Processing of carbon-reinforced construction materials releases PM2.5 inducing inflammation and (secondary) genotoxicity in human lung epithelial cells and fibroblasts.

Building demolition following domestic fires or abrasive processing after thermal recycling can release particles harmful for the environment and human health. To mimic such situations, particles release during dry-cutting of construction materials was investigated. A reinforcement material consisting of carbon rods (CR), carbon concrete composite (C³) and thermally treated C³ (ttC³) were physicochemically and toxicologically analyzed in monocultured lung epithelial cells, and co-cultured lung epithelial cells and fibroblasts at the air-liquid interface. C³ particles reduced their diameter to WHO fibre dimensions during thermal treatment. Caused by physical properties or by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and bisphenol A found in the materials, especially the released particles of CR and ttC³ induced an acute inflammatory response and (secondary) DNA damage. Transcriptome analysis indicated that CR and ttC³ particles carried out their toxicity via different mechanisms. While ttC³ affected pro-fibrotic pathways, CR was mostly involved in DNA damage response and in pro-oncogenic signaling.

Lung volumes, ventricular function and pulmonary arterial flow in children operated on for left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia: long-term results.

OBJECTIVES: To compare MRI-based functional pulmonary and cardiac measurements in the long-term follow-up of children operated on for left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) with age- and body size-matched healthy controls. METHODS: Twelve children who received immediate postnatal surgery for closure of isolated left-sided CDH were included and received basic medical examinations, pulmonary function testing and echocardiography. MRI included measurement of lung volume, ventricular function assessment and velocity-encoded imaging of the pulmonary arteries and was compared with the data for 12 healthy children matched for age and body size. RESULTS: While patients' clinical test results were not suspicious, comparison between the MRI data for patients and those for healthy controls revealed significant differences. In patients, the volumes of the left lungs were increased and the tidal volume was larger on the right side. While the stroke volumes of both ventricles were reduced, heart rate and ejection fraction were increased. Flow, acceleration time and cross-sectional area of the left pulmonary artery were reduced. CONCLUSION: Functional MRI detected pulmonary and cardiac findings in the late follow-up of CDH children which may be missed by standard clinical methods and might be relevant for decisions regarding late outcome and treatment.

Detection of relevant colonic neoplasms with PET/CT: promising accuracy with minimal CT dose and a standardised PET cut-off.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the performance of FDG-PET/CT in the detection of relevant colorectal neoplasms (adenomas > or =10 mm, with high-grade dysplasia, cancer) in relation to CT dose and contrast administration and to find a PET cut-off. METHODS: 84 patients, who underwent PET/CT and colonoscopy (n = 79)/sigmoidoscopy (n = 5) for (79 x 6 + 5 x 2) = 484 colonic segments, were included in a retrospective study. The accuracy of low-dose PET/CT in detecting mass-positive segments was evaluated by ROC analysis by two blinded independent reviewers relative to contrast-enhanced PET/CT. On a per-lesion basis characteristic PET values were tested as cut-offs. RESULTS: Low-dose PET/CT and contrast-enhanced PET/CT provide similar accuracies (area under the curve for the average ROC ratings 0.925 vs. 0.929, respectively). PET demonstrated all carcinomas (n = 23) and 83% (30/36) of relevant adenomas. In all carcinomas and adenomas with high-grade dysplasia (n = 10) the SUV(max) was > or =5. This cut-off resulted in a better per-segment sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) than the average PET/CT reviews (sensitivity: 89% vs. 82%; NPV: 99% vs. 98%). All other tested cut-offs were inferior to the SUV(max). CONCLUSION: FDG-PET/CT provides promising accuracy for colorectal mass detection. Low dose and lack of iodine contrast in the CT component do not impact the accuracy. The PET cut-off SUV(max) > or = 5 improves the accuracy.

Preliminary assessment of dynamic contrast-enhanced CT implementation in pretreatment FDG-PET/CT for outcome prediction in head and neck tumors.

BACKGROUND: Recently published data show some controversy concerning the impact of [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) in predicting head and neck tumors (HNT) outcome. Assessment of tumor blood supply parameters using dynamic contrast-enhanced CT (DCE-CT) may deliver additional information concerning this important question. PURPOSE: To evaluate the contribution of DCE-CT implemented in pretherapeutic FDG-PET/CT protocol for prognosis prediction in patients with HNT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten consecutive patients (median age 50 years, range 47-74 years) with histologically proven HNT underwent FDG-PET/CT with DCE-CT before treatment. FDG uptake was measured by maximum standardized uptake value (SUV(max)). Relative tumor blood volume (rTBV) was determined from DCE-CT using Patlak analysis. Intratumoral heterogeneity was assessed by means of lacunarity analysis. Obtained values were compared with time-to-progression and overall survival. PET and DCE-CT images were compared on a pixel-by-pixel basis using Pearson coefficient of correlation. RESULTS: Three patients with lower FDG uptake (SUV(max): 8+/-1) and five patients with higher FDG uptake (SUV(max): 15+/-4, P=0.004) were free of local recurrence for 24 months. Two groups of patients with significantly differing lower (group A: 0.37+/-0.02, n=6) and higher (group B: 0.52+/-0.01, n=4; P<0.01), tumor heterogeneity (lacunarity) were identified. Corresponding mean rTBV was higher in group A (9.6+/-1.8 ml/100 ml) than in group B (6.2+/-0.6 ml/100 ml). All six patients with homogeneous tumor blood supply (lower lacunarity) and higher rTBV were free of local recurrence during 24 months, while two of four patients with heterogeneous tumor blood supply (higher lacunarity) and lower rTBV died during follow-up due to tumor relapse. A weak correlation between FDG-PET and DCE-CT rTBV was observed (R(2)=0.1). CONCLUSION: FDG-PET/CT and DCT-CT are complementary methods for surveillance assessment in patients with HNT. Implementation of DCE-CT in the pretreatment FDG-PET/CT protocol may improve tumor outcome prediction.

