Deep eutectic solvent-based liquid-phase microextraction coupled with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for determination of α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherol in edible oils

For simultaneous analysis of four fat-soluble tocopherols (α-, β-, γ-, and δ-) in edible oils, an efficient and green method using deep eutectic solvent-based liquid-phase microextraction (DES-LPME) coupled with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was developed. The DESs formed by different quaternary ammonium salts and ethanol were used as the extractants. Tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC)-ethanol DES at a molar ratio of 1:2 achieved the best extraction efficiency. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits were in the range of 2.1-3.0 ng mL^-1. The intra-day and inter-day repeatability were in the ranges of 3.9-5.3% and 4.8-7.1%, respectively, and the recoveries for the real samples varied from 80.7% to 105.4%. The developed method was successfully employed for the determination of all four tocopherol homologues with an RP-HPLC system containing a COSMOSIL π-NAP column in five edible oils collected locally. Graphical abstract.

3D Bioprinting a human iPSC-derived MSC-loaded scaffold for repair of the uterine endometrium

Common events in the clinic, such as uterine curettage or inflammation, may lead to irreversible endometrial damage, often resulting in infertility in women of childbearing age. Currently, tissue engineering has the potential to achieve tissue manipulation, regeneration, and growth, but personalization and precision remain challenges. The application of "3D cell printing" is more in line with the clinical requirements of tissue repair. In this study, a porous grid-type human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cell (hiMSC)-loaded hydrogel scaffold was constructed using a 3D bioprinting device. The 3D-printed hydrogel scaffold provided a permissive in vitro living environment for hiMSCs and significantly increased the survival duration of transplanted hiMSCs when compared with hiMSCs administered locally in vivo. Using an endometrial injury model, we found that hiMSC transplantation can cause early host immune responses (the serological immune response continued for more than 1 month, and the local immune response continued for approximately 1 week). Compared with the sham group, although the regenerative endometrium failed to show full restoration of the normal structure and function of the lining, implantation of the 3D-printed hiMSC-loaded scaffold not only promoted the recovery of the endometrial histomorphology (endometrial tissue and gland regeneration) and the regeneration of endometrial cells (stromal cells and epithelial cells) and endothelial cells but also improved endometrial receptivity functional indicators, namely, pinopode formation and leukemia inhibitory factor and αvβ3 expression, which partly restored the embryo implantation and pregnancy maintenance functions of the injured endometrium. These indicators were significantly better in the 3D-printed hiMSC-loaded scaffold group than in the unrepaired (empty) group, the hiMSCs alone group and the 3D scaffold group, and the empty group showed the worst repair results. Our study confirm that the 3D-printed hiMSC-loaded hydrogel scaffold may be a promising material for endometrial repair.

Germinomas of the basal ganglia and thalamus: Four case reports

BACKGROUND

The early diagnosis of basal ganglia and thalamus germinomas is often difficult due to the absence of elevated tumor markers, and atypical clinical symptoms and neuroimaging features.

CASE SUMMARY

Four male children aged 8 to 15 years were diagnosed with germinomas in the basal ganglia and thalamus by stereotactic biopsy from 2017 to 2019. All patients developed hemiplegia except patient 4 who also had cognitive decline, speech disturbance, nocturnal enuresis, polydipsia, polyuria, precocious puberty and abnormalities of thermoregulation. All four cases were alpha-fetoprotein and beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-HCG) negative except patient 3 who had slightly elevated β-HCG in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). No malignant cells were detected in the patients’ CSF. Brain magnetic resonance imaging findings were diverse in these patients with the exception of the unique and common characteristics of ipsilateral hemisphere atrophy, especially in the cerebral peduncle. All patients were diagnosed with germinomas of the basal ganglia and thalamus by stereotactic brain biopsy.

CONCLUSION

Stereotactic brain biopsy is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of ectopic germinomas. Serial neuroimaging studies can not only differentiate disease but also determine the biopsy site.

