The inflammatory cytokine IL-22 promotes murine gliomas via proliferation.

Interleukin (IL)-22 is newly identified proinflammatory cytokine involved in the T helper (Th)17 and Th22 response. However, the possible role of IL-22 in glioma remains uncertain. The results of the present study demonstrated higher expression levels of IL-22 and the receptor IL-22BP in the brain of GL261 glioma-inoculation mice, suggesting the regulatory role of IL-22 in glioma. Injection of IL-22 increased the severity of glioma in vivo and higher expression levels of IL-6, IL-1ß and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were detected in the brain using ELISA following IL-22 injection. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the effects of IL-22, the present study aimed firstly to determine the expression levels of IL-22 receptor in a glioma cell line via reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. IL-22 treatment significantly increased the expression levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 and the mRNA expression levels of STAT6 compared with the vehicle control. These results suggested that IL-22 may activate the Janus kinase (JAK)/STAT signaling pathway in glioma. Furthermore, IL-22 positively regulated the proliferation of glioma, consistent with its role in vivo. Conversely, IL-22-deficient mice exhibited prolonged survival compared with wild-type (WT) mice, and the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines were decreased in the brain of IL-22 knock-out (KO) mice compared with WT mice. Concordant with these results, it was observed that IL-22-neutralising antibody was able to increase the survival of mice with glioma and attenuate the disease by significantly reducing the cytokine levels in the brain. In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrated that expression levels of IL-22 in the brain of mice with glioma may enhance symptoms due to the increased cytokine production of IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-α; this is consistent with IL-6/JAK/STAT signalling activation in vitro. Decreasing the expression levels of IL-22, achieved either with IL-22-KO mice or IL-22-neutralising antibody demonstrated protective effects on glioma development. Therefore, IL-22 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for glioma.

Mammogram Enhancement Using Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets.

OBJECTIVE: Conventional mammogram enhancement methods use transform-domain filtering, which possibly produce some artifacts or not well highlight all local details in images. This paper presents a new enhancement method based on intuitionistic fuzzy sets. METHODS: The presented algorithm initially separates a mammogram via a global threshold and then fuzzifies the image utilizing the intuitionistic fuzzy membership function that adopts restricted equivalence functions. After that, the presented scheme hyperbolizes membership degrees of foreground and background areas, defuzzifies the fuzzy plane, and achieves a filtered image via normalization. Finally, an enhanced mammogram is obtained by fusing the original image with filtered one. These implementations can be processed in parallel. RESULTS: This algorithm can improve the contrast and visual quality of regions of interest. CONCLUSION: Real data experiments demonstrate that our method has better performance regarding the improvement of contrast and visual quality of abnormalities in mammograms (such as masses and/or microcalcifications), compared with classical baseline methods. SIGNIFICANCE: This algorithm has potential for understanding and determining abnormalities.

Adaptive Intuitionistic Fuzzy Enhancement of Brain Tumor MR Images.

Image enhancement techniques are able to improve the contrast and visual quality of magnetic resonance (MR) images. However, conventional methods cannot make up some deficiencies encountered by respective brain tumor MR imaging modes. In this paper, we propose an adaptive intuitionistic fuzzy sets-based scheme, called as AIFE, which takes information provided from different MR acquisitions and tries to enhance the normal and abnormal structural regions of the brain while displaying the enhanced results as a single image. The AIFE scheme firstly separates an input image into several sub images, then divides each sub image into object and background areas. After that, different novel fuzzification, hyperbolization and defuzzification operations are implemented on each object/background area, and finally an enhanced result is achieved via nonlinear fusion operators. The fuzzy implementations can be processed in parallel. Real data experiments demonstrate that the AIFE scheme is not only effectively useful to have information from images acquired with different MR sequences fused in a single image, but also has better enhancement performance when compared to conventional baseline algorithms. This indicates that the proposed AIFE scheme has potential for improving the detection and diagnosis of brain tumors.

[Comparison the application of 3D versus 2D laparoscopic thyroidectomy via modified chest and mammary areola approach].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the safety, effectiveness and feasibility of 3D laparoscopy in thyroidectomy via modified chest and mammary areola approach comparing with 2D. METHOD: Twenty six cases received 3D laparoscopic thyroidectomy (3D group) and 34 cases experienced 2D (2D group). We compared the indexes about general status, operation time, operative blood loss, duration and overall volume of postoperative drainage, complications, etc between two groups. RESULT: Eight cases of thyroid cancer were detected in 3D group and 3 cases in 2D group. While there was no statistical difference between two groups with respect to other observation indexes such as other general status, operation time, operative blood loss, duration and overall volume of postoperative drainage, complications, etc. CONCLUSION: 3D laparoscopic thyroidectomy via modified chest and mammary areola approach is a safe, effective and feasible procedure, and it may substitute the place of 2D in the future.

[122 cases of endoscopic thyroidectomies through modified chest and mammary areola approach].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the safety and feasibility of endoscopic thyroidectomies through modified chest and mammary areola approach. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed 122 cases of endoscopic thyroidectomies through a modified chest and mammary areola approach without extensive dissection of thoracic flap. The information about general status, surgical procedures and techniques, complications, etc. were summarized and discussed. RESULT: One hundred and twenty-one cases were operated successfully while 1 case was converted to video-assisted thyroidectomy through infraclavicular approach. The maximum diameter of the mass was (2.05 ± 1.06) cm, mean operation time was (88.61 ± 27.87) min, the operative blood loss was (31.23 ± 16.14) ml, duration of postoperative drainage was (3.54 ± 0.88) d and overall drainage volume was (139.09 ± 95.93) ml. Parathyroid glands were detected in specimens of 9 cases while no case of permanent postoperative hypocalcaemia was displayed. 6 cases of hoarseness were developed. One case experienced conversion surgery, all the others obtained satisfactory cosmetic result. All cases were followed up for 0-24 months without relapse and metastasis of the disease. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic thyroidectomy via a modified chest and breast areola approach can facilitated the procedure and avoid extensive dissection of thoracic flap, and proved to be safe and effective.