Radionavigated detection of sentinel nodes in breast carcinoma--first experiences of our department.

INTRODUCTION: Biopsy and histological evaluation of sentinel lymphatic node limits the axillary node dissection only in cases of positive histological finding and decreases the occurrence of postoperative complications related to the axillary node dissection. METHODS: We used radiotracer SentiScint, Medi-Radiopharma Ltd, Hungary and preoperatively administered blue dye--Blue Patenté V, Guebert, Aulnay-Sous-Bios, France. 11 (18%) patients were subdued to deep peritimorous application of radiotracer, 10 (16.4%) to sub/intradermal application over the lesions and n 40 (65.6%) patients the application was sub/intradermal and periareolar. The patients underwent an operation protocol of corresponding quadrantectomy, radionavigated blue-dye sentinel node biopsy and axillary dissection. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: From May 2006 to June 2008, we examined 61 patients with breast carcinoma. They underwent radionavigated and blue-dye sentinel node biopsy. We detected 57 (93.4%) sentinel nodes with preoperative scintigraphy, of which only 51 (83.6%) were detected peroperatively and underwent histological evaluation. In six (9.8%) cases, the "frozen cut" histology of the primary lesion had shown a benign lesion; hence no sentinel node biopsy or axillary disection was performed. 12 (19.7%) of 51 histologically evaluated sentinel nodes had metastatic invasion. We retrospectively compared the histological fund in sentinel and axillary nodes in patients with metastatic sentinel nodes. In 6 (16.6%) cases, the sentinel node was positive of metastatic invasion but axillary nodes were histologically negative, in 6 (16.6%) cases the sentinel node and axillary nodes were positive for metastatic invasion. We observed falsely negative findings in 3 (8.3%) patients with negative histological fund in the sentinel node, but positive axillary nodes (Tab. 3, Fig. 2, Ref. 11). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.

Hydration water/interfacial water in crystalline lens.

Wide-line (1)H NMR signal intensity, spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation rates and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements were done on avian (chicken and turkey) crystalline lenses between -70 degrees C and +45 degrees C to provide quantitative measures of protein hydration characteristic of the protein-water interfacial region. These measures are of paramount importance in understanding both the physiology of crystalline lens and its transitions to the cataractous pathological state characterized by the formation of opaque protein aggregates. Water mobility shows a characteristic transition at about -60 degrees C, which is identified as the melting of the interfacial/hydrate water. The amount of water in the low-temperature mobile fraction is about h = 0.4 g water/g protein, which equals the hydration required for protein activity. The amount of mobile water is temperature-independent up to about -10 degrees C, with a significant increase at higher temperatures below 0 degrees C. Above 0 degrees C, the relaxation processes can be described by a single (for spin-lattice) and by a triple (for spin-spin relaxation) exponential function. The spin-spin relaxation rate component of R(2) = 10-20 s(-1) and its dynamical parameters characterize the interfacial water at ambient or physiological temperatures. When considered an independent phase, the specific heat of the hydrate water obtained by a combination of DSC and NMR data in the temperature range -43 degrees C to -28 degrees C is higher than that of pure/bulk water. This discrepancy can only be resolved by assuming that the hydrate water is in strong thermodynamic coupling with the protein matrix. The specific heat for the system composed of the protein molecule and its hydration water is 4.6 +/- 0.3 J g(-1) K(-1). Thus, in a thermodynamic sense, crystalline protein and its hydrate layer behave as a highly-interconnected single phase.

Protein-water and protein-buffer interactions in the aqueous solution of an intrinsically unstructured plant dehydrin: NMR intensity and DSC aspects.

Proton NMR intensity and differential scanning calorimetry measurements were carried out on an intrinsically unstructured late embryogenesis abundant protein, ERD10, the globular BSA, and various buffer solutions to characterize water and ion binding of proteins by this novel combination of experimental approaches. By quantifying the number of hydration water molecules, the results demonstrate the interaction between the protein and NaCl and between buffer and NaCl on a microscopic level. The findings overall provide direct evidence that the intrinsically unstructured ERD10 not only has a high hydration capacity but can also bind a large amount of charged solute ions. In accord, the dehydration stress function of this protein probably results from its simultaneous action of retaining water in the drying cells and preventing an adverse increase in ionic strength, thus countering deleterious effects such as protein denaturation.

1H spin-spin relaxation in normal and cataractous human, normal fish and bird eye lenses.

A systematic study on nuclear spin-spin relaxation of water protons in human, fish and bird eye lenses/lens nuclei is reported. The purpose of this study is to clarify the real nature of the relaxation processes not describable as a single exponential decay. The characterization of the spin-spin relaxation by a single exponential is commonly used both in literature and in MRI diagnostics. However, in our opinion, this single exponential decay hypothesis is an oversimplification that can lead to the loss of essential information. Our measurements were performed by Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse sequences on human, carp, chicken and turkey eye lenses/lens nuclei. Several hundreds of CPMG echo amplitude were detected and the time-dependence of their decay was determined by careful fitting procedures. Our results clearly rule out the single exponential decay hypothesis for eye lenses: at least two or three decaying components are observed. These phenomena need further investigations: it should be decided which of the relaxation parameters, T2I-s and A(i)-s gives the most characteristic physiological or pathological information. It is claimed that the amplitude ratio of the bound and the free water fraction carries the most characteristic information. During the cataract formation the weight of free water is raised by more than 25%.

Water fractions in normal and senile cataractous eye lenses studied by NMR.

The state of water and water fractions in normal and senile cataractous eye lenses was studied by the NMR method. Combining NMR with vacuum dehydration provided additional information on multifractional samples. A new mathematical procedure is presented which separates the characteristic parameters of the different fractions and helps to determine the relaxation times and amounts of the fractions. The measurement accuracy enables separation of three different water fractions both in normal and in cataractous lenses.