Value of Endorectal MRI in Romanian Men for High Risk of Prostate Cancer: MRI Findings Compared with Saturation Biopsy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the potentials of T2 weighted (T2W)MRI and diffusion weighted (DW) MRI for prostate cancer(PCa) detection, local staging and treatment planning in high-risk group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Endorectal MRI was performed in 17 Romanian men (median age: 66 years; range: 58 75 years), prostate specific antigen (PSA) serum levels (median: 20 ng mL; range: 8.6 100 ng mL) with positive findings for PCa(median Gleason score: 8; range: 7 - 9). Imaging findings were compared to standarised 20-core transperineal saturation biopsy. The prostate was divided into 16 standart sectors(10 posterior and 6 anterior). RESULTS: Overall, prostate cancer was detected in 16 patients(94%) on DW-MRI alone and in all 17 patients (100%) on T2W-MRI alone, and on combined imaging. On T2W-MRI165 sectors out of 272 were suspicious for PCa and 124 (75%)were cancer positive. On DW-MRI 126 sectors out of 272 were suspicious for PCa and 118 (95%) were cancer positive. On the combined imaging approach 134 sectors out of 272 were suspicious for PCa and 126 (94%) were cancer positive. This resulted in diagnostic accuracies per sector of 76% for T2WMRI, 86% for DW-MRI and 89% for combined imaging. Multifocal PCa was confirmed both on MR imaging and by biopsy in 8 of the 17 men (47%) Extra capsular extension(ECE) or seminal vesicles invasion (SVI) was highly suspected in 8 (47%) respectively 7 (41%) of the 17 patients. 6 patients(35%) presented both ECE and SVI. MRI findings were taken into account for treatment planning and none of these patients underwent radical prostatectomy and instead was treated with palliative cryotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Endorectal MRI is highly accurate in PCa detection in the high-risk group and seems to have an important role in local staging and treatment planning for Romanian population.

Retro-peritoneoscopic assisted cryoablation for small renal tumors: the first cases treated in Romania.

Nephron-sparing surgery (NSS), has been demonstrated to be a safe and effective alternative to radical nephrectomy for selected cases. Retro-peritoneoscopic cryoablation (RCA), combine the benefits of minimal invasiveness of the laparoscopy with the advantage of preserving renal function of the nephron sparing surgery. The aim of our study was to assess the initial results with RCA of small renal tumors. Since Jan 2007, twelve consecutive patients, with small renal tumors (mean tumor size 3.89 cm) underwent RCA at our institution. The patients were assessed using: clinical exam, lab exam, ultrasound, contrast enhanced CT scan. For cryoablation, we used the Galil Medical SeedNet with 17 Gauge cryoprobes, under combined retro-peritoneoscopic and ultrasound guidance. Protocol follow-up design includes clinical exam, lab exam and contrast enhanced CT scan at 3,6 and 12 months and annually thereafter. Mean surgical time was 145.42 min. and mean blood loss was 179.17 ml. Two patients presented: bleeding at the extraction of the cryoprobes and urinary fistula which healed with surgical treatment. Histological examination of the core biopsy revealed clear cell carcinoma in 8 patients, papillary carcinoma in 3 patients and angiomyolipoma in 1 patient. Cryosurgical ablation of small renal tumors using multiple ultrathin 17 Gauge cryoprobes is a feasible treatment option. Retro-peritoneoscopic approach allows optimal access to the kidney and endoscopic real-time ultrasound control of the freezing process.

Magnetizable needles and wires--modeling an efficient way to target magnetic microspheres in vivo.

The in vivo targeting of tumors with magnetic microspheres is currently realized through the application of external non-uniform magnetic fields generated by rare-earth permanent magnets or electromagnets. Our theoretical work suggests a feasible procedure for local delivery of magnetic nano- and microparticles to a target area. In particular, thin magnetizable wires placed throughout or close to the target area and magnetized by a perpendicular external uniform background magnetic field are used to concentrate magnetic microspheres injected into the target organ's natural blood supply. The capture of the magnetic particles and the building of deposits thereof in the blood vessels of the target area were modeled under circumstances similar to the in vivo situation. This technique could be applied to magnetically targeted cancer therapy or magnetic embolization therapy with magnetic particles that contain anticancer agents, such as chemotherapeutic drugs or therapeutic radioisotopes.

[Blood detoxification using superparamagnetic nanoparticles (magnetic hemodialysis)]. / Detoxifierea sângelui cu nanoparticule superparamagnetice (hemodializa magnetica).

UNLABELLED: The authors present an experimental study realized in order to simulate blood detoxification with the help of supermagnetic nanoparticles. The particles used are red oxide nanoparticles which are considered to be equivalent from a magnetic susceptibility and dynamic diameter point of view to the complex structures of magnetite nanoparticles. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Two types of custom HGMS matrices have been used--a threaded one and a micro-spheres one. For testing red oxide particles have been purposefully created to have a lower magnetic susceptibility than magnetite or iron-carbon particles used in other experimental studies. Different concentrations of iron oxide, glycerine and water have been prepared, creating a 3.5 cP viscosity (equivalent to the one of the blood); the concentrations of the prepared solutions varied between 0.16 mg/mL and 2 mg/mL, with the background magnetic field value ranging from 0.25 T to 0.9 T, in order to observer the effectiveness of filtering at different intensities. RESULTS: The efficiency of HGMS filtering in experimental conditions was almost completely successful (99.99%) in all experimental conditions, both with the threaded and micro-spheres matrices. CONCLUSIONS: The high gradient magnetic separation system of nanoparticles has maximum efficiency and has the potential of being implemented in a medical blood detoxification device.

