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Background: Early detection of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) recurrence is essential; however, the role and timeline of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) surveillance are still under debate. The aim of this study was to determine whether local recurrence (LR) could be identified via clinical examination alone and to assess the MRI morphology of primary STS and LR. Methods: This retrospective study included all patients with STS recurrence after surveillance for at least five years from the tumor database of the Medical University of Vienna from 2000 until December 2023. The characteristics of primary STS and LR and the time interval to recurrence and clinical detectability were assessed. The MRIs of LR and posttherapeutic changes (PTC) were compared with the initial MRIs. Results: A total of 57 patients (60% male; mean age 58.5 ± 18.0 years) with STS and histologically confirmed LR were included. The mean time interval to LR was 2.3 ± 1.8 years (range 108 to 3037 days). The clinically detectable recurrences were significantly larger than the inapparent ones (71.9 cm3 vs. 7.0 cm3; p < 0.01). The MRI morphology of all LRs (26/26) closely resembled the initial STS. For comparison, nine patients were included with clinically suspected LRs, which were histologically proven to be PTC. None of these resembled the primary STS. Conclusion: Based on clinical symptoms alone, especially small and early recurrences can be missed, which supports the importance of MRI surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In contrast to their clearly defined roles in allergic diseases, the physiologic functions of Immunoglobulin E antibodies (IgEs) and mast cells (MCs) remain enigmatic. Recent research supports the toxin hypothesis, showing that MCs and IgE‐related type 2 immune responses can enhance host defense against certain noxious substances, including honeybee venom (BV). However, the mechanisms by which MCs can interfere with BV toxicity are unknown. In this study, we assessed the role of IgE and certain MC products in MC‐mediated BV detoxification. Methods: We applied in vitro and in vivo fluorescence microscopyimaging, and flow cytometry, fibroblast‐based toxicity assays and mass spectrometry to investigate IgE‐mediated detoxification of BV cytotoxicity by mouse and human MCs in vitro. Pharmacologic strategies to interfere with MC‐derived heparin and proteases helped to define the importance of specific detoxification mechanisms. Results: Venom‐specific IgE increased the degranulation and cytokine responses of MCs to BV in vitro. Passive serum sensitization enhanced MC degranulation in vivo. IgE‐activated mouse or human MCs exhibited enhanced potential for detoxifying BV by both proteolytic degradation and heparin‐related interference with toxicity. Mediators released by IgE‐activated human MCs efficiently degraded multiple BV toxins. Conclusions: Our results both reveal that IgE sensitization enhances the MC's ability to detoxify BV and also assign efficient toxin‐neutralizing activity to MC‐derived heparin and proteases. Our study thus highlights the potential importance of IgE, MCs, and particular MC products in defense against BV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The radiologic evaluation of ongoing myelination is currently limited prenatally. Novel quantitative MR imaging modalities provide relaxometric properties that are linked to myelinogenesis. In this retrospective postmortem imaging study, the capability of Synthetic MR imaging and MR fingerprinting-derived relaxometry for tracking fetal myelin development was investigated. Moreover, the consistency of results for both MR approaches was analyzed., Materials and Methods: In 26 cases, quantitative postmortem fetal brain MR data were available (gestational age range, 15 + 1 to 32 + 1; female/male ratio, 14/12). Relaxometric measurements (T1-/T2-relexation times) were determined in the medulla oblongata and the midbrain using Synthetic MR imaging/MR fingerprinting-specific postprocessing procedures (Synthetic MR imaging and MR Robust Quantitative Tool for MR fingerprinting). The Pearson correlations were applied to detect relationships between T1-relaxation times/T2-relaxation times metrics and gestational age at MR imaging. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the consistency of the results provided by both modalities., Results: Both modalities provided quantitative data that revealed negative correlations with gestational age at MR imaging: Synthetic MR imaging-derived relaxation times (medulla oblongata [ r = -0.459; P  = .021]; midbrain [ r = -0.413; P  = .040]), T2-relaxation times (medulla oblongata [ r = -0.625; P  < .001]; midbrain [ r = -0.571; P  = .003]), and MR fingerprinting-derived T1-relaxation times (medulla oblongata [ r = -0.433; P  = .035]; midbrain [ r = -0.386; P  = .062]), and T2-relaxation times (medulla oblongata [ r =-0.883; P  < .001]; midbrain [ r = -0.890; P  < .001]).The intraclass correlation coefficient analysis for result consistency between both MR approaches ranged between 0.661 (95% CI, 0.351-0.841) (T2-relaxation times: medulla oblongata) and 0.920 (95% CI, 0.82-0.965) (T1-relaxation times: midbrain)., Conclusions: There is a good-to-excellent consistency between postmortem Synthetic MR imaging and MR fingerprinting myelin quantifications in fetal brains older than 15 + 1 gestational age. The strong correlations between quantitative myelin metrics and gestational age indicate the potential of quantitative MR imaging to identify delayed or abnormal states of myelination at prenatal stages of cerebral development., (© 2024 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.)

