apple scab control with grapefruit seed extract: no alternative to chemical fungicides

The growth inhibiting effect of four commercially available grapefruit seed extracts on the causal organism of apple scab Venturia inaequalis was tested. Germination of the conidia of Venturia inaequalis was pronouncedly inhibited by all tested extracts. The commercial products were analyzed by high pressure liquid chromatography and thin layer chromatography. All samples contained at least one preserving agent. These substances were identified as either benzethonium chloride, benzalkonium chloride, methyl parabene or propyl parabene. Freshly prepared extracts from seeds of grapefruits (Citrus paradisi) did not inhibit the germination of Venturia inaequalis. It was therefore concluded that the antifungal effect of grapefruit seed extracts is caused by the added preservatives

Gross tumour volume comparison in oropharynx carcinomas using different intelligent imaging software : a retrospective analysis

Purpose: To compare gross tumour volume (GTV) in oropharynx carcinomas using different intelligent imaging software and to evaluate which method is more reliable for tumour volume definition in comparison with 3D ProSoma software. Material and methods: We retrospectively studied 32 patients with histopathologically confirmed oropharynx carcinomas on dual-source computed tomography (CT) (all patients underwent multislice CT examination after applying 75 ml iodinated non-ionic contrast media). One radiologist calculated the tumour volume - manually measuring tumour length (L), width (W), and height (H) - and then calculated the tumour volume using the formula 0.5236 × L × W × H. The other radiologist used the syngo.CT-Liver-Analysis software to calculate the tumour volumes. Both volume measuring methods were compared with the 3D ProSoma software, which is used by radiotherapists to calculate tumour volumes. Graphpad Prism software was used for statistical data. Results: syngo.CT-Liver-Analysis software for gross tumour volume determination has greater reliability than the standard manual method with Syngo Plaza in comparison with the 3D ProSoma software. Conclusions: syngo.CT-Liver-Analysis software is a reliable tool for GTV calculation, with a high correlation score, like that of radiotherapeutic 3D ProSoma software

Quantitative analysis of anti-inflammatory lignan derivatives in Ratanhiae radix and its tincture by HPLC–PDA and HPLC–MS

AbstractRoot preparations of Krameria lappacea (Dombey) Burdet et Simpson are traditionally used against oropharyngeal inflammation. Besides antimicrobial and astringent procyanidines, lignan derivatives, including ratanhiaphenol I, II, III and (+)-conocarpan, contribute to the activity of Ratanhiae radix, exerting a significant topical anti-inflammatory activity in vivo, and in vitro by inhibiting NF-κB and the formation of inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Besides gravimetrical analysis of the ratanhiaphenols I, II and III, the content of these compounds in the herbal drug has never been determined. The developed HPLC method enables the quantification of twelve active lignan derivatives in the roots, and is also suitable for the determination of the constituents in Tinctura Ratanhiae. Separation was achieved on a phenyl-hexyl column material using a solvent gradient consisting of 0.02% aqueous TFA and a mixture of acetonitrile/methanol (75:25, v/v). Sensitivity, accuracy (recovery rates were between 95% and 105.6%), repeatability (RSD≤4.6%), and precision (intra-day precision≤4.8%; inter-day precision≤3.4%) of the method were determined. HPLC–MS experiments in positive and negative electrospray ionization mode confirmed identity and peak purity of analytes. The analysis of several root and tincture samples revealed that (+)-conocarpan and ratanhiaphenol II dominated with contents of 0.49–0.71% and 0.51–0.53% in the roots and 0.66–0.68mg/ml and 0.70–0.71mg/ml in the commercial tinctures, respectively

Drugs from Nature Targeting Inflammation (DNTI) – Ein erfolgreiches interdisziplinäres Österreichisches Netzwerk-Projekt

