Objectives: To evaluate the clinical significance of nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP 22) in the detection of bladder transitional cell carcinoma (BTCC) and compare with voided urine cytology(VUC). Methods: A total of 69 cases with voided urine samples for NMP 22 and VUC test were included in this study. Thirty of them were BTCC patients(BTCC group) and twenty nine suffered from other urological diseases (nonbladder cancer group, NBC group). Ten were healthy volunteers (control group). Results: The NMP 22 values for BTCC group (67.3 U/ml) were significantly higher than that of NBC group(7.4 U/ml) and control group (4.3 U/ml)( P 0.05). NMP 22 was more sensitive than VUC in low grade BTCC(Ⅰ,Ⅱ)(62.50% vs 12.50%,P 0.05). Conclusions:Urinary NMP 22 is a useful marker for the early diagnosis of BTCC. It is more sensitive than VUC in low stage and grade BTCC.

Objective To investigate the prevalence and cardiovascular risk factors of silent brain infarct (SBI) in Shunyi Cohort.Methods This study was based on the population based Shunyi Study in China.One thousand and twenty-seven stroke-free participants older than 35 years,who completed cerebral MRI,were included.Cardiovascular risk factors were assessed by interview,physical examination and blood sample tests.SBI was evaluated on 3D-T1WI,T2WI and FLAIR sequences.Associations between risk factors and SBI were analyzed by Logistic regression and adjusted for age,sex,and relevant confounders.Results One thousand and twenty-seven participants,aged (55.9 ± 9.4) years,37.7％ male,were assessed.One hundred sixty-four participants(16.0％) had SBI on MRI.The prevalence of SBI increased by age (every 10 years,OR=2.12,95％ CI 1.74-2.58,P＜0.01).Hypertension(OR =2.67,95％ CI 1.77-4.04,P＜0.01),diabetes(OR=2.48,95％ CI 1.64-3.76,P＜0.01) and smoking(OR=1.98,95％ CI 1.08-3.62,P =0.028) were significantly associated with SBI.Conclusions The prevalence of SBI in this Chinese population is 16.0％,which increases with age.Hypertension,diabetes and smoking are associated with SBI.

ObjectiveThe study is to investigate the predictive values of dosimetric parameters and patient related factors in severe acute radiation pneumonitis (SARP) after concurrent chemoradiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods In all,147 NSCLC patients treated with concurrent chemotherapy and 3DCRT between 2006 and 2010 was collected.Independent sample t test was used to compare parameter values between patients with SARP and those without SARP.Logistic regression was used to identify significant determined factor.Predictive value of each parameter was tested by ROC analysis.Pearson correlation was used to analyze correlations between parameters.Represent factors were identified by factor analysis.ResultsThe incidence of SARP was 9.5％ ( 14/147 ).The means lung dose (MLD),V20,V30,V40,and V50 ( x2 =4.87 -6.84,P =0.009 -0.025,respectively ) were determining factors for SARP.Our datasets shows that for SARP ＜5％,MLD,V20,V30,V40 and V50 should be ≤16.77 Gy,V20≤34.15％,.V30 ≤23.62％,.V40 ≤ 18.57％,V50 ≤ 13.02％.ROC analysis show that areas under MLD,V20,V30,V40 and V50 curves was corresponding to 0.678,0.661,0.667,0.677,and 0.651,respectively.In addition,the sensitivity and specificity of each parameter at cutoff values are:78.0％ and 48.1％ for MLD;42.9％ and 82.0％ for V2o ;78.6％ and 52.9％ for V30 ;71.4％ and 61.7％ for V40,and 57.1％ and 67.7％ for V50.Factor analysis suggest that we can choose 1 or 2 parameters from MLD,V20,or V30,and another from V40 or V50 for predicting.The incidence of SARP was greater in patients with tumorsin right lower lung than other locations ( 22.2％ vs 6.7％,x2 =6.19,P =0.0 2 3 ).Conclusions The MLD,V20,V30,V40 and V50 are determining factors for SARP.As predictive value of each parameter alone is relatively week,using two or more parameters to predict SARP is recommended.