Exploration of CYP21A2 and CYP17A1 polymorphisms and preeclampsia risk among Chinese Han population: a large-scale case-control study based on 5021 subjects

BACKGROUND

Several genome-wide association studies have identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), such as rs4409766, rs1004467, and rs3824755 in CYP17A1 and rs2021783 in CYP21A2, as new hypertension susceptibility genetic variants in the Chinese population. This study aimed to look into the relationship between preeclampsia (PE) and these SNPs in Chinese Han women.

METHODS

Overall, 5021 unrelated pregnant women were recruited, including 2002 patients with PE and 3019 normal healthy controls. The real-time PCR (TaqMan) method was applied to genotype these four polymorphisms.

RESULTS

A statistically obvious difference in the allelic frequencies was observed in CYP21A2 rs2021783 between cases and controls (χ2 = 7.201, Pc = 0.028 by allele), and the T allele was associated with the occurrence and development of PE (OR = 1.151, 95% CI 1.039-1.275). We also found a significant association between rs2021783 and the development of early-onset PE (Pc = 0.008 by genotype, Pc = 0.004 by allele). For rs1004467 and rs3824755, the distribution of allelic frequencies differed markedly between mild PE and control groups (χ2 = 6.843, Pc = 0.036; χ2 = 6.869, Pc = 0.036), and patients with the TT genotype of rs1004467 were less easy to develop mild PE than were those carrying the CT or CC genotype (χ2 = 7.002, Pc = 0.032, OR = 1.306, 95% CI 1.071-1.593). The GG genotype of rs3824755 appeared to a protective effect on the occurrence of mild PE (OR = 0.766, 95% CI 0.629-0.934).

CONCLUSIONS

CYP21A2 rs2021783 appears to be closely related to PE susceptibility, and CYP17A1 rs1004467 and rs3824755 seem to be closely associated with mild PE in Han women.

Carotid intima-media thickness relative to cognitive impairment in dialysis patients, and their relationship with brain volume and cerebral small vessel disease

Background:

Carotid intima–media thickness (cIMT) is considered a risk factor for and predictor of cerebrovascular disease. In this study, we explored the contribution of cIMT to cognitive impairment (CI) in dialysis patients and the role of cerebral small vascular disease (CSVD) and brain atrophy in this process.

Methods:

Cognitive function was assessed using a comprehensive cognitive test battery. CSVD and brain volume were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, and cIMT was measured by ultrasonography. Multivariable analysis and mediation were used to explore the relevant relationships among cIMT, CI, CSVD and brain volume.

Results:

Seventy-three dialysis patients were enrolled. Approximately 54.8% were diagnosed with increased cIMT. The increased cIMT group was older and had lower serum albumin and creatinine levels than the normal cIMT group. There was no difference in the CSVD prevalence between the different cIMT groups. Patients in the normal, unilaterally and bilaterally increased cIMT subgroups demonstrated a gradual decrease in brain-matter volume and degenerate cognitive function. cIMT was related to cognitive function and gray-/white-matter volume. Increased cIMT was associated with a significantly increased risk of a reduced Mini Mental State Examination/Montreal Cognitive Assessment score and Trail A/B time delay. Mediation analysis showed that CI was mediated by brain-matter volume but not by CSVD.

Conclusion:

Increased cIMT was an independent risk factor for impairment of global cognitive function, memory, and executive function. The impact of cIMT on cognition was not induced by CSVD but by brain atrophy. cIMT may be a useful tool for screening patients at high risk of CI in the dialysis population.

Computer Vision Tool-Setting System of Numerical Control Machine Tool

An automatic tool-setting and workpiece online detecting system was proposed to study the key technologies of next-generation intelligent vision computerized numerical control (CNC) machines. A computer vision automatic tool-setting system for a CNC machine was set up on the basis of the vision tool-setting principle. A rapid vision calibration method based on the position feedback from the CNC machine was proposed on the basis of the theory of traditional vision system calibration. The coordinate mapping relationship of the image and the CNC machine, the tool-setting mark point on the workpiece, and the tool tip were calibrated. The vision system performance testing and system calibration experiments were performed. Experimental results indicated that the time consumption was 128 ms in image processing. The precision of tool setting and measuring was less than 1 μm. The workpiece positioning and processing online detection function of the system can completely meet the requirements of visual CNC machine application, and the system has wide application prospects.

