Heterotopic ossification in patients previously hospitalized in an intensive care unit

BACKGROUND: Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a potential complication in patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU). In this study we examined the association of HO diagnosed with three-phase bone scan (3pBS) in association with various parameters in patients previously hospitalized in ICU. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrieved patient records of the last 12 years subjected to 3pBS and diagnosed with HO from the Department of Nuclear Medicine (2004 up to 2016) and searched for a name match from ICU records. RESULTS: We found 61 patients that had a positive 3pBS for HO of whom 17 patients were hospitalized in the ICU. Among the 17 patients, twelve fulfilled the study criteria and were included in the study. The mean age was 38 years and 92% were males. HO was unilateral in 7 and bilateral in 5 patients. Patients with unilateral HO had up to 2 joints with HO, while those with bilateral had up to 4 joints. HO was most frequently observed in lower limbs, with hip being the most common joint affected. In the upper limbs, HO occurred predominantly in bilateral joints with elbow being the most frequently involved joint. Patients with longer duration of ICU stay had more joints affected. CONCLUSION: HO is a potential complication in patients with ICU hospitalization. Since 3pBS is an imaging method for early detection of HO, patients hospitalized in ICU should be screened with 3pBS for appropriate management

Myocardial perfusion imaging with 99 mTc - tetrofosmin SPECT in breast cancer patients that received postoperative radiotherapy: a case-control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Purpose</p> <p>To evaluate the cardiac toxicity of radiotherapy (RT) in breast cancer (BC) patients employing myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with Tc-99 m Tetrofosmin - single photon emission computer tomography (T-SPECT).</p> <p>Materials and methods</p> <p>We studied 46 BC female patients (28 patients with left and 18 patients with right BC) treated with postoperative RT compared to a control group of 85 age-matched females. The median time of RT to SPECT was 40 months (6-263).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Abnormalities in the summed stress score (SSS) were found in 54% of left BC patients, 44.4% of right BC patients, and 32.9% of controls. In left BC patients there were significantly more SSS abnormalities compared to controls (4.0 ± 3.5 vs 2.6 ± 2.0, p = 0.05) and possible trend of increased abnormalities of right BC patients (3.7 ± 3.0 vs 2.6 ± 2.0, p = 0.14). Multiple regression analysis showed more abnormalities in the MPI of left BC patients compared to controls (SSS, p = 0.0001); Marginal toxicity was also noted in right BC patients (SSS, p = 0.045). No additional toxicity was found in patients that received adjuvant cardiotoxic chemotherapy. All T-SPECT abnormalities were clinically silent.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The study suggests that radiation therapy to BC patients result in MPI abnormalities but without apparent clinical consequences.</p

Synthesis of vitamin E and aliphatic lipid vanadium(IV) and (V) complexes, and their cytotoxic properties

Novel vitamin E chelate derivatives and their VIV/V complexes have been synthesized and characterized, and their anticancer properties have been evaluated. The new complexes have been designed to exhibit enhanced cytotoxicity by combining high lipophilicity with the properties of vanadium to induce the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In particular, the β-tocopherol derivatives with iminodiethanol (β-tocDEA) and dipicolylamine (β-tocDPA) as well their VV and VIV complexes, [VVO(β-tocDEA] and [VIVO(β-tocDPA] have been synthesized and characterized by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Ultra Violet-Visible (UV–Vis) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. Although the β-tocopherol compounds exhibit antioxidant activity their complexes induce formation of radicals. In addition, two vanadium amphiphilic complexes of 2,2′-((2-hydroxyoctadecyl)azanediyl)bis(ethan-1-ol) (C18DEA) and 1-(bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino)octadecan-2-ol (C18DPA) known to activate O2 and produce ROS were synthesized and characterized (C. Drouza, A. Dieronitou, I. Hadjiadamou, M. Stylianou, J. Agric. Food. Chem., vol. 65, 2017, pp. 4942–4951). The four amphiphilic vanadium complexes exhibit enhanced hydrolytic stability. All compounds found to be cytotoxic for cancer cells exhibiting activity similar or higher to cis-platin

Modulation of cisplatin cytotoxic activity against leiomyosarcoma cells by epigallocatechin-3-gallate

<p>The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic effect cisplatin in combination with epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on leiomyosarcoma cells (LMS cells) in order to identify a less toxic but equally effective alternative. Assays for cell proliferation, colony formation efficiency, induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were performed using the IC₅₀ of cisplatin (8.6 μΜ) as a reference value and a concentration of EGCG (30 μΜ) that caused a non-significant reduction in cell proliferation. Pre-treatment of cells with EGCG for 24 h before the addition of cisplatin increased cytotoxicity up to 8.5% (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and the number of apoptotic cells by 40%. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate failed to alter S-phase cell cycle arrest induced by cisplatin and to modulate cisplatin effects on mitochondrial function. These results indicate that pre-treatment with EGCG could be used as an adjunctive therapy to maximise effectiveness of chemotherapy.</p