Integrating Transcriptomic and Structural Insights: Revealing Drug Repurposing Opportunities for Sporadic ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons, resulting in debilitating muscle weakness and atrophy. Currently, there are no effective treatments available for ALS, posing significant challenges in managing the disease that affects approximately two individuals per 100,000 people annually. To address the urgent need for effective ALS treatments, we conducted a drug repurposing study using a combination of bioinformatics tools and molecular docking techniques. We analyzed sporadic ALS-related genes from the GEO database and identified key signaling pathways involved in sporadic ALS pathogenesis through pathway analysis using DAVID. Subsequently, we utilized the Clue Connectivity Map to identify potential drug candidates and performed molecular docking using AutoDock Vina to evaluate the binding affinity of short-listed drugs to key sporadic ALS-related genes. Our study identified Cefaclor, Diphenidol, Flubendazole, Fluticasone, Lestaurtinib, Nadolol, Phenamil, Temozolomide, and Tolterodine as potential drug candidates for repurposing in sporadic ALS treatment. Notably, Lestaurtinib demonstrated high binding affinity toward multiple proteins, suggesting its potential as a broad-spectrum therapeutic agent for sporadic ALS. Additionally, docking analysis revealed NOS3 as the gene that interacts with all the short-listed drugs, suggesting its possible involvement in the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic potential of these drugs in sporadic ALS. Overall, our study provides a systematic framework for identifying potential drug candidates for sporadic ALS therapy and highlights the potential of drug repurposing as a promising strategy for discovering new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

Ultrathin Graphene Oxide-Based Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Purification

Two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO)-based lamellar membranes have been widely developed for desalination, water purification, gas separation, and pervaporation. However, membranes with a well-organized multilayer structure and controlled pore size remain a challenge. Herein, an easy and efficient method is used to fabricate MoO₂@GO and WO₃@GO nanocomposite membranes with controlled structure and interlayer spacing. Such membranes show good separation for salt and heavy metal ions due to the intensive stacking interaction and electrostatic attraction. The as-prepared composite membranes showed high rejection rates (˃70%) toward small metal ions such as sodium (Na⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) ions. In addition, both membranes also showed high rejection rates ˃99% for nickel (Ni²⁺) and lead (Pb²⁺) ions with good water permeability of 275 ± 10 L m^-2 h^-1 bar^-1. We believe that our fabricated membranes will have a bright future in next generation desalination and water purification membranes.

SperoPredictor: An Integrated Machine Learning and Molecular Docking-Based Drug Repurposing Framework With Use Case of COVID-19

The global spread of the SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), its manifestation in human hosts as a contagious disease, and its variants have induced a pandemic resulting in the deaths of over 6,000,000 people. Extensive efforts have been devoted to drug research to cure and refrain the spread of COVID-19, but only one drug has received FDA approval yet. Traditional drug discovery is inefficient, costly, and unable to react to pandemic threats. Drug repurposing represents an effective strategy for drug discovery and reduces the time and cost compared to de novo drug discovery. In this study, a generic drug repurposing framework (SperoPredictor) has been developed which systematically integrates the various types of drugs and disease data and takes the advantage of machine learning (Random Forest, Tree Ensemble, and Gradient Boosted Trees) to repurpose potential drug candidates against any disease of interest. Drug and disease data for FDA-approved drugs (n = 2,865), containing four drug features and three disease features, were collected from chemical and biological databases and integrated with the form of drug-disease association tables. The resulting dataset was split into 70% for training, 15% for testing, and the remaining 15% for validation. The testing and validation accuracies of the models were 99.3% for Random Forest and 99.03% for Tree Ensemble. In practice, SperoPredictor identified 25 potential drug candidates against 6 human host-target proteomes identified from a systematic review of journals. Literature-based validation indicated 12 of 25 predicted drugs (48%) have been already used for COVID-19 followed by molecular docking and re-docking which indicated 4 of 13 drugs (30%) as potential candidates against COVID-19 to be pre-clinically and clinically validated. Finally, SperoPredictor results illustrated the ability of the platform to be rapidly deployed to repurpose the drugs as a rapid response to emergent situations (like COVID-19 and other pandemics).

Computer simulations of X-ray phase-contrast images and microtomographic observation of tubules in dentin

An investigation of the problems of X-ray imaging of dentinal tubules is presented. Two main points are addressed. In the first part of this paper, the problem of computer simulating tubule images recorded in a coherent synchrotron radiation (SR) beam has been discussed. A phantom material which involved a two-dimensional lattice of the tubules with parameters similar to those of dentin was considered. By a comparative examination of two approximations, it was found that the method of phase-contrast imaging is valid if the number of tubules along the beam is less than 100. Calculated images from a lattice of 50 × 50 tubules are periodic in free space but depend strongly on the distance between the specimen and the detector. In the second part, SR microtomographic experiments with millimetre-sized dentin samples in a partially coherent beam have been described. Tomograms were reconstructed from experimental projections using a technique for incoherent radiation. The main result of this part is the three-dimensional rendering of the directions of the tubules in a volume of the samples. Generation of the directions is possible because a tomogram shows the positions of the tubules. However, a detailed tubule cross-section structure cannot be restored.

A fluorescent lateral flow biosensor for the quantitative detection of Vaspin using upconverting nanoparticles

Vaspin is a protein present in human serum that can cause type-2 diabetes, obesity, and other cardiovascular diseases. We report fluorescent upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs)-based lateral flow biosensor for ultrasensitive detection of Vaspin. A pair (primary and secondary) of cognate aptamers was used that has duo binding with Vaspin. UCNPs with a diameter of around 100 nm were used as a tag to label a detection probe (secondary aptamer). A primary aptamer (capture probe) was immobilized on the test zone. Sandwich type hybridization reactions among the conjugate probe, target Vaspin, and primary aptamer were performed on the lateral flow biosensor. In the presence of target Vaspin, UCNPs were captured on the test zone of the biosensor and the fluorescent intensity of the captured UCNPs was measured through a colorimetric app under NIR. Fluorescence intensity indicates the quantity of Vaspin present in the sample. A range of Vaspin concentration across 0.1-55 ng ml^-1 with a Limit of detection (LOD) 39 pg ml^-1 was tested through this UCNPs based LFSA with high sensitivity, reproducibility and repeatability, whereas it's actual range in human blood is from 0.1 to 7 ng ml^-1. Therefore, this research provides a well-suited lateral flow strip with an ultrasensitive and low-cost approach for the early diagnosis of type-2 diabetes and this could be applied to any targets with a duo of aptamers generated.

