Determining optimal two-beam axial orientations for heart sparing in left-sided breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The optimal intensity fluence profile of a beam depends on the profiles of other beams but most optimizations assume fixed beam orientations, a priori. Breast cancer radiotherapy attempts to cover the target and to spare critical structures such as the heart and lungs. The study aims are (1) to determine and document the optimal two-beam orientation that best spares the heart for left-sided breast cancer patients and (2) to investigate the influence of the treatment technique (i.e., conformal versus intensity modulation) on the optimal objective cost function. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten left-sided breast cancer patients were planned using a conformal (3DCRT) and a simplified intensity modulated (sIMRT) technique using predefined segments and different two-beam orientations. Optimal segment weights were determined exhaustively for all axial two-beam combinations, in 5 degree increments, by minimizing a quadratic objective cost function. The resulting objective cost function was analyzed with respect to target geometry and treatment technique. RESULTS: The sIMRT plans are generally less sensitive to beam orientation compared to 3DCRT plans. Optimal two-beam orientations for 3DCRT and sIMRT plans exist and they correspond to a hinge angle of approximately 188 degrees and 160 degrees or 210 degrees (the latter is bimodal), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The optimization software is a useful tool that can test many different beam combinations and estimate their associated objective cost values. Afterwards, the most promising beam orientations could be re-optimized under the TPS to fine-tune and verify the dose distributions. Optimal uniform two-beam orientations for the breast consist of opposing tangential medial and lateral beams. Optimal nonuniform two-beam orientations for left-sided breast cancers are bimodal, containing hinge angles around 160 degrees and 210 degrees. Nonuniform beam techniques are less sensitive to beam orientation compared to uniform beam techniques and result in significantly improved heart sparing but at a cost of slightly compromised planning target volume coverage.     

Serial cloning of pigs by somatic cell nuclear transfer: restoration of phenotypic normality during serial cloning.

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (scNT) is a useful way to create cloned animals. However, scNT clones exhibit high levels of phenotypic instability. This instability may be due to epigenetic reprogramming and/or genomic damage in the donor cells. To test this, we produced transgenic pig fibroblasts harboring the truncated human thrombopoietin (hTPO) gene and used them as donor cells in scNT to produce first-generation (G1) cloned piglets. In this study, 2,818 scNT embryos were transferred to 11 recipients and five G1 piglets were obtained. Among them, a clone had a dimorphic facial appearance with severe hypertelorism and a broad prominent nasal bridge. The other clones looked normal. Second-generation (G2) scNT piglets were then produced using ear cells from a G1 piglet that had an abnormal nose phenotype. We reasoned that, if the phenotypic abnormality of the G1 clone was not present in the G2 and third-generation (G3) clones, or was absent in the G2 clones but reappeared in the G3 clones, the phenotypic instability of the G1 clone could be attributed to faulty epigenetic reprogramming rather than to inherent/accidental genomic damage to the donor cells. Blastocyst rates, cell numbers in blastocyst, pregnancy rates, term placenta weight and ponderal index, and birth weight between G1 and G2 clones did not differ, but were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than control age- and sex-matched piglets. Next, we analyzed global methylation changes during development of the preimplantation embryos reconstructed by donor cells used for the production of G1 and G2 clones and could not find any significant differences in the methylation patterns between G1 and G2 clones. Indeed, we failed to detect the phenotypic abnormality in the G2 and G3 clones. Thus, the phenotypic abnormality of the G1 clone is likely to be due to epigenetic dysregulation. Additional observations then suggested that expression of the hTPO gene in the transgenic clones did not appear to be the cause of the phenotypic abnormality in the G1 clones and that the abnormality was acquired by only a few of the G1 clone's cells during its gestational development.     

Clonorchis sinensis: molecular cloning and localization of myosin regulatory light chain

One cDNA clone was purified from an adult Clonorchis sinensis cDNA library, and its deduced polypeptide sequence was found to be homologous with myosin regulatory light chain (MRLC) of invertebrates and vertebrates. Two amino-acid residues, Thr and Ser, were conserved at the phosphorylation sites that regulate the function of MRLCs. Recombinant C. sinensis MRLC (rCsMRLC) protein was produced and purified from Escherichia coli, and mouse anti-CsMRLC immune sera recognized a protein of molecular weight 24 kDa from a soluble protein preparation of C. sinensis. The CsMRLC protein was immunohistochemically localized to the muscle fibers of the subtegumental muscle layer and to the muscles of oral and ventral suckers. However, the rCsMRLC protein proved to be less useful antigen for the serodiagnosis of human clonorchiasis.The nucleotide sequence reported herein was submitted to GenBank and assigned accession number AY519356.     

Serological specificity of phenolic glycolipid I from Mycobacterium leprae and use in serodiagnosis of leprosy

The serological activities of the specific phenolic glycolipid I from Mycobacterium leprae, its dissected parts, and related glycolipids from other mycobacteria were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay against hyperimmune anti-M. leprae rabbit antiserum and sera from patients with leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases. High anti-phenolic glycolipid I immunoglobulin M antibodies were found in 23 of 24 (96%) of lepromatous leprosy patients on short term chemotherapy and in 8 of 13 tuberculoid leprosy patients (62%). Sera from patients with tuberculosis or atypical mycobacterial infections were devoid of anti-phenolic glycolipid I activity. The structurally related phenolic glycolipids from Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium bovis and the aglycone segments of the M. leprae product showed no significant activity. Thus, the trisaccharide determinant of phenolic glycolipid I is specific in its structure, serological activity, and, to a lesser extent, the antibody class it evokes.     