Objective To investigate the expression and significance of PDCD4 and MMP-7 in human gastric carcinoma (GC) tissues and to analyze their association with clinical pathological characteristics in GC patients.Methods Immunohistochemical staining SP was used to detect the expression of PDCD4 and MMP-7 protein in gastric cancer specimens and para-carcinoma tissue in 70 cases,and the relationship with clinical pathological characteristics were analyzed.Results The expression rate of MMP-7 in GC tissues in the study group was high and significantly higher than that in the control group (78.6％ vs.22.9％,P ＜ 0.05),while the expression rate of PDCD4 protein was low and significantly lower than that in the control group (31.4％ vs.75.7％,P ＜0.05).Both the expressions of PDCD4 and MMP-7 were significantly associated with tumor lymph node metastasis,peritoneal metastasis,the depth of invasion and late clinical stage of GC (P(0.05).The correlation analysis indicated that there was a negative correlation between the expressions of PDCD4 and MMP-7 (r =-0.526,P =0.000).Conclusion The expression of PDCD4 and MMP-7 might be correlated to the carcinogenesis and invasion,and might be involved in the GC regulation.

Objective To investigate the expression and significance of PDCD4 and MMP-7 in human gastric carcinoma (GC) tissues and to analyze their association with clinical pathological characteristics in GC patients.Methods Immunohistochemical staining SP was used to detect the expression of PDCD4 and MMP-7 protein in gastric cancer specimens and para-carcinoma tissue in 70 cases,and the relationship with clinical pathological characteristics were analyzed.Results The expression rate of MMP-7 in GC tissues in the study group was high and significantly higher than that in the control group (78.6％ vs.22.9％,P ＜ 0.05),while the expression rate of PDCD4 protein was low and significantly lower than that in the control group (31.4％ vs.75.7％,P ＜0.05).Both the expressions of PDCD4 and MMP-7 were significantly associated with tumor lymph node metastasis,peritoneal metastasis,the depth of invasion and late clinical stage of GC (P(0.05).The correlation analysis indicated that there was a negative correlation between the expressions of PDCD4 and MMP-7 (r =-0.526,P =0.000).Conclusion The expression of PDCD4 and MMP-7 might be correlated to the carcinogenesis and invasion,and might be involved in the GC regulation.