Inter-scanner reproducibility of brain volumetry: influence of automated brain segmentation software

Background

The inter-scanner reproducibility of brain volumetry is important in multi-site neuroimaging studies, where the reliability of automated brain segmentation (ABS) tools plays an important role. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of ABS tools on the consistency and reproducibility of the quantified brain volumetry from different scanners.

Methods

We included fifteen healthy volunteers who were scanned with 3D isotropic brain T1-weighted sequence on three different 3.0 Tesla MRI scanners (GE, Siemens and Philips). For each individual, the time span between image acquisitions on different scanners was limited to 1 h. All the T1-weighted images were processed with FreeSurfer v6.0, FSL v5.0 and AccuBrain^® with default settings to obtain volumetry of brain tissues (e.g. gray matter) and substructures (e.g. basal ganglia structures) if available. Coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated to test inter-scanner variability in brain volumetry of various structures as quantified by these ABS tools.

Results

The mean inter-scanner CV values per brain structure among three MRI scanners ranged from 6.946 to 12.29% (mean, 9.577%) for FreeSurfer, 7.245 to 20.98% (mean, 12.60%) for FSL and 1.348 to 8.800% (mean value, 3.546%) for AccuBrain^®. In addition, AccuBrain^® and FreeSurfer achieved the lowest mean values of region-specific CV between GE and Siemens scanners (from 0.818 to 5.958% for AccuBrain^®, and from 0.903 to 7.977% for FreeSurfer), while FSL-FIRST had the lowest mean values of region-specific CV between GE and Philips scanners (from 2.603 to 16.310%). AccuBrain^® also had the lowest mean values of region-specific CV between Siemens and Philips scanners (from 1.138 to 6.615%).

Conclusion

There is a large discrepancy in the inter-scanner reproducibility of brain volumetry when using different processing software. Image acquisition protocols and selection of ABS tool for brain volumetry quantification have impact on the robustness of results in multi-site studies.

HGF protected against diabetic nephropathy via autophagy-lysosome pathway in podocyte by modulating PI3K/Akt-GSK3β-TFEB axis

Podocyte loss is a detrimental feature and major cause of proteinuria in diabetic nephropathy (DN). Our previous study revealed that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) prevented high glucose-induced podocyte injury via enhancing autophagy. In the current study, we aimed to assess the role of HGF on podocyte homeostasis in DN and clarify its mechanisms further. Diabetic mice treated with HGF had markedly reduced ratio of kidney weight to body weight, urinary albumin excretion, podocyte loss and matrix expansion compared with that in the non-treated counterpart. Simultaneously, HGF-treated diabetic mice exhibited increased autophagy activity as indicated by the decreased accumulation of sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1/ p62) and increased microtubule-associated proteins 1 light chains 3 (LC3) II/LC3I ratio. These beneficial effects of HGF were blocked by HGF/c-Met inhibitor Crizotinib or phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002. Moreover, HGF treatment obviously prevented inactivation of the protein kinase B (Akt)-glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β)-transcription factor EB (TFEB) axis in high glucose-stimulated podocytes, which was associated with improved lysosome function and autophagy. Accordingly, adenovirus vector encoding constitutively active GSK3β (Ad-GSK3β-S9A) offset whereas small interfering RNA against GSK3β (GSK3β siRNA) recapitulated salutary effects of HGF on lysosome number and autophagy in podocytes. These results suggested that HGF protected against diabetic nephropathy through restoring podocyte autophagy, which at least partially involved PI3K/Akt-GSK3β-TFEB axis-mediated lysosomal function improvement.

