Right main pulmonary artery distensibility on dynamic ventilation CT and its association with respiratory function.

BACKGROUND: Heartbeat-based cross-sectional area (CSA) changes in the right main pulmonary artery (MPA), which reflects its distensibility associated with pulmonary hypertension, can be measured using dynamic ventilation computed tomography (DVCT) in patients with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during respiratory dynamics. We investigated the relationship between MPA distensibility (MPAD) and respiratory function and how heartbeat-based CSA is related to spirometry, mean lung density (MLD), and patient characteristics. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed DVCT performed preoperatively in 37 patients (20 female and 17 males) with lung cancer aged 70.6 ± 7.9 years (mean ± standard deviation), 18 with COPD and 19 without. MPA-CSA was separated into respiratory and heartbeat waves by discrete Fourier transformation. For the cardiac pulse-derived waves, CSA change (CSAC) and CSA change ratio (CSACR) were calculated separately during inhalation and exhalation. Spearman rank correlation was computed. RESULT: In the group without COPD as well as all cases, CSACR exhalation was inversely correlated with percent residual lung volume (%RV) and RV/total lung capacity (r = -0.68, p = 0.003 and r = -0.58, p = 0.014). In contrast, in the group with COPD, CSAC inhalation was correlated with MLDmax and MLD change rate (MLDmax/MLDmin) (r = 0.54, p = 0.020 and r = 0.64, p = 0.004) as well as CSAC exhalation and CSACR exhalation. CONCLUSION: In patients with insufficient exhalation, right MPAD during exhalation was decreased. Also, in COPD patients with insufficient exhalation, right MPAD was reduced during inhalation as well as exhalation, which implied that exhalation impairment is a contributing factor to pulmonary hypertension complicated with COPD. RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Assessment of MPAD in different respiratory phases on DVCT has the potential to be utilized as a non-invasive assessment for pulmonary hypertension due to lung disease and/or hypoxia and elucidation of its pathogenesis. KEY POINTS: • There are no previous studies analyzing all respiratory phases of right main pulmonary artery distensibility (MPAD). • Patients with exhalation impairment decreased their right MPAD. • Analysis of MPAD on dynamic ventilation computed tomography contributes to understanding the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension due to lung disease and/or hypoxia in patients with expiratory impairment.

Clinical outcomes and future fertility after uterine artery embolization for postpartum and post-abortion hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and post-abortion hemorrhage (PAH) are life-threatening conditions. PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of uterine arterial embolization (UAE) for PPH and PAH and to investigate future fertility after UAE. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included 57 consecutive patients (mean age = 34 years) who underwent UAE for PPH (n = 46) and PAH (n = 11) at our institution between January 2011 and December 2022. Technical success, non-visualization of the peripheral portion of bilateral uterine arteries on angiography, and clinical success, complete hemostasis after UAE, were assessed. UAE-associated complications and factors related to clinical success were analyzed. Pregnancy outcomes after UAE and complications during subsequent pregnancy were investigated in 16 patients who desired fertility and were followed up for >1 year. RESULTS: The technical and clinical success rates were 100% and 84.2%, respectively. Sepsis (n = 1) and uterine empyema (n = 1) were observed as severe complications. Placental disorder, bleeding within 24 h after delivery or abortion, ≥1.5 shock index, ≥6 units of transfusion erythrocytes, and ≥8 obstetrical disseminated intravascular coagulation score were significantly associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes. In total, 16 pregnancies were observed in 12 patients after UAE, three of which were miscarriages and 13 were successful live births. During pregnancy, uterine rupture (n = 1) and accreta (n = 1) were observed. CONCLUSION: UAE is an effective treatment for PPH and PAH. Although UAE could preserve future fertility, careful attention should be paid to perinatal management for unusual complications.

Association of Respiratory Functional Indices and Smoking with Pleural Movement and Mean Lung Density Assessed Using Four-Dimensional Dynamic-Ventilation Computed Tomography in Smokers and Patients with COPD.

