Evoked Response 3 4 Noise in the Ensemble Evoked Response ^o 3 5 Quality of the Ensemble Evoked Response Estimate . .-33 ".6 Variations in the Ensemble Evoked Response with ^Ŝtimulus Nimrber _" 3.7 Average of Ensemble Evoked Responses ^3.
Renal angiomyolipomas are a frequent manifestation of tuberous sclerosis and sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). These disorders are associated with mutations of TSC1 or TSC2 that lead to overactivation of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1), suggesting an opportunity for targeted therapy by using mTORC1 inhibitors. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of the mTORC1 inhibitor sirolimus for treatment of renal angiomyolipomas in patients with these disorders.In this multicenter phase 2 nonrandomized open label trial, 16 patients with tuberous sclerosis or sporadic LAM and renal angiomyolipoma(s) were treated with oral sirolimus for up to 2 years. Steady-state blood levels were 3 to 10 ng/mL. The primary outcome was change in size of renal angiomyolipomas measured by MRI and assessed by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria. Secondary outcomes included safety, neurocognitive function, and pulmonary function.The response rate, by RECIST criteria, was 50%. Summated angiomyolipoma diameters were reduced in all 16 patients and by 30% or more in eight (all from the per protocol group of 10). Forty-one of 48 angiomyolipomas were smaller at the last measurement than at baseline. Most shrinkage occurred during the first year of treatment. There was little change in pulmonary function. Recall memory improved in seven of eight patients with tuberous sclerosis. Adverse events were consistent with the known toxicities of sirolimus.This study showed sustained regression of renal angiomyolipomas in patients with tuberous sclerosis or sporadic LAM receiving 2 years of sirolimus treatment. Possible effects on pulmonary function and neurocognition require further investigation.
We estimated reader-dependent variability of region of interest (ROI) analysis and evaluated its impact on preclinical quantitative molecular imaging. To estimate reader variability, we used five independent image datasets acquired each using microPET and multispectral fluorescence imaging (MSFI). We also selected ten experienced researchers who utilize molecular imaging in the same environment that they typically perform their own studies. Nine investigators blinded to the data type completed the ROI analysis by drawing ROIs manually that delineate the tumor regions to the best of their knowledge and repeated the measurements three times, non-consecutively. Extracted mean intensities of voxels within each ROI are used to compute the coefficient of variation (CV) and characterize the inter- and intra-reader variability. The impact of variability was assessed through random samples iterated from normal distributions for control and experimental groups on hypothesis testing and computing statistical power by varying subject size, measured difference between groups and CV. The results indicate that inter-reader variability was 22.5% for microPET and 72.2% for MSFI. Additionally, mean intra-reader variability was 10.1% for microPET and 26.4% for MSFI. Repeated statistical testing showed that a total variability of CV < 50% may be needed to detect differences < 50% between experimental and control groups when six subjects (n = 6) or more are used and statistical power is adequate (80%). Surprisingly high variability has been observed mainly due to differences in the ROI placement and geometry drawn between readers, which may adversely affect statistical power and erroneously lead to negative study outcomes.
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Adult mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based treatment strategies have been proposed to alleviate the consequences of myocardial infarction (MI). The cytokine release of ischemic myocardium was investigated in vivo after LAD ligations in mice and in vitro in cultured cardiomyocytes. Of all cytokines that were at least 5-fold upregulated during ischemia, only HGF and VEGF proved to promote MSC proliferation, and chemotaxis in vitro. Homing of intranenously (IV) injected MSCs (0.5×106 per animal) into the infarct border zone after LAD ligation was inefficient (1±0.5 cells/HPF). Cytokine enhancement (CE) of HGF or VEGF by intramyocardial injection at the time of MI significantly facilitated MSC homing (11±4 cells/HPF and 7±4 cells/HPF, respectively; p=0.001). To our knowledge, this is the first study monitoring cardiac geometry and function over a long-term period of 6 months. using ECG-triggered contrast Micro-CT. It revealed that the progressive decrease in EF over time (to 19±1%) could be attenuated by CE with HGF (29±6%; p=0.003) or VEGF (28±4%; p=0.004) and subsequent IV MSC injection. However, LVEFs of animals treated with CE with HGF or VEGF only, but received no MSC injection, were similar to those groups that also received IV MSCs (p=0.127 and p=0.54, respectively). Best results were finally achieved by prolonged presence of HGF or VEGF, achieved by intramyocardial injection of MSCs stably transfected to produce HGF or VEGF and firefly luciferase into the infarct border zone. Duration of cytokine release was estimated by monitoring MSC survival using in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI). BLI signals were detectable for 10 days in contrast to the rapid fate of the cytokines after single dose administration in the CE group, resulting in preserved LVEFs at 6 months This study highlights the beneficial effect of HGF and VEGF to attenuate the negative LV remodelling after MI and diminishes the role of the MSCs to a pure delivery system for paracrine effects.
The aim of this study was to assess the pathological significance of abnormal pericolic fat shown by CT in the context of colorectal carcinoma. CT and histopathological findings of 63 resected colorectal carcinomas were retrospectively reviewed. CT examinations were assessed by two observers for the presence or absence of abnormal pericolic fat (typically linear or nodular opacities) at tumour sites. Specimens were reviewed histopathologically for depth of tumour invasion, extramuscular tissue reaction, and number and largest size of tumour-involved and tumour-free lymph nodes. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of pericolic fat in identifying extension of tumour infiltration beyond the muscle coat were 79% (42/53), 33% (2/6), 91% (42/46) and 15% (2/13), respectively. Despite these indicators of efficacy, the association between the presence of pericolic fat abnormality on CT and extramuscular extension of tumour (infiltration and/or nodal disease) or tissue reaction alone or in combination did not reach statistical significance (p>0.3 in all cases). Abnormal ("misty" or "mucky") pericolic fat in the assessment of colorectal cancer on CT is not a precise indicator of extramuscular extension of tumour, as it cannot clearly distinguish between tumour infiltration and tissue reaction beyond the muscle coat, or pericolic nodal involvement. However, it is a very helpful CT sign that may draw attention to the presence and site of a potential colonic abnormality.
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