Standardized Seed Extract of Quisqualis indica (HU-033) Attenuates Testosterone Propionate-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia via α1-Adrenergic Receptors and Androgen/Estrogen Signaling

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related disease characterized by prostatic enlargement and is the most common urologic symptoms in elderly men 60 years of age and older. Previously, we documented that 70% ethanol (EtOH) seed extract of Quisqualis indica (QI) attenuates pathological condition of testosterone propionate (TP)-induced BPH rat model via modulation of proliferation and apoptosis of prostate cells. Based on this potential of QI, we produced standardized seed extract of QI (HU-033) in order to prove further mechanisms. In this study, we aimed to suggest further mechanisms underlying the relationship between BPH and HU-033. Through not only cellular and nuclear receptor functional assays, but TP-mediated BPH rat model treated with HU-033, we demonstrated that HU-033 exerted antagonist effect on α1_A- and α1_D-adrenergic receptors in vitro and inhibitory effect on protein expression of androgen receptor and estrogen receptor alpha in vivo. Taken together, these results suggest that HU-033 is a novel candidate for the management of BPH.

Paper-based selective and quantitative detection of uric acid using citrate-capped Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) as a colorimetric sensing probe through a simple and remote-based device

A colorimetric portable setup was developed for remote UA measurements using a smartphone-based application to demonstrate its use in point-of-care testing.

Resistive Switching in All-Printed, Flexible and Hybrid MoS2-PVA Nanocomposite based Memristive Device Fabricated by Reverse Offset

Owing to the increasing interest in the nonvolatile memory devices, resistive switching based on hybrid nanocomposite of a 2D material, molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is explored in this work. As a proof of concept, we have demonstrated the fabrication of a memory device with the configuration of PET/Ag/MoS2-PVA/Ag via an all printed, hybrid, and state of the art fabrication approach. Bottom Ag electrodes, active layer of hybrid MoS2-PVA nanocomposite and top Ag electrode are deposited by reverse offset, electrohydrodynamic (EHD) atomization and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) patterning respectively. The fabricated device displayed characteristic bistable, nonvolatile and rewritable resistive switching behavior at a low operating voltage. A decent off/on ratio, high retention time, and large endurance of 1.28 × 102, 105 sec and 1000 voltage sweeps were recorded respectively. Double logarithmic curve satisfy the trap controlled space charge limited current (TCSCLC) model in high resistance state (HRS) and ohmic model in low resistance state (LRS). Bendability test at various bending diameters (50-2 mm) for 1500 cycles was carried out to show the mechanical robustness of fabricated device.

Optimal assessment of lymph node status in gallbladder cancer

BACKGROUND

Lymph node (LN) metastasis is an important prognostic factor in gallbladder cancer (GBCA). LN status has been adopted as a critical element of staging systems. However, the influence of total lymph node count (TLNC) remains unclear. We determined the optimal minimum TLNC and compared the prognostic significance of LN status indices in GBCA.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 128 patients with T2 or greater GBCA who underwent LN dissection. We analyzed overall survival (OS) and relevance of the number of metastatic LNs, ratio of metastatic LNs to retrieved LNs (LNR), and TLNC in predicting OS.

RESULTS

The median OS durations were 120, 35, and 18 months in T2, T3, and T4 GBCA. Five-year OS rates were 73%, 43%, and 0% in T2, T3, and T4 GBCA. LN status did not significantly impact OS in T2 or T4 GBCA. However, all LN indices were significantly correlated with OS in T3 GBCA. Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed that a metastatic LN count of more than four and a TLNC of more than eight were independent prognostic factors of OS in T3 GBCA.

CONCLUSIONS

TLNC and the number of positive LNs may be more important prognostic factors than LNR in T3 GBCA. Additionally, accurate staging may not be achieved in cases of T3 GBCA if the total number of retrieved LNs is less than eight. Thus, to ensure proper staging, we recommend that surgeons harvest more than eight LNs in patients with T3 GBCA.

Deacetylation of the tumor suppressor protein PML regulates hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death

The promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) is a tumor suppressor that is expressed at a low level in various cancers. Although post-translational modifications including SUMOylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination have been found to regulate the stability or activity of PML, little is known about the role of its acetylation in the control of cell survival. Here we demonstrate that acetylation of lysine 487 (K487) and SUMO1 conjugation of K490 at PML protein are mutually exclusive. We found that hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) promotes PML deacetylation and identified SIRT1 and SIRT5 as PML deacetylases. Both SIRT1 and SIRT5 are required for H₂O₂-mediated deacetylation of PML and accumulation of nuclear PML protein in HeLa cells. Knockdown of SIRT1 reduces the number of H₂O₂-induced PML-nuclear bodies (NBs) and increases the survival of HeLa cells. Ectopic expression of wild-type PML but not the K487R mutant rescues H₂O₂-induced cell death in SIRT1 knockdown cells. Furthermore, ectopic expression of wild-type SIRT5 but not a catalytic defective mutant can also restore H₂O₂-induced cell death in SIRT1 knockdown cells. Taken together, our findings reveal a novel regulatory mechanism in which SIRT1/SIRT5-mediated PML deacetylation plays a role in the regulation of cancer cell survival.

Abstract P4-12-28: HER2-related biomarkers in HER2+ breast cancer patients in Asia Pacific

Recent findings suggest that HER2-related molecular markers such as PTEN deletion or downregulation, PIK3CA mutation, truncated HER2 receptor (p95HER2), and tumor HER2 mRNA levels, have the potential to predict anti-HER2 treatment response. We evaluated the distribution of these biomarkers at the time of primary diagnosis and their relationship to responsiveness to lapatinib treatment in the metastatic setting in HER2+ breast cancer patients.

