Utilizing Proteomic Approach to Analyze Potential Antioxidant Proteins in Plant against Irradiation.

Gamma-ray irradiation is an effective and clean method of sterilization by inactivating microorganisms. It can also be applied to induce anti-oxidants for future application. In this study, the mung bean (Vigna radiata) was exposed to gamma-ray irradiation under the dose of 0, 5 or 10 kGy. With increasing irradiation doses, the concentrations of malondiadehyde decreased while the levels of total flavonoids and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity increased. It has been shown that consuming flavonoids can provide protective effects. In addition, proteomic analysis identified several proteins having anti-oxidant activities in the 5 kGy irradiated group. These proteins are Apocytochrome f, Systemin receptor SR 160, DELLA protein DWARF8, DEAD-box ATP-dependent RNA helicase 9, ζ-carotene desaturase (ZDS), and Floral homeotic protein AGAMOUS. Our findings indicate that plants contain a variety of phytochemicals and antioxidant proteins which may effectively prevent oxidative stress caused by irradiated peroxidation.

A Rare Adverse Effect of the COVID-19 Vaccine on Autoimmune Encephalitis.

Since countries commenced COVID-19 vaccination around the world, many vaccine-related adverse effects have been reported. Among them, short-term memory loss with autoimmune encephalitis (AE) was reported as a rare adverse effect. Since case numbers are limited, this brief report may draw the attention of the medical community to this uncommon adverse effect and serve as a reference for future vaccine improvement. However, given the high risk of adverse outcomes when infected with SARS-CoV-2 and the clearly favorable safety/tolerability profile of existing vaccines, vaccination is still recommended.

Pulmonary Findings of [18F]FDG PET/CT Images on Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients.

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several case studies demonstrated that many asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 underwent fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) examination for various indications. However, there is a lack of literature to characterize the pattern of [18F]FDG PET/CT imaging on asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. Therefore, a systematic review to analyze the pulmonary findings of [18F]FDG PET/CT on asymptomatic COVID-19 patients was conducted. This systematic review was performed under the guidelines of PRISMA. PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science were used to search for articles for this review. Articles with the key words: "asymptomatic", "COVID-19", "[18F]FDG PET/CT", and "nuclear medicine" were searched for from 1 January 2020 to 20 May 2021. Thirty asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 were included in the eighteen articles. These patients had a mean age of 62.25 ± 14.85 years (male: 67.71 ± 12.00; female: 56.79 ± 15.81). [18F]FDG-avid lung lesions were found in 93.33% (28/30) of total patients. The major lesion was [18F]FDG-avid multiple ground-glass opacities (GGOs) in the peripheral or subpleural region in bilateral lungs, followed by the consolidation. The intensity of [18F]FDG uptake in multiple GGOs was 5.605 ± 2.914 (range from 2 to 12) for maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax). [18F]FDG-avid thoracic lymph nodes (LN) were observed in 40% (12/40) of the patients. They mostly appeared in both mediastinal and hilar regions with an SUVmax of 5.8 ± 2.93 (range from 2.5 to 9.6). The [18F]FDG uptake was observed in multiple GGOs, as well as in the mediastinal and hilar LNs. These are common patterns in PET/CT of asymptomatic patients with COVID-19.

Quantitative analysis of progesterone using isotope dilution-matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry as a reference procedure for radioimmunoassay.

BACKGROUND: Progesterone is one of the female steroid hormones and plays an important role in the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy. It is especially important in preparing the uterus for the implantation of the blastocyst and maintaining pregnancy. The concentration in human serum is measured to determine the ovarian function retroactively and the cause of abortion in early pregnancy. METHODS: A quantification assay based on isotope dilution mass spectrometry to determine the concentration of progesterone in human serum is reported. Incorporated with 13C3-progesterone, serum samples were subjected to progesterone extraction and clean-up by C4 solid-phase-extraction columns and hexane-based liquid/liquid extraction, respectively. The cleaned-up serum samples were then subjected to MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for the quantification of progesterone. RESULTS: Progesterone and the internal standard, 13C3-progesterone, were measured in the selected reaction monitoring mode for the transitions m/z 315.4 to 108.9 and m/z 318.4 to 111.9, respectively. We calculated the peak area ratio of progesterone to 13C3-progesterone. The progesterone concentration in human serum was calculated by substituting the peak area ratio into an isotope dilution calibration curve, and then compared with the radioimmunoassay. CONCLUSIONS: In the study, the concentrations of serum progesterone were measured, and the recovered progesterone concentration determined by the assay showed good robustness and consistency in comparison to the conventional radioimmunologic assay. We concluded that the 13C3-progesterone-based quantification assay is a robust method for the measurement of serum progesterone.

