Quantitative and qualitative analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for differentiating benign and malignant superficial enlarged lymph nodes.

Background: In many clinical situations, it is critical to exclude or identify abnormally lymph nodes (LNs). The nature of superficial abnormally LNs is closely related to the stage, treatment, and prognosis of the disease. Ultrasound (US) is an important method for examining superficial LNs due to its cheap and safe characteristics. However, it is still difficult to determine the nature of some LNs with overlapping benign and malignant features in images. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can be used to evaluate the microperfusion status of tissues in real time, and it can improve diagnostic accuracy to a certain extent. Therefore, in this study, we will analyze the correlation between CEUS quantitative parameters and benign and malignant superficial abnormally LNs, to evaluate the efficacy and value of CEUS in distinguishing benign and malignant superficial LNs. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed 120 patients of abnormal LNs who underwent US and CEUS at the China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University from December 2020 to August 2023. All 120 cases of abnormal LNs underwent US-guided coarse needle biopsy, and accurate pathological results were obtained, along with complete US and CEUS images. According to the pathological results, LNs were divided into benign and malignant groups, and the qualitative and quantitative parameters of US and CEUS between the two groups were analyzed. The cutoff value is determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the subjects, and sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy are applied to evaluate the ability of the cutoff value to distinguish between the two groups. Results: There were a total of 120 LNs, including 36 in the benign group and 84 in the malignant group. The results showed that malignant LNs were usually characterized by the disappearance of lymphatic hilum, round ness index (L/T) <2, irregular morphology, and the manifestation of uneven perfusion (P<0.05). The differences in the quantitative parameters peak enhancement (PE), rise time (RT), time to peak (TTP), wash-in rate (WIR), and wash-out rate (WOR) were statistically significant (P<0.05). The result showed that RT and TTP in the malignant LNs were higher than those in the benign LNs, while the PE, WIR, and WOR were lower. A comparison of the ∆ values showed that the differences in ∆PE, ∆WIR, and ∆fall time (FT) were statistically significant (P<0.05), Among them, the ∆PE and ∆WIR of malignant LNs were higher than those of benign LNs, while the ∆FT was lower than that of benign LNs. Conclusions: Quantitative analysis of CEUS features is valuable in the diagnosis of benign and malignant LNs, and US combined with CEUS helps to improve the accuracy of identifying the nature of LNs.

Rapid assessment of knowledge, attitudes, practices, and risk perception related to the prevention and control of Ebola virus disease in three communities of Sierra Leone.

BACKGROUND: The recent outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Sierra Leone has been characterized by the World Health Organization as one of the most challenging EVD outbreaks to date. The first confirmed case in Sierra Leone was a young woman who was admitted to a government hospital in Kenema following a miscarriage on 24 May 2014. On 5 January 2015, intensified training for an EVD response project was initiated at the medical university of Sierra Leone in Jui. To understand the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceived risk of EVD among the public, especially after this training, a rapid assessment was conducted from 10 to 16 March 2015. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 466 participants based on questionnaires that were distributed from 10 to 16 March 2015 by cluster sampling in three adjacent communities, namely Jui, Grafton, and Kossoh Town, in the Western Area Rural District of Sierra Leone. RESULTS: It was found that knowledge about EVD was comprehensive and high. Positive attitude towards prevention was found to be satisfactory. Nearly all participants knew the reporting phone number 117 and had reported some change in behavior since learning about Ebola. More than half (62 %) of the participants had a history of travelling to urban areas, which increases the risk of infection. The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that community and occupation were variables associated with perceived risk of EVD. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that community level social mobilization and community engagement were an effective strategy in the special context.

RC-3095, a gastrin-releasing peptide receptor antagonist, synergizes with gemcitabine to inhibit the growth of human pancreatic cancer CFPAC-1 in vitro and in vivo.

OBJECTIVES: Pancreatic cancer remains a lethal disease. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a combination of gastrin-releasing peptide receptor antagonist RC-3095 and gemcitabine on pancreatic cancer CFPAC-1. METHODS: The antiproliferation effects of RC-3095, gemcitabine, or the combination on pancreatic cancer were monitored in vitro. Nude mice bearing xenografts of CFPAC-1 cell received injections of the vehicle (control), RC-3095 (20 µg, subcutaneously, daily), gemcitabine (15 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, every 3 days), or the combination of RC-3095 and gemcitabine for 4 weeks. The histological changes and protein expression were tested using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. RESULTS: Treatment with the combination in culture exhibited a powerful inhibition effect on CFPAC-1 cell proliferation. In xenograft mice model, RC-3095 or gemcitabine significantly reduced the volume and weight of tumors after 4 weeks of treatment, as compared with controls. The combination more potently inhibited the tumor growth than either agent used individually. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting showed gastrin-releasing peptide receptor/bombesin receptor subtype-3 positive cells and protein expression in tumors decreased by treatment with RC-3095 or gemcitabine alone or greater in combination. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggested that the combination could be considered for the possible new approaches for treatment of pancreatic cancers.