[Experimental modeling of the blood vessels magnetic embolization]. / Modelare experimentala a embolizarii vaselor sangvine pe cale magnetica.

The embolization of blood vessels is used on a large scale: the method is applied in different diseases, in the ablation of organs, but especially in tumor necrosis. The embolization can be also magnetic, if the embolus is obtained through the deposit in the vessel of magnetic nano or microparticles in the presence of an external magnetic field. The objective of our study was the modeling of the magnetic embolization using amorphous magnetic microspheres that have strong magnetic properties and are biocompatible. Experimental tests were made in order to observe the building of the magnetic embolus inside a thin spiral tube and to determine the influence of some parameters on the efficiency of occlusions: the dimensions of magnetic microspheres (1-300 mm), the debit of the liquid (4.66 - 16.5 ml/min), the viscosity of the carrier liquid (1.007 - 7.34 cSt), the direction and the intensity of the external magnetic field (340 - 600 Gs), the shape of the tube and the linear length of the deposit (5 - 50 mm). Under pre-established experimental conditions the efficiencies of occlusions were between 67% and 100%.

[Functional characteristics of nucleotide-receptors in human neutrophils]. / Caracteristici functionale ale receptorilor pentru nucleotide în neutrofilele umane.

Nucleotides are important extracellular signaling molecules. It has been established that nucleotides are released from damaged cells, activated platelets and endothelial cells. Thus, at the site of vascular injury, the concentrations of extracellular nucleotides can become elevated. Nucleotides have been shown to cause mobilization of intracellular calcium, upregulation of Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18), degranulation, and chemotaxis in human neutrophils. The goal of this work is to investigate the functional characteristics of nucleotide-receptors in human neutrophils. Nucleotides (ATP and UTP), caused intracellular calcium mobilization in a dose dependent manner. Pharmacological characterization using selective agonists (ATP, UTP), pertussis toxin in human neutrophils and human astrocytoma cells 1321N1 stably expressing P2Y2 or P2Y4 receptors, revealed that human neutrophils express only functional P2Y2 receptors. Treatment of neutrophils with pertussis toxin causes a partial inhibition of nucleotide-induced calcium mobilization. Similarly, by using 1321N astrocytoma cells expressing the P2Y2 receptor we confirmed that calcium mobilization is only partially inhibited by pertussis toxin. The partial resistance of P2Y2-mediated intracellular calcium mobilization suggests that this receptor subtype is coupled not only to a Gi protein, but also to a protein belonging to the Gq-family (most likely G16). In conclusion, we have shown that human neutrophils express functional P2Y2 receptors and all the nucleotide responses are mediated by P2Y2 receptor subtype and that P2Y2 receptors are the functional able to trigger intracellular signaling event in human neutrophils through dual activation of different G proteins.

[Preclinical assay on a magnetic carrier type ferrofluid]. / Studiu preclinic asupra unui purtator magnetic tip ferofluid.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was to determine the acute toxicity and the antimicrobial actions of an original magnetic carrier, type ferrofluid. The hydrophilic ferrofluid was prepared by covering the Fe3O4 nannoparticles with ammoniumoleate. The absolute amount of iron was of 40 mg/ml ferrofluid. METHODS: Acute toxicity was evaluated on five groups of Swiss male mice, after a single intraperitoneal administration of 1, 0.75, 0.5, 0.25 and 0.125 ml dose of pure ferrofluid/100 g body weight (b.w.), using step-level toxicity method. The study groups of mice were follow-up for 10 days. We did not use the same volume of solution for all the study groups because we were concerned about not to modify the behavior of the ferrofluid (but for each group we used the same volume of solution). The tasks of this part of the study were: 1) the record of the mice death in the first 10 days after intraperitoneal administration of ferrofluid; 2) the behavior of the animal subjects; 3) the morphopathologic examination of kidney, lung, heart, liver and peritoneum samples from the death mice and from the after ten days survivors which were sacrificed. We also investigated the possible antibacterial actions of the ferrofluid on E. coli spp., Klebsiella spp., Staphylococcus aureus Streptococcus group D., in the second part of the study, using standard lab kit. The validation of the results was performed using controls for E. colli and Staphylococcus aureus. RESULTS: The death of the mice was registered between 24 and finished after 96 hours. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD), was of 0.25 ml (10 mg iron/100 g b.w.) and the lethal dose hundred percent (LD100) was of 0.75 ml/(30 mg iron/100 b.w.). In our study we did not determined any kind of antibacterial action of the ferrofluid. CONCLUSIONS: 1) LD100, in our study, was of 30 mg iron/100 g b.w., and DMT of 10 mg iron/100 g b.w. 2) The death of the mice may be due to toxic aggression of ammonium ions released, in vivo, from the ammoniumoleate coverage of magnetite nannoparticles. 3) There were no in vitro antibacterial actions for this ferrofluid.

[Consideration on high gradient magnetic separation of red cells]. / Consideratii asupra separarii eritrocitelor în gradient înalt de câmp magnetic.

The red cells exhibit a proper magnetism due to hemoglobin. In a prototype of high gradient magnetic separator equipped with an ordered ferromagnetic matrix, a set of experiments with blood to determine the influence of the process parameters on the efficiency of the erythrocytes capture was realized. Dependent on the values of the magnetic induction (1.76-2.01 T), average blood flow velocity through the matrix (0.55-1.1 mm/s), and stationary time in the matrix, different values of concentration for the red cells in the matrix were obtained. For tests realized with integral blood, the concentration was approximately 20%, while for tests with diluted blood the concentration fluctuated from 14.51% to 29.90%. A blood recirculation through the matrix led to a concentration of 37.86%. The magnetic separation method permits an acceptable red cells concentration, without apparent destructive effects on the cells.