The role of bioimpedance spectroscopy method in severity and stages of breast cancer-related lymphedema.

Objectives: The correlation between lymphedema severity and stages determined by standard diagnostic methods and Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (BIS) technique was examined in breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) patients. Material and Methods: The bioimpedance analyzer device was connected to the 1.0 cm disc electrodes which were connected to the affected and unaffected (healthy) arm of the patients. We evaluated the performance of the impedance (Z) at multiple frequencies (5-50-100-200 kHz) and phase angle (PA), resistance (R), and reactance (XC) at 50 kHz on the lymphedema severity and stages. Bioimpedance measurements were applied to all volunteers in cooperation with the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Department. In this study, the correlation between BCRL severity and stages and bioimpedance values was examined. Results: A total of 31 female patients were recruited to compare the BIS technique with standard diagnostic techniques. The severity of lymphedema was found among the patients as follows; mild 14 (45.2%), moderate 10 (32.3%), and severe 7 (22.6%). The stage distribution of volunteers was; 15 (48.4%) patients in Stage 0, 10 (32.3%) patients in Stage 1, 5 (16.1%) patients in Stage 2, and 1 (3.2%) patient in Stage 3. The ratio of affected and unaffected arm bioimpedance mean values were calculated. Although, this ratio at 50-100-200 kHz Z and 50kHz R were significantly correlated with the lymphedema stages (p <0.05), there was no correlation and significant difference between the ratio of the bioimpedance values and lymphedema severity (p> 0.05). Conclusion: The BIS technique is timesaving and can determine lymphedema stages. We found a significant correlation between BCRL stages and BIS, and it appears that BIS is an appropriate, inexpensive, simple, and noninvasive technique for detecting the stages of BCRL.

Investigation of key miRNAs and potential mechanisms in non-small cell lung cancer development from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Lung cancer (LC) is the prominent cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents approximately 85% of all diagnosed LC cases. It is stated that LC and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are directly linked at a molecular genetics level. Early diagnosis of LC is important for individuals affected by COPD. This study aims to construct a molecular network to discover molecules in NSCLC development from COPD. We downloaded the expression profiles of COPD patients from Gene Expression Omnibus database. The Database Annotation for Visualization and Integrated Discovery tool was utilized for enrichment analysis; STRING and Cytoscape were used for network construction. 15 hub genes were detected among 1517 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Additionally, 20 differentially expressed miRNAswere identified from five datasets. We constructed miRNA-mRNA regulatory network between the groups of overlapping predicted target genes/DEGs and miRNAs that contained miRNA-mRNA pairs. UALCAN and OncomiR web-portals were used to validate hub genes and miRNAs in NSCLC. JUN, IL6, CD4 and hsa-miR-497-5p, hsa-miR-130b-5p were verified in both lung adenocarcinomas and lung squamous cell carcinomas. This study presents potential biomarkers and mechanisms underlying NSCLC development from COPD that would be targeted for early intervention.

Evaluation of miRNA Expression Profiles in Schizophrenia Using Principal-Component Analysis-Based Unsupervised Feature Extraction Method.

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a disease that causes mental disability and affects 1% of the total population in the world. Our aim was to identify new molecular targets that would help to diagnose and treat these patients. The GSE54578 microRNA expression profile was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database that consists of peripheral blood samples of 15 first-onset SZ patients and 15 healthy controls. Principal-component analysis-based unsupervised feature extraction (FE), protein-protein interaction network, and pathway enrichment were performed, and microRNA (miRNA)-hub gene network was established. A set of seven miRNA (hsa-miR-373-5p, hsa-miR-199a-3p, hsa-miR-22-5p, hsa-miR-4711-3p, hsa-miR-3157-3p, hsa-miR-542-5p, and hsa-miR-3615) could successfully discriminate SZ patients from healthy controls with high accuracy. We identified two miRNAs (hsa-miR-373-5p and hsa-miR-199a-3p) as a signature that mostly related to SZ. These miRNAs could be potential novel biomarkers and could contribute to the clinical treatment of this disease.

Differentiation of skin biopsies by light scattering spectroscopy.