BACKGROUND. Prior work has shown improved image quality for photon-counting detector (PCD) CT of the lungs compared with energy-integrating detector CT. A paucity of the literature has compared PCD CT of the lungs using different reconstruction parameters. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to the compare the image quality of ultra-high-resolution (UHR) PCD CT image sets of the lungs that were reconstructed using different kernels and slice thicknesses. METHODS. This retrospective study included 29 patients (17 women and 12 men; median age, 56 years) who underwent noncontrast chest CT from February 15, 2022, to March 15, 2022, by use of a commercially available PCD CT scanner. All acquisitions used UHR mode (1024 × 1024 matrix). Nine image sets were reconstructed for all combinations of three sharp kernels (BI56, BI60, and BI64) and three slice thicknesses (0.2, 0.4, and 1.0 mm). Three radiologists independently reviewed reconstructions for measures of visualization of pulmonary anatomic structures and pathologies; reader assessments were pooled. Reconstructions were compared with the clinical reference reconstruction (obtained using the BI64 kernel and a 1.0-mm slice thickness [BI64 1.0-mm ]). RESULTS. The median difference in the number of bronchial divisions identified versus the clinical reference reconstruction was higher for reconstructions with BI64 0.4-mm (0.5), BI60 0.4-mm (0.3), BI64 0.2-mm (0.5), and BI60 0.2-mm (0.2) (all p < .05). The median bronchial wall sharpness versus the clinical reference reconstruction was higher for reconstructions with BI64 0.4-mm (0.3) and BI64 0.2-mm (0.3) and was lower for BI56 1.0-mm (-0.7) and BI56 0.4-mm (-0.3) (all p < .05). Median pulmonary fissure sharpness versus the clinical reference reconstruction was higher for reconstructions with BI64 0.4-mm (0.3), BI60 0.4-mm (0.3), BI56 0.4-mm (0.5), BI64 0.2-mm (0.5), BI60 0.2-mm (0.5), and BI56 0.2-mm (0.3) (all p < .05). Median pulmonary vessel sharpness versus the clinical reference reconstruction was lower for reconstructions with BI56 1.0-mm (-0.3), BI60 0.4-mm (-0.3), BI56 0.4-mm (-0.7), BI64 0.2-mm (-0.7), BI60 0.2-mm (-0.7), and BI56 0.2-mm (-0.7). Median lung nodule conspicuity versus the clinical reference reconstruction was lower for reconstructions with BI56 1.0-mm (-0.3) and BI56 0.4-mm (-0.3) (both p < .05). Median conspicuity of all other pathologies versus the clinical reference reconstruction was lower for reconstructions with BI561.0 mm (-0.3), BI56 0.4-mm (-0.3), BI64 0.2-mm (-0.3), BI60 0.2-mm (-0.3), and BI56 0.2-mm (-0.3). Other comparisons among reconstructions were not significant (all p > .05). CONCLUSION. Only the reconstruction using BI64 0.4-mm yielded improved bronchial division identification and bronchial wall and pulmonary fissure sharpness without a loss in pulmonary vessel sharpness or conspicuity of nodules or other pathologies. CLINICAL IMPACT. The findings of this study may guide protocol optimization for UHR PCD CT of the lungs.

Rationale: Lung transplantation is the ultimate treatment option for patients with end-stage respiratory diseases but bears the highest mortality rate among all solid organ transplantations due to chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). The mechanisms leading to CLAD remain elusive due to an insufficient understanding of the complex post-transplant adaptation processes., Objectives: To better understand these lung adaptation processes after transplantation and to investigate their association with future changes in allograft function., Methods: We performed an exploratory cohort study of bronchoalveolar lavage samples from 78 lung recipients and donors. We analysed the alveolar microbiome using 16S rRNA sequencing, the cellular composition using flow cytometry, as well as metabolome and lipidome profiling., Measurements and Main Results: We established distinct temporal dynamics for each of the analysed data sets. Comparing matched donor and recipient samples, we revealed that recipient-specific as well as environmental factors, rather than the donor microbiome, shape the long-term lung microbiome. We further discovered that the abundance of certain bacterial strains correlated with underlying lung diseases even after transplantation. A decline in forced expiratory volume during the first second (FEV 1 ) is a major characteristic of lung allograft dysfunction in transplant recipients. By using a machine learning approach, we could accurately predict future changes in FEV 1 from our multi-omics data, whereby microbial profiles showed a particularly high predictive power., Conclusion: Bronchoalveolar microbiome, cellular composition, metabolome and lipidome show specific temporal dynamics after lung transplantation. The lung microbiome can predict future changes in lung function with high precision., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: M.L. Watzenböck has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: A.-D. Gorki has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: F. Quattrone has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: R. Gawish has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: S. Schwarz has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: C. Lambers has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: P. Jaksch has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: K. Lakovits has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: S. Zahalka has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: N. Rahimi has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: P. Starkl has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: D. Symmank has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: T. Artner has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: C. Pattaroni has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: N. Fortelny has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: K. Klavins has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: F. Frommlet has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: B.J. Marsland has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: K. Hoetzenecker has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: S. Widder reports grants from Austrian Science Fund (Elise Richter V585-B31), during the conduct of the study. Conflict of interest: S. Knapp reports grants from FWF, during the conduct of the study., (Copyright ©The authors 2022. For reproduction rights and permissions contact permissions@ersnet.org.)