Quantitative of progesterone using isotope dilution-matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry.

A quantification assay based on isotope dilution mass spectrometry to determine the concentration of progesterone in human serum was reported. Incorporated with 13C3-progesterone, serum samples were subjected to progesterone extraction and clean-up by C4 solid-phase-extraction columns and hexane-based liquid/liquid extraction, respectively. The cleaned-up serum samples were then subjected to MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for the quantification of progesterone. In the study, the recovered progesterone concentration determined by the assay showed good robustness and constancy in comparison to conventional radioimmunologic assay. We concluded that the 13C3-progesterone-based quantification assay is a robust method for the measurement of serum progesterone. Advantages of this technique includes: • This study describes a MALDI-TOF/MS method for the determination of serum progesterone. • The technique is simple and easy to apply on MALDI-TOF/MS for serum progesterone analysis. • The correlation coefficient between MALDI-TOF MS and RIA was 0.981 for serum progesterone.

Prognostic Significance of Metabolic Parameters and Textural Features on 18F-FDG PET/CT in Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of Breast.

To investigate the prognostic significance of metabolic parameters and texture analysis on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) in patients with breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), from August 2005 to May 2015, IDC patients who had undergone pre-treatment FDG PET/CT were enrolled. The metabolic parameters, including maximal standardized uptake value of breast tumor (SUVbt) and ipsilateral axillary lymph node (SUVln), metabolic tumor volume (MTVbt) and total lesion glycolysis (TLGbt) of breast tumor, whole-body MTV (MTVwb) and whole-body TLG (TLGwb) were recorded. Nine textural features of tumor (four co-occurrence matrices and five SUV-based statistics) were measured. The prognostic significance of above parameters and clinical factors was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses. Thirty-five patients were enrolled. Patients with low and high MTVwb had 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) of 81.0 and 14.3% (p < 0.0001). The 5-year overall survival for low and high MTVwb was 88.5% and 43.6% (p = 0.0005). Multivariate analyses showed MTVwb was an independent prognostic factor for PFS (HR: 8.29, 95% CI: 2.17-31.64, p = 0.0020). The SUV, TLG and textural features were not independently predictive. Elevated MTVwb was an independent predictor for shorter PFS in patients with breast IDC.

Prognostic significance of retention index of bone marrow on dual-phase 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on a dual-phase positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), focusing on the increment in maximal standardized uptake value (SUVinc) of tumor and bone marrow (BM) between initial and delayed phase images and retention index (RI) of tumor and BM, in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).From September 2009 to January 2013, 70 patients (37 males and 33 females, aged 60.6 ±â€Š17.5 years) with DLBCL who had undergone dual-phase FDG PET/CT scans for pretreatment staging were enrolled. The patients subsequently received combination chemotherapy with rituximab. The dual-phase SUV, including SUVinc of tumor (SUVinc-t), RI of tumor (RI-t), SUVinc of BM, and RI of BM were measured. The clinical observation period was from September 2009 to December 2014. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were then used to assess the prognostic significance of SUVinc, RI, international prognostic index (IPI), gender, age, clinical stage, and laboratory tests.The median follow-up time was 35.5 months. The 3-year overall survival (OS) for patients with low/high SUVinc-t (cut-off 2.0) and for patients with low/high RI-t (cut-off 20) were 87.5%/ 62.1% (P = .08) and 83.3%/ 62.7% (P = .14), respectively. The 3-year OS for patients with SUVinc-i < 0.35 and for those with SUVinc-i ≥ 0.35 were 73.2% and 53.3%, respectively (P = .10). The 3-year OS for patients with RI-i < 45 and for those with RI-i ≥ 45 were 72.7% and 37.5%, respectively (P = .02). Subsequently, the Cox multivariate forward proportional hazards model revealed that a higher RI-i (hazard ratio: 4.49; 95% confidence interval: 1.64-12.32; P = .0035) and IPI were independent prognostic factors affecting OS.For patients with DLBCL, an elevated RI-i (≥45) was a predictor for shorter OS, independent of IPI score. It added to the value of pretreatment dual-phase FDG PET/CT scans.