Purpose: To correlate the ratio of the non-dependent to dependent aspects of the maximal pleural movement vector (MPMVND/D) and gravity-oriented collapse ratio (GCRND/D), and the mean lung field density (MLD) obtained using four-dimensional (4D) dynamic-ventilation computed tomography (DVCT) with airflow limitation parameters and the Brinkman index. Materials and Methods: Forty-seven patients, including 22 patients with COPD, 13 non-COPD smokers, and 12 non-smokers, with no/slight pleural adhesion confirmed using a thoracoscope, underwent 4D-DVCT with 16 cm coverage. Coordinates for the lung field center, as well as ventral and dorsal pleural points, set on the central trans-axial levels in the median and para-median sagittal planes at end-inspiration, were automatically measured (13-17 frame images, 0.35 seconds/frame). MPMVND/D and GCRND/D were calculated based on MPMV and GCR values for all the included points and the lung field center. MLD was automatically measured in each of the time frames, and the maximal change ratio of MLD (MLDCR) was calculated. These measured values were compared among COPD patients, non-COPD smokers, and non-smokers, and were correlated with the Brinkman index, FEV1/FVC, FEV1 predicted, RV/TLC, and FEF25-75% using Spearman's rank coefficients. Results: MPMVND/D was highest in non-smokers (0.819±0.464), followed by non-COPD smokers (0.405±0.131) and patients with COPD (-0.219±0.900). GCRND/D in non-smokers (1.003±1.384) was higher than that in patients with COPD (-0.164±1.199). MLDCR in non-COPD smokers (0.105±0.028) was higher than that in patients with COPD (0.078±0.027). MPMVND/D showed positive correlations with FEV1 predicted (r=0.397, p=0.006), FEV1/FVC (r=0.501, p<0.001), and FEF25-75% (r=0.368, p=0.012). GCRND/D also demonstrated positive correlations with FEV1 (r=0.397, p=0.006), FEV1/FVC (r=0.445, p=0.002), and FEF25-75% (r=0.371, p=0.011). MPMVND/D showed a negative correlation with the Brinkman index (r=-0.398, p=0.006). Conclusion: We demonstrated that reduced MPMVND/D and GCRND/D were associated with respiratory functional indices, in addition to a negative association of MPMVND/D with the Brinkman index, which should be recognized when assessing local pleural adhesion on DVCT, especially for ventral pleural aspects.

Clinical impact of low tube voltage computed tomography during hepatic arteriography with low iodine to detect hepatocellular carcinoma before transarterial chemoembolization.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of low tube voltage computed tomography (CT) during hepatic arteriography (CTHA) using low iodine contrast to detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: CTHA images were obtained using a dual-spin technique (80 kVp and 135 kVp) with 30 ml of low-dose iodine contrast (75 mgI/ml). Three radiologists reviewed 135 kVp and 80 kVp CTHA images to diagnose HCC, recording their confidence scores and evaluations of sharpness, noise, artifact, and overall image quality. Lesion-to-liver contrast ratios and objective noise were measured by a non-reader radiologist. RESULTS: We included 23 patients (body mass index, 23.6 ± 2.6 kg/m2) with 89 HCCs. The mean radiation dose index volume was 21.3 mGy at 135 kVp and 9.4 mGy at 80 kVp (P < 0.001). The overall sensitivity and positive predictive value for diagnosing HCCs at 80 kVp vs. 135 kVp were 0.787 vs. 0.730 and 0.712 vs. 0.756, respectively. The lesion-to-liver contrast ratio at 80 kVp was significantly higher than at 135 kVp in the first (3.1 vs. 2.0; P = 0.008) and second phase (3.1 vs. 2.3; P = 0.016). Objective noise was significantly higher at 80 kVp than at 135 kVp in the first (15. 6 ± 4.9 vs. 11.0 ± 3.1; P < 0.001) and second (16.9 ± 5.2 vs. 15.0 ± 7.3; P = 0.046) phases. CONCLUSION: An 80 kVp CTHA, with lower-dose iodine, improved the sensitivity and reduced the radiation dose, despite a decreased positive predictive value in comparison with a 135-kVp CTHA with the same iodine dose.

Upregulation of PTK7 and ß-catenin after vaginal mechanical dilatation: an examination of fibulin-5 knockout mice.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in women is associated with deficiency of elastic fibers, and fibulin-5 is known to be a critical protein in the synthesis of elastin. The purpose of this study is to investigate the related pathway for the synthesis of elastin via fibulin-5 using fibulin-5 knockout mice. METHODS: Fibulin-5 knockout mice were generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, and vaginal dilatation was used to mimic vaginal delivery. We divided the mice into three groups: Fbln5+/+ mice immediately after dilatation (Fbln5+/+ day0), Fbln5+/+ mice 3 days after dilatation (Fbln5+/+ day3) and Fbln5-/- mice 3 days after dilatation (Fbln5-/- day3). Proteins related to elastogenesis in the vaginal wall were measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, and differences in the expression of these proteins between the Fbln5-/- mice and the Fbln5+/+ mice were analyzed using western blotting. RESULTS: In the LC-MS/MS analysis, protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) was not detected in the Fbln5-/- day3 group, although the expression increased by > 1.5 times between the Fbln5+/+ day0 and day3 groups. PTK7 and ß-catenin are known to act in the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, and both were upregulated after dilatation in the Fbln5+/+ mice, though not in the Fbln5-/- mice. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that these proteins are involved in elastogenesis via fibulin-5, and the impairment of these proteins might be the underlying cause of POP manifestation.