Objective:To investigate the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI)-based image optimization technique on image quality of coronary CT angiography (CCTA).Methods:Sixty patients, who were referred for CCTA, were prospectively enrolled between May and June 2018 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital and were randomly divided into two groups. Group A was scanned with a low tube voltage of 80 kVp and a reduced contrast media volume of lopamiro at 0.7 ml /kg and group B was scanned with a standard 120 kVp tube voltage and an injection of 70 ml lopamiro. According to the different reconstruction methods, group A was divided into two subgroups. The images of group A1 were reconstructed with iterative reconstruction (IR). IR and further AI-based image optimization were used in group A2. Group B was also reconstructed by IR. To evaluate image quality objectively, the mean attenuation of contrast-enhancement values, background noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were measured and calculated in the region of interests (ROIs) of the aortic root (Ao), left main coronary artery (LM), left anterior descending branch (LAD), left circumflex branch (LCX) and right coronary artery (RCA), respectively. In addition, the subjective evaluation was performed by two radiologists using Likert 4 scale (1 for excellent and 4 for poor) to evaluate the image quality of coronary artery branches and segments. The estimated radiation dose in terms of volume CT dose index (CTDI vol), dose length product (DLP) and effective dose (ED) was recorded and compared between group A and group B. Analyses of the differences between groups were compared with image quality, radiation dose by t test or Wilcoxon signed ranks test, and subjective assessments were compares with χ 2 test. Results:In terms of lumen enhancement, compared to group A2, there was no significant difference in CT value of each ROI ( P>0.05); CT value of group A1 and group A2 at Ao was significantly higher than that of group B ( P<0.01), but there was no significant difference in other ROI ( P>0.05). By comparing noise, SNR and CNR, it could be seen that compared to group B, A2 group optimized by AI had a significantly lower noise level at Ao than group B ( P<0.001), and there was no statistical difference in ROI for the rest (all P>0.05).SNR at Ao was significantly higher than that of group B ( P<0.001), and there was no statistical difference in ROI for the rest ( P>0.05).However, the CNR of group A2 was significantly higher than that of group B in all ROI ( P<0.001). Compared to the AI-optimized A2 group, the noise of A2 group was significantly lower than that of A1 group at all ROI, and SNR and CNR were significantly higher than that of A1 group ( P<0.001). The subjective evaluation results of coronary segments showed that image quality of group A2 and group B was significantly better than that of group A1 ( P=0.002,0.038). There was no significant difference between group A2 and group B ( P=0.543). The radiation dose indexes of CTDI vol, DLP and ED in group A were significantly lower than those in group B (all P<0.001). The ED was decreased by 70.4%. Meanwhile, the volume of contrast media in group A was reduced by 37.1% than that that in group B. Conclusion:Compared to conventional scanning, CCTA images optimized by AI technology improved subjective and objective image quality.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of using low-dose prostate CT perfusion (pCTP)on a third-generation dual-source CT. Methods Nine patients with elevated prostate-specific antigen underwent pCTP before having prostate biopsy. We measured the blood flow (BF),blood volume (BV),mean transit time (MTT),permeability surface (PS),and time to peak(TTP)of both lesions and normal prostate tissue. The effective dose (ED)was calculated. Results Of the 9 cases,6 were prostate cancers and 3 were prostate hyperplasia with chronic inflammation. The average ED of the 9 pCTPs was (3.5±0.3)mSv. The BF (t=4.64,P<0.001),BV (t=3.27,P<0.001),and PS (t=3.58,P=0.004)of prostate cancer were significantly higher than those of normal prostate tissue and TTP (t=-1.26,P<0.001)of prostate cancer was significantly lower than that of normal prostate tissue. BF (t=3.96,P=0.001)and PS (t=2.91,P=0.021)of prostate hyperplasia with chronic inflammation were also significantly higher and TTP (t=-1.19,P<0.001)was significantly lower than those of normal prostate tissue. TTP of prostate cancer was significantly lower than that of prostate hyperplasia with chronic inflammation (t=-2.56,P=0.049). Conclusion sLow-dose pCTP is feasible on third-generation dual-source CT. The BF,PS,and TTP differ among prostate cancer,prostate hyperplasia with chronic inflammation,and normal prostate tissue.
Blood Volume ; Feasibility Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

Objective 　To investigate the optimized range of body mass index (BMI) selection for patients undergoing 70 kV high-pitch dual-source coronary CT angiography (CCTA) on the third-generation dual-source CT (DSCT). Methods 　Patients undergoing prospective high-pitch ultra-low contrast media (CM) CCTA on the third-generation DSCT using the automatic tube voltage selection at 70 kV were included and divided into three groups:group A,with BMI≤24 kg/m;group B,with 24 kg/m0.05). Subjective image quality in group A(Z=2.91,P=0.004) and B(Z=2.27,P=0.021) were both significantly better than that in group C. Conclusion 　The ultra-low tube voltage (70 kV) combined with ultra-low CM CCTA protocol on third-generation high-pitch DSCT may be better for patients with BMI<28 kg/m2 than those with BMI ≥28 kg/min China.
Body Mass Index ; China ; Computed Tomography Angiography ; methods ; Contrast Media ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Radiation Dosage ; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is a cytosolic DNA sensor which is regarded as a potential target for antitumor immunotherapy. However, clinical trials of STING agonists display limited anti-tumor effects and dose-dependent side-effects like inflammatory damage and cell toxicity. Here, we showed that tetrahedral DNA nanostructures (TDNs) actively enter macrophages to promote STING activation and M1 polarization in a size-dependent manner, and synergized with Mn²⁺ to enhance the expressions of IFN-β and iNOS, as well as the co-stimulatory molecules for antigen presentation. Moreover, to reduce the cytotoxicity of Mn²⁺, we constructed a TDN-MnO₂ complex and found that it displayed a much higher efficacy than TDN plus Mn²⁺ to initiate macrophage activation and anti-tumor response both in vitro and in vivo. Together, our studies explored a novel immune activation effect of TDN in cancer therapy and its synergistic therapeutic outcomes with MnO₂. These findings provide new therapeutic opportunities for cancer therapy.