Entzündungen sind Reaktionen des Organismus auf die Einwirkung von unterschiedlichen Reizen, die physikalisch chemischer Art sein können, oder auf Infektionserreger und maligne Neoplasmen zurückzuführen sind. Entzündungen spielen bei einer Vielzahl von Krankeitsbildern wie z. B. Arthritis, Atherosklerose, dem metabolischen Syndrom, Sepsis, Allergien und Autoimmunerkrankungen oder Krebs eine essentielle Rolle. Im Rahmen eines Nationalen Forschungsnetzwerkes arbeiten Wissenschaftler der Universität Innsbruck, der Universität Wien, der Medizinischen Universität Wien, der Veterinärmedizinischen Universität Wien, der Technischen Universität Wien und der Universität Graz zusammen. Finanziert wird das Projekt durch den Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Förderperiode 2008-2014). Zusätzliche Unterstützung erfolgt durch die Standardagentur Tirol. Ziel dieses nationalen Netzwerkes ist die Identifizierung und Charakterisierung von bioaktiven Naturstoffen für die Behandlung entzündlicher Erkrankungen speziell im Bereich des kardiovaskulären Systems. Die Identifizierung und Isolierung von entzündungshemmenden Naturstoffen erfolgt auf Basis von Computertechniken, wie Pharmakophor-Modelling und virtuellem Screening von Naturstoffdatenbanken (molekularer Ansatz) sowie der volksmedizinischen Anwendung von Heilpflanzen (ethnopharmakologischer Ansatz). Wirkstoffkandidaten beider Ansätze werden in In-vivo-Modellen sowie mechanistischen Studien in vitro untersucht. Struktur-Wirkungsbeziehungen isolierter oder synthetisierter Strukturanaloga aktiver Naturstoffe werden analysiert. Stichwörter: DNTI, Entzündung, NaturstoffeDrugs from Nature Targeting Inflammation (DNTI) – A sucessful interdisziplinary Austrian network projectInflammation is the body's response to tissue injury, either physical (mechanical, irradiation), by infectious agents, or by malignant or altered normal cells. Thus, various and at first glance diverse pathological conditions involve inflammation. These include arthritis, atherosclerosis, the metabolic syndrome, sepsis, allergies and auto-immune diseases or even cancer. In the course of an ongoing Austrian research network project involving scientists from the University of Innsbruck, the University of Vienna, the Medical University of Vienna, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna University of Technology and the University of Graz. The project is financed (2008-2014 programming period) by the Austrian Science Fund. Additional support is provided by the standard agency Tyrol. The aim of this project is to identify and characterize natural products (NPs) capable to combat inflammatory processes and disorders associated with inflammation. This goal is approached by a unique combination of strategies e.g. i) virtual screening of NP databases using structure- or ligand-based pharmacophore models to identify bioactive NPs against selected anti-inflammatory targets, ii) parallel pharmacophoric profiling to predict desired but also unwanted bioactivities of single NPs and to provide suggestions for their pharmacological mechanisms of action and iii) exploitation of indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants to select promising candidates for phytochemical and subsequent pharmacological investigation. Keywords: DNTI, inflammation, natural product

The Role of Cardiac MRI in the Postsurgical Follow Up of Aortic Coarctation-Our Experience

n/

Structure-Guided Identification of Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa) Triterpenoids with In Vitro Activity against Multiple Myeloma

Black cohosh is a well-established medicinal plant and preparations of its rootstock are used for the treatment of mild climacteric complaints. The compounds considered responsible for the therapeutic effect are triterpene glycosides, characterized by a cycloartane scaffold and a pentose moiety. Because some of these triterpenoids were found to exhibit relevant cytotoxic effects against human breast cancer cells, we decided to investigate their activity on multiple myeloma cell lines NCI-H929, OPM-2, and U266. In a systematic approach, we initially tested three known cytotoxic compounds of three different triterpenoid types, revealing the cimigenol-type triterpenoid as the most active constituent. In a second round, seven naturally occurring cimigenol derivatives were compared with respect to their sugar moiety and their substitution pattern at position C-25, leading to 25-O-methylcimigenol-3-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside as the most potent candidate. Interestingly, not only the methyl group at position C-25 increased the cytotoxic effect but also the arabinose moiety at position C-3 had an impact on the activity. The variety of cimigenol derivatives, moreover, allowed a detailed discussion of their structure-activity relationships, not only for their effect on multiple myeloma cells but also with regard to previous studies on the cytotoxicity of black cohosh triterpenoids

Purification of thonningianins A and B and four further derivatives from Thonningia sanguinea by one‐ and two‐dimensional centrifugal partition chromatography

International audienc

Vitamin E metabolites as potent inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase

International audienc