Preoperative assessment of localized pleural adhesion: Utility of software-assisted analysis on dynamic-ventilation computed tomography.

PURPOSE: To assess the usefulness of software analysis using dynamic-ventilation CT for localized pleural adhesion (LPA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-one patients scheduled to undergo surgery underwent both dynamic-ventilation CT and static chest CT as preoperative assessments. Five observers independently evaluated the presence and severity of LPA on a three-point scale (non, mild, and severe LPA) for 9 pleural regions (upper, middle, and lower pleural aspects on ventral, lateral, and dorsal areas) on the chest CT by three different methods by observing images from: static high-resolution CT (static image); dynamic-ventilation CT (movie image), and dynamic-ventilation CT while referring to the adhesion map (movie image with color map), which was created using research software to visualize movement differences between the lung surface and chest wall. The presence and severity of LPA was confirmed by intraoperative thoracoscopic findings. Parameters of diagnostic accuracy for LPA presence and severity were assessed among the three methods using Wilcoxon signed rank test in total and for each of the three pleural aspects. RESULTS: Mild and severe LPA were confirmed in 14 and 8 patients. Movie image with color map had higher sensitivity (56.9 ±â€¯10.7 %) and negative predictive value (NPV) (91.4 ±â€¯1.7 %) in LPA detection than both movie image and static image. Additionally, for severe LPA, detection sensitivity was the highest with movie image with color map (82.5 ±â€¯6.1 %), followed by movie image (58.8 ±â€¯17.0 %) and static image (38.8 ±â€¯13.9 %). For LPA severity, movie image with color map was similar to movie image and superior to static image in accuracy as well as underestimation and overestimation, with a mean value of 80.2 %. CONCLUSION: Software-assisted dynamic-ventilation CT may be a useful novel imaging approach to improve the detection performance of LPA.

Age-related differences in prognosis and prognostic factors among patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Approximately 40% of all patients with ovarian cancer in Japan are aged ≥65 years. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the differences in prognosis and prognostic factors between elderly and younger patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. A total of 114 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I-IV ovarian cancer who were initiated on primary treatment at the Osaka City University Hospital (Osaka, Japan) were included in this study. Patient characteristics, treatment outcome and prognosis were compared between elderly (aged ≥65 years) and younger patients, and the prognostic factors associated with overall survival were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. The most common histological type in younger patients was clear cell carcinoma (33.8%) vs. serous carcinoma in elderly patients (44.1%), with a significant difference in the distribution of histological type (P=0.006). Complete resection was achieved in 56.2% of younger patients compared with 32.4% of elderly patients (P=0.03). The rates of standard primary treatment were comparable (56.7% of younger vs. 50.0% of elderly patients). Overall and disease-free survival did not differ significantly between the two groups. Multivariate analyses identified FIGO stage and standard primary therapy as prognostic factors in younger patients and performance status in elderly patients. Age was not an independent significant prognostic factor among patients with ovarian cancer. Therefore, performance status, rather than age, should be considered when selecting the optimal treatment for elderly patients based on objective assessment.

Identification of low-abundance proteins in serum via the isolation of HSP72 complexes.

Heat shock protein 72 (HSP72) is an intracellular molecular chaperone that is overexpressed in tumor cells, and has also been detected in extracellular regions such as the blood. HSP72 forms complexes with peptides and proteins that are released from tumors. Accordingly, certain HSP72-binding proteins/peptides present in the blood of cancer patients may be derived from tumor cells. In this study, to effectively identify low-abundance proteins/peptides in the blood as tumor markers, we established a method for isolating HSP72-binding proteins/peptides from serum. Nine HSP72-specific monoclonal antibodies were conjugated to N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide-activated Sepharose beads (NHq) and used to isolate HSP72 complexes from serum samples. Precipitated proteins were then identified by LC-MS/MS analysis. Notably, this approach enabled the isolation of low-abundance proteins from serum without albumin removal. Moreover, by subjecting the serum samples of ten patients with multiple myeloma (MM) to NHq analysis, we identified 299 proteins present in MM HSP72 complexes, including 65 intracellular proteins. Among the intracellular proteins detected, 21 were present in all serum samples tested, while 11 were detected in both the conditioned media from cultured multiple myeloma cells and serum from MM patients. These results suggest that the NHq method can be applied to discover candidate tumor markers.