Diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma: role of FDG PET

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in differentiating benign from malignant disease in patients with possible pancreatic malignancy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: All patients with a possible diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma based on CT or ERCP findings were eligible for inclusion in this prospective study. PET imaging of the abdomen was performed in 37 patients and was interpreted as positive if FDG activity in the pancreas exceeded background activity and as negative if activity was less than or equal to background activity. Semiquantitative analysis was performed by calculating a standardized uptake ratio. Studies were reviewed independently by two radiologists, and results were correlated with biopsy results and with CT and ERCP findings. Sensitivity and specificity of FDG PET for revealing pancreatic malignancy was determined. RESULTS: FDG activity in the pancreas was increased in 24 patients, and adenocarcinoma was diagnosed in 22 of these patients (92%). Two patients (8%) with increased activity had benign disease, including one patient with chronic pancreatitis who showed no evidence of tumor at laparotomy and one patient with a mucinous cystic tumor who showed no malignant features at laparotomy. FDG uptake was low or normal in 13 patients, 10 of whom (77%) had benign disease. FDG uptake was also low in three patients with adenocarcinoma, whose tumor size ranged from 2 to 4 cm in diameter. The mean standardized uptake ratio value for malignant disease was 5.1 (range, 1.0-10.1) and for benign disease was 1.9 (range, 0.0-5.8) (p < .001). The sensitivity of FDG PET for revealing malignant disease in the pancreas was 88% and the specificity was 83%. CONCLUSION: FDG PET is a sensitive and specific noninvasive technique for the diagnosis of pancreatic malignancy.     

Characteristic epidemiologic features of nosocomial salmonellosis in therapeutic and prophylactic institutions for adults

The authors describe the use of the fiber bronchoscopic method in the respiratory distress syndrome of adults (RDSA). The method permits visual assessment of bronchial status and allows obtaining cell elements and mediators which are regarded not merely as a result of bronchoalveolar involvement, but as markers of the degree of this involvement. Special attention is paid to cellular and chemical components of bronchial secretion and to detection of correlation with the identical values of arterial and venous blood. The authors classify the available data on bronchological methods of examination, define their role in the diagnosis and treatment of RDSA, and analyze correlation between these data and clinical stages in the course of the syndrome.     

Polymerized micelles. Fixation of micelle structure by the core cross-linking

Summary Polymerized micelles of poly(11-acryloylaminoundecanoic acid) were obtained via radical polymerization in micellar state. The structure of micelles was fixed by cross-linking of the micelle core using solubilized diacrylate co-monomer. Hydrodynamic behavior of both cross-linked and non cross-linked polymerized micelles was studied by means of viscometry.     

Immediate results of surgical treatment of gastric stump cancer

An immediate result of surgical treatment of gastric stump cancer in 68 patients is presented. The resectability rate was 23.5%. Lethality after radical operations was 18.7%, after symptomatic operations and exploratory laparotomy-9.6%. Gastric resection was performed, using the method developed in the clinic with wrapping the anastomosis, or gastric stump by a loop of the afferent intestine. In development of gastric stump cancer, local spreading of a tumor is not a reason to discard performance of radical operation.     

The effect of serotonin antibodies on the development of the alcohol abstinence syndrome in CBA mice

Experiments on CBA mice with alcohol withdrawal syndrome showed a reduction of abstinence after injection of serotonin antibodies in dose 5 and 10 mg intraperitoneally. One more result was a decrease of horizontal locomotory activity after injection of 5 mg of serotonin antibodies to mice with 24 hour withdrawal syndrome.     

Fish immunology: the utility of immortalized lymphoid cells--a mini review

Long term cell lines can be readily established at high frequency with PBLs from normal channel catfish. Depending upon the mode of stimulation, morphologically and functionally distinct catfish lymphoid cell lines resembling B cells, T cells and monocytes have been developed. These fish cell lines appear unique from their putative mammalian counterparts in that they are immortalized without the need for exogenous factors or overt attempts at transformation.     

Multimodality treatment for retinoblastoma in children

A comprehensive programme was developed for the treatment of uni- and bilateral retinoblastoma in children with due regard to the disease stage by the TNM system. The use of the current sources of teletherapy and cyclic polychemotherapy expanded indications for organ-saving therapy at most common stages. Treatment by the program was performed in 202 patients, including 125 children with unilateral damage and 77 with bilateral damage. An attempt made treat 140 (75%) children at the first stage. More than 70% of cases were diagnosed as having disease stage T3 in one or two stage, while such patients underwent ocular enucleation. A complete or partial (more than 50%) tumor regression without signs of its progression for 2 years or more was achieved in 62% of cases. At the first stage of therapy, conservative therapy insignificantly affected the children's longevity in uncomplicated cases, which is particularly important in bilateral involvement, while this preserved the organ of vision in more than half the patients (62%). Five-year survival was 92 and 82% in unilateral retinoblastoma surgically treated and untreated, 83 and 84%, respectively. Adequate multimodality treatment brought about low incidence rates of recurrence and metastasis (10%) in conservative therapy and 7.7% among all patients.     

Ways of knowing

BACKGROUND: Although it has become clear that habitual exercise in older individuals can partially offset age-associated cardiovascular declines, it is not known whether the beneficial effects of exercise training in older individuals depend on their prior fitness level. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ten sedentary men (S), age 60.0 +/- 1.6 years (mean +/- SEM), who were carefully screened to exclude cardiac disease underwent exercise training for 24 to 32 weeks, and eight age-matched endurance-trained men (ET) stopped their exercise training for 12 weeks. All underwent treadmill exercise and rest and maximal cycle exercise upright gated blood pool scans at baseline and after the lifestyle intervention. Before the intervention, the treadmill maximum rate of oxygen consumption (Vo2max) was 49.9 +/- 1.9 and 32.1 +/- 1.4 mL.kg-1.min-1 in ET and S, respectively. During upright cycle exercise at exhaustion, although heart rate did not differ between groups, cardiac index, stroke volume index, ejection fraction, and left ventricular contractility index (systolic blood pressure/end-systolic volume index) all were significantly higher, and end-systolic volume index, diastolic blood pressure, and total systemic vascular resistance all were significantly lower in ET versus S. After the partial deconditioning of ET men, Vo2max fell to 42 +/- 2.2 mL.kg-1.min-1, and training of S increased Vo2max to 36.2 +/- 1.6 mL.kg-1.min-1. Training of S had effects on cardiovascular function that were similar in magnitude but directionally opposite those of detraining ET. All initial differences in cardiovascular performance at peak work rate between S and ET were abolished with the intervention. Across the broad range of fitness levels encountered before and after change in training status (Vo2max of 26 to 58 mL.kg-1.min-1), cardiac index, stroke volume index, end-systolic volume index, ejection fraction, and the left ventricular contractility index were all linearly correlated with Vo2max. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise training or detraining of older men results in changes in left ventricular performance that are qualitatively and quantitatively similar, regardless of the initial level of fitness before the intervention.