Clinical and Imaging Manifestations of Primary Benign Tracheobronchial Tumors / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To improve our knowledge of primary benign tracheobronchial tumors and increase the early diagnosis rate. Method The clinical and imaging features of 22 patients with benign tracheobronchial tumors were retrospectively analyzed. The lesions were surgically or pathologically confirmed as schwannomas(n=2),lipomas(n=3),hamartomas(n=3),leiomyomas(n=9),inflammatory myofibroblastoma(n=1),and pleomorphic adenomas(n=2).The early symptoms were concealed and atypical,accompanied by misdiagnoses at different time points.The tumors were located at trachea in 5 patients and at bronchus in 17 patients.All lesions manifested as intraluminal growth with mild to moderate enhancement,without thickening of the tracheobronchial wall.They had smooth margins and wide basements.The lesions were cast-shaped and occluded the lumen in 3 cases;in the remaining 19 cases,the lesions appeared as round or oval nodules. Conclusions Primary benign tracheobronchial tumors are rare.Patients with repeated cough and expectoration that respond poorly to treatment should be screened for benign tracheobronchial tumors.On CT,the benign tracheobronchial tumors are small intraluminal nodules with the smooth surface and wide basement,without thickening of the wall.

Diagnosing radiation-induced liver injury in rabbit using 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical value of magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for diagnosing radiation-induced liver injury (RILI) and detecting changes in hepatic pathology at different post-irradiation times.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male New Zealand white rabbits received no irradiation (C0, control group; n = 10) or irradiation of 50 Gy/10F once every other day by virtual three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) for one day (C1; n = 10), three days (C2; n = 10), two weeks (C3; n = 10), one month (C4; n = 10) or two months (C5; n = 10). One member of all groups were sacrificed for DWI examination and pathologic study on post-irradiation day 1, day 3, week 2, month 1 and month 2. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured using a range of b values (50, 300, 600, 800 and 1000 s/mm2).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Hematoxylin-eosin (H-E) staining showed that livers of rabbits in the C3, C4 and C5 groups had the characteristic features of veno-occlusive disease. DWI examination showed that the irradiated livers of rabbits in C2, C3, C4 and C5 groups had significantly lower ADC values than the livers of the non-irradiated rabbits at b values of 300, 600, 800 and 1000 s/mm2 (P less than 0.05). When the b value was 600 s/mm2, the best negative correlation between ADC values and pathological stage was seen for the irradiated livers (Spearman's rank, r = -0.459, P less than 0.01). The threshold ADC value to distinguish the normal group (C0) from an irradiated group (more than or equal toC1) was 1.955 * 10-3 mm2/s at 600 s/mm2 b value. When the b value was 1000 s/mm2, the threshold ADC value to predict an irradiated group with normal H-E staining (C1) from an irradiated group with abnormal H-E staining (more than or equal toC2) was 1.5250 * 10-3 mm2/s; the ADC threshold value was 1.5150 * 10-3 mm2/s to predict groups C0-2 and groups C3-5.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DWI has high sensitivity for detecting RILI at three days after irradiation with proper b values. Use of the ADC value is feasible for estimating the evolutionary process of pathological features of RILI damage. DWI may represent an important clinical tool for detection of early pathological changes in RILI.</p>

Quantitative T2 mapping evaluates the repaired articular cartilage / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the value of T2 mapping in monitoring the repaired cartilage after matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation/transplantation (MACI/MACT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Four patients (10 plug cartilages) were examined three times by T2 mapping at 1, 3, and 6 months using a 3.0 Tesla MR scan system. Quantitative mean (full-thickness) T2 values were calculated in the transplanted area and control cartilage. Paired t-tests were used to compare the T2 values between transplanted and control cartilage. For analysis of longitudinal T2 values, one-way analyses of variance were performed among 1, 3, and 6 months after MACI.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean T2 values of the transplanted area at 1, 3, and 6 months after MACI were (82.40±15.23), (71.09±13.06), (53.80±4.86) ms, respectively. There were significant differences between the transplanted and control cartilage at 1 and 3 months (both P<0.01) after MACI, but not at 6 months (P=0.196). There were significant differences among T2 values of 1, 3, and 6 months after MACI in transplanted area (P=0.03).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>T2 mapping provides a useful tool for monitoring the biochemical development of the transplanted cartilage and can be used to evaluate the cartilage repair noninvasively.</p>

