ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to elucidate if there is an additive or supra-additive toxic effects of radiotherapy (RT) and trastuzumab (T) on vascular structures when used concomitantly. METHODS: Female Wistar albino rats were treated with either 8 or 15 Gy of thoracic RT. T was applied i.p. with a dose of 6 mg/kg 2 h before RT. Four rats in each arm were killed at 6th h, 21st and 70th days after irradiation and thoracic aorta of each animal was dissected for electron microscopy. In addition, functional studies for evaluating the relaxation and contraction were carried out 21 days after RT. RESULTS: Only 15-Gy RT dose groups showed significant difference in terms of functional deterioration as more contraction than the others (P < 0.05) without any difference between RT and RT + T. However, T produced additional deficit in relaxation when added to RT, which was considered near significant (P: 0.0502). Electron microscopy showed endothelial and subendotelial damage signs in 15-Gy dose groups. T + 15-Gy arm showed more pronounced endothelial cell damage than 15-Gy RT-only arm, 70 days after RT. CONCLUSION: T and high-dose RT may lead to vascular damage that seems at least additive.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Monoclonal/toxicity , Antineoplastic Agents/toxicity , Vasoconstriction/drug effects , Vasoconstriction/radiation effects , Vasodilation/drug effects , Vasodilation/radiation effects , Animals , Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized , Aorta, Thoracic/drug effects , Aorta, Thoracic/pathology , Aorta, Thoracic/physiopathology , Aorta, Thoracic/radiation effects , Endothelial Cells/drug effects , Endothelial Cells/pathology , Endothelial Cells/radiation effects , Female , In Vitro Techniques , Phenylephrine/pharmacology , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Thorax , Trastuzumab , Vasoconstrictor Agents/pharmacologyABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The authors evaluated the use of technetium (Tc) 99m-citrate scan in 30 children whose diagnoses of appendicitis were unclear. METHODS: There were 17 boys and 13 girls (mean age 10.6 years). Nineteen of 30 patients had appendicitis confirmed at laparotomy and through histological examination, and 11 patients had other causes of acute abdominal pain. RESULTS: Children included in this study were similar with respect to age, duration of symptoms, temperature, white blood cell count, and the incidence of right lower quadrant tenderness. Sixteen children had positive scan for acute appendicitis, but 1 of them had false-positive. Fourteen children had negative scan, but 4 of them had false-negative. The calculated values were 78.9% (15 of 19), 90.9% (10 of 11), 83.3% (25 of 30), 93.7% (15 of 16), and 71.4% (10 of 14) for sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive prediction, and negative prediction, respectively, in this study. CONCLUSION: The authors suggest the use of 99mTc-citrate scan in children when the diagnosis of appendicitis using other methods is unclear.
Subject(s)
Appendicitis/diagnostic imaging , Citrates , Organotechnetium Compounds , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Predictive Value of Tests , Radionuclide Imaging , Radiopharmaceuticals , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
An experimental study was planned to evaluate 99mTc-citrate, 67Ga-citrate and 99mTc(V) dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) as agents for the visualization of acute appendicitis. Appendiceal ligation was performed through a midline incision in 24 rabbits. Twenty-four hours later the animals were divided into three equal groups. The rabbits were injected through the aurical vein with 1 mCi (37 MBq) 99mTc-citrate in group I, 0.5 mCi (18.5 MBq) 67Ga-citrate in group II and 1 mCi (37 MBq) 99mTc(V) DMSA in group III. After 3 h, static images of the rabbits were obtained with a gamma camera. There were positive images in seven, six and five rabbits in groups I, II and III respectively. The image quality was better in group I than in the other groups. Also, the mean uptake in group I was significantly higher than those of other two groups (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between groups II and III (P > 0.05). All rabbits had appendicitis confirmed histologically. In conclusion, these results show that 99mTc-citrate is preferable to 67Ga-citrate and 99mTc(V) DMSA for the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal inflammations such as appendicitis, because of higher concentration ratios, simple and rapid preparation, low cost, excretion mainly through the kidneys and fast blood clearance.