Prognostic significance of total metabolic tumor volume on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/ computed tomography in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of metabolic parameters on pre-treatment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (FDG PET/CT), in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) receiving rituximab-containing therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From September 2009 to December 2014, DLBCL patients who had received FDG PET/CT scans for staging were enrolled. The maximal standardized uptake value of tumor (SUVt) was recorded. The metabolic tumor volume (MTV) was the volume of lesion with an elevated SUV greater than 2.5. The total lesion glycolysis (TLG) was the sum of the products of MTV and mean SUV in all measured lesions. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the prognostic significance of maximal SUVt, total MTV, TLG and other clinical parameters. RESULTS: There were 118 patients enrolled in this study. The median follow-up time was 28.7 months. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with higher and lower total MTV was 32.3% and 66.0% respectively (p = 0.0001). The 5-year overall survival (OS) for patients with higher and lower total MTV was 34.3% and 69.9% respectively (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed, besides IPI, that total MTV was independently predictive for PFS (HR: 2.31, 95% CI: 1.16 - 4.60, p = 0.0180) and OS (HR: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.12 - 5.04, p = 0.024). TLG and maximal SUV of tumor were not independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: An elevated total MTV was a predictor for shorter PFS and OS in patients with DLBCL receiving rituximab-containing therapy, independent of IPI.

Tumor and bone marrow uptakes on [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography predict prognosis in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relevance of standardized uptake value (SUV) on [F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), focusing on tumor and bone marrow, to disease outcomes based on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy.We reviewed the records of patients with DLBCL who were diagnosed between September 2009 and January 2013 and underwent pretreatment whole-body FDG PET/CT scans. All patients received rituximab-containing chemotherapy. The maximal SUV of tumor (SUVt) and maximal SUV of sternum (SUVst) were measured. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the prognostic significance of SUVt, SUVst, gender, age, clinical stage, international prognostic index (IPI), and laboratory tests.There were total 70 patients enrolled in this study. The median follow-up time was 36 months. An SUVt cut-off value of ≥19 had the best discriminative yield for PFS (P = .04). An SUVst cut-off value of ≥1.6 had the best discriminative yield for OS. The 3-year OS rates for patients with maximal SUVst < 1.6 and for those with maximal SUVst ≥1.6 were 74.8% and 57.1%, respectively (P = .04). Further forward, multivariate Cox proportional hazards model revealed that maximal SUVst (hazard ratio: 2.62; 95% confidence interval: 1.10-6.28; P = .03) and IPI were significant factors affecting OS.In patients with DLBCL receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy, elevated maximal SUVt ≥19 was an independent predictor for shorter PFS, and maximal SUVst ≥1.6 was an independent predictor for shorter OS. It adds the value of pretreatment FDG PET/CT scans.

