scholarly journals Non-Invasive Assessment of the Liver – Serum Markers and Imaging Techniques

Liver Biopsy ◽  
10.5772/20293 ◽  
2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Mania ◽  
Pawe Kemnitz ◽  
Katarzyna Mazur-Melewska ◽  
Magdalena Figlerowicz ◽  
Wojciech Suzewski

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-31
Author(s):  
Cătălina Diana STANICA ◽  
◽  
Adrian NEACSU ◽  
Romina Marina SIMA ◽  
Raluca Gabriela IOAN ◽  
...  

Endometriosis is a common condition among women of reproductive age that can cause chronic pelvic pain and infertility. Rapid establishment of a positive diagnosis of endometriosis is essential for effective management. The positive diagnosis of endometriosis is difficult to establish and requires invasive methods. The "golden standard" for diagnosis is still laparoscopy. Current research has not yet established specific non-invasive diagnostic methods for endometriosis. Imaging techniques, endometrial or serum markers facilitate diagnosis and are useful in monitoring the patient's progress. A number of noninvasive investigations, such as imaging techniques, or biomarkers are currently being evaluated for use in routine practice. A combination of these noninvasive tests could be the standard for diagnosing endometriosis in the future.



2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Wanda Acampa ◽  
Mario Petretta ◽  
Carmela Nappi ◽  
Alberto Cuocolo ◽  
◽  
...  

Many non-invasive imaging techniques are available for the evaluation of patients with known or suspected coronary heart disease. Among these, computed-tomography-based techniques allow the quantification of coronary atherosclerotic calcium and non-invasive imaging of coronary arteries, whereas nuclear cardiology is the most widely used non-invasive approach for the assessment of myocardial perfusion. The available single-photon-emission computed tomography flow agents are characterised by a cardiac uptake proportional to myocardial blood flow. In addition, different positron emission tomography tracers may be used for the quantitative measurement of myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve. Extensive research is being performed in the development of non-invasive coronary angiography and myocardial perfusion imaging using cardiac magnetic resonance. Finally, new multimodality imaging systems have recently been developed bringing together anatomical and functional information. This article provides a description of the available non-invasive imaging techniques in the assessment of coronary anatomy and myocardial perfusion in patients with known or suspected coronary heart disease.



Author(s):  
N.P. Avdelidis ◽  
C. Ibarra-Castanedo ◽  
A. Bendada ◽  
E. Saarimaki ◽  
T. Kauppinen ◽  
...  


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (32) ◽  
pp. 3915-3927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Ballestri ◽  
Claudio Tana ◽  
Maria Di Girolamo ◽  
Maria Cristina Fontana ◽  
Mariano Capitelli ◽  
...  

: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) embraces histopathological entities ranging from the relatively benign simple steatosis to the progressive form nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is associated with fibrosis and an increased risk of progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD is the most common liver disease and is associated with extrahepatic comorbidities including a major cardiovascular disease burden. : The non-invasive diagnosis of NAFLD and the identification of subjects at risk of progressive liver disease and cardio-metabolic complications are key in implementing personalized treatment schedules and follow-up strategies. : In this review, we highlight the potential role of ultrasound semiquantitative scores for detecting and assessing steatosis severity, progression of NAFLD, and cardio-metabolic risk. : Ultrasonographic scores of fatty liver severity act as sensors of cardio-metabolic health and may assist in selecting patients to submit to second-line non-invasive imaging techniques and/or liver biopsy.



Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3645
Author(s):  
Isabel Theresa Schobert ◽  
Lynn Jeanette Savic

With the increasing understanding of resistance mechanisms mediated by the metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, there is a growing clinical interest in imaging technologies that allow for the non-invasive characterization of tumor metabolism and the interactions of cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment (TME) mediated through tumor metabolism. Specifically, tumor glycolysis and subsequent tissue acidosis in the realms of the Warburg effect may promote an immunosuppressive TME, causing a substantial barrier to the clinical efficacy of numerous immuno-oncologic treatments. Thus, imaging the varying individual compositions of the TME may provide a more accurate characterization of the individual tumor. This approach can help to identify the most suitable therapy for each individual patient and design new targeted treatment strategies that disable resistance mechanisms in liver cancer. This review article focuses on non-invasive positron-emission tomography (PET)- and MR-based imaging techniques that aim to visualize the crosstalk between tumor cells and their microenvironment in liver cancer mediated by tumor metabolism.



Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 683
Author(s):  
Matilde Lombardero ◽  
Mario López-Lombardero ◽  
Diana Alonso-Peñarando ◽  
María del Mar Yllera

The cat mandible is relatively small, and its manipulation implies the use of fixing methods and different repair techniques according to its small size to keep its biomechanical functionality intact. Attempts to fix dislocations of the temporomandibular joint should be primarily performed by non-invasive techniques (repositioning the bones and immobilisation), although when this is not possible, a surgical method should be used. Regarding mandibular fractures, these are usually concurrent with other traumatic injuries that, if serious, should be treated first. A non-invasive approach should also first be considered to fix mandibular fractures. When this is impractical, internal rigid fixation methods, such as osteosynthesis plates, should be used. However, it should be taken into account that in the cat mandible, dental roots and the mandibular canal structures occupy most of the volume of the mandibular body, a fact that makes it challenging to apply a plate with fixed screw positions without invading dental roots or neurovascular structures. Therefore, we propose a new prosthesis design that will provide acceptable rigid biomechanical stabilisation, but avoid dental root and neurovascular damage, when fixing simple mandibular body fractures. Future trends will include the use of better diagnostic imaging techniques, a patient-specific prosthesis design and the use of more biocompatible materials to minimise the patient’s recovery period and suffering.



Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 2348
Author(s):  
Leon Riehakainen ◽  
Chiara Cavallini ◽  
Paolo Armanetti ◽  
Daniele Panetta ◽  
Davide Caramella ◽  
...  

Non-invasive longitudinal imaging of osseointegration of bone implants is essential to ensure a comprehensive, physical and biochemical understanding of the processes related to a successful implant integration and its long-term clinical outcome. This study critically reviews the present imaging techniques that may play a role to assess the initial stability, bone quality and quantity, associated tissue remodelling dependent on implanted material, implantation site (surrounding tissues and placement depth), and biomarkers that may be targeted. An updated list of biodegradable implant materials that have been reported in the literature, from metal, polymer and ceramic categories, is provided with reference to the use of specific imaging modalities (computed tomography, positron emission tomography, ultrasound, photoacoustic and magnetic resonance imaging) suitable for longitudinal and non-invasive imaging in humans. The advantages and disadvantages of the single imaging modality are discussed with a special focus on preclinical imaging for biodegradable implant research. Indeed, the investigation of a new implant commonly requires histological examination, which is invasive and does not allow longitudinal studies, thus requiring a large number of animals for preclinical testing. For this reason, an update of the multimodal and multi-parametric imaging capabilities will be here presented with a specific focus on modern biomaterial research.



BMC Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Ziegler ◽  
Christina Sagorny

Abstract Background In zoology, species descriptions conventionally rely on invasive morphological techniques, frequently leading to damage of the specimens and thus only a partial understanding of their structural complexity. More recently, non-destructive imaging techniques have successfully been used to describe smaller fauna, but this approach has so far not been applied to identify or describe larger animal species. Here, we present a combination of entirely non-invasive as well as minimally invasive methods that permit taxonomic descriptions of large zoological specimens in a more comprehensive manner. Results Using the single available representative of an allegedly novel species of deep-sea cephalopod (Mollusca: Cephalopoda), digital photography, standardized external measurements, high-field magnetic resonance imaging, micro-computed tomography, and DNA barcoding were combined to gather all morphological and molecular characters relevant for a full species description. The results show that this specimen belongs to the cirrate octopod (Octopoda: Cirrata) genus Grimpoteuthis Robson, 1932. Based on the number of suckers, position of web nodules, cirrus length, presence of a radula, and various shell characters, the specimen is designated as the holotype of a new species of dumbo octopus, G. imperator sp. nov. The digital nature of the acquired data permits a seamless online deposition of raw as well as derived morphological and molecular datasets in publicly accessible repositories. Conclusions Using high-resolution, non-invasive imaging systems intended for the analysis of larger biological objects, all external as well as internal morphological character states relevant for the identification of a new megafaunal species were obtained. Potentially harmful effects on this unique deep-sea cephalopod specimen were avoided by scanning the fixed animal without admixture of a contrast agent. Additional support for the taxonomic placement of the new dumbo octopus species was obtained through DNA barcoding, further underlining the importance of combining morphological and molecular datasets for a holistic description of zoological specimens.



2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 425-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Johannes Koehler ◽  
Susanne Lange-Asschenfeldt ◽  
Martin Kaatz


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo De Matteis ◽  
Marica Cariello ◽  
Giusi Graziano ◽  
Stefano Battaglia ◽  
Patrizia Suppressa ◽  
...  

AbstractVisceral obesity is characterized by a low-grade inflammatory systemic state that contributes to the genesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), frequently associated with liver fibrosis. Non-invasive serum markers have recently emerged as reliable, easy-to-use scores to predict liver fibrosis. NAFLD is often linked to metabolic and cardiovascular risk. Thus, in this cross-sectional study, we investigated in a population of 1225 subjects if AST to Platelet Ratio Index (APRI), one of the non-invasive liver fibrosis serum markers, can predict cardiovascular risk (CVR). APRI has been previously validated as an efficient score to predict liver fibrosis in viral hepatitis patients with a cut-off of 0.5 for fibrosis and 1.5 for cirrhosis. Our study showed that APRI significantly correlates with CVR and determines, when elevated, a significant increase in CVR for both genders, especially females. This spike in CVR, observed when APRI is elevated, is relatively high in patients in the age of 51–65 years, but it is significantly higher in younger and premenopausal women, approaching risk values usually typical of men at the same age. Taken together, our data highlighted the role of APRI as a reliable predictor easy-to-use score for CVR in metabolic patients.



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