Preoperative CT Radiomics Nomogram for Predicting Microvascular Invasion in Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: This study aims to develop and validate a nomogram integrating clinical-CT and radiomic features for preoperative prediction of microvascular invasion (MVI) in patients with stage I non­small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 188 cases of stage I NSCLC (63 MVI positives and 125 negatives), which were randomly assigned to training (n = 133) and validation cohorts (n = 55) at a ratio of 7:3. Preoperative non-contrast and contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) images were used to analyze computed tomography (CT) features and extract radiomics features. The student's t-test, the Mann-Whitney-U test, the Pearson correlation, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and multivariable logistic analysis were used to select the significant CT and radiomics features. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to build the clinical-CT, radiomics, and integrated models. The predictive performances were evaluated through the receiver operating characteristic curve and compared with the DeLong test. The integrated nomogram was analyzed regarding discrimination, calibration, and clinical significance. RESULTS: The rad-score was developed with one shape and four textural features. The integrated nomogram incorporating radiomics score, spiculation, and the number of tumor-related vessels (TVN) demonstrated better predictive efficacy than the radiomics and clinical-CT models in the training cohort (area under the curve [AUC], 0.893 vs 0.853 and 0.828, and p = 0.043 and 0.027, respectively) and validation cohort (AUC, 0.887 vs 0.878 and 0.786, and p = 0.761 and 0.043, respectively). The nomogram also demonstrated good calibration and clinical usefulness. CONCLUSION: The radiomics nomogram integrating the radiomics with clinical-CT features demonstrated good performance in predicting MVI status in stage I NSCLC. The nomogram may be a useful tool for physicians in improving personalized management of stage I NSCLC.

Development of novel nanoparticles shelled with heparin for berberine delivery to treat Helicobacter pylori.

Various approaches have been proposed to overcome the unpleasant side-effects associated with antibiotic treatment for Helicobacter pylori. The limited effectiveness of such approaches has forced researchers to consider alternative strategies to eliminate H. pylori infection. The plant alkaloid berberine is known to significantly reduce proliferation of H. pylori. To localize berberine to the site of H. pylori infection, this study developed a novel nanoparticle berberine carrier with a heparin shell. Analysis of a simulated gastrointestinal medium indicated that the proposed in vitro drug carrier system effectively controlled the release of berberine, which interacted specifically with the intercellular space at the site of H. pylori infection. Furthermore, the prepared nanoparticles significantly increased the suppressive effect of berberine on H. pylori growth while efficiently reducing cytotoxic effects in H. pylori-infected cells.

Expression and immunological analysis of capsid protein precursor of swine vesicular disease virus HK/70.

VP1, a capsid protein of swine vesicular disease virus, was cloned from the SVDV HK/70 strain and inserted into retroviral vector pBABE puro, and expressed in PK15 cells by an retroviral expression system. The ability of the VP1 protein to induce an immune response was then evaluated in guinea pigs. Western blot and ELISA results indicated that the VP1 protein can be recognized by SVDV positive serum, Furthermore, anti-SVDV specific antibodies and lymphocyte proliferation were elicited and increased by VP1 protein after vaccination. These results encourage further work towards the development of a vaccine against SVDV infection.