We conducted an observational study of female HER2+ breast cancer patients who were initiated on lapatinib treatment following recurrence or metastases in five Asia Pacific countries. Patients were enrolled between August 2010 and December 2012. Eligible patients had a tumor biopsy specimen available from their primary breast cancer diagnosis or before they started on any anti-HER2 treatment, had not been exposed to more than two lines of anti-HER2 treatment in the metastatic setting or other experimental anti-HER2 treatment, and had no other primary tumor. Biomarkers levels at primary diagnosis were measured; PTEN levels were assessed by immunohistochemistry and PIK3CA mutations were detected by a mass spectroscopy-based approach. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) from the initiation of first lapatinib-based regimen given in metastatic setting to disease progression from that regimen or death from any cause. PFS analysis was conducted with a data cut-off date of 31 December 2012.

A total of 162 patients were included in this study and 96% have confirmed HER2+ breast cancer primary tumor. The mean age was 52±10 years and 97% had metastases at study entry, with bone being the most common site of metastasis (48%). About a quarter had PTEN protein loss (24%), 30% had PIK3CA mutation, and 7% had both at primary diagnosis. No significant association was observed between both biomarkers or between each biomarker and estrogen receptor status or HER2 status.

Table 1. Relationship between PTEN and PIK3CA PIK3CA mutation, n (%)PIK3CA wild-type, n (%)p-valuePTEN status  0.674Loss11 (29)27 (71) Normal33 (33)68 (67) 

Patients with altered PTEN expression, or PIK3CA mutation showed comparable PFS with lapatinib-based treatment as those with normal PTEN or PIK3CA expression at analysis cut-off date (median PFS 7.5 and 8.5 months respectively vs. 8.9 and 9.0 months respectively; p = 0.502 and p = 0.268 respectively). There remained no significant difference in PFS after having adjusted for significant confounders (HR 1.2 and 1.1 respectively; 95% CI 0.7–1.9 and 0.7–1.8 respectively; p = 0.481 and p = 0.730 respectively). The distribution of p95HER2 expression and tumor HER mRNA levels and their association with PFS will be included at the time of presentation.

Our preliminary findings suggest that PTEN alteration, or PIK3CA mutation may not be predictive of clinical response to lapatinib treatment in HER2+ breast cancer patients. The final PFS results with additional markers will provide more clues regarding their relationship to treatment response.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P4-12-28.

Isolation and characterization of a proteinaceous antifungal compound from Lactobacillus plantarum YML007 and its application as a food preservative

Korean kimchi is known for its myriad of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with diverse bioactive compounds. This study was undertaken to isolate an efficient antifungal LAB strain among the isolated kimchi LABs. One thousand and four hundred LABs isolated from different kimchi samples were initially screened against Aspergillus niger. The strain exhibiting the highest antifungal activity was identified as Lactobacillus plantarum YML007 by 16S rRNA sequencing and biochemical assays using API 50 CHL kit. Lact. plantarum YML007 was further screened against Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium oxysporum and other pathogenic bacteria. The morphological changes during the inhibition were assessed by scanning electron microscopy. Preliminary studies on the antifungal compound demonstrated its proteinaceous nature with a molecular weight of 1256·617 Da, analysed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). The biopreservative activity of Lact. plantarum YML007 was evaluated using dried soybeans. Spores of A. niger were observed in the negative control after 15 days of incubation. However, fungal growth was not observed in the soybeans treated with fivefold concentrated cell-free supernatant of Lact. plantarum YML007. The broad activity of Lact. plantarum YML007 against various food spoilage moulds and bacteria suggests its scope as a food preservative.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

After screening 1400 kimchi bacterial isolates, strain Lactobacillus plantarum YML007 was selected with strong antifungal activity against various foodborne pathogens. From the preliminary studies, it was found that the bioactive compound is a low molecular weight novel protein of 1256·617 Da. Biopreservative potential of Lact. plantarum YML007 was demonstrated on soybean grains, and the results point out YML007 as a potent biopreservative having broad antimicrobial activity against various foodborne pathogens.

Clinical characteristics of patients with tuberculosis-destroyed lung

SETTING

Multicentre study.

OBJECTIVE

To define the clinical characteristics of patients with tuberculosis (TB) destroyed lung due to past TB.

DESIGN

We reviewed patients with TB-destroyed lung between May 2005 and June 2011.

RESULTS

A total of 595 patients from 21 hospitals were enrolled. The mean age was 65.63 ± 0.47 (mean ± standard error); 60.5% were male. The mean number of lobes involved was 2.59 ± 0.05. Pleural thickening was observed in 54.1% of the patients. Mean forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)), FEV(1)/FVC, bronchodilator response and number of exacerbations per year were respectively 2.06 ± 0.03 l (61.26% ± 0.79), 1.16 ± 0.02 l (49.05% ± 0.84), 58.03% ± 0.70, 5.70% ± 0.34, and 0.40 ± 0.04. The number of lobes involved was significantly correlated with FVC and FEV(1), and with the number of exacerbations per year. Use of long-acting muscarinic antagonists or long-acting beta-2 agonists plus inhaled corticosteroids resulted in bronchodilatory effects. Multivariable regression analysis showed that age, initial FEV(1) (%) and number of exacerbations during follow-up were independent factors affecting change in FEV(1).

CONCLUSION

Decreased lung function with exacerbation, and progressive decline of FEV(1) were observed in patients with TB-destroyed lung.

Early volumetric change and treatment outcome of metastatic brain tumors after external beam radiotherapy: differential radiotherapy for brain metastasis

PURPOSE

To evaluate the treatment outcomes of low-dose whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT)-based differential radiation therapy (RT) for metastatic brain tumors.

METHODS

A total of 242 targets (metastatic brain lesions) were analyzed in the present study. Median WBRT dose and number of fractions were 25 (range 25-35) Gy and 10 (range 8-15) fractions, respectively. A median normalized total dose (NTD) of 1.8 Gy (NTD(1.8Gy)) to the metastatic lesion was 45 (range 27-64.8) Gy. We numbered and contoured each metastatic lesion sequentially using computed tomography fused with serial magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate volumetric changes.