High Nrf2 expression in alveolar type I pneumocytes is associated with low recurrences in primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Recurrent primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is a troublesome problem and a major concern for the patients. This study examined whether nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression in alveolar type I pneumocytes was associated with the clinical manifestations of PSP patients including disease recurrence. Eighty-eight PSP patients who were managed with needlescopic video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (NVATS) were included in this study. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was assessed to determine Nrf2 expression in resected lung tissues and the results were correlated with clinicopathological characteristics by the chi-square or the Fisher's exact test. The prognostic value of Nrf2 for overall recurrence was evaluated by univariate and multivariable Cox regression model. The expression of Nrf2 was observed in type I pneumocytes of lung tissues from PSP patients by IHC. We found that low Nrf2 expression in PSP patients, especially in young (age ≤ 20, p = 0.033) and body mass index (BMI) ≥18 kg/m2 (p = 0.019) groups, was significantly correlated with PSP recurrence. In the univariate and multivariate analyses, high Nrf2 expression was a significant protective factor for overall recurrence in PSP patients (univariate: p = 0.026; multivariate: p = 0.004). The expression level of Nrf2 in alveolar type I pneumocytes was a potential factor involved in PSP recurrence. Our findings suggest that elevated Nrf2 expression in PSP patients may be a promising way for reducing PSP recurrence.

Multiple Bony Injuries on Bone Scan in a Case of Unsuspected Child Abuse.

This case is described of an eleven-month-old infant with lower limbs swelling and the left elbow skeletal malformation following a fall. The radionuclide bone scan was performed to exclude bone infection or congenital skeletal anomaly. The images unexpectedly showed multiple increased radioactive foci throughout the whole body. It was a strong probability of child abuse. All lesions are readily apparent on the following plain film radiographs and MRI.

Preparation and Characterization of Hyaluronic Acid-Polycaprolactone Copolymer Micelles for the Drug Delivery of Radioactive Iodine-131 Labeled Lipiodol.

Micelles, with the structure of amphiphilic molecules including a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail, are recently developed as nanocarriers for the delivery of drugs with poor solubility. In addition, micelles have shown many advantages, such as enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effects, prolonged circulation times, and increased endocytosis through surface modification. In this study, we measured the critical micelle concentrations, diameters, stability, and cytotoxicity and the cell uptake of micelles against hepatic cells with two kinds of hydrophilic materials: PEG-PCL and HA-g-PCL. We used 131I as a radioactive tracer to evaluate the stability, drug delivery, and cell uptake activity of the micelles. The results showed that HA-g-PCL micelles exhibited higher drug encapsulation efficiency and stability in aqueous solutions. In addition, the 131I-lipiodol loaded HA-g-PCL micelles had better affinity and higher cytotoxicity compared to HepG2 cells.

Association of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression with recurrences in primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is a common benign problem. However, PSP recurrence is still a troublesome complication for most patients. This study intended to determine the role of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 in type II pneumocytes of patients with PSP and its relation with recurrence. Ninety-one patients who had undergone needlescopic video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery wedge resection of lung with identifiable blebs for PSP were included in this study. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was used to measure the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in lung tissues of PSP patients. The results were further correlated with clinicopathological parameters and recurrence rates using chi-square or Fisher's exact test. The value of MMP-2 and MMP-9 for overall recurrence was analyzed by univariate and multivariable Cox regression model. IHC data revealed that MMP-2 and MMP-9 staining was predominantly observed in type II pneumocytes of patients with PSP. We found that MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in PSP, especially male PSP patients, was significantly correlated with recurrence. In the univariate and multivariate analyses, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were statistically significant risk factors for overall recurrence in PSP patients. Therefore, high expression levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in type II pneumocytes show a positive correlation with PSP recurrence risk. Further studies are needed to validate whether reduction of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression may be a promising way for decreasing the risk of PSP recurrence in the future.

The Synthetic ß-Nitrostyrene Derivative CYT-Rx20 Inhibits Esophageal Tumor Growth and Metastasis via PI3K/AKT and STAT3 Pathways.

