KCNJ5 mutations are associated with a better surgical outcome. Preoperative identification of the mutation status might have impact on surgical strategy (total vs. subtotal adrenalectomy).”
“SETTING: Nucleic acid amplification tests can detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex rapidly and reliably.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic performance of the artus (R) M. tuberculosis PCR Kit and COBAS (R) AMPLICOR (TM) Mycobacterium tuberculosis Test. In the artus
assay, an appropriate cycle threshold (Ct) value was determined for positivity.
DESIGN: A total of 238 clinical respiratory specimens were analysed using both the artus and COBAS AMPLICOR assays. In 221 specimens, these results were further compared INCB024360 clinical trial with culture results.
RESULTS: The overall agreement between artus and COBAS AMPLICOR was 96.2% (229/238). Among the nine (3.8%) discrepant specimens, three (1.3%) were artus-positive and COBAS AMPLICOR-negative, while the other six (2.5%) were artus-negative and COBAS AMPLICOR-positive. Using culture as a standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the artus assay were 97.8% and 85.1%, and those of COBAS AMPLICOR assay were 100% and 86.2%, respectively.
The difference was not statistically significant. In the artus assay, AZD9291 inhibitor the minimum Ct value for the positivity determination was 38.
CONCLUSION: The artus and COBAS AMPLICOR assays showed comparable diagnostic performance and can be confidently used for detection of M. tuberculosis complex. In the artus assay, a Ct value of 38 could be suggested as an appropriate cut-off value.”
“Surgery is the only potential cure for patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Preoperative ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are not sensitive enough for detection of microscopic disease. The aim of this study was to investigate if routine preoperative In-111-labelled (DTPA-D-Phe(1))-octreotide scintigraphy (SRS) could be used
as a staging procedure in planning primary surgery in patients with MTC.
This study included BKM120 solubility dmso patients with primary sporadic clinically overt MTC diagnosed between 1996 and 2009. All patients underwent conventional imaging of neck and thorax and SRS prior to standardised surgery. The findings on SRS were correlated to the findings on conventional imaging, histopathology and to postoperative biochemical results and survival.
A total of 19 patients with sporadic MTC were enrolled. Median follow-up was 77(9-184) months. SRS visualised the primary tumour in 16 (84 %) patients. Fifteen (79 %) patients had locoregional lymph node metastases, but SRS detected metastatic lesions in only 8 (53 %) patients. In three patients with distant spread, SRS failed to detect metastatic lesions in two.