Differentiating autoimmune pancreatitis from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with CT radiomics features

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine whether computed tomography (CT)-based machine learning of radiomics features could help distinguish autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).Materials and MethodsEighty-nine patients with AIP (65 men, 24 women; mean age, 59.7 ± 13.9 [SD] years; range: 21–83 years) and 93 patients with PDAC (68 men, 25 women; mean age, 60.1 ± 12.3 [SD] years; range: 36–86 years) were retrospectively included. All patients had dedicated dual-phase pancreatic protocol CT between 2004 and 2018. Thin-slice images (0.75/0.5 mm thickness/increment) were compared with thick-slices images (3 or 5 mm thickness/increment). Pancreatic regions involved by PDAC or AIP (areas of enlargement, altered enhancement, effacement of pancreatic duct) as well as uninvolved parenchyma were segmented as three-dimensional volumes. Four hundred and thirty-one radiomics features were extracted and a random forest was used to distinguish AIP from PDAC. CT data of 60 AIP and 60 PDAC patients were used for training and those of 29 AIP and 33 PDAC independent patients were used for testing.ResultsThe pancreas was diffusely involved in 37 (37/89; 41.6%) patients with AIP and not diffusely in 52 (52/89; 58.4%) patients. Using machine learning, 95.2% (59/62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 89.8–100%), 83.9% (52:67; 95% CI: 74.7–93.0%) and 77.4% (48/62; 95% CI: 67.0–87.8%) of the 62 test patients were correctly classified as either having PDAC or AIP with thin-slice venous phase, thin-slice arterial phase, and thick-slice venous phase CT, respectively. Three of the 29 patients with AIP (3/29; 10.3%) were incorrectly classified as having PDAC but all 33 patients with PDAC (33/33; 100%) were correctly classified with thin-slice venous phase with 89.7% sensitivity (26/29; 95% CI: 78.6–100%) and 100% specificity (33/33; 95% CI: 93–100%) for the diagnosis of AIP, 95.2% accuracy (59/62; 95% CI: 89.8–100%) and area under the curve of 0.975 (95% CI: 0.936–1.0).ConclusionsRadiomic features help differentiate AIP from PDAC with an overall accuracy of 95.2%.     

Measuring disease activity and response to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction: Effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) requires suppression of the underlying inflammation. Measurement of such inflammation, the disease activity, is mandatory to target treatment and maximize outcomes. However, this is not as straightforward as it may seem.

Areas covered: The many tools developed to measure disease activity in RA, from composite scores and patient-reported outcomes, to laboratory markers and imaging are discussed, with a focus on their utility in guiding therapy and assessing response. The complex issues in measuring disease activity in RA, whether in clinical trials or normal clinical practice, and in the context of national guidelines and recommendations, available time, and resources are considered.

Expert commentary: The key to effective management of RA is the rapid suppression of inflammation, ideally to remission, with maintenance of such remission. The aim is to prevent disability and maximize quality of life. Central to this is the ability to determine disease activity (potentially open to suppression) as opposed to damage (irreversible). A variety of measures are currently available, allowing better assessment of response to treatment. In the future, the development of predictive biomarkers allowing targeting of drugs may revolutionize this field and render the tools of today redundant.     

养阴益气活血汤对慢性心力衰竭患者心功能及生活质量的影响

目的:研究养阴益气活血汤对慢性心力衰竭患者心功能和生活质量的影响。方法:将慢性心力衰竭患者86例随机分为2组。对照组采用常规西药治疗,观察组联合养阴益气活血汤治疗。观察比较2组左心室射血分数(LVEF)、左心室收缩末期内径(LVESD)、左心室舒张末期内径(LVEDD)、生活质量评分、中医证候积分、疗效和不良反应。结果:治疗后,2组LVEF升高,LVEDD、LVESD降低,且观察组LVEF高于对照组,LVEDD、LVESD低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗后,2组中医证候积分、生活质量评分均降低,且观察组中医证候积分、生活质量评分低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。观察组总有效率为93.02%,对照组总有效率为76.74%,观察组总有效率高于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:养阴益气活血汤治疗慢性心力衰竭,能显著改善患者心功能,提高生活质量,安全可靠。     

