Near-Infrared Contrast Agents for Bone-Targeted Imaging

BACKGROUND: For the bone-specific imaging, a structure-inherent targeting of bone tissue recently has been reported a new strategy based on incorporation of targeting moieties into the chemical structure of near-infrared (NIR) contrast agents, while conventional methods require covalent conjugation of bone-targeting ligands to NIR contrast agents. This will be a new approach for bone-targeted imaging by using the bifunctional NIR contrast agents. METHODS: The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the recent advances in optical imaging of bone tissue, highlighting the structure-inherent targeting by developing NIR contrast agents without the need for a bone-targeting ligand such as bisphosphonates. RESULTS: A series of iminodiacetated and phosphonated NIR contrast agents for the structure-inherent targeting of bone tissue showed excellent bone-targeting ability in vivo without non-specific binding. Additionally, the phosphonated NIR contrast agents could be useful in the diagnosis of bone metastasis. CONCLUSION: By developing bone-targeted NIR contrast agents, optical imaging of bone tissue makes it very attractive for preclinical studies of bone growth or real-time fluorescence guided surgery resulting in high potential to shift the clinical paradigms.

Relationship between CT Scores and Pathologic Findings in Chronic Sinusitis: The Indicators of Severity in Chronic Inflammation / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Chronic sinusitis is a common disease in otolaryngology, but its pathologic mechanism has not been clearly known. Also, the evaluation method for the severity of chronic sinusitis is not established. The aim of this study was to analyze possible factors associated with the correlation between the radiological and pathological severity of chronic sinusitis. In addition, we assessed the profiles of inflammatory cells in the sinus mucosa and peripheral blood eosinophils in relation to the overall pathologic grades and OMU CT findings. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Fifty specimens of pathologic sinus mucosa, obtained during endoscopic sinus surgery were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Total inflammatory cells, plasma cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes and eosinophils were quantified. The preoperative OMU CT scans were scored by the staging system of Lund-Mackay. Also, the preoperative percentage of eosinophils in peripheral white blood cells were obtained with the complete blood count with differentiation. RESULTS: The count of total inflammatory cells, lymphocytes and eosinophils infiltrated in the diseased sinus mucosa correlated significantly with the severity of the pathologic grades and OMU CT scores. In addition, the CT scores assessed by Lund-Mackay system correlated significantly with the severity of the pathologic grades. CONCLUSION: The important indicators of the severity of the chronic inflammation in chronic sinusitis were OMU CT scores, overall pathologic grades, and total inflammatory cells, lymphocytes and eosinophils infiltrated in sinus mucosa.

A Case of Recurrent Frontal Sinusitis due to Bone Wax

Frontal sinusitis can lead to severe and life-threatening disorders. Complications may involve intracranial structures, orbit and adjacent bone and soft tissue structures. Bone wax has been used since the turn of the century as a mechanical aid to hemostasis following surgical procedures. That it may produce a foreign body giant cell reaction in significant proportion of cases is well known. We experienced a woman who had recurrent frontal sinusitis due to bone wax. She was treated by endoscopic frontal sinusotomy with foreign body removal.

Effect of Tumor Grade and FIGO Stage on Preoperative Serum CA 125 Level in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer / 대한부인종양콜포스코피학회잡지

The preoperative serum level of tumor marker CA 125 has served as rough orientation in making the distinction between a benign and a malignant adnexal mass or as a reference for monitoring the success of therapy. But there were some reports suggesting that the stage of the disease and tumor grade, which are known to be the independent prognostic factors in ovarian cancer patients, may exert an influence on the preoperative CA 125 level. In this retrospective study we analysed the significance of preoperative serum CA 125 level with respect to tumor grade and tumor stage. Between June, 1989 and January, 1997, 82 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer managed at Asan Medical Center were evaluated, in whom serum level CA 125 were measured preoperatively. Tumor grade bears no meaningful influence on the preoperative CA 125 level, and also the correlation is low and statistically insignificant (r=0.12, p=0.29 in all stages; r=0.01, p=0.97 in stage I; r=-0.09, p=0.83 in stage II; r=0.06, p=0.72 in stage III; r=0.25, p=0.41 in stage IV). There was no significant effect of FIGO stage on preoperative CA 125 level (r=0.21, p=0.06 in all grades; r=0.32, p=0.10 in G1; r=0.08, p=0.74 in G2; r=0.17, p=0.30 in G3). However, we found a significant correlation between FIGO stage and tumor grade (r=0.45, p<0.01). In conclusion, our data suggests that both tumor grade and FIGO stage have no significant effect on preoperative serum CA 125 level.

Significance of Thrombocytosis in Patients with Epithelial Ovarian Cancer / 대한부인종양콜포스코피학회잡지

Thrombocytosis(a platelet count>400,000/mm3) is found to be frequently in association with malignant disease and recently has been suggested to be a poor prognostic indicator in patients with certain cancers. The objective of this retrospective study was to determine the relevance of a preoperative platelet count in ovarian cancer with a possible prognostic significance of thrombocytosis in this disease. Between June 1989 and December 1995, eighty-five patients with epithelial ovarian cancer were evaluated, who were managed at Asan Medical Center by cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy, and had at least 6 months' follow-up. Prevalence of thrombocytosis was 22.4% and significantly correlated with FIGO stage(p=0.003), histologic subtype(p=0.002), tumor grade(p=0.040), performance status of patient(p=0.006) and preoperative serum CA 125 level(p=0.002). And the linear regression analysis revealed a significant correlation(p<0.001) between platelet count and preoperative serum CA 125 level, which suggested that platelet count was positively associated with tumor volume. No difference in survival between patients with or without thrombocytosis was found(p=0.68), whereas residual tumor size and serum CA 125 level after 2nd chemotherapy were found to be independent prognostic factors. In conclusion, thrombocytosis is not a useful prognostic factor in epithelial ovarian cancer, but significantly associated with tumor volume.