Diagnostic value of two dimensional shear wave elastography combined with texture analysis in early liver fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Staging diagnosis of liver fibrosis is a prerequisite for timely diagnosis and therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B. In recent years, ultrasound elastography has become an important method for clinical noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis stage, but its diagnostic value for early liver fibrosis still needs to be further improved. In this study, the texture analysis was carried out on the basis of two dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE), and the feasibility of 2D-SWE plus texture analysis in the diagnosis of early liver fibrosis was discussed. AIM: To assess the diagnostic value of 2D-SWE combined with textural analysis in liver fibrosis staging. METHODS: This study recruited 46 patients with chronic hepatitis B. Patients underwent 2D-SWE and texture analysis; Young's modulus values and textural patterns were obtained, respectively. Textural pattern was analyzed with regard to contrast, correlation, angular second moment (ASM), and homogeneity. Pathological results of biopsy specimens were the gold standard; comparison and assessment of the diagnosis efficiency were conducted for 2D-SWE, texture analysis and their combination. RESULTS: 2D-SWE displayed diagnosis efficiency in early fibrosis, significant fibrosis, severe fibrosis, and early cirrhosis (AUC > 0.7, P < 0.05) with respective AUC values of 0.823 (0.678-0.921), 0.808 (0.662-0.911), 0.920 (0.798-0.980), and 0.855 (0.716-0.943). Contrast and homogeneity displayed independent diagnosis efficiency in liver fibrosis stage (AUC > 0.7, P < 0.05), whereas correlation and ASM showed limited values. AUC of contrast and homogeneity were respectively 0.906 (0.779-0.973), 0.835 (0.693-0.930), 0.807 (0.660-0.910) and 0.925 (0.805-0.983), 0.789 (0.639-0.897), 0.736 (0.582-0.858), 0.705 (0.549-0.883) and 0.798 (0.650-0.904) in four liver fibrosis stages, which exhibited equivalence to 2D-SWE in diagnostic efficiency (P > 0.05). Combined diagnosis (PRE) displayed diagnostic efficiency (AUC > 0.7, P < 0.01) for all fibrosis stages with respective AUC of 0.952 (0.841-0.994), 0.896 (0.766-0.967), 0.978 (0.881-0.999), 0.947 (0.835-0.992). The combined diagnosis showed higher diagnosis efficiency over 2D-SWE in early liver fibrosis (P < 0.05), whereas no significant differences were observed in other comparisons (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Texture analysis was capable of diagnosing liver fibrosis stage, combined diagnosis had obvious advantages in early liver fibrosis, liver fibrosis stage might be related to the hepatic tissue hardness distribution.

Lower maternal and fetal vitamin D status and higher placental and umbilical vitamin D receptor expression in preeclamptic pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: To explore associations between maternal and fetal vitamin D status in preeclamptic pregnancies. METHODS: A case-control experiment was carried out with proportion ratio of 1:1 (controls: n = 60 vs cases: n = 60). Blood collection of both maternal and cord were performed before and during delivery, respectively, and 25(OH)D measurement was conducted. Difference analysis was performed according to returned data. Immunohistochemical analysis, together with semi-quantitative Western blot, was also performed to determine protein expression of vitamin D receptor in placenta and cord tissues of ESPE. RESULTS: Mean ± SD values of maternal 25(OH)D in control and PE group were 38.06 ± 6.28 and 33.05 ± 4.10, respectively, and significant differences with P < 0.0001 were found between control and PE in both continuous and categorical variables, especially in ESPE subtype (32.96 ± 4.49). The deficiency category (< 30 nmol/L) showed increased odds of PE (OR, 2.83, 95% CI, 1.32-6.08) in both maternal 25(OH)D and cord 25(OH)D in multivariable logistic regression. Semi-quantitative analysis showed that expression of placenta VDR in the ESPE subgroup was significantly higher than that in control group with P < 0.001, while expression of umbilical vein VDR in ESPE subgroup was significantly higher than that in control group with P < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: The present study finds that lowest maternal and fetal vitamin D status in ESPE existed in the preeclampsia subsets. The VDR expression in placenta and fetus in ESPE were higher than that of normal pregnancy, which indicated that it might be related to placenta compensatory mechanism and is worthy of further research.

Effect of two formulations on the decline curves and residue levels of rotenone in cabbage and soil under field conditions.

