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Background: Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with [ 177 Lu]-DOTA-TATE is an effective treatment of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). After each cycle of treatment, patient dosimetry evaluates the radiation dose to the risk organs, kidneys, and bone marrow, the most radiosensitive tissues. Absorbed doses are calculated from the radioactivity in the blood and from single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images corrected by computed tomography (CT) acquired after each course of treatment. The aim of this work is to assess whether the dosimetry along all treatment cycles can be calculated using a single CT. We hypothesize that the absorbed doses to the risk organs calculated with a single CT will be accurate enough to correctly manage the patients, i.e., whether or not to continue PRRT. Twenty-four patients diagnosed with metastatic NETs undergoing PRRT with [ 177 Lu]-DOTA-TATE were retrospectively included in this study. We compared radiation doses to the kidneys and bone marrow using two protocols. In the "classical" one, dosimetry is calculated based on a SPECT and a CT after each treatment cycle. In the new protocol, dosimetry is calculated based on a SPECT study after each cycle but with the first acquired CT for all cycles., Results: The decision whether or not to stop PRRT because of unsafe absorbed dose to the risk organs would have been the same had the classical or the new protocol been used. The agreement between the cumulative doses to the kidneys and bone marrow obtained from the two protocols was excellent with Pearson's correlation coefficients r = 0.95 and r = 0.99 (P < 0.0001) and mean relative differences of 5.30 ± 6.20% and 0.48 ± 4.88%, respectively., Conclusions: Dosimetry calculations for a given patient can be done using a single CT registered to serial SPECTs. This new protocol reduces the need for a hybrid camera in the follow-up of patients receiving [ 177 Lu]-DOTA-TATE.

Introduction: There are nearly no studies about the association between Baker's cyst (BC) and medial meniscal tear (MMT) using ultrasonography., Patients and Methods: Nonselected patients who were referred for ultrasonography for the evaluation of knee pain were recruited. Demographic, clinical, and ultrasound parameters were documented., Results: One-hundred and nineteen patients were included and 131 knees were evaluated. There were 59 (~50%) female patients and mean age of 46.4±17.7 years. BC was found in 31 knees (23%). BC was significantly associated with MMT (P=.029) and age (P=.002) after adjusting for other covariates., Conclusions: BC was strongly associated with MMT regardless of other intraarticular abnormalities., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Twenty years old young was referred to our department due to painful inguinal mass. The mass was diagnosed as torsion of third testis which was treated by orchiectomy. Polyorchidism is a rare entity with increased risk for malignancy and torsion.