INTRODUCTION: Spectroscopic systems are medical tools that are used for the detection of cancerous tissues ex vivo and in vivo. AIM: To differentiate inflammatory and benign skin lesions of excised biopsy samples via a combination of multivariate statistical analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Spectral data were obtained from a total of 22 inflammatory and ten benign skin biopsy samples from 30 patients in the visible wavelength (450-750 nm) regions. Spectral data were compared with the dermatopathology results. Spectral data analyses of biopsy samples were performed via principal component analysis (PCA), followed by linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The differentiation performance was calculated with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: The classification based on the discriminant function score provided a sensitivity of 90.9% and a specificity of 80% in discriminating benign from inflammatory lesions with an accuracy of 87.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that light scattering spectroscopy could discriminate between inflammatory and benign skin lesions of excised biopsy samples with high sensitivity by using multivariate statistical analysis. It can be concluded that the high diagnostic accuracy of the optical spectroscopy method has the potential to use as a supplementary system to distinguish inflammatory skin lesions from benign during the pathological examination.

Differentially expressed circulating miRNAs in postmenopausal osteoporosis: a meta-analysis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been proven to play a crucial role in postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO), and studies on their diagnostic value have been increasing. In our study, we aim to identify the key miRNAs in the PMO that might be potential biomarkers. A comprehensive systematic literature search was conducted by searching PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Library databases. In the total of 16 independent miRNA expression studies which contained 327 PMO patients and 328 postmenopausal (PM) healthy control samples, miRNAs were evaluated by using robust rank aggregation (RRA) method. A statistically significant meta-signature of up-regulated hsa-miR-133a-3p (P = 1.38e-03) was determined. Then bioinformatics analysis to recruit putative target genes prediction of hsa-miR-133a-3p and pathway enrichment analysis to reveal what biological processes this miRNA may affect were conducted. It was indicated that pathways were commonly associated with adrenergic signaling in cardiomyocytes, adherens junction, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and AMPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, STRING and Cytoscape tools were used to visualize the interactions between target genes of hsa-miR-133a-3p. Six genes were detected as hub genes among 576 targets which were CDC42, RHOA, EGFR, VAMP2, PIK3R2 and FN1. After Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, it was detected that these hub genes were mostly enriched in signaling pathways and cancer. In this meta-analysis, it is stated that circulating hsa-miR-133a-3p may serve as a potential non-invasive biomarker and therapeutic target in PMO.

Diagnosis of pelvic lymph node metastasis in prostate cancer using single optical fiber probe.

Elastic light single-scattering spectroscopy system (ELSSS) is a biomedical tool which is used for detection of cancerous tissues ex-vivo. ELSSS spectra depend primarily on the size of scatterers in the tissue and are not directly related to changes in the absorption which are caused by variations of the biological macromolecules. In the present study, we aimed to detect metastasis in the pelvic lymph node by using combination of Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). Single-scattering spectra in the 450-750nm wavelength regions were obtained from the total of 83 reactive lymph node and 12 metastatic lymph node samples from 10 prostatic cancer patients. The ELSSS spectral data were compared against the "gold standard" histopathology results. Data analyses were done via using PCA, followed by LDA. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed for differentiating performance. The classification based on discriminant score provided sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 96.4%, in differentiating non-metastatic (reactive) from metastatic pelvic lymph nodes, with a Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of 0.8, a Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 0.99 and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.99, respectively. In this study, it was shown that ELSSS system can accurately distinguish reactive and metastatic pelvic lymph nodes of prostate cancer with high PPV and NPV. It can be concluded that diagnostic accuracy of ELSSS system allows detecting metastatic tissues during operation.

Differentiating cancerous tissues from noncancerous tissues using single-fiber reflectance spectroscopy with different fiber diameters.

Elastic light-scattering spectra acquired with single-fiber optical probes with diameters of 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, and 1500 µm were used to differentiate cancerous from noncancerous prostate tissues. The spectra were acquired ex vivo on 24 excised prostate tissue samples collected from four patients. For each probe, the spectra and histopathology results were compared in order to investigate the correlation between the core diameters of the single-fiber optical probe and successful differentiation between cancerous and noncancerous prostate tissues. The spectra acquired using probes with a fiber core diameter of 400 µm or smaller successfully differentiated cancerous from noncancerous prostate tissues. Next, the spectra were acquired from monosized polystyrene microspheres with a diameter of 5.00±0.01 µm to investigate the correlation between the core diameters of the probes and the Mie oscillations on the spectra. Monte Carlo simulations of the light distribution of the tissue phantoms were run to interrogate whether the light detected by the probes with different fiber core diameters was in the ballistic or diffusive regime. If the single-fiber optical probes detect light in the ballistic regime, the spectra can be used to differentiate between cancerous and noncancerous tissues.