Apoptosis repressor with caspase recruitment domain promotes cell proliferation and phenotypic modulation through 14-3-3ε/YAP signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells

AIMS

In response to vascular injury, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) may change from a contractile phenotype to a proliferative phenotype and consequently become conducive to neointima formation. Apoptosis repressor with caspase recruitment domain (ARC) was initially discovered as an endogenous apoptosis inhibitor, but whether ARC plays a role in VSMCs and whether it can participate in the regulation of atherosclerosis are unknown.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Protein and mRNA levels of ARC in tissues and cells were detected by western blot and quantitative real-time PCR. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the protein location, and immunohistochemistry was used to detect protein expression in tissues. VSMC proliferation was analysed using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and EdU assays, while migration was assessed by Transwell assay. Mechanistically, the direct binding between two proteins was verified by immunoprecipitation. We found that ARC expression was stimulated in VSMCs during cell proliferation. Our results also showed that ARC promoted cell proliferation and induced phenotypic modulation of VSMCs in vitro and vivo. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that ARC increased the nuclear localization of Yes associated protein (YAP) by binding to 14-3-3ε and that ARC played a role in promoting cell proliferation and phenotypic modulation. Additionally, the transcription factor p53 negatively regulated ARC expression at the transcriptional level during cell proliferation and phenotypic modulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings define a novel role for ARC in the phenotypic transition of proliferating VSMCs, which may provide a new strategy for regulating neointimal formation.

Investigation of the effects of laminin present in the basal lamina of the peripheral nervous system on axon regeneration and remyelination using the nerve acellular scaffold

This study aimed to investigate the effects of laminin (LN) located in the basal lamina, which are important components of the peripheral nervous system-extracellular matrix, on axon regeneration and remyelination. Nerve acellular scaffolds (NASs) (S-untreated) were prepared using the acellular technique. The active component LN in the NASs was blocked (S-LN^- ) or upregulated (S-LN⁺ ); S-LN+ contained seven times more LN than did the S-untreated group. The adhesion capacity of Schwann cells (SCs) to the three types of NAS (S-untreated, S-LN^- , and S-LN⁺ ) was assessed in vitro. Our results showed that the adhesion of SCs to the NASs was significantly reduced in the S-LN^- group, whereas no difference was observed between the S-LN⁺ and S-untreated groups. The pretreated NASs were used to repair nerves in a nerve injury mouse model with the animals divided into four groups (S-LN^- group, S-untreated group, S-LN⁺ group, and autograft group). Two weeks after surgery, although there was no difference in the S-LN^- group, S-untreated group and S-LN⁺ group, the newly formed basal lamina in the S-LN^- group were significantly lower than those in the other two groups. Four weeks after surgery, the S-LN⁺ group had higher numbers of newly generated axons and their calibers, more myelinated fibers, thicker myelin sheaths, increased myelin basic protein expression, and improved recovery of neural function compared to those of the S-LN^- and S-untreated groups, but all of these parameters were significantly worse than those of the autograft group. Downregulation of the LN level in the NAS leads to a reduction in all of the above parameters.

PET-MR Imaging and MR Texture Analysis in the Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cysts: A Prospective Preliminary Study

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

Our aim was to evaluate the capability of textural and metabolic parameters measured at pretreatment ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose Positron emission tomography (PET)-MR in differentiating malignant from benign pancreatic cystic lesions.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

Forty consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled in this study. They underwent simultaneous PET-MR for the diagnosis of pancreatic cysts. Thirty texture parameters were extracted from manually contoured axial T2-weighted imaging with fat suppression (T2FS) and apparent diffusion coefficient images, respectively. Maximal and mean standardized uptake values (SUV_max and SUV_mean, respectively) of pancreatic cysts were measured at PET-MR imaging. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare both textural and metabolic parameters between benign and malignant group.

RESULTS

FDG uptake was significantly higher in patients with malignant pancreatic cysts (SUV_maxp = 0.002, SUV_meanp < 0.001). Malignant cysts showed significantly lower standard deviation for spatial scaling factor at 3-6mm on T2FS images and lower skewness for spatial scaling factor at 2-4mm on apparent diffusion coefficient images (p < 0.01). SUV_mean had the highest Area under the curve of 0.892 on receiver-operating characteristic analysis with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 88.9%, 87.1%, and 87.6%, respectively. When metabolic and textural features were combined into a single diagnostic model, the AUC increased to 0.961, with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 88.9%, 96.8%, and 95.0%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our study implied that PET-MR showed no obvious advantages over traditional PET-related imaging in differentiating malignant from benign pancreatic cystic lesions. Diagnostic model based on the combination of metabolic and textural parameters showed satisfactory performance.

