A Review of Challenges in the Use of fMRI for Disease Classification / Characterization and A Projection Pursuit Application from A Multi-site fMRI Schizophrenia Study

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a fairly new technique that has the potential to characterize and classify brain disorders such as schizophrenia. It has the possibility of playing a crucial role in designing objective prognostic/diagnostic tools, but also presents numerous challenges to analysis and interpretation. Classification provides results for individual subjects, rather than results related to group differences. This is a more complicated endeavor that must be approached more carefully and efficient methods should be developed to draw generalized and valid conclusions out of high dimensional data with a limited number of subjects, especially for heterogeneous disorders whose pathophysiology is unknown. Numerous research efforts have been reported in the field using fMRI activation of schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. However, the results are usually not generalizable to larger data sets and require careful definition of the techniques used both in designing algorithms and reporting prediction accuracies. In this review paper, we survey a number of previous reports and also identify possible biases (cross-validation, class size, e.g.) in class comparison/prediction problems. Some suggestions to improve the effectiveness of the presentation of the prediction accuracy results are provided. We also present our own results using a projection pursuit algorithm followed by an application of independent component analysis proposed in an earlier study. We classify schizophrenia versus healthy controls using fMRI data of 155 subjects from two sites obtained during three different tasks. The results are compared in order to investigate the effectiveness of each task and differences between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls are investigated.     

Autoimmune thyroid diseases in patients with chronic fasciolosis

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of autoimmune thyroid diseases and autoantibodies in patients with chronic fasciolosis (CF) was investigated. METHODS: Thyroid function of 32 patients with CF and 72 patients without fasciolosis infection was evaluated biochemically. Thyroid hormones, antithyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) and antithyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) were measured. RESULTS: In patients with CF, the prevalences of autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin were 21.9% (7/32) and 15.6% (5/32) respectively. However, thyroid function disorder was identified in only 3 (9.4%) cases. In the control group, TPOAb and TgAb were determined in 2 (2.7%) cases, but no one had thyroid function disorder. The prevalences of thyroid autoantibodies (chi 2: 7.948, p < 0.01) and autoimmune thyroid diseases (chi 2: 4.007, p < 0.05) were significantly higher in the CF group. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of TPOAb and TgAb in CF suggests that patients with CF should be evaluated for autoimmune thyroid disorders at the time of diagnosis and during the follow-up period.     

Increased frequency of HCV but not HBV infection in type 2 diabetic patients in Turkey

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infections in type 2 diabetic patients in Gaziantep, Turkey. Six hundred and ninety-two type 2 diabetic patients and 1014 healthy blood donors were included in the study. No significant difference was found between type 2 diabetic patients and the control group for seropositivity of HBsAg (5.3% vs 5.1%, p>0.05). In contrast, anti-HCV was significantly more frequent in type 2 diabetic patients (7.5% vs 0.1%, p>0.0001). We found no significant difference for HBsAg seropositivity between type 2 diabetic patients with a disease duration of 12 months or less, but anti-HCV seropositivity was significantly more frequent in diabetic patients with a longer disease duration (p<0.05). We suggest that HCV infection is not a trigger factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus but is frequently associated with it.     

Effects of septoplasty and septal deviation on nasal mucociliary clearance

To evaluate the effect of septal pathology and surgery on nasal mucociliary clearance. A radioisotope method was used to measure the velocity of nasal mucociliary transport. Nasal mucociliary clearance was measured before and after septal surgery using technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin. Fifteen patients (mean age: 20 +/- 8 years; 11 males, four females) were studied pre-operatively, but scintigraphy could be repeated only in 10 patients, 2 months after surgery. A group of 10 healthy volunteers were also studied. The clearance values obtained from the preoperative period (26.25 +/- 9.45 min) were significantly higher than those of the post-operative period (15.05 +/- 6.35 min). The values obtained of control group (13.30 +/- 3.15 min) were not significantly different from the post-operative values of the patient group. Septal deviation affects the mucociliary activity. It is improved by surgery. This study showed that nasal septal deviation reduced the nasal mucociliary activity, and this can easily evaluated with scintigraphy.     

Anticancer activity of Schiff base–Poloxamer P85 combination against kidney cancer

Purpose

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for approximately 80% of the primary renal cancers, and current treatment strategies are not sufficient to provide a certain solution. Since there are not many treatment options, interest in discovery of alternative drugs has increased.

Methods

In the current study, anticancer activity of a novel heterodinuclear Cu(II)–Mn(II) complex (Schiff base—SB) in combination with poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(propylene oxide) block copolymer (pluronic) P85 was tested against RCC. Cell viability, apoptosis and gene expression analysis were conducted in vitro by using Renca cells.

Results

The results revealed that the SB–P85 combination decreased cell proliferation by increasing the apoptotic gene expressions and apoptosis. Renca-injected BALB/c mice were used to mimic early stage of RCC model. Treatment with SB–P85 combination suppressed tumor formation and growth compared to baseline.

Conclusion

Overall, SB–P85 showed promising anticancer activity against RCC in vitro and in vivo.

     

Macular and peripapillary vessel density alterations in a large series of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus without ocular involvement

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology - The aim of this study was to investigate changes in both macular and peripapillary retinal microcirculation in the subclinical...