Low correlation between serum thyroglobulin and 131I radioiodine whole body scintigraphy: implication for postoperative disease surveillance in differentiated thyroid cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate postoperative serum thyroglobulin (Tg) as a reliable tumor marker in low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). METHODS: Two hundred and three patients met the selection criteria of >18 years old; who had undergone total or near total thyroidectomy; had a postoperative Tg, and had undergone 131I pre ablation whole body scan (PA-WBS). The primary endpoint was the correlation between Tg level and functional remnant thyroid tissues. Outcomes were categorized as concordant and discordant. Concordant results were positive Tg (>1 ng/ml) with positive PA-WBS or negative Tg (<1 ng/ml) with negative PA-WBS. Discordant results were negative Tg with a positive PA-WBS or positive Tg with a negative PA-WBS. To increase the sensitivity of Tg detection, we evaluated Tg in patients with high thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) with serum level >30 mU/l on thyroxine withdrawal protocol. RESULTS: One hundred ten patients (54.1%) had discordant results (p < 0.05) with positive PA-WBS and Tg <1 ng/ml, while 93 patients (45.9%) had concordant results. For concordant results, 88 patients had positive PA-WBS and Tg >1 ng/ml, and 5 patients had negative PA-WBS and Tg <1 ng/ml. There was no patient with Tg >1 ng/ml and negative PA-WBS. There were 74 patients with high TSH (>30 mU/l) on abstention (thyroxine withdrawal protocol). Twenty-four (32.5%) had discordant results (p < 0.001) and 50 (67.5%) had concordant results. CONCLUSION: There is low correlation between postoperative Tg and PA-WBS. The sole use of Tg as a serum biomarker for postoperative disease status may not be reliable.

Fluorescence microscopy of H&E stained cervical biopsies to assist the diagnosis and grading of CIN.

BACKGROUND: Prevention of cervical cancer is based upon the accurate diagnosis and grading of cervical lesions identified during screening. The pathological classification of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is problematic, as it relies on subjective criteria and is known to have high interobserver variability and low reproducibility. These limitations can result in either over or under treatment of patients. Biomarkers to improve CIN diagnosis have not overcome all these challenges. MAIN BODY: Here we review the use of a promising optical imaging method using eosin-based fluorescence spectroscopy. This technique is able to perform fluorescent analysis of cervical biopsies directly from hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained tissues. Eosin is a brominated derivative of fluorescein. Fluorescence characteristics of protein-eosin complexes can demonstrate tissue changes associated with dysplasia and cancer. In this article we review the progress made towards developing eosin-based fluorescence spectroscopy. We describe the various morphologies seen among the CIN grades with this optical method and highlight the progress made to quantitate the spectral image characteristics. CONCLUSION: Eosin-based fluorescence spectroscopy can be used to directly examine H&E stained tissue slides. Relevant areas can be imaged and spectral analysis done to obtain objective data to identify and grade cervical lesions.