RESULTS

The 6-month and 1-year freedom from remote intracranial failure rates were 87.7 and 58.5 %, respectively. The 6-month actuarial local control (LC) rate was 93.4 %. Tumor diameter was a major determinant for LC, and tumor histology was a significant parameter predicting the volume reduction rate. With overall complete response (CR) rate of 56.6 % after RT, CR rate, if the target was more than 1 cm in size, was 25 % with a median NTD(1.8Gy) of 45 Gy, requiring dose escalation to achieve better target regression.

CONCLUSIONS

Low-dose WBRT with selective boost was feasible and effective. Our results pose the rationale of future trial of differential radiation therapy (RT), which prescribes different radiation dose according to the tumor density in metastatic brain tumors.

Resveratrol prevents renal lipotoxicity and inhibits mesangial cell glucotoxicity in a manner dependent on the AMPK-SIRT1-PGC1α axis in db/db mice

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Many of the effects of resveratrol are consistent with the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), silent information regulator T1 (SIRT1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ co-activator 1α (PGC-1α), which play key roles in the regulation of lipid and glucose homeostasis, and in the control of oxidative stress. We investigated whether resveratrol has protective effects on the kidney in type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

Four groups of male C57BLKS/J db/m and db/db mice were used in this study. Resveratrol was administered via gavage to diabetic and non-diabetic mice, starting at 8 weeks of age, for 12 weeks.

RESULTS

The db/db mice treated with resveratrol had decreased albuminuria. Resveratrol ameliorated glomerular matrix expansion and inflammation. Resveratrol also lowered the NEFA and triacylglycerol content of the kidney, and this action was related to increases in the phosphorylation of AMPK and the activation of SIRT1-PGC-1α signalling and of the key downstream effectors, the PPARα-oestrogen-related receptor (ERR)-1α-sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1). Furthermore, resveratrol decreased the activity of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)-Akt phosphorylation and class O forkhead box (FOXO)3a phosphorylation, which resulted in a decrease in B cell leukaemia/lymphoma 2 (BCL-2)-associated X protein (BAX) and increases in BCL-2, superoxide dismutase (SOD)1 and SOD2 production. Consequently, resveratrol reversed the increase in renal apoptotic cells and oxidative stress, as reflected by renal 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), urinary 8-OH-dG and isoprostane concentrations. Resveratrol prevented high-glucose-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in cultured mesangial cells through the phosphorylation of AMPK and activation of SIRT1-PGC-1α signalling and the downstream effectors, PPARα-ERR-1α-SREBP1.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

The results suggest that resveratrol prevents diabetic nephropathy in db/db mice by the phosphorylation of AMPK and activation of SIRT1-PGC-1α signalling, which appear to prevent lipotoxicity-related apoptosis and oxidative stress in the kidney.

Preliminary study for gait phases detection to develop a rehabilitation equipment for hemiplegic patients

Preliminary experiment for analyzing weight shift during gait phases for hemiplegic patients was carried out to develop rehabilitation equipment. A gait phase detection system using pressure sensors was developed and the experiment was carried out for eight hemiplegic patients and normal adult. The weight shift during gait phases for a normal adult showed symmetrical for left and right footing phase, but that for the hemiplegic patients showed asymmetrical footing phase. However, it gave sufficient information to discriminate between left and right footing phases.

Influence of the injection site on the pharmacokinetics of cefquinome following intramuscular injection in piglets

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of different injection sites, i.e., the neck area and thigh muscle, on the pharmacokinetics of cefquinome in piglets following intramuscular (i.m.) injection. Cross-bred (Landrace × Duroc × Yorkshire) piglets were administered the same dose of cefquinome (2 mg/kg body weight) via intravenous injection and intramuscular injection into the neck area or thigh. The mean maximum concentrations (C(max)) of cefquinome following i.m. injection into neck or thigh area were 4.62 ± 0.31 μg/ml at 0.38 ± 0.14 hr and 4.39 ± 0.53 μg/ml at 0.42 ± 0.13 hr, respectively. The absolute bioavailabilities (F) of cefquinome after i.m. injection into the neck or thigh area were 103.04 ± 13.01 and 97.56 ± 16.14%, respectively (P>0.05). There were no differences noted between the two different injection sites for the pharmacokinetic properties of cefquinome after i.m. injection in piglets. Further studies will be needed to determine the incidence or severity of injection site reactions following repeated administrations of cefquinome into both injection sites.

Hypoxia inducible factor-1α gene polymorphisms in Korean patients with pre-eclampsia

BACKGROUND

Placental hypoxia has been implicated in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is activated by low oxygen tension and is a key regulator of genes involved in the cellular responses to hypoxia.

AIM

We determined whether maternal blood c.1722C>T (Pro582Ser) and c.1790G>A (Ala588Thr) polymorphisms in exon 12 of the HIF-1α gene are associated with pre-eclampsia.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Subjects included 163 pre-eclamptic patients (48 mild and 115 severe preeclampsia) and 194 healthy pregnant women. Polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR and direct DNA sequencing.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in genotype or allele frequencies of the c.1772C>T and c.1790G>A polymorphisms of the HIF-1α gene among the study groups. Moreover, subgroup analysis according to pre-eclampsia severity revealed no significant differences in genotype or allele frequencies of the HIF-1α c.1772C>T and c.1790G>A polymorphism in mild pre-eclamptic compared to severe pre-eclamptic group. In addition, there were no significant differences in the frequencies of 3 haplotypes (C-G,-G, T-G, and C-A) between the control and pre-eclamptic groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the HIF-1α gene polymorphisms are not associated with the development of pre-eclampsia in the studied Korean women population.

Evaluation of Leuconostoc mesenteroides YML003 as a probiotic against low-pathogenic avian influenza (H9N2) virus in chickens

AIM

  The aims of the study were to isolate anti-H9N2 bacteria from Korean Kimchi isolates and to evaluate its performance in cell line, egg and in specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens.

