Asia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cooperative Behavior ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Humans ; International Cooperation ; Japan ; Korea ; Liver ; Lung Neoplasms ; Mass Screening ; Oceania ; Taiwan ; Thailand ; Thyroid Neoplasms

The Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging (ASCI) was established in 2006 to improve the healthcare, education, training, quality control, and research in cardiovascular imaging in Asia. The ASCI is presently active, with more than 1400 members from 53 countries. Herein, the evolution and current development of the ASCI are described, including the early history, organization, annual congresses, collaboration with international sister societies, official journal, and the ASCI School. The ASCI has successfully led the development of cardiovascular imaging in Asia and will continue to grow.

The Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging (ASCI) was established in 2006 to improve the healthcare, education, training, quality control, and research in cardiovascular imaging in Asia. The ASCI is presently active, with more than 1400 members from 53 countries. Herein, the evolution and current development of the ASCI are described, including the early history, organization, annual congresses, collaboration with international sister societies, official journal, and the ASCI School. The ASCI has successfully led the development of cardiovascular imaging in Asia and will continue to grow.

PURPOSE: Cockroaches are the second leading allergen in Taiwan. Sensitization to Per a 2, the major American cockroach allergen, correlates with clinical severity among patients with airway allergy, but there is limited information on IgE epitopes and tissue localization of Per a 2. This study aimed to identify Per a 2 linear IgE-binding epitopes and its distribution in the body of a cockroach. METHODS: The cDNA of Per a 2 was used as a template and combined with oligonucleotide primers specific to the target areas with appropriate restriction enzyme sites. Eleven overlapping fragments of Per a 2 covering the whole allergen molecule, except 20 residues of signal peptide, were generated by PCR. Mature Per a 2 and overlapping deletion mutants were affinity-purified and assayed for IgE reactivity by immunoblotting. Three synthetic peptides comprising the B cell epitopes were evaluated by direct binding ELISA. Rabbit anti-Per a 2 antibody was used for immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Human linear IgE-binding epitopes of Per a 2 were located at the amino acid sequences 57-86, 200-211, and 299-309. There was positive IgE binding to 10 tested Per a 2-allergic sera in 3 synthetic peptides, but none in the controls. Immunostaining revealed that Per a 2 was localized partly in the mouth and midgut of the cockroach, with the most intense staining observed in the hindgut, suggesting that the Per a 2 allergen might be excreted through the feces. CONCLUSIONS: Information on the IgE-binding epitope of Per a 2 may be used for designing more specific diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to cockroach allergy.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Cockroaches ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Complementary ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epitope Mapping* ; Epitopes ; Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte ; Feces ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mouth ; Peptides ; Periplaneta* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Protein Sorting Signals ; Taiwan

This pictorial review provides the principles of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support and associated CT imaging features with emphasis on the hemodynamic changes and possible imaging pitfalls encountered. It is important that radiologists in ECMO centers apply well-designed imaging protocols and familiarize themselves with post-contrast CT imaging findings in patients on ECMO.
Adult ; Aorta, Thoracic/physiopathology/radiography ; Contrast Media/administration & dosage/pharmacokinetics ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation/classification/*methods ; Female ; Heart-Assist Devices ; Hemodynamics/*physiology ; Humans ; Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping/instrumentation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Multidetector Computed Tomography ; Regional Blood Flow/physiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/physiopathology/radiography

OBJECTIVE: To establish diagnostic criteria for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in children by using parameters obtained through noninvasive cardiac computed tomography (CCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively measured parameters from CCT images of children from a single institution in a multiple stepwise process. A total of 208 children with mean age of 10.5 years (range: 4 days–18.9 years) were assessed. The variables were classified into three groups: the great arteries; the ventricular walls; and the bilateral ventricular cavities. The relationship between the parameters obtained from the CCT images and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) was tested and adjusted by the children's body size. Reference curves for the pulmonary trunk diameter (PTD) and ratio of diameter of pulmonary trunk to ascending aorta (rPTAo) of children with CCT images of normal hearts, adjusted for height, were plotted. Threshold lines were established on the reference curves. RESULTS: PTD and rPTAo on the CCT images were significantly positively correlated with mPAP (r > 0.85, p < 0.01). Height was the body size parameter most correlated with PTD (r = 0.91, p < 0.01) and rPTAo (r = −0.69, p < 0.01). On the basis of the threshold lines on the reference curves, PTD and rPTAo both showed 88.9% sensitivity for PAH diagnosis, with negative predictive values of 93.3% and 92.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: PTD and rPTAo measured from CCT images were significantly correlated with mPAP in children. Reference curves and the formula of PTD and rPTAo adjusted for height could be practical for diagnosing PAH in children.
Aorta ; Arterial Pressure ; Arteries ; Body Size ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Retrospective Studies

The use of pediatric cardiothoracic CT for congenital heart disease (CHD) was traditionally limited to the morphologic evaluation of the extracardiac thoracic vessels, lungs, and airways. Currently, the applications of CT have increased, owing to technological advancements in hardware and software as well as several dose-reduction measures. In the previously published part 1 of the guideline by the Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging Congenital Heart Disease Study Group, we reviewed the prerequisite technical knowledge for clinical applications in a user-friendly and vendor-specific manner. Herein, we present the second part of our guideline on contemporary clinical applications of pediatric cardiothoracic CT for CHD based on the consensus of experts from the Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging CHD Study Group. This guideline describes up-to-date clinical applications effectively in a systematic fashion.

The use of pediatric cardiothoracic CT for congenital heart disease (CHD) was traditionally limited to the morphologic evaluation of the extracardiac thoracic vessels, lungs, and airways. Currently, the applications of CT have increased, owing to technological advancements in hardware and software as well as several dose-reduction measures. In the previously published part 1 of the guideline by the Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging Congenital Heart Disease Study Group, we reviewed the prerequisite technical knowledge for clinical applications in a user-friendly and vendor-specific manner. Herein, we present the second part of our guideline on contemporary clinical applications of pediatric cardiothoracic CT for CHD based on the consensus of experts from the Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging CHD Study Group. This guideline describes up-to-date clinical applications effectively in a systematic fashion.