[Activity of metabolic enzymes of saliva with neuroendocrine tumors of the lung of various degrees of malignancy.]

Up to the present time, problems of optimizing the methods of diagnosis and predicting the course of lung cancer, which occupies the leading positions in the structure of oncological diseases, remain topical. The purpose of the study was to study the characteristics of the activity of metabolic salivary enzymes in neuroendocrine tumors of the lung, depending on the degree of malignancy. In the casecontrol study, 156 people took part, divided into 2 groups: primary (neuroendocrine lung tumors, n=56) and control (conventionally healthy, n=100). All the participants went through a questionnaire survey, saliva biochemical counts, and a histological verification of their diagnosis. Between-group differences were measured with the nonparametric test. It is shown that against the background of neuroendocrine lung tumors, metabolic changes are observed characterized by a decrease in the de Ritis coefficient (p=0.0350) and lactate dehydrogenase activity (p=0.0492), as well as an increase in activity of alanine aminotransferase (p=0.0114), alkaline phosphatase (p=0.0150) and α-amylase (p=0.0328). Statistically significant differences between neuroendocrine tumors of different degrees of malignancy (G1+G2 and G3) were detected for aminotransferases (ALT - p=0.0421; AST - p=0.0472); alkaline phosphatase (p=0.0454) and α-amylase (p=0.0263). A decrease in the activity of the enzymes studied against the background of the progression of the disease, including the presence of distant and regional metastasis is shown. The most promising is the study of the activity of salivary α-amylase for the diagnosis of neuroendocrine lung tumors of high degree of malignancy.

(89)Zr-labeled paramagnetic octreotide-liposomes for PET-MR imaging of cancer.

PURPOSE: Dual-modality PET/MR platforms add a new dimension to patient diagnosis with high resolution, functional, and anatomical imaging. The full potential of this emerging hybrid modality could be realized by using a corresponding dual-modality probe. Here, we report pegylated liposome (LP) formulations, housing a MR T(1) contrast agent (Gd) and the positron-emitting (89)Zr (half-life: 3.27 days), for simultaneous PET and MR tumor imaging capabilities. METHODS: (89)Zr oxophilicity was unexpectedly found advantageous for direct radiolabeling of preformed paramagnetic LPs. LPs were conjugated with octreotide to selectively target neuroendocrine tumors via human somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (SSTr2). (89)Zr-Gd-LPs and octreotide-conjugated homolog were physically, chemically and biologically characterized. RESULTS: (89)Zr-LPs showed reasonable stability over serum proteins and chelator challenges for proof-of-concept in vitro and in vivo investigations. Nuclear and paramagnetic tracking quantified superior SSTr2-recognition of octreotide-LP compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated SSTr2-targeting specificity along with direct chelator-free (89)Zr-labeling of LPs and dual PET/MR imaging properties.

Neuroendocrine tumor in the mandible: a case report with imaging and histopathologic findings.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) arise from neuroendocrine cells and are mostly observed in the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, and lungs. NETs in the oral and maxillofacial region are extremely rare. We report a case of a 59-year-old woman with an NET in the mandible. The patient did not show any symptoms except for remarkable swelling and bleeding. The lesion appeared as a radiolucent honeycomb abnormality with bone destruction on panoramic radiography. The histopathologic diagnosis following a biopsy was NET. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT), and adrenal scintigraphy-labeled meta-iodobenylguanidine were the modalities added to identify the primary site. Multiple lesions were confirmed in the gastrointestinal tract. Endoscopy was performed to identify the lesions, and several lesions were observed protruding from the mucous membranes. However, the endoscopy specimens did not yield an accurate diagnosis because adequate samples were not acquired. Blood and urine tests revealed no functional activity caused by the tumors. Although the origin was not histopathologically confirmed with endoscopy, this patient was situationally diagnosed with nonfunctional NET originating from the duodenum, as demonstrated by the metastases in the mandible.