Blood-brain barrier and brain structural changes in lung cancer patients with non-brain metastases.

Purpose: To explore the relationship between blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage and brain structure in non-brain metastasis lung cancer (LC) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as to indicate the possibility of brain metastasis (BM) occurrence. Patients and methods: MRI were performed in 75 LC patients and 29 counterpart healthy peoples (HCs). We used the Patlak pharmacokinetic model to calculate the average leakage in each brain region according to the automated anatomical labeling (AAL) atlas. The thickness of the cortex and the volumes of subcortical structures were calculated using the FreeSurfer base on Destrieux atlas. We compared the thickness of the cerebral cortex, the volumes of subcortical structures, and the leakage rates of BBB, and evaluated the relationships between these parameters. Results: Compared with HCs, the leakage rates of seven brain regions were higher in patients with advanced LC (aLC). In contrast to patients with early LC (eLC), the cortical thickness of two regions was decreased in aLCs. The volumes of twelve regions were also reduced in aLCs. Brain regions with increased BBB penetration showed negative correlations with thinner cortices and reduced subcortical structure volumes (P<0.05, R=-0.2 to -0.50). BBB penetration was positively correlated with tumor size and with levels of the tumor marker CYFRA21-1 (P<0.05, R=0.2-0.70). Conclusion: We found an increase in BBB permeability in non-BM aLCs that corresponded to a thinner cortical thickness and smaller subcortical structure volumes. With progression in LC staging, BBB shows higher permeability and may be more likely to develop into BM.

Role of CT scan in differentiating the type of colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Most colorectal cancers are classical adenocarcinomas (AC), and less frequent subtypes include mucinous adenocarcinomas (MAC) and signet-ring cell carcinomas (SC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the computed tomography (CT) findings that can help to differentiate MAC and SC from AC. METHODS: CT scans of 168 patients with pathologically proven MAC and 67 patients with pathologically proven SC were analyzed, and 220 patients with classical AC were also included as a control group. CT findings of the three groups were compared and contrasted in terms of the bowel involvement patterns, contrast enhancement patterns, and presence or absence of bowel obstruction, intratumoral calcification, pericolic fat infiltration, and local tumor extension to adjacent organs. Statistical analyses were made by using the one-way analysis of variance, least significant difference test, and Pearson's chi-square test. RESULTS: Compared with classical AC, the MAC showed more severe (6.29±2.69 cm vs 4.57±1.74 cm, P<0.001) and higher percentage of occurrence of eccentric bowel-wall thickening (37.2% vs 11.5%, P<0.001). Heterogeneous contrast enhancement was most common in MAC (P<0.01), and MAC showed more areas with hypoattenuation (P<0.001). The presence of intratumoral calcification was most frequent in MAC (17.9% vs 2% vs 6.8%) (P<0.001); the SC also were more severe (5.75±2.28 cm vs 4.57±1.74 cm. P=0.001) than AC, but SC tend to show more cases of concentric even bowel-wall thickening (67.2%); homogeneous contrast enhancement was most common in SC (P<0.01), and it showed a target appearance. The presence of peritoneal seeding was most frequent in SC (35.8% vs 8% vs 2.7%, P<0.001), while the presence of regional lymph node metastasis (P=0.190) and direct invasion of adjacent organs or metastasis (P=0.323) were not significantly different among them. CONCLUSION: Some radiological features by CT can be used to classify different colon tumor types.

Construction of Furan Derivatives with a Trifluoromethyl Stereogenic Center: Enantioselective Friedel-Crafts Alkylations via Formal Trienamine Catalysis.

An asymmetric Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction of 2-furfuryl ketones with ß-trifluoromethyl enones has been developed via formal trienamine catalysis of a bifunctional primary amine-thiourea substance derived from L-tert-leucine, delivering the furan derivatives incorporating a stereogenic trifluoromethyl (CF3) group in good to high yields with excellent enantioselectivity.

The CT and US features of Ewing's sarcoma/primary neuroectodermal tumor of the kidney: two case reports and review of literature.

Ewing's sarcoma/primary neuroectodermal tumor (EWS/PNET) is an extraordinarily rare primary tumor of the kidney with characteristic histology. To date, the imaging features of EWS/PNET have not been clearly described. Here, we report two cases of EWS/PNET confirmed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy and analyze the findings of computed tomography and ultrasound. The radiological features of EWS/PNET are presented along with a brief review of the pertinent literature to have a further understanding of EWS/PNET's imaging features.