Hyaluronic acid-modified mesoporous silica nanoprobes for target identification of atherosclerosis.

Rupture of vulnerable plaque and secondary thrombosis caused by atherosclerosis are one of the main causes of acute cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, and it is urgent to develop an in-situ, noninvasive, sensitive and targeted detection method at molecular level. We chose CD44, a specific receptor highly expressed on the surface of macrophages, as the target of the molecular probe, and modified the CD44 ligand HA onto the surface of Gd2O3@MSN, constructing the MRI imaging nanoprobe HA-Gd2O3@MSN for targeted recognition of atherosclerosis. The fundamental properties of HA-Gd2O3@MSN were initially investigated. The CCK-8, hemolysis, hematoxylin-eosin staining tests and blood biochemical assays confirmed that HA-Gd2O3@MSN possessed excellent biocompatibility. Laser confocal microscopy, cellular magnetic resonance imaging, flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry were used to verify that the nanoprobes had good targeting properties. The in vivo targeting performance of the nanoprobes was further validated by employing a rabbit atherosclerosis animal model. In summary, the synthesized HA-Gd2O3@MSN nanoprobes have excellent biocompatibility properties as well as good targeting properties. It could provide a new technical tool for early identification of atherosclerosis.

Comparison of CT findings and histopathological characteristics of pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) is a common fungal infectious disease, and infection can occur in patients with any immune function. To better understand PC, we compared the CT findings and histopathological results in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. The clinical data of 68 patients with PC were collected retrospectively and divided into the immunocompetent group and immunocompromised group. The clinical characteristics, CT manifestations and histopathological characteristics of the two groups of patients were compared. Forty-two patients (61.8%) were immunocompetent, and 26 patients (38.2%) were immunocompromised. Compared with immunocompromised patients, 57.14% (24/42) of immunocompetent patients were asymptomatic (p = 0.002). Compared with immunocompetent patients, cough (14/26, 53.9%) and fever (13/26, 50.0%) were the main symptoms in immunocompromised patients (p = 0.044, p = 0.007). Nodular lesions (97.6%, 41/42) were the most common CT type in immunocompetent patients, and the CT characteristic was a single lesion (25/42, 59.5%); the main histopathological type was nodular fibrogranuloma (30/42, 71.4%), and the main histopathological characteristic was inflammatory granuloma (31/42, 73.81%) formed by macrophage phagocytosis of Cryptococcus. Consolidation (15/26, 57.7%) was more common in the CT type of immunocompromised patients. Multiple lesions (24/26, 92.31%), air bronchial signs (19/26, 73.081%) and cavities (9/26, 34.62%) were the main CT characteristics. The mucinous colloid type (19/26, 73.1%) was its main histopathological type, which was mainly characterized by a small amount of surrounding inflammatory cell infiltration (17/26, 65.4%). There were significant differences in the classification and characteristics of CT and pathology between the two groups (p < 0.05). Through the CT manifestations and histopathological characteristics of PC under different immune function states, it was found that immune function has a significant impact on the CT manifestations and histopathological characteristics of patients with PC.

Head and neck CT angiography to assess the internal carotid artery stealing pathway.

BACKGROUND: Common carotid artery occlusive disease (CCAOD) could form internal carotid artery steal pathways. Based on the diagnostic results of digital subtraction angiography (DSA), head and neck computed tomography angiography (CTA) was used to find the internal carotid artery stealing pathway after CCAOD. METHODS: The clinical and imaging data of 18 patients with CCAOD were retrospectively analyzed. DSA and CTA was used to evaluate internal carotid artery steal pathways. RESULTS: Of the 18 patients with CCAOD, 10 patients found internal carotid artery steal pathways. There were 7 males and 3 females. Vascular ultrasound examination of all patients: The affected side had no blood flow in common carotid artery (CCA), and had retrograde blood flow in the external carotid artery (ECA). The blood flow of the affected side was decreased in the internal carotid artery (ICA), but it was antegrade. DSA diagnosed 10 cases of CCA occlusion and CTA diagnosed 10 cases of CCA occlusion. DSA and CTA found 6 internal carotid artery blood stealing pathways: ① Vertebral artery → occipital artery → external carotid artery → internal carotid artery (6 cases); ② Thyrocervical trunk → ascending cervical artery → occipital artery → external carotid artery → internal carotid artery (7 cases); ③ Costocervical trunk → deep cervical artery → occipital artery → external carotid artery → internal carotid artery (6 cases); ④ Affected side thyroid neck trunk → inferior thyroid artery → superior thyroid artery → external carotid artery → internal carotid artery (2 cases); ⑤ Contralateral external carotid artery → contralateral superior thyroid artery → affected superior thyroid artery → external carotid artery → neck Internal artery (2 cases); ⑥ Parathyroid neck → superficial cervical artery → occipital artery → external carotid artery → internal carotid artery (1 case). CONCLUSIONS: The patients with CCAOD can find the internal carotid artery blood stealing pathway through CTA.