METHODS AND RESULTS

  Using Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line, 220 bacterial isolates were screened and the isolate YML003 was selected having pronounced antiviral activity against H9N2 virus. This isolate was identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Anti-H9N2 activity of the strain was also evaluated by hemagglutination assay. Leuconostoc mesenteroides YML003 was assessed for its survival in gastric juice and 5% bile acid and the antibiotic susceptibility. Both live and heat-killed cells were selected for in vivo chicken feeding experiment. Body weight, immune index, serobiochemical parameters and splenic IFN-γ production were assessed during selected intervals. Viral population in the trachea and cloacae were calculated by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR).

CONCLUSIONS

  Leuconostoc mesenteroides YML003 exhibited anti-H9N2 activity both in in vitro cell line as well as in vivo SPF chickens.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

  This is a primary report on the anti-H9N2 activity by a Leuconostoc strain. Amid the increasing reports of avian influenza virus occurrence resulting in severe losses to the poultry industry, prophylactic administration of such probiotic strains are highly significant.

Clinical Feasibility of Multiplanar Reconstruction Images of Temporal Bone CT in the Diagnosis of Temporal Bone Fracture with Otic-Capsule-Sparing Facial Nerve Paralysis

The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of multiplanar reconstructive (MPR) imaging of temporal bone CT in the diagnosis of temporal bone fracture with oticcapsule-sparing facial nerve paralysis. Twelve patients with traumatic facial nerve paralysis with otic-capsule sparing and temporal bone fractures were selected. Multiplanar reconstruction images were obtained with the V-works 4.0 software program (Cybermed, Seoul, Korea) using axial scanning of high-resolution temporal bone CT of the fracture line. The clinical profiles of the patients displaying temporal bone fractures were examined in relation to the findings. Multiplanar images of the fracture line provided information regarding the direction of the external force that fractured the temporal bone. The fracture line was more continuous in the MPR images than in the axial view. All patients showed an imaginary extended fracture line directed toward the otic capsule. The direction of the fracture line toward the middle ear cavity is important, as it may suggest insult to the otic capsule. The MPR image parallel to the fracture line of the temporal bone provides a guideline for the vector of the force that induced the fracture. Thorough investigation of the critical organs during surgical exploration is recommended if the direction of the fracture in the MPR image points toward the otic capsule in the middle ear even if the fracture line relative to the otic capsule is not well defined in the axial or CT view.

Downregulation of mitochondrial lon protease impairs mitochondrial function and causes hepatic insulin resistance in human liver SK-HEP-1 cells

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Lon protease degrades oxidatively damaged proteins in mitochondrial matrix. To examine the relationships between mitochondrial quality control, mitochondrial functions and diabetes, we investigated whether lon protease deficiency influences insulin resistance by affecting mitochondrial function.

METHODS

Lon protease-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) was transfected into human liver SK-HEP-1 cells and changes in molecules related to insulin resistance were analysed.

RESULTS

Reduction in lon protease was achieved using specific siRNA-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in human liver SK-HEP-1 cells. Concurrently, insulin signalling and subsequent insulin action were impaired and levels of gluconeogenic enzymes were increased by lon protein deficiency. Moreover, the activity of mitogen-activated protein kinases and transcription factors related to hepatic gluconeogenesis were elevated in LON (also known as LONP1) siRNA-transfected cells via increased intracellular reactive oxygen species production. Overproduction of lon protease restored mitochondrial function and also diminished the insulin resistance induced by treatment with cholesterol and palmitate. In addition, levels of lon protease decreased dramatically in livers of diabetic db/db mice compared with their lean mice counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Here we have demonstrated that reduction of lon protease induced hepatic insulin resistance by lowering mitochondrial function. This is the first study to report that defects in mitochondrial protein quality control could cause insulin resistance and diabetes.

Mixture model-based approach for optic cup segmentation

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness with permanent damage to optic nerve head. ARGALI is an automated computer-aided diagnosis system designed for glaucoma detection via optic cup-to-disc ratio assessment. It employs several methods to determine the optic cup and disc from retinal images.

Renal dysfunction and barttin expression in Bartter syndrome Type IV associated with a G47R mutation in BSND in a family

Bartter syndrome (BS) Type IV, associated with a G47R mutation in the BSND gene, is known to result in a mild renal phenotype. However, we report here on three brothers with varying degrees of renal dysfunction from mild to end-stage renal disease associated with renal barttin and ClC-K expression. The brothers had histories of polyhydramnios, prematurity, polyuria, deafness, and small body size. Laboratory findings showed hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, normotensive hyperreninemic hyperaldosteronism, and an increased urinary excretion of sodium, potassium and chloride, consistent with BS Type IV. Microscopic examination of renal tissue showed hyperplasia of cells at the juxtaglomerular apparatus with dilated atrophic tubules and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. A weak barttin signal related to CIC-K expression in the cytoplasm of tubule cells, but not the basement membrane, was noted. A sequence analysis of the BSND gene showed that the affected males were homozygous for a missense G47R mutation in exon 1 of BSND. These findings suggest that the G47R mutation results in a dramatic decrease in barttin expression, which appears to be related to the location of CIC-K being changed from the basement membrane to the cytoplasm in the tubule and might have varying effects on renal function associated with factors other than this gene.

A stochastic model to simulate the growth of anchorage dependent cells on flat surfaces

A stochastic model is proposed to simulate the growth of anchorage dependent cells on a flat surface. The model, based on representing the cell shapes on the surface as external irregular polygons with the nuclei distributed as a set of Poisson points (producing a modified Voronoi tessellation of 2 space) and incorporating a distribution function to describe cell division of the perimeter cells of the colony, provides data not only on population dynamics but also on the patterns produced by clusters of cells in the colony. These patterns produced by the model are qualitatively similar to observations reported for some cell cultures. The periods of induction, rapid growth, and decreasing growth asymptoting to zero as confluence is reached are predicted by the model. Quantitative comparison with published experimental data for this is good. The specific growth rate computed for the period of rapid growth predicted by the model is dependent on the distribution function describing the cell division time. As the standard deviation of this increases, the specific growth rate decreases as with a consequent increase in time to achieve confluence. The removal of cells from the colony by shear forces or death is considered in the model. As the probability for removal increases, the cell density at confluence and specific growth rate decrease. The clusters of cells, patterns, in the colony are very sensitive to cell removal. By analyzing these patterns in experiments, an estimate of cell removal can be made. The areas covered by cells on a substrate are fractal patterns. The fractal dimension is always greater than 1 and is a function of the removal probability.

