Tumor cell uptake of 99mTc-labeled 1-thio-ß-D-glucose and 5-thio-D-glucose in comparison with 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose in vitro: kinetics, dependencies, blockage and cell compartment of accumulation.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the capacity of (99m)Tc-labeled 1-thio-ß-D-glucose ((99m)Tc-1-TG) and 5-thio-D-glucose ((99m)Tc-5-TG) to act as a marker for glucose metabolism in tumor cells in vitro. PROCEDURES: We investigated the cellular uptake of (99m)Tc-1-TG, (99m)Tc-5-TG, and 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose((18)F-FDG) in a human colorectal carcinoma and human lung adenocarcinoma cell line (HCT-116, A549) at different time points and varying glucose/insulin concentrations and under transporter blockage by cytochalasin-B and phloretin. Cell compartment analysis was performed. RESULTS: A significant uptake and time dependency thereof, a significant uptake dependency on glucose and insulin and a significant uptake inhibition by cytochalasin-B for (99m)Tc-1-TG and (99m)Tc-5-TG, was shown. Albeit substantial, the uptake was less pronounced in (99m)Tc-1-TG and (99m)Tc-5-TG compared with (18)F-FDG. (99m)Tc-1-TG and (99m)Tc-5-TG showed a higher accumulation in the cell membranes compared with (18)F-FDG. CONCLUSION: Tc-1-TG and (99m)Tc-5-TG showed an uptake in vitro with glucose analog characteristics but with membranous accumulation. Tumor imaging should be investigated in an animal model.

Interim PET response criteria in paediatric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Results from a retrospective multicenter reading.

AIM: To evaluate the use and reliability of the PET-based response criteria for interim PET (iPET) in terms of interobserver variability in pediatric and adolescent patients suffering from non-Hodgkin´s lymphoma (NHL). Particular attention was given to the identification of visual cutoff to separate patients with a favourable outcome. PATIENTS, METHODS: Retrospective analysis of PET-datasets of 18 children and adolescents suffering from NHL who underwent iPET after two cycles of chemotherapy for response assessment. Datasets were evaluated and rated in three independent review centers (RC) (blinded-read, intra-center consensus) using a visual 5-point response scale. Ratings were compared to clinical outcome. Pairwise interobserver agreement was analysed with Cohen's kappa-test (κ). Overall agreement (between attended RCs) was assessed with Fleiss' κ-test. RESULTS: Four patients suffered relapse (early, n = 2; late, n = 2). Per region analyses on interobserver variability revealed a "substantial" agreement (Fleiss' κ = 0.618). Per patient analyses revealed concordant iPET-ratings in eight patients: iPET-negative (iPET-), n = 5; iPET-positive (iPET+), n = 2; iPET-inconclusive (iPET±), n = 1. Discordant ratings were found in the remaining patients. Patients with early relapse were concordantly identified using mediastinal blood pool structures (MBPS, score ≥ 3) as visual cutoff between iPET+ or iPET-, respectively. However, patients with late relapse were not concordantly identified taking the MBPS as visual cutoff. CONCLUSION: The iPET interpretation using a dedicated PET-based response scale assured a low interobserver variability in per-region but not in per-patient analyses in a multicenter read. Using a sensitive read out (iPET+, score ≥ 3) a reliable identification of patients suffering relapse was limited to those with early relapse.

CHIRBASE, a graphical molecular database on the separation of enantiomers by liquid-, supercritical fluid-, and gas chromatography.

In order to cope with the increasing number of publications on the separation of enantiomers by chromatography on a chiral stationary phase, the graphical molecular database CHIRBASE was created. In the present state, the database package covers information (structural, bibliographic, and chromatographic data) on liquid-, supercritical fluid-, and gas chromatography; other methods will follow. CHIRBASE, running on the MDL software Chembase, meets the requirements of contemporary information management in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. (Detailed information including a demo-version of each part of CHIRBASE can be obtained from the authors on request).

["Alcohol associated" death in a forensic medicine autopsy sample at the Berlin Free University]. / "Alkoholassoziierte" Todesfälle im rechtsmedizinischen Obduktionsgut der Freien Universität Berlin.

From 1978 to 1988 6431 forensic postmortem examinations have been made at the Freie Universität Berlin. These are about 50% of all p. m. examinations in Berlin (West) of the corresponding period. 22% of these cases were associated with alcohol. On one hand there was an acute influence of alcohol, on the other hand there were indications of chronic alcoholism. A rise of alcohol associated cases or of alcohol concentrations could not be found out.