The ß-nitrostyrene family have been implicated for anti-cancer property. However, the pharmacological role of ß-nitrostyrene in esophageal cancer remain unclear. Here, a ß-nitrostyrene derivative, CYT-Rx20, was synthesized and assessed for its anti-cancer activities and underlying mechanism in esophageal cancer. CYT-Rx20 induced cytotoxicity in esophageal cancer cells by promoting apoptosis through activation of caspase cascade and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Besides, CYT-Rx20 inhibited esophageal cancer cell migration and invasion by regulating the expression of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. CYT-Rx20 decreased cell viability and migration through suppression of the PI3K/AKT and STAT3 pathways. Of note, the cytotoxicity and anti-migratory effect of CYT-Rx20 were enhanced by co-treatment with SC79 (AKT activator) or colivelin (STAT3 activator), suggesting the dependency of esophageal cancer cells on AKT and STAT3 for survival and migration, an oncogene addiction phenomenon. In xenograft tumor-bearing mice, CYT-Rx20 significantly reduced tumor growth of the implanted esophageal cancer cells accompanied by decreased Ki-67, phospho-AKT, and phospho-STAT3 expression. In orthotopic esophageal cancer mouse model, decreased tumor growth and lung metastasis with reduced Ki-67 and phospho-STAT3 expression were observed in mice treated with CYT-Rx20. Together, our results suggest that CYT-Rx20 is a potential ß-nitrostyrene-based anticancer compound against the tumor growth and metastasis of esophageal cancer.

Proteomic Profiling of Neuroblastoma Cells Adhesion on Hyaluronic Acid-Based Surface for Neural Tissue Engineering.

The microenvironment of neuron cells plays a crucial role in regulating neural development and regeneration. Hyaluronic acid (HA) biomaterial has been applied in a wide range of medical and biological fields and plays important roles in neural regeneration. PC12 cells have been reported to be capable of endogenous NGF synthesis and secretion. The purpose of this research was to assess the effect of HA biomaterial combining with PC12 cells conditioned media (PC12 CM) in neural regeneration. Using SH-SY5Y cells as an experimental model, we found that supporting with PC12 CM enhanced HA function in SH-SY5Y cell proliferation and adhesion. Through RP-nano-UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analyses, we identified increased expression of HSP60 and RanBP2 in SH-SY5Y cells grown on HA-modified surface with cotreatment of PC12 CM. Moreover, we also identified factors that were secreted from PC12 cells and may promote SH-SY5Y cell proliferation and adhesion. Here, we proposed a biomaterial surface enriched with neurotrophic factors for nerve regeneration application.

A proteomic view to characterize the effect of chitosan nanoparticle to hepatic cells: is chitosan nanoparticle an enhancer of PI3K/AKT1/mTOR pathway?

Chitosan nanoparticle, a biocompatible material, was used as a potential drug delivery system widely. Our current investigation studies were the bioeffects of the chitosan nanoparticle uptake by liver cells. In this experiment, the characterizations of chitosan nanoparticles were measured by transmission electron microscopy and particle size analyzer. The average size of the chitosan nanoparticle was 224.6 ± 11.2 nm, and the average zeta potential was +14.08 ± 0.7 mV. Moreover, using proteomic approaches to analyze the differential protein expression patterns resulted from the chitosan nanoparticle uptaken by HepG2 and CCL-13 cells identified several proteins involved in the PI3K/AKT1/mTOR pathway. Our experimental results have demonstrated that the chitosan nanoparticle may involve in the liver cancer cell metastasis and proliferation.

Brain perfusion SPECT in patients with Behçet's disease.

The aim of this study was to detect brain functional deficits in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) and signs or symptoms of central nervous system (CNS) involvement at different times in their clinical history. A total of 24 patients aged 20 to 53years (median age 39years; 20 women, four men) with Behçet's syndrome fulfilling the diagnosis as defined by the syndrome classification were enrolled in this study. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with (99m)Technetium (Tc)-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) as the perfusion tracer was performed to detect brain lesions. The results of (99m)Tc-HMPAO brain SPECT scans showed impaired perfusion in all cases with neurological complaints (24 out of 24, 100%). Temporal lobes and basal ganglia were the most common areas with such lesions. In contrast, brain MRI and CT images were normal or non-specific in all cases. In conclusion, (99m)Tc-HMPAO brain SPECT imaging is a powerful and sensitive tool for disclosing brain involvement in numerous clinical situations, even including patients with subtle neurological symptoms/signs such as headaches and dizziness. It is also a useful modality for evaluating the effects of treatment and disease monitoring to prevent CNS damage.

Utilizing isotope dilution-matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry as a reference procedure for the radioimmunoassay of serum thyroxine.

