2D-Time of Flight MR Angiography in Intrathoracic Masses

正常ボランティア5例, 胸部腫瘤性病変の患者15例に対してMR Angiographyを施行した.MRAは, 6秒の息、止めでFLASH法(TR=20msec, TE=8msec, Flip angle=30°)を用いて撮像した像から作成した.全ての症例で胸部大動脈, 上大静脈, 下大静脈, 肺動脈及び肺静脈根部など太い血管の明瞭なMRA像が得られ, 腫瘤とそれら大血管系との関係が把握しやすく胸部腫瘤性病変の評価に有用と考えられた.MR Angiography of the thorax was performed in 5 healthy volunteers and 15 patients with intrathoracic masses. 2D-MRA was obtained sequentially by means of a fast low angle shot(FLASH)technique(TR=20msec.TE=8msec, Flip angle=30within a 6-second period of breath holding. MRA for great vessels was successfully completed in all volunteers and all patients. The relation between tumor and vasculature can be visualized so definitely that MRA may be thought to be a promising complement to MR imaging in the evaluation of intrathoracic masses

Spin-transfer switching and thermal stability in an FePt/Au/FePt nanopillar prepared by alternate monatomic layer deposition

We fabricated a current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) nanopillar with a 1-nm-thick FePt free layer having perpendicular anisotropy using the alternate monatomic layer deposition method. Nanopillars consisting of [Fe (1 monolayer (ML))/Pt (1 ML)]n (n: the number of the alternation period) ferromagnetic layers and an Au spacer layer showed spin-transfer induced switching at room temperature.Comment: 11 page

Serum Amyloid A Promotes E-Selectin Expression via Toll-Like Receptor 2 in Human Aortic Endothelial Cells

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the periodontium. Recent studies suggest an association between periodontal and cardiovascular diseases. However, the detailed molecular mechanism is unknown. A previous study has demonstrated that experimental periodontitis induces serum amyloid A (SAA) in the liver and peripheral blood of ApoE-deficient mice as an atherosclerosis model. SAA is an acute-phase protein that affects systemic inflammation. The aim of this study is to investigate the atherosclerosis-onset mechanism using human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) stimulated by SAA in vitro. Atherosclerosis PCR array and qPCR analyses showed upregulation of adhesion molecules such as intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and E-selectin in HAECs upon SAA stimulation. In addition, the results demonstrated that Toll-like receptor, TLR2, could serve as an important receptor of SAA in HAECs. Furthermore, small interfering RNA (siRNA) against TLR2 inhibited the upregulation of adhesion molecules in HAECs stimulated by SAA. Our results suggest that SAA stimulates the expression of adhesion molecules via TLR2. SAA could be an important molecule for atherosclerosis induced by periodontal disease

Next-Generation Examination, Diagnosis, and Personalized Medicine in Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease, a major cause of tooth loss, is an infectious disease caused by bacteria with the additional aspect of being a noncommunicable disease closely related to lifestyle. Tissue destruction based on chronic inflammation is influenced by host and environmental factors. The treatment of periodontal disease varies according to the condition of each individual patient. Although guidelines provide standardized treatment, optimization is difficult because of the wide range of treatment options and variations in the ideas and skills of the treating practitioner. The new medical concepts of “precision medicine” and “personalized medicine” can provide more predictive treatment than conventional methods by stratifying patients in detail and prescribing treatment methods accordingly. This requires a new diagnostic system that integrates information on individual patient backgrounds (biomarkers, genetics, environment, and lifestyle) with conventional medical examination information. Currently, various biomarkers and other new examination indices are being investigated, and studies on periodontal disease-related genes and the complexity of oral bacteria are underway. This review discusses the possibilities and future challenges of precision periodontics and describes the new generation of laboratory methods and advanced periodontal disease treatment approaches as the basis for this new field