Alignment of 3-dimensional cardiac structures in O-15-labeled water PET emission images with mutual information.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to develop a method to correct the heart position between two oxygen 15-labeled water cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) image sets to be able to use the equivalent regions of interest for the quantification of the perfusion values in the same myocardial segments. METHODS AND RESULTS: Independent component analysis was applied to the dynamic image sets (simulated phantom and 6 rest-pharmacologic stress and 10 rest-rest image sets of healthy female volunteers) acquired at different time points to separate the cardiac structures (ventricles and myocardium). The separated component images from independent component analysis from the 2 studies of the same individual were aligned with a normalized mutual information-based registration method. The alignment parameters were applied to position the regions of interest in the floating image sets for calculation of the myocardial blood flow values. In the rest case the mean myocardial blood flow value was 0.76 +/- 0.12 mL x g(-1) x min(-1) for the manual method and 0.79 +/- 0.10 mL x g(-1) x min(-1) for the proposed method (by use of the right ventricle component in the alignment), and in the stress case these values were 3.39 +/- 0.70 mL x g(-1) x min(-1) and 4.01 +/- 0.71 mL x g(-1) x min(-1), respectively. No statistically significant difference was found between the methods. CONCLUSION: In the tests with the phantom and patient images the alignment of cardiac structures was shown to be successful. The alignment could be done without the use of information from the myocardial compartment.     

Expression of c-erbB-2 protein in keratinocytes of oral mucosal lichen planus and subsequent squamous cell carcinoma

Oral mucosal lichen planus (OMLP) is a well recognized mucosal disease with unknown etiology. Considerable controversy exists as to whether OMLP is intrinsically premalignant, or if the disorder facilitates the development of oral mucosal squamous cell carcinoma (OMSCC) by external factors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of c-erbB-2 protein in the keratinocytes of initial biopsies of oral mucosal disorders diagnosed as OMLP with no evidence of epithelial dysplasia. and to compare the results with the expression of c-erbB-2 protein in subsequent biopsies obtained from the same patients. These results were compared with the findings from control groups (patients with dysplasia with no evidence of OMLP, patients with OMSCC with no evidence of OMLP and normal oral mucosa). The expression of the c-erbB-2 protein was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of the gene product with the avidin-biotin-complex method using paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Five of the initial biopsies from patients with OMLP expressed the c-erhB-2 protein and one did not. None of the OMLP cases that subsequently showed evidence of dysplasia expressed the c-erhB-2 protein, and of the three OMSCC specimens from the patients with OMLP. two were negative and one expressed c-erbB-2 protein. The specimens from the control groups all expressed the c-erhB-2 protein. The results indicated the probability of the absence of c-erbB-2 staining being an indication of a potential for neoplastic transformation in OMLP with dysplastic changes.     

Metastatic carcinoma: an unusual cause of focal brain lesions in HIV infection

The most common causes of focal brain lesions (FBLs) in patients with HIV infection are cerebral toxoplasmosis, primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Neoplasms other than PCNSL are uncommon. We report a rare case of metastatic carcinoma causing an FBL in a patient with HIV infection. The diagnostic workup and further management of FBLs in HIV are outlined in this review. The standard approach includes a lumbar puncture and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis for cytology and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA testing by polymerase chain reaction. Empiric therapy for PCNSL is justifiable for patients with positive CSF EBV-DNA test results and a positive single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan, especially if there has been no response to antitoxoplasmosis therapy. Brain biopsy may be indicated, however, in select cases that do not meet these criteria in order to identify potentially treatable infections and PCNSL.     

Cutaneous lymphocyte antigen expression on human effector B cells depends on the site and on the nature of antigen encounter

In contrast to T cells, information on skin-homing B cells expressing the cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA) is sparse. CLA expression on human B cells was investigated among circulating immunoglobulin-secreting cells (ISC) and among antigen-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASC) elicited by parenteral, oral or rectal primary immunization, or by parenteral or oral secondary immunization with Salmonella typhi Ty21a. CLA expression was examined by combining cell sorting with an enzyme-linked immunospot assay. Among all ISC, the proportion of CLA(+) cells was 13-21%. Parenteral immunization induced antigen-specific ASC of which 13% were CLA(+), while oral and rectal immunizations were followed by only 1% of CLA(+) ASC (p<0.001). Oral re-immunization was followed by an up-regulation of CLA (34-48%) regardless of the route of priming. Parenteral re-immunization elicited ASC of which 9-14% were CLA(+). In conclusion, the expression of CLA on human effector B cells depends on the site of antigen encounter: intestinal stimulation elicits cells with no CLA, while parenteral encounter elicits significant numbers of CLA(+) cells. Even though primary antigen encounter in the intestine failed to stimulate CLA expression, up-regulation of CLA was found upon intestinal antigen re-encounter. These findings may be of relevance in the pathogenesis of some cutaneous disorders.     

B cell precursors in chick embryos surgically bursectomized at 72 h of incubation

To determine the presence of precursor B cells in chick embryos surgically bursectomized at 72 h of incubation (E-Bx) we studied chick chimeras that were produced by establishing parabiotic connections between blood vessels of chorioallantoic membranes of normal and surgically bursectomized chick embryos. Using sex chromosomes and a B cell alloantigen (Bu-1a) as markers we showed that chick embryos bursectomized at 72 h of incubation contain B cell precursors capable of colonizing the bursa of Fabricius and developing into B lymphocytes. The repopulation capacity of 14-day-old embryonic spleen cells from E-Bx recipients was tested by transferring them into age-matched X-irradiated Bu-1-disparate embryos. The results show that B cell precursors are present in 14-day spleen of chick embryos bursectomized at 72 h of incubation. These precursors carry the Bu-1 B cell alloantigen, suggesting that commitment to the B cell lineage can take place in the absence of bursa.     

Immunoglobulin diversification in embryonic chicken bursae and in individual bursal follicles

Previous studies have shown that the same immunoglobulin (Ig) V lambda gene (V lambda 1) is rearranged in all chicken B cells, and that extensive sequence diversification of this gene occurs during B cell development in the bursa of Fabricius. We used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to compare the heterogeneity of Ig lambda light chains produced by B cells at different stages of bursal development. Somatically diversified light chains were observed in Ig molecules produced by bursal cells as early as 15 days of embryonic incubation. The two principal species of light chain observed probably represent glycosylated and nonglycosylated forms of lambda chain encoded by alleles of a single lambda gene. Extensive diversification was observed during late embryogenesis. We also studied lambda light chain diversity in cyclophosphamide-treated birds repopulated with normal bursal cells. In these birds, individual bursal follicles are repopulated by single B cell precursors. Follicular cells derived from single B cell precursors were able to produce a spectrum of light chains almost as diverse as that of the total bursal cell population. We used two monoclonal anti-idiotype antibodies to study idiotype expression in individual normal or reconstituted follicles. About 30% of follicles contained 0.1% to 5% of lymphocytes which reacted with one or both of the antibodies. The results indicate that within individual bursal follicles bursa stem cells undergo Ig hyperdiversification.