Engineering Polymeric Prodrug Nanoplatform for Vaccination Immunotherapy of Cancer

Neoantigen-based cancer vaccines are promising for boosting cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. However, the therapeutic effect of cancer vaccines is severely blunted by functional suppression of the dendritic cells (DCs). Herein, we demonstrated an acid-responsive polymeric nanovaccine for activating the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway and improving cancer immunotherapy. The nanovaccines were fabricated by integrating an acid-activatable polymeric conjugate of the STING agonist and neoantigen into one single nanoplatform. The nanovaccines efficiently accumulated at the lymph nodes for promoting DC uptake and facilitating cytosol release of the neoantigens. Meanwhile, the STING agonist activated the STING pathway in the DCs to elicit interferon-β secretion and to boost T-cell priming with the neoantigen. The nanovaccine dramatically inhibited tumor growth and occurrence of B16-OVA melanoma and 4T1 breast tumors in immunocompetent mouse models. Combination immunotherapy with the nanovaccines and anti-PD-L1 antibody demonstrated further improved antitumor efficacy in a 4T1 breast tumor model.

Engineering nanoparticles to locally activate T cells in the tumor microenvironment

Immunological tolerance of tumors is characterized by insufficient infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and immunosuppressive microenvironment of tumor. Tumor resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors due to immunological tolerance is an ongoing challenge for current immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Here, we report the development of tumor microenvironment-activatable anti-PDL1 antibody (αPDL1) nanoparticles for combination immunotherapy designed to overcome immunological tolerance of tumors. Combination of αPDL1 nanoparticle treatment with near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation-triggered activation of photosensitizer indocyanine green induces the generation of reactive oxygen species, which promotes the intratumoral infiltration of CTLs and sensitizes the tumors to PDL1 blockade therapy. We showed that the combination of antibody nanoparticles and NIR laser irradiation effectively suppressed tumor growth and metastasis to the lung and lymph nodes in mouse models. The nanoplatform that uses the antibody nanoparticle alone both for immune stimulation and PDL1 inhibition could be readily adapted to other immune checkpoint inhibitors for improved ICB therapy.

FAM83H overexpression predicts worse prognosis and correlates with less CD8+ T cells infiltration and Ras-PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Family with sequence similarity 83 members H (FAM83H) is one member of Family with sequence similarity 83 (FAM83) family, which possess oncogenic properties in several types of cancer. However, the potential function of FAM83H in pancreatic cancer (PC) still remain unknown.

AIM

This study aims to explore the role of FAM83H during pancreatic carcinogenesis and the regulation of immune infiltration in PC.

METHODS

In the current study, the clinical significance and potential biological of FAM83H were evaluated by bioinformatics analysis. Possible associations between FAM83H expression and tumor immunity were analyzed using ESTIMATE algorithm and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA).

RESULTS

FAM83H expression was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues, and positively associated with higher histologic grade, tumor recurrence, and worse prognosis. FAM83H overexpression is notably associated with KRAS activation. And functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that FAM83H may be involved in positive regulation of cell proliferation and migration, Ras protein signal transduction, regulation of cell-matrix adhesion, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), TGF-β receptor signaling in EMT, and activated NOTCH transmits signal to the nucleus. ESTIMATE algorithm and ssGSEA demonstrated that FAM83H overexpression suppressed the infiltration and antitumor activity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), especially for CD8⁺ T cells. Besides, FAM83H overexpression significantly correlated with low expression of TIL-related gene markers (e.g. CD8A, CD8B, CD2, CD3D, and CD3E).

CONCLUSION

The study suggests that FAM83H overexpression predicts poor prognosis and correlates with less CD8⁺ T cells infiltration and Ras-PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway in PC.

