Efficacy of 3D VIBE Dixon fat quantification for differentiating clear-cell from non-clear-cell renal cell carcinoma.

AIM: To assess the efficacy of three-dimensional (3D) volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with Dixon quantification for differentiating clear-cell from non-clear-cell types of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 3D VIBE Dixon renal MRI examinations of 44 patients with 45 histologically confirmed RCCs was analysed. The fat fractions and signal intensity indexes (SIindex) of the solid portions of clear-cell and non-clear-cell RCCs were measured and compared using Student's t-test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The agreement of measurements among observers was evaluated by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: The mean values of fat fraction (13.16±7.16%) and SIindex (22.64±15.7%) in clear-cell RCCs were significantly higher than that in non-clear-cell RCCs (7.7±2% and 7.9±4.8%; p<0.001, respectively). With the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the fat fraction at 0.811, 75% (95% CI: 55.1-89.43%) sensitivity and 76.5% (95% CI: 50.1-93.2%) specificity for diagnosing clear-cell RCC were obtained at a cut-off fat fraction value of 8.9%. With a cut-off value of 8.89%, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 85.7% (95% CI: 67.3-96%) and 70.6% (95% CI: 44-89.7%), respectively. The AUC of the SIindex was 0.870 (0.766-0.973). ICC and Bland-Altman plots show excellent agreement of the tumour fat fraction and SIindex measurement between the two observers. CONCLUSION: Intracellular lipid content analysis using the 3D Dixon technique can help to differentiate clear-cell from non-clear-cell RCCs.

[Value of multi-slice spiral CT in preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic cancer].

Objective: To analyze the diagnostic value of multi-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) in preoperative tumor staging, lymphatic metastasis, vascular invasion and perineural invasion. Methods: From January 2013 to December 2015, MSCT images of 87 patients from the Second Hospital of Harbin Medical University who were examined by contrast-enhanced MSCT and diagnosed as pancreatic cancer by surgical pathology within 2 weeks were collected.MSCT images were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the tumor staging, lymphatic metastasis, vascular invasion and perineural invasion and then compared with surgical pathology.Kappa test and receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of MSCT in pancreatic cancer. Results: The overall accuracy of MSCT in T staging of pancreatic cancer was 85.1% (kappa =0.67, P<0.01); the accuracy of T1, T2, T3 and T4 staging were 75.0%, 57.1%, 95.0% and 66.7%; the sensitivity were 75.0%, 80.0%, 87.7% and 75.0%; the specificity were 98.8%, 92.2%, 86.4% and 96.2%; the positive predictive value (PPV) were 75.0%, 57.1%, 95.0% and 66.7%; the negative predictive value (NPV) were 98.8%, 97.3%, 70.4% and 97.4%.The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of MSCT in diagnosing lymphatic metastasis were 62.1%, 62.3%, 61.5%, 79.2% and 41.0%.The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of MSCT in diagnosing vascular invasion were 94.3%, 78.6%, 97.3%, 84.6% and 95.9%.The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of MSCT in diagnosing MSCT perineural invasion were 80.5%, 81.1%, 76.9%, 95.2% and 41.7%.The area under curve (AUC) was 0.79(95%CI 0.68-0.90, P=0.001). Conclusion: Contrast-enhanced MSCT plays important roles in evaluation of preoperative tumor staging, vascular invasion and perineural invasion of pancreatic cancer while it has little value on diagnosis of lymphatic metastasis.

Predominance of the Hungarian clone (ST 239-III) among hospital-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates recovered throughout mainland China.

Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) data have revealed many insights into the global epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus but, with notable exceptions such as Japan, the evidence from most Asian countries is currently limited. Here we have applied MLST to 132 hospital-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) isolates collected in mainland China in 2002. In all, 102 isolates were recovered from a single tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, South China, and the remaining 30 isolates were recovered from six metropolitan tertiary hospitals from geographically diverse districts corresponding to a total area of more than 2 million km2. The data reveal a striking predominance throughout mainland China of a single clonal lineage, ST 239, which accounts for 97% of the 132 isolates. These data support more limited evidence from previous studies suggesting the widespread predominance of ST 239 throughout hospitals in China, a pattern which possibly extends to the whole of continental Asia. Staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec (SCCmec) typing confirmed the homogeneity of the ST 239 isolates, with the vast majority corresponding to the Hungarian clone (ST 239-III).

Four alkaloids from Annona cherimola.

Four alkaloids, annocherine A, annocherine B, cherianoine, and romucosine H, along with one known alkaloid, artabonatine B, were isolated from the MeOH extract of the stems of Annona cherimola. Their structures were identified on the basis of both analysis of their spectral data and from chemical evidence.

Tupichigenin A, a new steroidal sapogenin from Tupistra chinensis.

From the underground parts of Tupistra chinensis, a novel polyhydroxylated spirostanol sapogenin, tupichigenin A [(20S, 22R)-spirost-25(27)-ene-1beta,2beta,3beta,5beta- tetraol] (1), was isolated and determined structurally on the basis of spectroscopic methods. Also isolated was the known steroidal sapogenin (20S, 22R)-spirost-25(27)-ene-1beta,2beta,3beta,4beta, 5beta, 7alpha-hexaol-6-one (2).

Spirostanol sapogenins from the underground parts of Tupistra chinensis.

Chemical examination of the underground parts of Tupistra chinensis led to the isolation of two new 5beta-spirostane type steroidal sapogenins, tupichigenin B (1) and C (2), together with two known steroidal sapogenins, ranmogenin A (3) and delta25(27)-pentrogenin (4). The structures of 1 and 2 were established as spirost-25(27)-ene-1beta,3beta,4beta,5beta,6b eta-pentaol and 1beta,2beta,3beta,4beta,5beta-pentahydroxyspi rost-25(27)-en-6-one, respectively, on the basis of detailed analysis of their physical and spectral data.