Exogastric neurilemmoma presenting as acute abdomen: Role of computed tomography in diagnosis

A case of subserosal gastric neurilemmoma is hereby presented. This reported case is unique in its clinical presentation including the appearance of acute abdomen and fever subsequent to unremarkable and uneventful upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The tendency of neurilemmoma to cause mucosal ulceration with fistula formation probably led to this clinical presentation. The role of computed tomography in establishing diagnosis of exogastric tumor is emphasized.     

Chronic hepatitis B virus infection in patients with “Normal” ALT levels

Not many data exist to guide us in the management of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection and “normal” alanine aminotransferase levels. Many of these patients may not have normal levels on long-term follow-up or when the upper limit of normal is determined from a truly healthy reference population. These patients may have significant histologic disease and benefit from further investigation or treatment. This article focuses on the disease course of such patients.     

福建省部分地区吸毒者和暗娼艾滋病KABP研究

目的：了解福建省吸毒者和暗娼艾滋病相关知识水平、态度和危险行为，为其他艾滋病防治活动提供依据。方法：在戒毒所、妇教所和劳教所按照随机抽样的方法选择了185名吸毒者和159名暗娼，由调查员对调查对象进行一对一的问卷调查。问卷内容包括人口学信息、性行为、吸毒史、艾滋瘕相关知识及态度等，随后对两类人群的部分结果进行了比较。结果：很多调查对象对自己的高危行为认识不足。吸毒者的艾滋病知识水平高于暗娼，暗娼比吸毒者对艾滋病和感染者歧视更重。与危险行为相关的因素主要有男性、收入低及对高危行为认识不足。与艾滋病知识水平相关的因素主要有文化程度、婚姻状况及知道了解和检查艾滋病的场所。结论：应采用多种方式在监管场所开展艾滋病宣传教育，提高吸毒者和暗娼的艾滋病知识知晓率及对自身危险行为认识，促使他们改变自己的高危行为。     

Bilateral proximal deep vein thrombosis and COVID‐19 in a patient with absence of inferior vena cava: A case report and review of literature

Bilateral proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the lower extremities of young patients should raise suspicion over pro‐thrombotic conditions and venous anatomical abnormalities, even in the presence of other precipitating factors, such as viral infection. The authors present a 33‐year‐old man with bilateral DVT and absence of inferior vena cava (AIVC), who also had concurrent COVID‐19, and discuss the management of this patient.     

mTOR inhibitors blunt the p53 response to nucleolar stress by regulating RPL11 and MDM2 levels

Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a master regulator of cell growth through its ability to stimulate ribosome biogenesis and mRNA translation. In contrast, the p53 tumor suppressor negatively controls cell growth and is activated by a wide range of insults to the cell. The mTOR and p53 signaling pathways are connected by a number of different mechanisms. Chemotherapeutics that inhibit ribosome biogenesis often induce nucleolar stress and activation of p53. Here we have investigated how the p53 response to nucleolar stress is affected by simultaneous mTOR inhibition in osteosarcoma and glioma cell lines. We found that inhibitors of the mTOR pathway including rapamycin, wortmannin, and caffeine blunted the p53 response to nucleolar stress induced by actinomycin D. Synthetic inhibitors of mTOR (temsirolimus, LY294.002 and PP242) also impaired actinomycin D triggered p53 stabilization and induction of p21. Ribosomal protein (RPL11) is known to be required for p53 protein stabilization following nucleolar stress. Treatment of cells with mTOR inhibitors may lead to reduced synthesis of RPL11 and thereby destabilize p53. We found that rapamycin mimicked the effect of RPL11 depletion in terms of blunting the p53 response to nucleolar stress. However, the extent to which the levels of p53 and RPL11 were reduced by rapamycin varied between cell lines. Additional mechanisms whereby rapamycin blunts the p53 response to nucleolar stress are likely to be involved. Indeed, rapamycin increased the levels of endogenous MDM2 despite inhibition of its phosphorylation at Ser-166. Our findings may have implications for the design of combinatorial cancer treatments with mTOR pathway inhibitors.     

Computed Tomography Findings as Determinants of Local and Systemic Inflammation Biomarkers in Interstitial Lung Diseases: A Retrospective Registry-Based Descriptive Study

Purpose

To evaluate the association of peripheral blood (PBL) and broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) biomarkers with inflammatory versus fibrotic high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings in interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients.

Methods

HRCT findings of 127 consecutive ILD-board patients were semi-quantitatively evaluated: reticulation/honeycombing (RET), traction bronchiectasis (TBR) and emphysema (EMP) were classified as non-inflammatory/fibrotic; consolidations (CON), ground glass opacities (GGO), parenchymal nodules (NDL) and mosaic attenuation (MOS) as active inflammatory. Each HRCT finding was assessed in six distinct lung regions, resulting scores were graded as minimal (0–1 regions involved), medium (2–4) or extensive (5–6). Associations of routinely assessed PBL/BAL biomarkers with these HRCT scores were evaluated using Spearman correlation coefficients and graphical presentation; significance was tested by applying Kruskal–Wallis tests.

Results

Blood neutrophil, lymphocyte and eosinophil fraction, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and BAL lymphocyte fraction consistently showed opposite correlations with inflammatory versus non-inflammatory/fibrotic HRCT finding scores. Blood lymphocyte fraction significantly differed by graded GGO (p = 0.032) and CON (p = 0.027) extent, eosinophil fraction by TBR (p = 0.006) and NLR by CON (p = 0.009). C-reactive protein was significantly related to GGO (p = 0.023) and CON (p = 0.004), BAL lymphocyte fraction to GGO (p = 0.017) extent.

Conclusion

Blood lymphocyte and eosinophil fraction, NLR, CRP and BAL lymphocyte fraction may aid to differentiate inflammatory from non-inflammatory/fibrotic ILD patterns.

Trial registration

This evaluation was based on data from the ILD registry of Kepler University Hospital Linz, as approved by the ethics committee of the Federal State of Upper-Austria (EK Number. I-26-17).

     

Review of biomedical ?erenkov luminescence imaging applications

Čerenkov radiation is a fascinating optical signal, which has been exploited for unique diagnostic biological sensing and imaging, with significantly expanded use just in the last half decade. Čerenkov Luminescence Imaging (CLI) has desirable capabilities for niche applications, using specially designed measurement systems that report on radiation distributions, radiotracer and nanoparticle concentrations, and are directly applied to procedures such as medicine assessment, endoscopy, surgery, quality assurance and dosimetry. When compared to the other imaging tools such as PET and SPECT, CLI can have the key advantage of lower cost, higher throughput and lower imaging time. CLI can also provide imaging and dosimetry information from both radioisotopes and linear accelerator irradiation. The relatively short range of optical photon transport in tissue means that direct Čerenkov luminescence imaging is restricted to small animals or near surface human use. Use of Čerenkov-excitation for additional molecular probes, is now emerging as a key tool for biosensing or radiosensitization. This review evaluates these new improvements in CLI for both medical value and biological insight.OCIS codes: (170.3880) Medical and biological imaging, (170.3890) Medical optics instrumentation, (350.5610) Radiation     

Comparative efficacy of ivabradine versus beta-blockers in patients with mitral stenosis in sinus rhythm: systematic review and meta-analysis

International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy - Background Patients with mitral valve stenosis have increased heart rate. HR reduction is known as an important treatment and therapy strategy for...