BACKGROUND: The thyroid hormone, thyroxine (T4), is a tyrosine-based hormone produced by the thyroid gland, which is essential in regulating a number of biological processes, including growth, neurodevelopment, carbohydrate metabolism, oxygen consumption and protein synthesis. Data on human thyroid hormone metabolism were gathered since the middle of the 1970s mainly by the use of radioactive iodinated ((125)I or (131)I) hormones. METHODS: We describe an isotope dilution-matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) method for the simultaneous determination of endogenous thyroid hormone and its (13)C6-labeled analogue in serum. The (13)C6-thyroxine ((13)C6-T4) was used as an internal standard; T4 and its isotopically labeled analogue were measured in the selected reaction monitoring mode for the transitions from m/z 777.8 to 732.1 and from m/z 784.2 to 738.1, respectively. RESULTS: Serum samples were prepared and concentrated by a solid-phase extraction chromatography method. The recovery rate was measured by (125)I-T4 and can be up to 82.8±2.8%. The detection limit and linear range for T4 were 5 ng/ml and 5-400 ng/ml, respectively. The correlation coefficient (R(2)) between radioimmunoassay (RIA) and isotope dilution-MALDI-TOF MS for detection of serum T4 was 0.982. CONCLUSION: This assay has a good relationship against a commercial RIA and the isotope dilution-mass spectrometry method and may serve as a reference method for quantitative analysis of T4.

Characterization of surface modification on self-assembled monolayer-based piezoelectric crystal immunosensor for the quantification of serum α-fetoprotein.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on coinage metallic material can provide versatile modeling systems for studies of interfacial electron transfer, biological interactions, molecular recognition and other interfacial phenomena. Recently, a bio-sensing system has been produced by analysis of the attachment of antibody using alkanethiols, to form SAMs on the face of Au-quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) surfaces. In this study, the attachment of anti-α-fetoprotein monoclonal antibody to a SAMs surface of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid was achieved using water-soluble N-ethyl-N'-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride and N-hydroxysuccinimide as coupling agents. Surface analyses were utilized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The quantization of immobilized antibody was characterized by the frequency shift of QCM and the radioactivity change of ¹²5I labeled antibody. The limit of detection and linear range of the calibration curve of the QCM method were 15 ng/ml and 15-850 ng/ml. The correlation coefficients of α-fetoprotein concentration between QCM and radioimmunoassay were 0.9903 and 0.9750 for the standards and serum samples, respectively. This report illustrates an investigation of SAMs for the preparation of covalently immobilized antibody biosensors.

The role of gallium-67 scintigraphy in comparing inflammatory activity between tuberculous and nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary diseases.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the inflammatory activity of pulmonary lesions between active tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection in acid-fast bacilli smear-positive non-HIV-infected patients using gallium-67 (Ga) scintigraphy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-four patients with culture-proven active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and an additional 17 patients meeting the criteria of pulmonary NTM infection were enrolled into the retrospective study. The Ga uptake of the pulmonary lesion was assessed by visual scoring of uptake grade and semiquantitative region of interest analysis of the uptake ratio using the thoracic spine as a reference. RESULTS: Ga scans were positive in 23 of the 24 patients (95.8%) with PTB and in 12 of the 17 patients (70.6%) with pulmonary NTM infection. Twenty patients with active PTB had moderate or intense visual Ga uptake grade, whereas only three patients with pulmonary NTM infection had moderate visual Ga uptake grade. The semiquantitative pulmonary Ga uptake ratios in patients with active PTB and NTM infection were 1.17 ± 0.28 (range: 0.77-1.86) and 0.79 ± 0.12 (range: 0.60-1.03), respectively. The Ga uptake grade and ratio of active PTB were both significantly higher than NTM infection (both P < 0.001). In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for predicting active PTB, the area under the curves of Ga uptake grade and ratio were 0.90 ± 0.05 and 0.93 ± 0.04, respectively (both P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The inflammatory activity of active PTB is significantly higher than that of pulmonary NTM infection in non-HIV-infected patients. Ga uptake grade and ratio could be used to predict active PTB in acid-fast bacilli smear-positive patients.