Human carotid atherosclerotic plaque is in direct contact with circulatory blood components. Thus, plaque and blood components may affect each other. The current study presents the effects of plaque chloroform:methanol (C:M) extract on the HDL-associated enzyme paraoxnase 1 (PON1). This study is part of our investigation on the mutual effects of the interactions between atherosclerotic lesions and blood components. Recombinant PON1 (rePON1) was incubated with the human carotid plaques C:M extract and PON1 activities were analyzed. Lactonase and paraoxonase activities were elevated due to C:M treatment, by 140 and by 69%, respectively. Analytical chemistry analyses revealed specific phosphatidylcholines (PCs) as the plaque active components. Tryptophan fluorescence quenching assay, together with molecular docking, shows that PON1 activity is enhanced in correlation with the level of PC affinity to PON1. Molecular docking revealed that PCs interact specifically with H2-PON1 α-helix, which together with H1 enzyme α-helix links the protein to the HDL surface. These findings are supported by additional results from the PON1 ∆20 mutant that lack its H1-α-helix. Incubation of this mutant with the plaque C:M extract increased PON1 activity by only 20%, much less than the wild-type PON1 that elevated PON1 activity at the same concentration by as much as 95%. Furthermore, as much as the affinity of the enzyme to the PC was augmented, the ability of PON1 to bind to the HDL particle decreased. Finally, PON1 interaction with PC enhance its uptake into the macrophage cytoplasm. In conclusions, Specific lesion phosphatidylcholines (PCs) present in the human carotid plaque significantly enhance PON1 catalytic activities due to their interaction with the enzyme. Such a lesion׳s PC-PON1 interaction, in turn, competes with HDL PCs and enhances PON1 uptake by macrophage at the expense of PON1 binding to the HDL., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins plays a crucial role in health and disease by affecting numerous aspects of protein structure, function, stability and subcellular localization. Protein S-nitrosylation is one type of PTM that involves the covalent modification of cysteine sulfhydryl groups with nitric oxide (NO) and has a regulatory impact similar to phosphorylation. The enzyme paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and is responsible for many of HDL's antiatherogenic properties. The enzyme contains a free thiol group at Cys-284 which can also be modified covalently. As part of our effort to study the effect of PTMs on PON1 activities and properties and its implication for cardiovascular disease, we examined PON1's ability to undergo S-nitrosylation on its free Cys-284. Recombinant (re) PON1 was trans-S-nitrosylated by several NO donors, glutathione-NO (GSNO) was found to be the most effective. The S-nitrosylated rePON1 was analyzed by Q-TOF LC/MS and by Saville-Griess assay: the two analytical methods revealed closely similar results. rePON1 was also nitrosylated by nitrosylated human serum albumin (HSA-NO) via protein-protein trans-nitrosylation. HSA-NO transferred an NO group to rePON1 much more efficiently than GSNO with the formation of a higher than 70% rePON-NO when incubated with a 40-fold excess of a HSA-NO/HSA mixture. RePON1-NO was relatively stable: storage for 3days at 37°C resulted in only 25% decomposition. This is the first report of PON1's S-nitrosylation via GSNO and HSA-NO., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We present a case of a 10-year-old boy, who had severe relapsing pancreatitis, three times in two months within 3 weeks after starting treatment with methylphenidate (Ritalin) due to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Pancreatitis due to the use of (methylphenidate) Ritalin was never published before. Attention must be made by the physicians regarding this possible complication, and this complication should be taken into consideration in every patient with abdominal pain who was newly treated with Ritalin.

Bilateral striopallidodentate calcinosis, commonly known as Fahr's disease is a rare clinical entity present mainly with extrapyramidal signs and accompanied with metabolic, biochemical, neuroradiological and neuropsychiatric situations. It is characterised by the symmetrical and bilateral intracranial deposition of calcium associated with cell loss in the basal ganglia, cerebral cortex and cerebellum.In this study, we discussed two brothers' cases of Fahr's diseases who presented with different symptomatology. The first presented with walking difficulty, cramps and dysarthria and moderate memory impairment whereas the second with vertigo, ataxia, forgetfulness and headache. CT scans of both patients revealed intracranial diffuse bilateral calcifications in the basal ganglia and the cerebellum. The second patient revealed progressive cerebral atrophy but reduction in the calcification. Fahr's disease, although encountered rarely, should also be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of cases with abnormal intracranial calcifications along with other familial, congenital and metabolic diseases and syndromes.

Covalent attachment of PEG (PEGylation) is widely used to improve the pharmaceutical properties of therapeutic proteins. The applicability and safety of this method have been proven by the use of various PEGylated pharmaceutical proteins approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One of the properties attributed to PEGylation is immunogenicity reduction of the PEGylated protein. In this study, the impact of PEGylation on immunogenicity was tested and compared for two proteins (chicken IgY and horse IgG) in two strains of mice (Balb/c and C57BL/6) for two routes of administration (i.v. and i.m.) and two sizes of PEG (5 kD and 20 kD). The influence of PEG was shown to be inconsistent between the mouse strains and routes of administration, even with the same tested protein. Consequently, immunogenicity reduction by PEGylation cannot be predicted or assumed; it must be tested on an individual case basis., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A 55-year-old man was referred to our hospital due to intolerant severe short of breathing and persistent cough for two hours. He had similar attacks in the past two years which were treated with bronchodilators. Computed tomography revealed endobronchial mass, which was endoscopically resected by laser. Histology revealed benign squamous papilloma. In this paper we will deal with the various nonspecific clinical presentations, etiopathology, predisposing factors, and diagnosing tests of these benign tumors, especially the important role of computed tomography.