Harutaka Niiya

Analysis of factors associated with radiation-induced bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia syndrome after breast-conserving therapy.

PURPOSE To evaluate factors associated with radiation-induced bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) syndrome after breast-conserving therapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS A total of 702 women with breast cancer who received radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery at seven institutions between July 1995 and December 2006 were analyzed. In all patients, the whole breast was irradiated with two tangential photon beams. The criteria used for the diagnosis of radiation-induced BOOP syndrome were as follows: (1) radiotherapy to the breast within 12 months, (2) general and/or respiratory symptoms lasting for >or=2 weeks, (3) radiographs showing lung infiltration outside the radiation port, and (4) no evidence of a specific cause. RESULTS Radiation-induced BOOP syndrome was seen in 16 patients (2.3%). Eleven patients (68.8%) were administered steroids. The duration of steroid administration ranged from 1 week to 3.7 years (median, 1.1 years). Multivariate analysis revealed that age (>or=50 years; odds ratio [OR] 8.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-67.76; p = 0.04) and concurrent endocrine therapy (OR 3.05; 95% CI 1.09-8.54; p = 0.03) were significantly associated with BOOP syndrome. Of the 161 patients whose age was >or=50 years and who received concurrent endocrine therapy, 10 (6.2%) developed BOOP syndrome. CONCLUSIONS Age (>or=50 years) and concurrent endocrine therapy can promote the development of radiation-induced BOOP syndrome after breast-conserving therapy. Physicians should carefully follow patients who received breast-conserving therapy, especially those who are older than 50 years and received concurrent endocrine therapy during radiotherapy.

Distribution of protein-bound zinc in serum of analbuminemic rat.

The distribution of protein-bound zinc in serum of rat with analbuminemia was analyzed with gel filtration and affinity chromatography. From the profiles of chromatography, the zinc present in analbuminemic rat serum is composed of two principal species in similar to that of Sprague-Dawley rat: one fraction is firmly bound to alpha 2-macroglobulin, and a second fraction is more loosely bound to various proteins.

Detection of Metastatic Thyroid Carcinoma with 99mTc-MIBI Scintigraphy.

Accumulation of 99mTc-MIBI has been reported in several various carcinomas. In this study, 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy was evaluated to detect recurrent or metastatic lesion in seven patients with thyroid carcinoma. The results were compared with those of 131I scintigraphy and 201T1 scintigraphy.Bone metastasis and lymphnode metastasis were well demonstrated in 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy, but 131I scintigraphy allows the best visualization of pulmonary metastasis.99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy has desirable characteristics including the potential for no thyroid hormone withdrawal, immediate imaging postinjection, and low radiation burden.In conclusion, it is shown that 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy is a useful procedure in follow-up of thyroid carcinoma and has the potential for visualization of metastasis when 131I was negative.