F-19 MR imaging of glucose metabolism in the rabbit

Noninvasive metabolic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging reflecting glucose metabolism in the aldose-reductase-sorbitol (ARS) pathway was performed in the rabbit head; after administration of the fluorinated glucose analogue 3-fluoro-3-deoxy-D-glucose (3FD-glucose), fluorine-19 images were generated. Images of 3FD-glucose showed significant 3FD-glucose uptake by adipose tissue, indicating its buffering effects in case of excess loads of glucose. Images of 3-fluoro-3-deoxy-D-sorbitol (3FD-sorbitol) demonstrated the spatial distribution of aldose reductase activities and significant sorbitol accumulation in the lens. Images of 3-fluoro-3-deoxy-D-fructose (3FD-fructose) showed preferential uptake of fructose by muscle tissue. The extremely low toxicity of 3FD-glucose indicates promise for its clinical application in metabolic imaging.     

Therapeutic efficacy of imatinib mesylate (glivec) in chronic phase of myeloid leukemia

AIM: To evaluate efficacy and tolerance of glivek in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in patients who failed interferon-alpha (If-a) preparations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 79 patients in a chronic phase of Ph + CML with hematological and cytogenetic resistance or intolerance of If-a. The response to glivec was assessed by achievement of a complete hematological remission and the cytogenetic effect (the degree of reduction of cell clone Ph+ in bone marrow). Tolerance and safety of the drug was studied by monthly standard clinicohematological tests. RESULTS: Not only a hematological remission (92.4%), but also partial (46.8%) or complete (27.8%) elimination of BCR-ABL +/- cells were achieved after 12 months of the treatment. Glivec was well tolerated. Hematological toxicity primarily as neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were observed in 54.4 and 42% patients, respectively. Neutropenia of the third degree which made impossible to continue the treatment was observed in 29.1% patients; throbocytopenia of the third degree was registered in 16.5% patients. Among most frequent non-hematological side effects there were moderate edema, nausea, leg muscle convulsions, weight gain, arthralgias, skin eruption. All the complications were transient, were managed in all cases with only a short-time discontinuation of glivec therapy. CONCLUSION: High activity of glivec at early stages of CML allows using this drug as a first-line therapy in patients with CML.     

Factors linked to bacterial vaginosis in nonpregnant women

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to test the hypothesis that vaginal douching is linked to bacterial vaginosis in both symptomatic and asymptomatic women and to identify other demographic, reproductive, and lifestyle factors associated with bacterial vaginosis. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study involving 3 clinic sites, 496 nonpregnant women completed a self-administered questionnaire. Their vaginal smears were assessed and cross-validated for bacterial vaginosis. RESULTS: The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis across clinics ranged from 15% to 30%. In analyses restricted to site 1, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for bacterial vaginosis remained significant for African American women with 13 or fewer years of education (OR = 5.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1, 14.5), hormone use within the past 6 months (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.2, 0.8), and vaginal douching within the past 2 months (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.5, 5.6). CONCLUSIONS: Two lifestyle factors emerge as strongly associated with bacterial vaginosis: systemic contraceptives appear protective, whereas douching is linked to an increase in prevalence. The temporal relationship between douching and bacterial vaginosis needs further clarification.     

Digital beam attenuator technique for compensated chest radiography

The feasibility of producing patient-specific beam attenuators for chest radiography has been investigated using an anthropomorphic phantom and a human volunteer. A low-dose test exposure is digitized, processed, and used to print a small cerium filter, which is placed in the x-ray beam near the collimator. The final radiograph is recorded on film. The technique results in relatively uniform film exposure, so that structures in all regions of the chest are simultaneously displayed with optimal film contrast. The equalized exposure improves image quality in the normally underpenetrated regions and reduces the role of cross-scatter from the lungs. The image is analogous to optical or computer-processed unsharp masking techniques, but the processing is accomplished in the x-ray beam and results in an improved exposure distribution, giving advantages that cannot be achieved with image processing techniques alone.