The effect of olmesartan on aortic intimal thickening after balloon injury through Apelin/APJ

PURPOSE

Restenosis is the main complication after percutaneous coronary intervention. The proliferation of new intima contributes to the process. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of olmesartan on intimal thickening after balloon injury and possible mechanism.

METHODS

Aortic endothelial denudation model was made by a 2F balloon catheter. Thirty-six rats were randomly allocated into three groups: Control (n = 12) Surgery (n = 12, received vascular balloon injury) and Olmesartan (n = 12, received 3 mg^.kg^-1.d^-1olmesartan after injury). Fourteen and 28 days after injury, HE staining was used to assess the aortic endothelial injury. Radioimmunological method was used to examine the level of angiotensin II (Ang II). Western blotting and reverse transcription polymerse chain reaction (RT-PCR) were employed to detect the protein and mRNA level of Apelin/APJ.

RESULTS

After vascular balloon injury, the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and the intimal thickening were increased. The mRNA and protein level of Ang II, AT1, Apelin and APJ mRNA were promoted by vascular balloon injury. Olmesartan decreased the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and the intimal thickening. Olmesartan decreased the expression of Ang II and AT1, but further increased the expression of Apelin and APJ. Balloon injury also induced the activation of Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling and olmesartan decreased the effect.

CONCLUSION

Olmesartan inhibits the intimal thickening through activating Apelin/APJ and inhibiting AngII-AT1 and ERK pathway.

Two unusual dendrobine-type alkaloids from Dendrobium findlayanum

Two unusual dendrobine-type alkaloids, findlayines E and F (1, 2), along with five known dendrobine-type alkaloids (3-7), were isolated from the stems of Dendrobium findlayanum Par. et Rchb. f. Compound 1 is the first example of dendrobine-type alkaloids with a 2-ethoxy-2-oxoethyl group attaching to the C-2, and compound 2 is a nor-dendrobine-type alkaloid, featuring a 5-decarboxylated structure. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated by means of extensive spectroscopic analyses, and their absolute configuration were confirmed by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. All isolates were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549 and MCF-7 human cancer cells.

One-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures

We present the experimental synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) van der Waals heterostructures, a class of materials where different atomic layers are coaxially stacked. We demonstrate the growth of single-crystal layers of hexagonal boron nitride (BN) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) crystals on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). For the latter, larger-diameter nanotubes that overcome strain effect were more readily synthesized. We also report a 5-nanometer-diameter heterostructure consisting of an inner SWCNT, a middle three-layer BN nanotube, and an outer MoS₂ nanotube. Electron diffraction verifies that all shells in the heterostructures are single crystals. This work suggests that all of the materials in the current 2D library could be rolled into their 1D counterparts and a plethora of function-designable 1D heterostructures could be realized.

Application of integrated positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating the prognostic factors of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with positron emission tomography, diffusion-weighted imaging, dynamic contrast enhancement and combined model

OBJECTIVES

This study was designed to investigate the distribution of the independent parameters of PET and MR in tumour differentiation and staging and to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the independent parameters and combined model of PET/MR in the tumour differentiation of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

METHODS

The patients with the preliminary diagnosis of HNSCC were included and underwent the integrated PET/MR The parameters included the diffusion-weighted imaging, dynamic contrast enhancement and PET. The correlations between different parameters and the distribution in groups of tumour differentiation and staging were analysed. The combined model was established with complementary PET/MR parameters. The diagnostic efficiency of the independent parameters and combined model in the tumour differentiation were analysed by receiver operating characteristic curve.

RESULTS

The correlations between the parameters of dynamic contrast enhancement and PET were most significant. There were significant differences between the well-differentiated group and the moderately/poorly differentiated group in terms of the mean values of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and standardised uptake value (SUV) (p < 0.05). The distributions among different tumour stage groups were not statistically different in all the parameters. The diagnostic efficiency of tumour differentiation increased in the order of K_epmean, SUVmean, ADCmean, and the combined model.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with the independent parameter, the combination of multiple parameters with PET/MR can further improve the diagnostic performance of tumour differentiation in HNSCC.