Alterations of the myocardial skeletal framework in acute myocardial infarction with and without ventricular rupture. A preliminary report

Thinning and dilatation (expansion) of the infarct region and complete rupture of the ventricular wall are significant complications of acute transmural myocardial infarction associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of these related events is unknown. Recent studies of myocardial connective tissue have delineated an extensive array of intercellular and pericellular structures which serve as a skeletal framework and which may modulate contractile activity. We have employed a modified silver impregnation method to visualize the connective tissue components by light microscopy. To explore whether the skeletal framework is altered in acute myocardial infarction with and without ventricular rupture, we studied 9 human hearts at autopsy, and 4 canine infarcts of known duration. The human infarctions included 4 nonruptured cases with infarcts 1-5 days old, and 5 ruptured cases with infarcts 3-10 days old. Sections from normal, lateral, and central infarct or ventricular rupture sites were stained with silver. The normal tissue from each heart served as a control. Silver staining was moderately decreased in the lateral infarct zones, and markedly decreased in the central non-ruptured infarct zones. In the 5 ventricular rupture cases, the rupture site had no silver staining. A similar pattern was observed in the 4 canine infarcts. Thus, we conclude that the skeletal framework is markedly altered in the central zone of acute myocardial infarction. The acute changes of silver stained connective tissue may contribute significantly to the development of infarct expansion or ventricular wall rupture.     

Metabolic changes after revascularization in a patient with innominate artery occlusion by localized in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Localized in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) has been used to measure the metabolic status of the human brain in a non-invasive manner; thus, it is often called "a non-invasive biochemical assay". MRS is more sensitive than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting ischemic damage by measuring the metabolic changes that occur prior to the anatomic changes. We report a patient who presented with innominate artery occlusion and symptoms of posterior circulation insufficiency and showed favorable metabolic changes by (1)H-MRS after revascularization. He showed no visible lesion in brain MRI, but in (1)H-MRS, decreased N-acetylaspartate (NAA) signal was noted in a resting state.After revascularization, both symptomatic improvement and recovery of NAA signal were observed. (1)H-MRS may provide valuable clinical information in diagnosis and management of cerebral hypoperfusion at a much earlier stage prior to the anatomic changes.     

Malignant granular cell tumor at the retrotracheal space

We report a case of an extremely rare neoplasm, malignant granular cell tumor (MGCT). The patient was a 21-year-old woman, who was 5 months pregnant. The tumor occurred in the retrotracheal space, extending from the level of the larynx to the thoracic inlet. In addition, there were multiple, variable-sized tumor nodules within both lung fields on chest CT scan. Histologically, tissue biopsied from the periphery of the tumor consisted of solid sheets of large ovoid cells with ample, eosinophilic cytoplasm, eccentric nuclei, and prominent nucleoli. Each cell showed slight atypism of the nuclei. There was a focal necrosis at the periphery of the lesion. These cells stained strongly for S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and CD68. On electron microscopy, the tumor cells contained autophagic vacuoles. The patient refused further treatment and died 7 months later. The exact cause of death was not known. Until now, the diagnosis of MGCTs has been made only when metastasis and an aggressive clinical course are identified, although some observers advocate that some histologic features such as nuclear pleomorphism, necrosis, and the presence of any mitotic activity are indicative of malignancy. These histologic findings are not easily detectable in every case of MGCT, as in our case. So the diagnosis of a MGCT should be considered in cases with aggressive clinical findings and some histologic features, such as necrosis, nuclear atypism, and mitotic activities, which could suggest the malignant behavior of this neoplasm.     

Production of monoclonal antibody to a phenolic glycolipid of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its use in detection of the antigen in clinical isolates.

A monoclonal antibody (MAbIII604) specific to phenolic glycolipid Tb (PGL-Tb), a Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigen, was produced and used in the detection of the antigen. MAbIII604 reacted with the PGL-Tb antigen but not with other phenolic glycolipids from Mycobacterium leprae, M. bovis, and M. kansasii, thus indicating the specificity of the monoclonal antibody to PGL-Tb. A dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with MAbIII604 was employed to detect the PGL-Tb antigen in lipids purified from M. tuberculosis clinical isolates. Of 50 isolates, 32 (64.0%) showed clear evidence of the PGL-Tb antigen by the dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, but there were marked variations in the intensities and sizes of spots. This suggests differences in PGL-Tb antigen production among M. tuberculosis strains even when they are grown in the same culture media and conditions. This was most evident from the fact that in only eight (16.0%) of the isolates examined was the PGL-Tb antigen detectable by thin-layer chromatography, which is much less sensitive for the detection of glycolipid antigens. This study shows that monoclonal antibodies specific to PGL-Tb are useful in detecting the antigen in lipid extracts and that there is a marked variation in the PGL-Tb production among M. tuberculosis clinical isolates.     

Galactosylated chitosan as a synthetic extracellular matrix for hepatocytes attachment

Galactose moiety as the hepatocyte anchorage was covalently coupled with chitosan for the development of synthetic extracellular matrix. Hepatocytes adhesion to galactosylated chitosan (GC)-coated polystyrene (PS) dish became as high as 94.7% after 2 h incubation whereas the hepatocytes adhesion to chitosan-coated PS dish was 69.1%, indication of galactose-specific recognition between GC molecules and asialoglycoprotein receptors of hepatocytes. The DNA synthesis of the hepatocytes adhered to GC-coated dish was increased in the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF) at low concentration of GC (0.05 microg/ml) whereas the DNA synthesis of the hepatocytes adhered to GC-coated dish was decreased in the presence of EGF at high concentration of GC (5 microg/ml). The spreading shapes of the hepatocytes adhered to the surface in the presence of EGF at low concentration of GC (0.05 microg/ml) were enhanced than in the absence of EGF. The hepatocytes adhered to the surface at high concentration of GC (5 microg/ml) showed round shapes and exhibited many spheroid formation after 24 h in the presence of EGF.