Modern dosimetry methods facilitate the conversion of radiation doses of varying units into an effective radiation dose. To compare the effective radiation dose between nongated CTA of the chest and diagnostic cardiac catheterization in pediatric patients. This is a retrospective cohort study of patients of patients who underwent either nongated CTA of
the chest or diagnostic cardiac catheterization between July 2009 and April 2010. Fifty patients PP2 were included in each group as consecutive samples at a single tertiary care center. An effective radiation dose (mSv) was formulated using conversion factors for each group. The median effective dose (ED) for the CTA group was 0.74 mSv compared with 10.8 mSv for the catheterization group (p < 0.0001). The median ED for children < 1 year of age in the CTA group was 0.76 mSv compared with 13.4 mSv for the catheterization group (p < 0.0001). Nongated CTA of the chest exposes children to 15 times less radiation than diagnostic cardiac catheterization. Unless hemodynamic data are necessary, CTA of the chest should be considered in lieu of diagnostic cardiac catheterization in patients with known
or presumed cardiac disease who need additional imaging beyond echocardiography.”
“Purpose: The kynurenine pathway (KP) is a major route of tryptophan metabolism. Several metabolites of this pathway are proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis WH-4-023 clinical trial of Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate peripheral KP in patients with Alzheimer type dementia and a detailed analysis of correlation between kynurenine (KYN), kynurenic acid (KYNA), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), anthranilic acid (AA), quinolinic acid (QUIN) and degree of neuropsychological changes in AD.
Material/Methods: The plasma concentration of tryptophan and its products degradation by kynurenine pathway were analyzed in 34 patients suffering from Alzheimer type dementia and 18 controls in similar age using high-performance liquid chromatography technique.
Results: In demented patients we found lower tryptophan and KYNA concentrations. There
was a non-significant increase of KYN, 3-HK and AA levels, and a marked HSP990 mouse increase of QUIN in Alzheimer’s disease group. We observed positive correlations between cognitive function tests and plasma KYNA levels, and inversely correlations between these tests and QUIN levels in Alzheimer type dementia.
Conclusions: Increased TRP degradation and simultaneous altered kynurenines levels were found in plasma of AD patients. It proves activation of peripheral kynurenine pathway in this type of dementia. The alterations of two main KYN metabolites: KYNA and QUIN seem to be associated with the impairment of the cognitive function in AD patients. This appears to offer novel therapeutic opportunities, with the development of new compounds as a promising perspective for brain neuroprotection.