Detecting positive surgical margins using single optical fiber probe during radical prostatectomy: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate for the potential of detection of positive surgical margins by the elastic light single-scattering spectroscopy (ELSSS) system with a single optical fiber probe during radical prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ELSSS spectra in the 450- to 750-nm wavelength regions were obtained from a total of 31 benign tissue samples and 14 malignant tissue samples from 18 patients. The ELSSS spectral data were assessed by comparing these against the "gold standard" histopathology results. Data were analyzed using principal component analysis , followed by linear discriminant analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used for differentiating performance. RESULTS: Classification based on the discriminant score provided a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 97%, in differentiating benign from malignant surgical margins of prostate tissues, with a positive predictive value of 0.92, a negative predictive value of 0.94, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.87. CONCLUSION: The ELSSS system can accurately distinguish between benign and malignant surgical margins of prostate tissues with a high positive predictive value and negative predictive value. It is a promising technique, and it may be a valuable new tool for determining positive surgical margins during radical prostatectomy.

Elastic light single-scattering spectroscopy for the detection of cervical precancerous ex vivo.

Potential application of elastic light single-scattering spectroscopy (ELSSS) for differentiating high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) from non-HSIL tissues was investigated. An ELSSS system was used to acquire spectra from cervix tissues. A single-fiber optical probe with a diameter of 100 µm was used for both delivery and detection of white light to and from the cervix tissue. Spectroscopic measurements were acquired from 95 ex vivo biopsy samples of 60 pap smear positive patients and normal cervix tissue from 10 patients after hysterectomy were used as a negative control group. Spectroscopic results of 95 cervix biopsy were compared to the histopathology of the biopsy samples. Sensitivity and specificity of the ELSSS system in the differentiation of HSIL and non-HSIL tissues are 87.5% and 45.6%, respectively, for the pap smear and colposcopy positive biopsy samples. The ELSSS system has the potential for use in real-time diagnosis of HSIL tissues as an adjunct to Papanicolaou test (pap smear) and colposcopy.

Diagnosis of testicular torsion by measuring attenuation of dual wavelengths in transmission geometry across the testis: an experimental study in a rat model.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a noninvasive and real-time dual-wavelengths optic system to detect testicular torsion in an animal model. Diagnosis of testicular torsion is challenging in emergency conditions and frequently ends with surgical exploration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 9 male 8-month-old Wistar albino rats weighing an average of 400 g were used. A transverse incision on the upper scrotum was done and the right testis was torsed with a 720° medial rotation. The other testis of each rat was used as the control or sham group. In the sham group, the testicle was moved out of the body but no torsion was applied before repositioning into the scrotum. Transmission of continuous-wave light through all testes at wavelengths of 660 nm and 940 nm were measured. RESULTS: The ratio of the average intensities of the transmitted light of both wavelengths--660 nm to 940 nm--was used as a parameter to diagnose testis torsion. The ratios were significantly different (P = .001) between the torsion group and control group. CONCLUSION: Our noninvasive technique measuring attenuation of dual wavelengths in transmission geometry across the testis has the ability to distinguish between the testis with and without torsion on the basis of a threshold value of the ratio.

[An optical method for investigation of thickness of damaged articular cartilage]. / Hasarlanmis eklem kikirdagi kalinliginin optik bir yöntemle arastirilmasi.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop an optical system to measure damaged cartilage thickness in-vivo and real time using an optical fiber probe and conducting ex-vivo elastic light-scattering spectroscopy experiments on different thicknesses of damaged calf's patella cartilage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An elastic light-scattering spectroscopy system was assembled with a miniature UV-VIS spectrometer, halogen-tungsten light source, laptop and optical fiber probe. Elastic light-scattering spectra were taken on the control and damaged calf's patella cartilages of 40 samples. The samples were grouped into four; in the first group cartilages were not damaged, in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th groups cartilage thickness was reduced approximately 25%, 50% and 100% respectively. The probe consisted of six fibers; one for light delivery and the other five to detect diffuse back-reflected light from the cartilage. Diameter of the fibers was 400 microm, and distance of the detector fibers from the source fibers were 0.8, 1.6, 2.4, 3.2, 4.0 mm. RESULTS: Our results showed a correlation between cartilage thickness and hemoglobin absorption in the wavelength range of 500-600 nm. We defined an absorption index using the spectral data of the diffuse back-reflected light to make a correlation between the thickness of the cartilage and absorption of hemoglobin. The index is inversely proportional to the thickness of the cartilage and can be used to estimate the cartilage thickness. CONCLUSION: This study showed that measuring elastic light-scattering spectra utilizing the designed optical fiber probe can be used to estimate cartilage thickness. The effect of variation of hemoglobin content of subchondral bone on the estimated cartilage thickness was not clearly known. More ex-vivo experiments should be conducted to test the system efficiency in defining cartilage thickness. The system has the potential to be used in practice as a new product for non-invasively measuring cartilage thickness in-vivo.