翁舌汤灌肠治疗大肠湿热型溃疡性结肠炎临床研究

目的:观察翁舌汤灌肠治疗大肠湿热型溃疡性结肠炎的疗效及其对患者血清炎症因子水平的影响。方法:将80例大肠湿热型溃疡性结肠炎患者按随机数字表法分为观察组和对照组各40例。观察组给予翁舌汤灌肠治疗,对照组给予美沙拉嗪栓肛门塞入治疗,两组均连续治疗8周。比较两组患者的临床疗效、肠黏膜征象积分和血清炎症因子水平。结果:治疗后,观察组和对照组总有效率分别为95.00%、70.00%,两组疗效比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗后,观察组患者炎症增生、黏膜溃疡、黏膜糜烂、黏膜水肿、黏膜充血积分均下降,与治疗前比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);且观察组各项积分均低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗后,两组血清白细胞介素-8(IL-8)、肿瘤坏死因子-β(TNF-β)水平均降低,血清白细胞介素-10(IL-10)水平均升高,与治疗前比较,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05);且观察组血清IL-8、TNF-β水平明显低于对照组,血清IL-10水平明显高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:翁舌汤灌肠治疗大肠湿热型溃疡性结肠炎疗效较好,可改善患者肠黏膜征象积分,调节血清炎症因子水平。     

三列凹顶藻中倍半萜成分的研究

目的从三列凹顶藻Laurenciatristicha中寻找具有多样性结构的倍半萜化学成分,供药理活性筛选。方法采用凝胶柱色谱、硅胶柱色谱、重结晶和高效液相色谱等方法进行分离;借助包括一维和二维NMR等波谱方法和X-单晶衍射鉴定化合物的结构;用MTT法对得到的化合物进行细胞毒活性评价。结果分离得到5个倍半萜类化合物,分别鉴定为海兔阿普里素(aplysin,)、海兔阿普里醇(aplysinol,)、去溴海兔阿普里醇(debro-moaplysinol,)、凹顶藻联苯(laurebiphenyl,)、约翰斯顿醇(johnstonol,);在人肿瘤细胞株HCT-8、Bel-7402、BGc-823、A549和HeLa模型上,化合物对所有细胞株均显示毒性,化合物对HeLa细胞显示中等强度的细胞毒活性,其他化合物对所有细胞株均无明显毒性,IC50均大于10.0μg/mL。结论化合物~均为首次从三列凹顶藻中得到,化合物对HeLa细胞具有中等强度的选择性细胞毒活性,化合物对所有细胞株均显示毒性。     

Comparison of gas-liquid chromatography and EMIT assay for serum valproic acid

We describe a simple direct extraction method for the gas-liquid chromatography determination of serum valproic acid. The working range for the assay is 2-180 mg/L and our within-run precision was 5.8 and 4.3% at the 40 and 90 mg/L concentrations respectively. Hemolyzed and lipemic sera as well as samples from patients with hyperbilirubinemia and from patients with decreased renal function were put through the assay and no interfering peaks were noted. Interference occurred when teflon-lined screw caps were used during the extraction step. The method was proven to be accurate by linear regression analysis of samples containing weighed-in amounts of valproic acid. The above assay was compared to an enzyme immunoassay technique (EMIT). The working range for the latter is 10-150 mg/L and the with-run precision was 10.8 and 5.9% and 90 mg/L concentration respectively. Samples were run by both the gas-liquid chromatograph and enzyme immunoassay methods and gave very similar results over the range 16-139 mg/L.     

Workplace status and risk of hypertension among hourly and salaried aluminum manufacturing employees

An inverse relationship between workplace status and morbidity is well established; higher job status has been associated with reduced risks of heart disease, hypertension, and injury. Most research on job status, however, has focused on salaried populations, and it remains unclear whether job status operates similarly among hourly workers. Our objectives were to examine whether hourly status itself influences risk of hypertension after adjustment for socioeconomic confounders, and to explore the role of fine-scale job grade on hypertension incidence within hourly and salaried groups. We examined data for 14,999 aluminum manufacturing employees in 11 plants across the U.S., using logistic regression with adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity and other individual characteristics. Propensity score restriction was used to identify comparable groups of hourly and salaried employees, reducing confounding by sociodemographic characteristics. Job grade (coded 1 through 30, within hourly and salaried groups) was examined as a more refined measure of job status. Hourly status was associated with an increased risk of hypertension, after propensity restriction and adjustment for confounders. The observed effect of hourly status was stronger among women, although the propensity-restricted cohort was disproportionately male (96%). Among salaried workers, higher job grade was not consistently associated with decreased risk; among hourly employees, however, there was a significant trend, with higher job grades more protective against hypertension. Increasing the stringency of hypertension case criteria also increased the risk of severe or persistent hypertension for hourly employees.