Automatic detection of pathological myopia using variational level set

Pathological myopia, the seventh leading cause of legal blindness in United States, is a condition caused by pathological axial elongation and eyes that deviates from the normal distribution curve of axial length, resulting in impaired vision. Studies have shown that ocular risks associated with myopia should not be underestimated, and there is a public health need to prevent the onset or progression of myopia. Peripapillary atrophy (PPA) is one of the clinical indicators for pathological myopia. In this paper, we introduce a novel method, to detect pathological myopia via peripapaillary atrophy feature by means of variational level set. This method is a core algorithm of our system, PAMELA, an automated system for the detection of pathological myopia. The proposed method has been tested on 40 images from Singapore Cohort study Of the Risk factors for Myopia (SCORM), producing a 95% accuracy of correct assessment, and a sensitivity and specificity of 0.9 and 1 respectively. The results highlight the potential of PAMELA as a possible clinical tool for objective mass screening of pathological myopia.

Intelligent fusion of cup-to-disc ratio determination methods for glaucoma detection in ARGALI

Glaucoma is a leading cause of permanent blindness. ARGALI, an automated system for glaucoma detection, employs several methods for segmenting the optic cup and disc from retinal images, combined using a fusion network, to determine the cup to disc ratio (CDR), an important clinical indicator of glaucoma. This paper discusses the use of SVM as an alternative fusion strategy in ARGALI, and evaluates its performance against the component methods and neural network (NN) fusion in the CDR calculation. The results show SVM and NN provide similar improvements over the component methods, but with SVM having a greater consistency over the NN, suggesting potential for SVM as a viable option in ARGALI.

Surfactin C inhibits platelet aggregation

This study was designed to investigate the effect of surfactin C, which is derived from Bacillus subtilis, on platelet aggregation and homotypic leucocyte aggregation. Surfactin C strongly and dose-dependently inhibited platelet aggregation, which was stimulated both by thrombin (0.1 U mL−1), a potent agonist that activates the G protein-coupled protease receptor, and by collagen (5 μg mL−1), a potent ligand that activates αIIbβ3 with IC50 values (concentration inhibiting platelet aggregation by 50%) of 10.9 and 17.0 μM, respectively. Moreover, surfactin C significantly suppressed the intracellular Ca2+ mobilization in thrombin-activated platelets. Surfactin C, however, did not affect various integrin-mediated U937 cell aggregation, implying that the anti-platelet activity of surfactin C was not due to its detergent effect but by its action on the downstream signalling pathway. Therefore, the results suggest that surfactin C may have a beneficial therapeutic effect on aberrant platelet aggregation-mediated cardiovascular diseases.

Establishment of a reference interval for natural killer cell activity through flow cytometry and its clinical application in the diagnosis of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis

Recently, the Histiocyte Society revised the diagnostic criteria for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) to include low or absent natural killer (NK) cell activity, according to local laboratory reference. The aim of this study was to establish reference interval for functional NK-cell activity in 63 healthy Korean individuals using a flow-cytometric assay. We used peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as effector cells and Fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled K562 cells as target cells. NK-cell activity was calculated using the following equation: NK-cell activity (%) = (test lysis - spontaneous lysis) x 100/(maximum lysis - spontaneous lysis). NK-cell activity was analyzed in 13 known HLH patients and 16 suspected non-HLH patients using a flow-cytometric assay. The mean (+/-SD) cytotoxicity of PBMCs from healthy individuals was 20.9 +/- 5.3% and the reference interval was 11.8-31.9%. The mean NK-cell activity of HLH patients (8.3 +/- 8.9%) was significantly lower (P = 0.001) than that of non-HLH patients (20.1 +/- 7.8%). The sequential changes in NK-cell activity in the HLH group corresponded to clinical and laboratory findings following treatment. We successfully developed a functional NK-cell activity test for use in the clinical laboratory and obtained a reference interval of NK-cell activity from healthy donors. This assay, and associated reference interval, was used to analyze 30 clinically relevant specimens and the results were shown to be well correlated.

Genotoxic Evaluation of Surfactin C in Chinese Hamster Lung Cell Line

To investigate the mutation inducibility of surfactin C, we performed the chromosome aberration assay with Chinese hamster lung cells in vitro. The colorimetric MTT screening assay was carried out to determine the cytotoxicity index (IC₅₀) of surfactin C. The IC₅₀ value was 125 μg/ml. For the chromosome aberration test of surfactin C, the maximum concentration was employed as 125 μg/ml, followed by 62.5 and 31.25 μg/ml for the lower concentrations, with or without metabolic activation (S9). Cyclophosphamide and mitomycin C were used as positive controls in the presence and absence of S9 metabolic activation, respectively. These results showed that surfactin C was not capable of inducing chromosome aberration, as measured by the chromosome aberration test using Chinese hamster lung cell line. There is no evidence for surfactin C to have a genotoxic potential.

Automatic working area classification in peripheral blood smears without cell central zone extraction

In this paper we study automatic classification of working areas in peripheral blood smears using image analysis and recognition methods. Such automatic classification can provide objective and reproducible quality control for the evaluation of smears and smear maker devices. However, research in this filed has drawn little attention. Existing methods either can not differentiate correctly different cell distributions or rely on the extraction of the central pallor zones in cells for counting, which are not always observable. In contrast, we do not rely on the pallor zone extraction thus on more general basis. We introduce two generic parameters to measure the goodness of working areas, one for the degree of overlap, and the other for the spatial occupancy. We also propose a cascading classification network for the classification of different areas. The effectiveness of our method has been tested on over 150 labeled images acquired from three malaria-infected Giemsa-stained blood smears using an oil immersion 100 x objective.

