• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.44-51
• /
• 2008

Purpose: We performed this study to evaluate reliability on interpretation of three phase bone scintigraphy (TPBS) in patients with post-traumatic complex regional pain syndrome (PT-CRPS). Methods: Based on International Association for the Study of Pain guideline in 1994, 34 patients with PT-CRPS were selected for this study. Two nuclear medicine physicians evaluated identical TPBS according to the uptake pattern, extent and intensity of the lesion, and their agreements (kappa values) were analysed. The final diagnosis based on arbitrary criteria of each physician were compared with those obtained by the criteria for PT-CRPS established in this study, which are hyperactivity on all phases (criteria 1), hyperactivity of whole joints on delayed phase (criteria 2), and hyperactivity of either whole or FDGal joints on delayed phase (criteria 3). Results: Intra-observer agreements were good for uptake pattern, intensity, and extent on TPBS. Inter-observer agreements were also good, except extent on blood pool phase (0.55). The inter-observer agreements on final diagnosis improved when criteria 1-3 were applied (0.77-0.88), compared to when physician's own criteria were used (0.63). Those also improved from 0.29 to 0.47-0.82 for acute stage, and from 0.37 to 1.0 for chronic stage. The sensitivities of chronic stage were relatively lower to those of acute stage. Conclusions: Inter-observer's variations in diagnosis of the patients with PT-CRPS using TPBS were observed. These results were attributed to different criteria set by observers. In order to improve agreement on interpretation of TPBS, common positive criteria should be established, especially considering uptake pattern and clinical stages.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.27 no.10
• /
• pp.1207-1214
• /
• 2017

Schisandrae Fructus (SF), the fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of a number of chronic diseases. SF extracts have been recently reported to attenuate the inflammatory responses in SW1353 human chondrocyte cells in in vitro and monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced cartilage degradation in in vivo osteoarthritis (OA) models. However, their protective and therapeutic potentials against OA in primary culture chondrocytes and animal models remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of the ethanol extract of SF on the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), biomarkers for diagnosis of OA, on interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}-induced$ primary cultured rat cartilage chondrocytes and MIA-induced osteoarthritis in a rat model. Our data indicated that SF treatment significantly reduced the mRNA expression and enzyme activity of MMP-1, -3 and -13 in $IL-1{\beta}-induced$ primary cultured rat cartilage chondrocytes. The chondro-protective effects of SF were then analyzed in a rat OA model using a single intra-articular injection of MIA in the right knee joint. According to our results, the elevated levels of MMP-1 and -3 were markedly ameliorated by SF administration. Collectively, these findings indicate that SF could be a candidate for the treatment of OA.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.653-661
• /
• 2019

The first small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics have recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S., and the demand for a new RNA therapeutics bioanalysis method-which is essential for pharmacokinetics, including the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of siRNA therapeutics-is rapidly increasing. The stem-loop real-time qPCR (RT-qPCR) assay is a useful molecular technique for the identification and quantification of small RNA (e.g., micro RNA and siRNA) and can be applied for the bioanalysis of siRNA therapeutics. When the anti-HPV E6/E7 siRNA therapeutic was used in preclinical trials, the established stem-loop RT-qPCR assay was validated. The limit of detection was sensitive up to 10 fM and the lower limit of quantification up to 100 fM. In fact, the reliability of the established test method was further validated in three intra assays. Here, the correlation coefficient of $R^2$>0.99, the slope of -3.10 ~ -3.40, and the recovery rate within ${\pm}20%$ of the siRNA standard curve confirm its excellent robustness. Finally, the circulation profiles of siRNAs were demonstrated in rat serum, and the pharmacokinetic properties of the anti-HPV E6/E7 siRNA therapeutic were characterized using a stem-loop RT-qPCR assay. Therefore, the stemloop RT-qPCR assay enables accurate, precise, and sensitive siRNA duplex quantification and is suitable for the quantification of small RNA therapeutics using small volumes of biological samples.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.291-298
• /
• 2007

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of TI-201 SPECT with intra coronary injection (lC-I) in the detection of viable myocardium, we have performed SPECT imaging after direct intracoronary injection of TI-201 and images were compared with those of stress-reinjection (Re-I) SPECT. Methods: Fourteen coronary artery disease patients (male 11, mean age 54 years) who had myocardial infarction or demonstrated left ventricular wall motion abnormality on echocardiography were enrolled. Three mCi of TI-201 was injected into both coronary arteries during angiography and images were acquired between 6- and 24-hour after injection. Reinjection imaging with 1 mCi of TI-201 was performed at 4-hour after adenosine stress imaging with 3 mCi of TI-201. Images were interpreted according to 4-grade visual scoring system (grade 0-3). Segments with mild to moderated uptake (${\leq}$grade 1), and upgraded more than one score with reinjection, and were defined as viable myocardium. Results: Image quality was poor in two cases with IC-I. Numbers of non-viable segments were 60 (23.8%) with IC-I, and 38 (15.1%) with Re-I, respectively. Overall agreement for perfusion grade per myocardial segment in each IC-I and Re-I was 76.5%. Overall agreement for viable segment between IC-I and Re-I was 90.5%. Only one out of 38 segments interpreted as non-viable with Re-I were interpretated as viable with IC-I. And 23 out of 214 segments interpreted as viable with Re-I were interpreted as non-viable with IC-I. Conclusion: Intracoronary TI-201 SPECT seemed to be not advantageous over stress-rest reinjection imaging in the assessment of myocardial viability, mainly due to low count statistics at 6-hour or 24-hour delayed time points. The feasibility of intracoronary TI- 201 SPECT is considered to be limited.