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Introduction: The genetic basis of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), whose incidence is continuously increasing, is still not fully defined. The majority of NETs are sporadic, and only a small percentage occur as part of hereditary genetic syndromes. However, the associations of multiple genetic variants have been found as clinically relevant in several neoplasms. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether selected, literature-based genetic variants may have a potential role in NET susceptibility and clinical outcome in Polish patients., Materials/methods: A total of 185 patients recruited from one clinical center were enrolled. In the first part of the study, the molecular analysis including four single-nucleotide variants (rs8005354 ( DAD1 , NM_001344 intronic T/C substitution), rs2069762 (T/G substitution in the promoter region of the IL2 NM_000586), rs3731198 ( CDKN2A , NM_000077 intronic A/G substitution), and rs1800872 (C/A substitution in the promoter region of the IL10 NM_000572)) was performed in 107 participants (49 patients with NETs with different primary site NETs and a control group of 58 healthy adult volunteers). In the second stage, the same single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were assessed in 127 patients with NET and analyzed in terms of clinical data (primary site, serum CgA concentration, and metastatic disease)., Results: The analysis of homozygotes revealed a statistically significant higher prevalence of TT homozygotes of variant rs3731198 in the control group ( p = 0.0209). In NET patients, there was a statistically significant higher prevalence of GG homozygotes of variant rs1800872 ( p = 0.003). There was a statistically significant correlation between the rs3731198 variant and lymph node metastases ( p = 0.0038 with Bonferroni correction)., Conclusions: Our study indicates that GG homozygotes of variant rs1800872 are more often observed in NET patients, while TT homozygotes of variant rs3731198 are less frequent in this group. The rs3731198 variant may be related to an increased risk of lymph node metastasis. Further, larger multicenter studies are warranted to evaluate the potential genetic factors of sporadic NETs.

Background: Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) affecting the CNS (central nervous system) are rare, presenting in less than 1% of all those with cancer. The pathogenesis of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes is not fully understood, but it is presumed to result from an immune attack on the underlying malignancy. The presence of different types of onconeural antibodies may occur in different tumors and can lead to different clinical manifestations, making the early detection of cancers challenging., Aim: An evaluation of [18F]FDG PET/CT in neoplastic tumor detection in patients with paraneoplastic neurological syndromes having negative or unremarkable results of conventional radiological imaging., Methods: Among all patients diagnosed with paraneoplastic neurological syndromes in the Neurology Department in 2016-2020, 15 patients with unremarkable conventional radiological findings who underwent [18F]FDG PET/CT were included in the study., Results: [18F]FDG PET/CT enabled localization of suspected malignancy in 53% (8 of 15) of PNS cases with previous unremarkable conventional radiological findings., Conclusion: [18F]FDG PET/CT may be considered as a useful tool for neoplastic tumor detection in patients with paraneoplastic neurological syndromes, accelerating the diagnostic process and enabling faster initiation of appropriate treatment.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is now a well-established treatment for severe aortic stenosis. As the number of procedures and indications increase, the age of patients decreases. However, their durability and factors accelerating the process of degeneration are not well-known. The aim of the study was to verify the possibility of using [ 18 F]F-sodium fluoride ([ 18 F]F-NaF) and [ 18 F]F-fluorodeoxyglucose ([ 18 F]F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in assessing the intensity of TAVI valve degenerative processes. In 73 TAVI patients, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) at initial (before TAVI), baseline (after TAVI), and during follow-up, as well as transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and PET/CT, were performed using [ 18 F]F-NaF and [ 18 F]F-FDG at the six-month follow-up (FU) visit as a part of a two-year FU period. The morphology of TAVI valve leaflets were assessed in TEE, transvalvular gradients and effective orifice area (EOA) in TTE. Calcium scores and PET tracer activity were counted. We assessed the relationship between [ 18 F]F-NaF and [ 18 F]F-FDG PET/CT uptake at the 6 = month FU with selected indices e.g.,: transvalvular gradient, valve type, EOA and insufficiency grade at following time points after the TAVI procedure. We present the preliminary PET/CT ([ 18 F]F-NaF, [ 18 F]F-FDG) results at the six-month follow-up period as are part of an ongoing study, which will last two years FU. We enrolled 73 TAVI patients with the mean age of 82.49 ± 7.11 years. A significant decrease in transvalvular gradient and increase of effective orifice area and left ventricle ejection fraction were observed. At six months, FU valve thrombosis was diagnosed in four patients, while 7.6% of patients refused planned controls due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We noticed significant correlations between valve types, EOA and transaortic valve gradients, as well as [ 18 F]F-NaF and [ 18 F]F-FDG uptake in PET/CT. PET/CT imaging with the use of [ 18 F]F-FDG and [ 18 F]F-NaF is intended to be feasible, and it practically allows the standardized uptake value (SUV) to differentiate the area containing the TAVI leaflets from the SUV directly adjacent to the ring calcifications and the calcified native leaflets. This could become the seed for future detection and evaluation capabilities regarding the progression of even early degenerative lesions to the TAVI valve, expressed as local leaflet inflammation and microcalcifications.