Morphometric evaluation of oesophageal wall in patients with nutcracker oesophagus and ineffective oesophageal motility

The pathogenesis of nutcracker oesophagus (NE) and ineffective oesophageal motility (IEM) is unclear. Damage to the enteric nervous system or smooth muscle can cause oesophageal dysmotility. We tested the hypothesis that NE and IEM are associated with abnormal muscular or neural constituents of the oesophageal wall. Oesophageal manometry was performed in patients prior to total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. The oesophageal manometries were categorized as normal (n = 7), NE (n = 13), or IEM (n = 5). Histologic examination of oesophageal tissue obtained during surgery was performed after haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and trichrome staining. Oesophageal innervation was examined after immunostaining for protein gene product-9.5 (PGP-9.5), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). There were no significant differences in inner circular smooth muscle thickness or degree of fibrosis among the three groups. Severe muscle fibre loss was found in four of five patients with IEM. The density of PGP-9.5-reactive neural structures was not different among the three groups. The density of ChAT immunostaining in the myenteric plexus (MP) was significantly greater in patients with NE (P < 0.05) and the density of nNOS immunostaining in the circular muscle (CM) was significantly greater in IEM patients (P < 0.05). The ChAT/nNOS ratio in both MP and CM was significantly greater in NE patients. NE may result from an imbalance between the excitatory and inhibitory innervation of the oesophagus, because more than normal numbers of ChAT-positive myenteric neurones are seen in NE. Myopathy and/or increased number of nNOS neurones may contribute to the hypocontractile motor activity of IEM.

Acaricidal activity of Thymus vulgaris oil and its main components against Tyrophagus putrescentiae, a stored food mite

The acaricidal activities of compounds derived from Thymus vulgaris (thyme) oil against Tyrophagus putrescentiae were assessed using an impregnated fabric disk bioassay, and were compared with those of the synthetic acaricides, benzyl benzoate and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide. The observed responses differed according to dosage and chemical components. The 50% lethal dose (LD50) value of the T. vulgaris oil against T. putrescentiae was 10.2 microg/cm2. Biologically active constituents derived from T. vulgaris oil were purified by using silica gel chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. The structures of acaricidal components were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C NMR, 1H-13C COSY-NMR, and DEPT-NMR spectra, and were subsequently identified as carvacrol and thymol. Carvacrol was the most toxic compound with LD50 values (4.5 microg/cm2) significantly different from thymol (11.1 microg/cm2), benzyl benzoate (11.3 microg/cm2), and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (13.9 microg/cm2). Linalool was as toxic as was N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide. The lower LD50 of carvacrol indicates that it may be the major contributor of the toxicity of T. vulagaris oil against the stored food mite, although it only constitutes 14.2% of the oil. From this point of view, carvacrol and thymol can be very useful as potential control agents against stored food mite.

NAG-1 up-regulation mediated by EGR-1 and p53 is critical for quercetin-induced apoptosis in HCT116 colon carcinoma cells

Quercetin, a flavonoid molecule ubiquitously present in nature, has multiple effects on cancer cells, including the inhibition of cell proliferation and migration. However, the responsible molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. We found that quercetin induces the expression of NAG-1 (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug activated gene-1), a TGF-beta superfamily protein, during quercetin-induced apoptosis of HCT116 human colon carcinoma cells. Reporter assays using the luciferase constructs containing NAG-1 promoter region demonstrate that early growth response-1 (EGR-1) and p53 are required for quercetin-mediated activation of the NAG-1 promoter. Overexpression of NAG-1 enhanced the apoptotic effect of quercetin, but suppression of quercetin-induced NAG-1 expression by NAG-1 siRNA attenuated quercetin-induced apoptosis in HCT116 cells. Taken together, the present study demonstrates for the first time that quercetin induces apoptosis via NAG-1, providing a mechanistic basis for the apoptotic effect of quercetin in colon carcinoma cells.

A diagnosis system for the spinal column nerve damaged patients

Visible evidence of spinal column damage is only apparent in 14% of the patients who receive spinal damage. We use a humidity sensor array. The humidity sensor (HDP-05) is arranged and attached to pre-assigned regions along the spinal column nerve of the actual patient. Applying pressure to the urinary bladder causes the patient to sweat. It is possible to determine which spinal column autonomic nerve is damaged in a region by humidity value. But also have some problem is that sometimes the damaged region has same value as a normal region. If will find a better attachment method and a more sensitive sensor could be found the results will be better and more precise.

Intraductal papillary mucinous tumour of the pancreas: differentiation of malignancy and benignancy by CT

AIM

To retrospectively identify signs predictive of malignant intraductal papillary mucinous tumour (IPMT) of the pancreas on computed tomography (CT) images.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-four benign and 21 malignant pancreatic IPMTs were evaluated. Preoperative helical CT images in these 55 cases of pathologically proven pancreatic IPMT were reviewed by two radiologists unaware of the histological grading. Tumour morphological types, locations, numbers and sizes of cystic lesions, maximum main pancreatic duct diameters, the presence of septa, mural nodule, wall thickening, and calcification in cysts, communication with the main pancreatic duct, peripancreatic haziness, protrusion of duodenal papilla, pancreatic atrophy, lymphadenopathy and distant metastasis were analysed using univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Main duct IPMTs were more likely to be malignant (71%) than branch duct (23%) or combined type IPMTs (28%; p=0.002). Among the branch duct type and combined types, large cystic lesion (p=0.018), the presence of a mural nodule (p=0.018), a thickened wall (p=0.009), and peripancreatic haziness (p=0.039) were found to predict malignancy.

CONCLUSION

CT is helpful in the preoperative differentiation of malignant and benign pancreatic IPMT. The presence of a dilated main pancreatic duct, mural nodules, thickened wall and peripancreatic haziness may be used as independent predictive signs of malignancy.

Synthesis and antibacterial activities of new 1β-methylcarbapenems having aminopyrimidinylthioether moiety

The synthesis of new 1beta-methylcarbapenems 1a-d bearing aminopyrimidinylthioether moiety at C-5 position of pyrrolidine ring and their antibacterial activities are described. All the compounds exhibited potent antibacterial activity. Of these carbapenems, 1d showed the best combination of antibacterial activity and stability to dehydropeptidase-I (DHP-I).

