Evaluation of coronary artery calcification by multi-detector row computed tomography for the detection of coronary artery stenosis in Japanese patients.

BACKGROUND: The development of an efficient noninvasive examination to detect coronary atherosclerosis is needed as a strategy to prevent coronary heart disease. To evaluate the usefulness of calcium score measured by multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT), we compared calcium score derived from MDCT with findings of coronary artery stenosis assessed by coronary angiography (CAG). METHODS: In 108 patients (94 men, 14 women; average age, 65.7 years), we performed unenhanced CT scans and calculated coronary artery calcium score in 259 vessels without previous intervention and severe motion artifact to determine the correlation with the degree of coronary stenosis by CAG. RESULTS: The sensitivity and the specificity of calcification (calcium score 0.1+) for severe stenosis (75+%) were 89% and 43%, respectively. All four vessels with calcium score 1000+ had a severe stenosis. The areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve of calcium score for severe stenosis were 0.80 +/- 0.04, indicating the efficacy of this technique. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary artery calcification and calcium score determined by MDCT were associated with coronary arteries with severe stenosis. This technique appears to be useful for the evaluation of coronary atherosclerosis.

Histological distribution and ultrastructural features of immunoreactive terminals against RT97, a monoclonal antibody to a 200 kD neurofilament, in the spinal dorsal horn of a rat.

Localization and ultrastructural features of immunoreactive fibers and terminals against RT-97, a mouse monoclonal antibody that recognizes subunit of a 200-kD neurofilament, were examined in the spinal dorsal horn of adult rats. Under a light-microscope, many RT-97 immunoreactive fibers were detected in the dorsal root, collaterals of the dorsal root in the dorsal funiculus, and laminae III and IV in the dorsal horn. Few immunoreactive fibers were found in laminae I and II. Electron microscopic observation demonstrated that almost all RT-97 immunoreactive fibers in the dorsal root were myelinated, and unmyelinated fibers immunonegative. The immunoreactive fibers entered into the dorsal horn passing through the collaterals of the dorsal root along the superficial gray lamina. In the dorsal horn, these fibers ascended into and then terminated in lamina II. RT-97 immunoreactive central terminals were semicircular or ellipsoid in appearance and contained many flat-type presynaptic vesicles. Some terminals made synaptic contact with dendritic profiles in lamina II. Our present results indicate that RT-97 is a useful marker for ultrastructural examination of terminals served by non-nociceptive A-fibers.