T2 mapping and knee thickness measurement in healthy young adults using quantitative 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the T2 values and knee thickness in healthy young adults using 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) .</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 40 volunteers(18-30 years old) with body mass index between 18.5-24.0 kg/m(2) were divided into two groups(22 men and 18 women) according to their gender. Also in addition, each group was divided into two subgroups(right knee and left knee) . The T2 values and the thickness of the areas on the medial condyle of femur, the lateral condyle of femur, the medial tibial plateau, the lateral tibial plateau, and the patella of the knee cartilage were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The T2 values and the thickness of the right and left knee cartilages showed no significant differences between men and women (P>0.05) . Also, the T2 values in the five parts of the knee cartilage also were not significantly different between men and women (P>0.05) . However, the thickness of the 5 parts of the knee cartilage significantly differed between men and women(P<0.05) .</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The thickness of the knee cartilage may different between male and female young adults. The T2 values of the cartilage may be not affected by the gender.</p>

Correlation of angiotensin converting enzyme gene polymorphism with perioperative myocardial protection under extracorporeal circulation

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the expression of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin II (Ang II), cardiac troponin (cTn I), creatine kinase isozymes (CK-MB) and muscle red protein(Myo) after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and to investigate the association of polymorphisms in angiotensin converting enzyme genes and myocardial injury.@*METHODS@#Sixty-three patients suffered from rheumatic mitral stenosis and scheduled for mitral valve replacement with CPB, were randomly divided into three groups according polymorphisms in angiotensin converting enzyme genes: type II, type ID, type DD (each=21). Blood samples were withdrawn from artery before operation (T1), at the beginning of CPB (T2), 30 min after CPB (T3), (T4) at the end of CPB (T5), 2 h after CPB (T6), 6 h after CPB (T7) to measure the expression of ACE, Ang II, cTn I, CK-MB, Myo.@*RESULTS@#The level of ACE during and after CPB were significantly higher than those before CPB (P<0.05). As extension of CPB time, the expression of ACE was increased. The level of cTn I, CK-MB, Myo after CPB were significantly higher than those before CPB(P<0.05). The level of cTn I, CK-MB and Myo were highest at T7, T6 and T5 and T7, respectively. The level of ACE, Ang II cTn I in patients with DD genotype was significantly higher than the ID and II genotype (P< 0.05). Besides, the level of ACE, Ang II in patients with ID genotype was significantly higher than the II (P< 0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#There is certain correlation between CPB perioperative midterm ACE and cTn I, Myo, CK-MB. ACE DD genotype is a susceptibility gene of the CPB perioperative myocardial injury.

Remote postconditioning induced by brief pulmonary ischemia and reperfusion attenuates myocardial reperfusion injury in rabbits / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The lung is one of the most important organs that are sensitive to ischemia. We hypothesized that remote postconditioning (RPostC) induced by brief occlusion and reperfusion of the pulmonary artery could attenuate myocardial reperfusion injury.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty rabbits were randomized into three groups. Group ischemia-reperfusion (IR) (n = 10) were anesthetized rabbits subjected to 30-minute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by 180-minute reperfusion. Group RPostC (n = 10) had the left pulmonary artery blocked for five minutes followed by a 5-minute reperfusion, and the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occluded for 30 minutes with a 180-minute reperfusion. Group L-N(w)-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) + RPostC (n = 10) had the left pulmonary artery blocked for five minutes followed by a 5-minute reperfusion and intravenous infusion of L-NAME (10 mg/kg), and the LAD occluded for 30 minutes with a 180-minute reperfusion. Blood samples were taken for levels of creatine kinase (CK), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) at three different time points. At the end of the experiment, tissue samples of the infarcted region were harvested to calculate the cardiomyocyte apoptosis index (AI) by TUNEL. A piece of left and right lung tissue was harvested to evaluate the damage to the lung.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After reperfusion for 180 minutes, the concentration of CK was lower in group RPostC, (4.79 ± 0.27) U/ml, than that in group IR, (6.23 ± 0.55) U/ml (P < 0.01), and group L-NAME + RPsotC, (5.86 ± 0.42) U/ml (P < 0.01). The concentration of MDA was lower in group RPostC, (6.06 ± 0.36) nmol/ml, than that in group IR, (11.41 ± 0.91) nmol/ml (P < 0.01), and group L-NAME + RPostC, (11.06 ± 0.62) nmol/ml (P < 0.01). The activity of SOD was higher in group RPostC, (242.34 ± 25.02) U/ml, than that in group IR, (148.05 ± 18.24) U/ml (P < 0.01), and group L-NAME + RPostC, (160.66 ± 9.55) U/ml (P < 0.01). The apoptosis index was lower in group RPostC, (14.25 ± 5.20)%, than that in group IR, (35.77 ± 10.09)% (P < 0.01), and group L-NAME + RPostC, (30.37 ± 7.76)% (P < 0.01). No significant difference caused by pulmonary ischemia was found in the lung tissue among the three groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>RPostC may attenuate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury connected to the activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. Brief pulmonary ischemia may not be harmful to lungs.</p>