Growth-inhibiting activity of active component isolated from Terminalia chebula fruits against intestinal bacteria

The growth-inhibitory activity of materials derived from the fruit of Terminalia chebula was evaluated against six intestinal bacteria by means of an impregnated paper disk agar diffusion method. The butanol fraction of T. chebula extract had profound growth-inhibitory activity at a concentration of 5 mg per disk. The biologically active component isolated from the T. chebula fruits was identified with a variety of spectroscopic analyses as ethanedioic acid. The growth responses varied in accordance with the bacterial strain, chemical, and dosage tested. In a test with concentrations of 2 and 1 mg per disk, ethanedioic acid had strong and moderate inhibitory activity against Clostridium perfringens and Escherichia coli, respectively, with no associated adverse effects on the growth of the four tested lactic acid-producing bacteria. Ellagic acid derived from T. chebula fruits exerted a potent inhibitory effect against C. perfringens and E. coli, but little or no inhibition was observed with treatments of behenic acid, P-caryophyllene, eugenol, isoquercitrin, oleic acid, ca-phellandrene, 3-sitosterol, stearic acid, a-terpinene, terpinen-4-ol, terpinolene, or triacontanoic acid. These results may be an indication of at least one of the pharmacological properties of T. chebula fruits.

Mitochondrial dysfunction induces aberrant insulin signalling and glucose utilisation in murine C2C12 myotube cells

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Mitochondrial dysfunction is considered a critical component in the development of diabetes. The aim of this study was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of insulin resistance and diabetes through investigation of mitochondrial retrograde signalling.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Mitochondrial function of C2C12 myotube cells was impaired by genetic (ethidium bromide) and metabolic (oligomycin) stress, and changes in target molecules related to insulin signalling were analysed.

RESULTS

Concomitant with reductions in mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsim) and ATP synthesis, production of IRS1 and solute carrier family 2 (facilitated glucose transporter), member 4 (SLC2A4, formerly known as GLUT4) were reduced. Moreover, serine phosphorylation of IRS1 increased, resulting in decreased tyrosine phosphorylation. This indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction decreases insulin-stimulated SLC2A4 translocation and glucose uptake. Mitochondrial stress activated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signalling in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner, and removal of free Ca(2+) by BAPTA-AM, as well as inhibition of JNK and p38 MAPK, abrogated mitochondrial stress-induced reductions in IRS1 and SLC2A4 production. Mitochondrial dysfunction after oligomycin treatment significantly increased levels of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), which represses Irs1 promoter activity. Removal of the 5' flanking region of Irs1 demonstrated that the promoter region within 191 bases from the transcription site may be involved in the transcriptional repression of Irs1 by mitochondrial stress.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

We show distinct mitochondrial retrograde signalling, where Irs1 is downregulated through ATF3 in a Ca(2+)-, JNK- and p38 MAPK-dependent manner, and IRS1 is inactivated. Therefore, mitochondrial dysfunction causes aberrant insulin signalling and abnormal utilisation of glucose, as observed in many insulin resistance states.

Food protective and color alteration effects of acaricidal aldehydes on Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank)

The activities of benzaldehyde isolated from Prunus persica seeds and of commercially available aldehydes against Tyrophagus putrescentiae (a stored-food mite) adults were examined and compared with those of the synthetic acaricides benzyl benzoate and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide. On the basis of the 50% lethal dose (LD50), the compound most toxic to T. putrescentiae adults was salicylaldehyde (LD50 of 1.02 microg/cm2) followed by cinnamaldehyde (1.66 microg/cm2), benzaldehyde (4.23 microg/cm2), phthaldialdehyde (5.16 microg/cm2), benzyl benzoate (9.75 microg/cm2), and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (16.26 micorg/cm2). Benzaldehyde was about 2.3 and 3.8 times more toxic than benzyl benzoate and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide, respectively, against T. putrescentiae adults. These results indicated that benzaldehyde isolated from P. persica seeds and the three aldehydes (cinnamaldehyde, salicylaldehyde, and phthaldialdehyde) are useful as lead compounds for developing acaricidal agents against T. putrescentiae adults. The color of the T. putrescentiae cuticle was changed by treatment with cinnamaldehyde, salicylaldehyde, and phthaldialdehyde.

Ultrasonographic detection of hepatocellular carcinoma: correlation of preoperative ultrasonography and resected liver pathology

AIM

The aim of this study was to determine the sensitivity of ultrasonography for detecting hepatocellular carcinoma in patients who underwent surgical liver resection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The preoperative ultrasonography reports of 103 patients who underwent hepatic resection surgery were retrospectively reviewed. The patients had chronic liver disease with good liver function and a relatively normal liver echo-texture. The presence of a mass or masses in the resected part of the liver segments on preoperative ultrasonography was regarded as possible hepatocellular carcinoma, and these results were compared with the surgically resected hepatic lobes or segments. Accuracy for detection was assessed on a lesion-by-lesion basis, on a segment-by-segment basis, and on a patient basis.

RESULTS

One hundred and fifty-seven hepatocellular carcinomas were found in 244 hepatic segments of 103 patients. One hundred and one of 157 hepatocellular carcinomas were detected using ultrasonography in 97 patients resulting in a sensitivity of 64%. In six patients, a solitary hepatocellular carcinoma was missed in each patient, a patient sensitivity being 94%. Using ultrasonography, 87 of 100 (87%) hepatocellular carcinomas larger than 2 cm in diameter, and 14 of 57 (25%) hepatocellular carcinomas 2 cm or smaller in diameter were revealed. On the basis of segment-by-segment analysis, the sensitivity was 78% (99 of 127 segments), specificity was 97% (114 of 117 segments), accuracy was 87% (213 of 244 segments), positive predictive value was 97% (99 of 102 segments), and negative predictive value was 80% (114 of 142 segments).

CONCLUSION

In patients with chronic liver disease and good hepatic function, ultrasonography has a sensitivity of 94% in the identification of affected patients, but for individual lesions, the sensitivity is only 64%.