Deep learning-assisted interactive contouring of lung cancer: Impact on contouring time and consistency.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of a deep learning (DL)-assisted interactive contouring tool on inter-observer variability and the time taken to complete tumour contouring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine clinicians contoured the gross tumour volume (GTV) using the PET-CT scans of 10 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, either using DL-assisted or manual contouring tools. After contouring a case using one contouring method, the same case was contoured one week later using the other method. The contours and time taken were compared. RESULTS: Use of the DL-assisted tool led to a statistically significant decrease in active contouring time of 23 % relative to the standard manual segmentation method (p < 0.01). The mean observation time for all clinicians and cases made up nearly 60 % of interaction time for both contouring approaches. On average the time spent contouring per case was reduced from 22 min to 19 min when using the DL-assisted tool. Additionally, the DL-assisted tool reduced contour variability in the parts of tumour where clinicians tended to disagree the most, while the consensus contour was similar whichever of the two contouring approaches was used. CONCLUSIONS: A DL-assisted interactive contouring approach decreased active contouring time and local inter-observer variability when used to delineate lung cancer GTVs compared to a standard manual method. Integration of this tool into the clinical workflow could assist clinicians in contouring tasks and improve contouring efficiency.

Rare case of clear cell renal cell carcinoma presenting as a unilateral tonsil lesion.

A 70-year-old man presented with gradually worsening throat discomfort. He had no prior diagnosis of cancer and no travel history of note. Examination revealed a right-sided painless neck lump. He underwent an MRI of the neck, revealing a gadolinium-enhancing tonsillar mass and two brain lesions. Biopsy of the tonsil lesion was in keeping with an epithelial neoplasm, suggesting metastatic renal cell carcinoma. This was confirmed following a staging CT, which revealed a left renal mass and lung metastases. Due to his brain metastases, the patient has been started on the tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib. A brief discussion on the diagnostic evaluation of a tonsil mass as a rare presentation of renal cell cancer follows this report.

The role of vitamin D testing and replacement in fibromyalgia: a systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a debilitating condition, characterized by extensive muscular pain and fatigue. Vitamin D is essential for overall health, with ubiquitous involvement in various inflammatory and pain pathways. Little is known about its role in fibromyalgia. We performed a systematic literature review to determine if vitamin D contributes to the pathology and disability of patients with fibromyalgia, and to assess the role of vitamin D supplementation in disease management. METHODS: We searched Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library for clinical studies and randomized controlled trials published in English during January 2000 to June 2017, using the terms vitamin D or hypovitaminosis D combined with fibromyalgia or FMS. References were reviewed manually and articles were only included if they were specific in their diagnosis of fibromyalgia and used appropriate control groups. RESULTS: Four hundred and sixty-six studies were retrieved, of which fourteen fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Six studies, of which two had the best quality evidence, found that patients with fibromyalgia have low levels of vitamin D compared to healthy controls. Conflicting results were obtained on the effect of vitamin D on pain or symptom control, with no clear consensus as to the role of supplementation in the management of fibromyalgia. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight an association between vitamin D deficiency and fibromyalgia. However, its role in the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia and the clinical relevance of identifying and treating this requires further elucidation with appropriately controlled studies.

Paracetamol poisoning in the UK: a meeting report from Pharmacology 2013.

Pharmacology 2013; a meeting of the British Pharmacological Society Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Westminster, London, UK, 17-19 December 2013 Pharmacology 2013 is the annual meeting of the British Pharmacological Society, and was held on 17-19th December 2013 at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster, London. This report will discuss the symposium entitled 'Paracetamol poisoning in the United Kingdom - where are we now and what is the future?' Paracetamol overdose is a common and important presentation to emergency departments. This symposium and report aim to highlight current practice legislation surrounding the purchase of paracetamol and its compounds, and novel biomarkers for the diagnosis and identification of high-risk groups who require efficient instigation of treatment.

Highlights on corticospinal damage and movement control from the commemorative symposium honoring the retirement of Professor Roger Lemon.

A symposium entitled "Motor control: from the periphery to the cortex and back' was held at the University College London Institute of Neurology to commemorate the retirement of Professor Roger Lemon, whose research has significantly advanced the field of fine motor cortical control. This report focuses on discussions at the symposium regarding the descending tracts associated with motor control, highlighting the neurological response and subsequent rehabilitation of motor pathway damage resulting from cerebrovascular insults.

Advances on regulatory T cells from the 15th International Congress of Immunology.

The International Congress of Immunology is the largest congregation of immunologists and meets every three years. This year, the congress was held in Milan and included talks on both basic and translational aspects of immunology. Talks on the field of regulatory T cell biology and function are highlighted in this report.

Induced CD8+FoxP3+ Treg cells in rheumatoid arthritis are modulated by p38 phosphorylation and monocytes expressing membrane tumor necrosis factor α and CD86.

OBJECTIVE: Limiting the severity of inflammation and promoting its eventual resolution are vital for protecting host tissues both in autoimmunity and chronic infection. The aim of this study was to determine the suitability of repurposing anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by analyzing its ability to induce CD8+FoxP3+ Treg cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). METHODS: Anti-CD3 mAb was cultured with RA PBMCs to induce CD8+FoxP3+ Treg cells, which were analyzed by flow cytometry to determine their phenotype. Treg cell induction was investigated via neutralization or blocking antibodies, cellular depletion, or ImageStream technology. Blotting was used to determine the signaling pathways involved in CD8+FoxP3+ Treg cell induction. Suppression of CD4+ T cell effector responses was assessed by Treg cell suppression assays and Mosaic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Potent CD8+FoxP3+ Treg cells were induced from RA PBMCs by anti-CD3 mAb. Unlike their CD4+ counterparts, CD8+FoxP3+ Treg cells inhibited Th17 responses in a contact-dependent manner, thereby functioning to limit a wider range of inflammatory pathways. CD8+FoxP3+ Treg cell induction was supported both by p38 phosphorylation intrinsic to naive CD8+ T cells and by monocytes via CD86 and membrane tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα). Artificially increasing monocyte membrane TNFα or inhibiting CD8+ T cell p38 phosphorylation drove FoxP3 expression in a subset of initially unresponsive CD8+ T cells. CONCLUSION: These data define an unknown mechanism of CD8+FoxP3+ Treg cell induction by anti-CD3 mAb, which could be combined with a p38 inhibitor to improve therapeutic efficacy in RA patients and resolve chronic inflammation via the restoration of tolerance.