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Semiquantitative Assessment (semiquantitative + assessment)
Selected AbstractsEstrogen and progesterone receptors in esophageal carcinomaDISEASES OF THE ESOPHAGUS, Issue 4 2008R. Kalayarasan SUMMARY., Information is sparse and contradictory in the literature regarding the role of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in esophageal carcinoma. This study was conducted over a period of 18 months from September 2004 with the primary aim of determining the PR, ER alpha (ER,) and ER beta (ER,) status of esophageal carcinoma and normal esophageal mucosa (NEM). The receptor status was correlated with tumor type, tumor differentiation and tumor stage. A total of 45 patients with histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (n = 30) and adenocarcinoma (AC) (n = 15) were studied. Receptor status was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and semiquantitative assessment was done by quick score method of endoscopic biopsy specimens. The mean age for SCC and AC were not significantly different. The gender ratio in favor of males was 3 : 2 for SCC and 4 : 1 for AC. None of the specimens from SCC or AC showed positivity for PR both in NEM and tumor tissue. Likewise none of the specimens were positive for ER, by IHC. The mean ER, score for AC was significantly higher than SCC. For SCC it was seen that ER, positivity in tumor cells increases with dedifferentiation and increasing tumor stage. This trend was seen for AC as well. ER, is over-expressed in poorly differentiated SCC and AC compared to NEM. Thus ER, may be a marker for poor biological behavior, that is dedifferentiation or higher stage of disease. In view of these findings we propose a large-scale prospective, longitudinal interventional study using selective estrogen modulators. [source] Dopamine transporter single photon emission computerized tomography in the diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies,MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue S2 2009FRCP, Rodney W.H. Walker PhD Abstract Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is part of the spectrum of Lewy body disorders. However, it may be difficult to diagnose patients who have dementia but no Parkinsonism. Visual and semiquantitative assessment of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic nerve terminals in the putamen and caudate nuclei can be obtained with single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) using ligands that bind to the dopamine transporter molecule in the membranes of the nigrostriatal nerve terminals. This can be employed as a means of identifying subclinical degeneration of nigrostriatal neurones in patients with suspected DLB, increasing the probability of the diagnosis. In several studies, the sensitivity and specificity of abnormal dopamine transporter scans with regard to diagnosing probable DLB are better than 75 and 90%, respectively. This communication outlines the evidence for this and discusses some of the advantages, potential disadvantages, and areas of uncertainty with regard to the use of dopamine transporter SPECT in DLB diagnosis. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society [source] Is 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scanning a reliable way to assess disease activity in takayasu arteritis?ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 4 2009Laurent Arnaud Objective 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose,positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scanning has been proposed as a new way of assessing disease activity in Takayasu arteritis (TA), but previous studies have used the nonvalidated National Institutes of Health (NIH) global activity criteria, and thus might be biased. This study was undertaken to determine the value of PET scanning for assessment of disease activity in TA, by comparing PET scan data with clinical, biologic, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data assessed separately. Methods Twenty-eight patients with TA (according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria) underwent a total of 40 PET scans. Images were reviewed by 2 pairs of independent nuclear medicine physicians and assessed for pattern and intensity of vascular uptake. TA activity data were obtained within 15 days of the PET scans. Results PET scanning revealed abnormal vascular uptake in 47% of the 40 examinations. The uptake intensity grade was 0 in 7 scans, grade 1 in 7 scans, grade 2 in 13 scans, and grade 3 in 13 scans. Morphologic analysis was conducted by grading the pattern of the vascular uptake as diffuse (73%), segmental (20%), or focal (13%). There was a trend toward an association between clinically active disease and the semiquantitative assessment of FDG uptake (P = 0.08). We found no statistical association between levels of acute-phase reactants and intensity of uptake. There was no significant association between the semiquantitative assessment of FDG uptake and the presence of vascular wall thickening (P = 0.23), gadolinium uptake (P = 0.73), or the presence of vascular wall edema (P = 0.56). Conclusion Our findings indicate that there is no association between FDG vascular uptake intensity and clinical, biologic, or MRI assessment of disease activity. Previous studies using the nonvalidated NIH global activity criteria are likely biased. [source] Zwitterionic States in Gas-Phase Polypeptide Ions Revealed by 157-nm Ultra-Violet PhotodissociationCHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 30 2006Frank Kjeldsen Dr. Abstract A new method of detecting the presence of deprotonation and determining its position in gas-phase polypeptide cations is described. The method involves 157-nm ultra-violet photodissociation (UVPD) and is based on monitoring the losses of CO2 (44 Da) from electronically excited deprotonated carboxylic groups relative to competing COOH losses (45 Da) from neutral carboxylic groups. Loss of CO2 is a strong indication of the presence of a zwitterionic [(+),,,(,),,,(+)] salt bridge in the gas-phase polypeptide cation. This method provides a tool for studying, for example, the nature of binding within polypeptide clusters. Collision-activated dissociation (CAD) of decarboxylated cations localizes the position of deprotonation. Fragment abundances can be used for the semiquantitative assessment of the branching ratio of deprotonation among different acidic sites, however, the mechanism of the fragment formation should be taken into account. Cations of Trp-cage proteins exist preferentially as zwitterions, with the deprotonation position divided between the Asp9 residue and the C terminus in the ratio 3:2. The majority of dications of the same molecule are not zwitterions. Furthermore, 157-nm UVPD produces abundant radical cations M.+ from protonated molecules through the loss of a hydrogen atom. This method of producing M.+ ions is general and can be applied to any gas-phase peptide cation. The abundance of the molecular radical cations M.+ produced is sufficient for further tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), which, in the cases studied, yielded side-chain loss of a basic amino acid as the most abundant fragmentation channel together with some backbone cleavages. [source] Factors Associated with Dental Caries Experience in 1-Year-Old ChildrenJOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY, Issue 2 2008John J. Warren DDS Abstract Objectives: Dental caries in early childhood is an important public health problem. Previous studies have examined risk factors, but they have focused on children during the later stages of the disease process. The purpose of this study was to assess the factors associated with caries in children aged 6 to 24 months as part of a cross-sectional analysis. Methods: Two hundred twelve mothers with children 6 to 24 months of age were recruited from Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children clinic sites in southeastern Iowa for participation in a longitudinal study of dental caries. Baseline assessments included detailed questions regarding the children's beverage consumption, oral hygiene, and family socioeconomic status. Dental caries examinations using the d1d2-3f criteria and semiquantitative assessments of salivary mutans streptococci (MS) levels of mother and child were also conducted. Counts of the number of teeth with visible plaque were recorded for maxillary and mandibular molars and incisors. Results: Of the 212 child/mother pairs, 187 children had teeth. Among these children, the mean age was 14 months, and 23 of the children exhibited either d1, d2-3, or filled lesions. Presence of caries was significantly associated with older age, presence of MS in children, family income <$25,000 per year, and proportion of teeth with visible plaque. Conclusions: Results suggest that not only microbial measures, including MS and plaque levels, are closely associated with caries in very young children, but that other age-related factors may also be associated with caries. Continued study is necessary to more fully assess the risk factors for caries prevalence and incidence in preschool children. [source] | ||||||||||