The dissipation and residue levels of rotenone with suspension concentrate (SC) as well as water dispersible granule (WDG) formulations in cabbage and soil were investigated under field conditions. The decline curves of rotenone residues in cabbage and soil corresponded with first-order kinetics. The dissipation rate of rotenone in cabbage was faster than that in soil. The half-lives of the SC formulations in cabbage and soil were 1.14d to 1.85d and 2.26d to 3.98d, respectively. For the WDG formulation, the values were 1.33d to 1.96d and 2.41d to 3.38d. Less spraying, lower dosage, and longer pre-harvest intervals could reduce terminal residue levels. Terminal residues below the MRL (0.5mg kg(-1)) were achieved after pre-harvest intervals of 3d at either once (45g a.i. ha(-1)) or twice (90g a.i. ha(-1)) the recommended dosage. The different dissipation processes of rotenone in cabbage and soil under field conditions could be attributed to the different climate and soil properties, and the types of formulation had no apparent effect on half-life. Formulation type affected the initial concentrations and finally led to different terminal residues. Prolonged pre-harvest intervals are necessary to ensure that the products are sufficiently safe for consumption.

Zn2+ responsive bimodal magnetic resonance imaging and fluorescent imaging probe based on a gadolinium(III) complex.

A Zn(2+)-responsive bimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and luminescence imaging probe GdL was synthesized. The relaxivity and luminescence properties were examined. In the presence of 0.5 equiv of Zn(2+), the longitudinal relaxivity is increased from 3.8 mM(-1) s(-1) to 5.9 mM(-1) s(-1) at 23 MHz and 25 °C with 55% enhancement, whereas the fluorescence exhibits a 7-fold increase. The Zn(2+) responsive imaging probe shows favorable selectivity and tolerance over a variety of biologically relevant anions and metal ions in physiological pH range for both relaxivity and luminescence. In vitro phantom images and confocal fluorescence images in living cells show that the bimodal Zn(2+) probe can effectively enhance T(1)-weighted imaging contrast and luminescence imaging effect through Zn(2+) coordination with excellent cellmembrane permeability and biocompatibility. Spectral and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) studies indicate that two different Zn(2+)-bound species, (GdL)(2)Zn and GdLZn, are formed when 0.5 and 1 equiv of Zn(2+) are bound to GdL complex, respectively. Crystal structural determination and dysprosium-induced (17)O NMR shift (DIS) experiment demonstrate that the increased molecular weight and the improved molecular rigidity upon complexation of Zn(2+) with GdL is the primary factor for relaxivity enhancement. Significant enhancement of the luminescence is due to a heavy atom effect and much increased molecular rigidity upon Zn(2+) binding to 8-sulfonamidoquinoline chromophore.

A Gd3Al tetranuclear complex as a potential bimodal MRI/optical imaging agent.

A new self-assembled gadolinium(III)-aluminum(III) complex (Gd(3)Al) was synthesized and characterized. The efficacy of this Gd(3)Al complex as a potential bimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/optical imaging agent has been evaluated. Relaxivity studies showed that the Gd(3)Al complex has higher relaxation efficiency (7.18 mM(-1) s(-1)) compared with the clinically used complex gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA, 3.9 mM(-1) s(-1)) at 400 MHz and 25 °C. In vitro T(1)-MR images on a 0.5 T magnetic field exhibited a remarkable enhancement of signal contrast for Gd(3)Al compared to Gd-DTPA. Furthermore, the Gd(3)Al complex exhibits bright-green luminescence with the emission spectrum centred at 510 nm. Live-cell fluorescence imaging reveals that the Gd(3)Al complex is permeable to cells and localizes to the cytoplasm. In view of the relaxometric and luminescent properties, this Gd(3)Al complex could serve as a potential bimodal MRI/optical imaging agent.

A gadolinium(III) complex with 8-amidequinoline based ligand as copper(II) ion responsive contrast agent.

A new Cu(2+)-responsive MRI contrast agent (Gd-QDOTAMA) with a quinoline-based ligand was synthesized and characterized. Relaxivity studies on Gd-QDOTAMA showed that the relaxivity increased from 4.27 mM(-1) s(-1) to 7.29 mM(-1) s(-1) in response to equimolar amounts of copper(II) ion, corresponding to ca. 71% relaxivity enhancement. Distinct changes in relaxivity were undetected upon addition of physiologically relevant alkali metal cations (K(+) or Na(+)), alkaline earth metal cations (Mg(2+) or Ca(2+)), or d-block metal cations (Zn(2+), Cu(+), Fe(2+), Fe(3+)), indicating a high selectivity for Cu(2+) over other biologically relevant metal ions. Moreover, the influence of common biological anions at physiological levels on the Cu(2+)-responsive contrast agent was also studied. Luminescence studies on the Eu counterpart Eu-QDOTAMA suggest that the enhancement in relaxivity for Gd-QDOTAMA in response to Cu(2+) is most likely due to the increased number of inner-sphere water molecules around Gd(3+) upon Cu(2+) binding to the 8-amidequinoline moiety. In vitro T(1)-weighted phantom images of Gd-QDOTAMA confirmed that signal intensity was markedly increased by the addition of equimolar amounts of Cu(2+).