Recently, [I-123]IPT SPECT has been used for early diagnosis of Parkinson's patients(PP) by imaging dopamine transporters. The dynamic time activity curves in basal ganglia(BG) and occipital cortex(OCC) without blood samples were obtained for 2 hours. These data were then used to measure dopamine transporters by operationally defined ratio methods of (BG-OCC)/OCC at 2 hrs, binding potential Rv=k3/k4 using graphic method or RA= (ABBG-ABOCC)/ABOCC for 2 hrs, where ABBG represents accumulated binding activity in basal ganglia(integral 0 120minBG(t)dt) and ABOCC represents accumulated binding activity in occipital cortex(integral 0 120minBG(t)dt). The purpose of this study was to examine the IPT pharmacokinetics and investigate the usefulness of simplified methods of (BG-OCC)/OCC, RA, and RA which are often assumed that these values reflect the true values of k3/k4. The rate constants K1, k2, k3 and k4 to be used for simulations were derived using [I-123]IPT SPECT and aterialized blood data with a standard three compartmental model. The sensitivities and time activity curves in BG and OCC were computed by changing K1 and k3(only BG) for every 5min over 2 hours. The values (BG-OCC)/OCC, RA, and Rv were then computed from the time activity curves and the linear regression analysis was used to measure the accuracies of these methods. The rate constants K1, k2, k3, k4 at BG and OCC were 1.26+/-5.41%, 0.044+/-19.58%, 0.031+/-24.36%, 0.008+/-22.78% and 1.36+/-4.76%, 0.170+/-6.89%, 0.007+/-23.89%, 0.007+/-45.09%, respectively. The Sensitivities for ((delta S/S)/(delta k3/k3)) and ((delta S/delta S)/(delta K1/K1)) at 30min and 120min were measured as (0.19, 0.50) and (0.61, 0.23), respectively. The correlation coefficients and slopes of ((BG-OCC)/OCC, RA, and Rv) with k3/k4 were (0.98, 1.00, 0.99) and (1.76, 0.47, 1.25), respectively. These simulation results indicate that a late [1-123]IPT SPECT image may represent the distribution of the dopamine transporters. Good correlations were shown between (BG-OCC)/OCC, RA or Rv and true k3/k4,, although the slopes between them were not unity. Pharmacokinetic computer simulations may be very useful technique in studying dopamine transpoter systems.
Computer Simulation* ; Dopamine* ; Early Diagnosis ; Linear Models ; Pharmacokinetics ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

In our comparative study of L1 consensus primers with E6 type-specific primers for detection of human papillomavirus (HPVs) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 35 cases of cervical neoplasia, the detection rate by E6 primers (54%; 19/35) was significantly higher than that by L1 primers (25%; 9/35) (p < 0.01). And all specimens HPV-positive with L1 primers were also positive by E6 primers. HPV DNA could be amplified in 36% (9 of 25) of tissue by L1 consensus primers from which beta-globin gene was amplified as compared with 64% (16 of 25) of tissue by E6 type-specific primers. With the L1 consensus primers, 8 cases were positive for HPV-16 and 1 case was positive for HPV-33. These results show that the L1 consensus primers have inferior sensitivity to the E6 type-specific primers for the detection of HPV by PCR. But the L1 consensus primers have great value in making simultaneous detection of various HPV types in a single tube reaction, thus they permit reduction of time and the economic burden of the experiment.
Base Sequence ; DNA, Viral/analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides ; Papillomaviridae/genetics/*isolation & purification ; *Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/*microbiology

PURPOSE: To collect beam data for dynamic wedge fields using conventional measurement tools without the multi-detector system, such as the linear diode detectors or ionization chambers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The accelerator CL 2100 C/D has two photon energies of 6MV and 15MV with dynamic wedge angles of 15o, 30o, 45o and 60o. Wedge transmission factors, percentage depth doses(PDD's) and dose profiles were measured. The measurements for wedge transmission factors are performed for field sizes ranging from 4x4cm2 to 20x20cm2 in 1-2cm steps. Various rectangular field sizes are also measured for each photon energy of 6MV and 15MV, with the combination of each dynamic wedge angle of 15o, 30o, 45o and 60o. These factors are compared to the calculated wedge factors using STT(Segmented Treatment Table) value. PDD's are measured with the film and the chamber in water phantom for fixed square field. Converting parameters for film data to chamber data could be obtained from this procedure. The PDD's for dynamic wedged fields could be obtained from film dosimetry by using the converting parameters without using ionization chamber. Dose profiles are obtained from interpolation and STT weighted superposition of data through selected asymmetric static field measurement using ionization chamber. RESULTS: The measured values of wedge transmission factors show good agreement to the calculated values. The wedge factors of rectangular fields for constant Y-field were equal to those of square fields. The differences between open fields' PDDs and those from dynamic fields are insignificant. Dose profiles from superposition method showed acceptable range of accuracy(maximum 2% error) when we compare to those from film dosimetry. CONCLUSION: The results from this superposition method showed that commissionning of dynamic wedge could be done with conventional dosimetric tools such as point detector system and film dosimetry winthin maximum 2% error range of accuracy.
Film Dosimetry ; Water

Septic pulmonary embolism is the process in which an infected thrombus becomes detached from its site of origin and lodges in a pulmonary artery, and is usually associated with infective endocarditis, especially right-sided, or infection-associated with indwelling catheters, peripheral septic thrombophlebitis, and periodontal diseases, etc. Here, we report a case of septic pulmonary embolism associated with tricuspid valve infective endocarditis. A 23-year-old female was admitted to our hospital, due to fever, sore throat, and myalgia. In her past medical history, she had undergone a surgical operation for closure of a ventricular septal defect, but was informed that the operation resulted in an incomplete closure. The initial chest radiograph demonstrated multiple rounded, parenchymal nodules in various sizes; several nodules had central lucency suggesting cavitations. Echocardiography demonstrated a large vegetation attached to the septal tricuspid valve leaflet, extending from right ventricular inflow tract to outflow tract. Computed tomography of thorax revealed bilateral peripheral nodules and wedge-shaped consolidation at various sizes, mostly accompanied by cavitations.
Catheters, Indwelling ; Echocardiography ; Endocarditis ; Female ; Fever ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Periodontal Diseases ; Pharyngitis ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Thorax ; Thrombophlebitis ; Thrombosis ; Tricuspid Valve ; Young Adult