Spatial profiles of perfluoroalkyl substances and mercury in fish from northern Lake Victoria, East Africa.

There is an acute deficit of data on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and mercury (Hg) in the open waters of Lake Victoria, East Africa, relative to nearshore areas. We analyzed stable isotopes (δ15N and δ13C), PFASs and Hg in Nile Perch and Nile Tilapia muscle and liver samples from nearshore and open lake locations from the Ugandan part of the lake. The δ15N values of Nile Perch muscle indicated a higher trophic level for samples from the open lake than from nearshore locations. Averages of ∑PFAS concentrations in Nile Perch muscle and liver (0.44 and 1.75 ng/g ww, respectively) were significantly higher than in Nile Tilapia (0.24 and 0.50 ng/g ww, respectively). ∑PFAS concentrations in muscle of open lake Nile Perch were significantly higher than for nearshore samples. A similar observation was made for total mercury concentrations in muscle (THg_Muscle) of Nile Perch. THg was dominated by methyl mercury (MeHg+, 22-124 ng/g ww) and mercuric mercury (Hg2+,

Dose reduction in computed tomography: the effect of eye and testicle shielding on radiation dose measured in patients with beryllium oxide-based optically stimulated luminescence dosimetry.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of eye and testicle shielding on radiation dose to the lens and the testes of patients undergoing CT examinations. Fifty-one male patients underwent CT twice with identical protocols initially without, the second time with protective garments. Doses to the testes and the lenses were recorded with beryllium oxide-based dosimeters. The dose to the testes and lenses from CT exposure was reduced by 96.2% +/- 1.7% and 28.2% +/- 18.5%, when testicle and eye shielding was used, respectively. The effect of the eye shielding on the eye lens dose was found to depend on the x-ray tube position when the eye is primarily exposed during the scan. The maximum eye lens dose reduction achieved was found to be 43.2% +/- 6.5% corresponding to the anterior position of the tube. A significant correlation between the patient's body mass index and dose exposure could not be found. Eye and testicle shields, apart from being inexpensive and easy to use, were proven to be effective in reducing eye lens and testicle radiation dose burden from CT exposures.

Is pre-therapeutical FDG-PET/CT capable to detect high risk tumor subvolumes responsible for local failure in non-small cell lung cancer?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Local failure is a significant issue following radiotherapy (RT) for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to find out whether FDG-PET/CT is capable to predict tumor relapse location in patients with NSCLC, in particular to determine high risk tumors' subvolumes responsible for local failure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten patients with locoregional relapse of NSCLC underwent FDG-PET/CT before, during, and in the 4-12 months following curative chemoradiotherapy (ChRT, 66 Gy) using a combined PET/CT scanner. Morphologic and metabolic tumor volumetry and an evaluation of FDG-uptake dynamics were performed. RESULTS: CT showed partial reduction of tumor volume after RT in all patients. PET-revealed partial in eight patients and complete metabolic response in two patients during RT. Six to nine months after RT, local failure was diagnosed in all patients with both methods. Tumor recurrences were localized mostly in the most active ones of pre-therapeutically metabolic regions of the primary tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Local failure in NSCLC appears most common at the primary site and within the irradiated target volume with the highest FDG uptake. This observation may be useful for further optimization of radiotherapy of NSCLC, for example, by the application of additional radiation dose to subvolumes of primary tumors with higher FDG uptake.

Assessment of shunt volumes in children with ventricular septal defects: comparative quantification of MR flow measurements and invasive oximetry.

The aim of this study was to compare the results of magnetic resonance based shunt volume measurements with the results of the invasive method by the principle of Fick. In 14 children (median age: 16.5 months) with ventricular septal defects the shunt volume was quantified by magnetic resonance flow measurements under spontaneous breathing conditions as well as with invasive angiography during one sedation. A good correlation between both methods was observed (r(2) = 0.8, p <0.0001, CI(95%) = 0.62-1.22). A tendency towards higher values in the noninvasive technique was found in the Bland-Altman plot (bias = 3.79). Magnetic resonance based shunt measurements are a reliable alternative to the invasive shunt measurement by cardiac catheterization.