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Thirty-seven patients who were clinically suspected of having vertebral osteomyelitis were prospectively evaluated with magnetic resonance (MR), radiography, and radionuclide studies. These findings were correlated with the final clinical, microbiologic, or histologic diagnoses. Based on the results of these latter studies, 23 patients were believed to have osteomyelitis. MR examinations consisted of at least a sagittal image (TE = 30 msec, TR = 0.5 sec) and an image obtained at TE = 120 msec, TR = 2-3 sec. All patients underwent radiographic and MR examinations, 36 underwent technetium 99m-HDP bone scanning, and 20 patients underwent gallium 67 scanning. Nineteen patients underwent both bone and gallium scanning. The imaging studies were reviewed independently by investigators blinded to the final diagnoses. MR had a sensitivity of 96%, specificity of 92%, and accuracy of 94%. Combined gallium and bone scan studies (19 cases) had a sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 100%, and accuracy of 94%. Bone scans alone had a sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 78%, and accuracy of 86%. Plain radiographs had a sensitivity of 82%, specificity of 57%, and accuracy of 73%. The MR appearance of vertebral osteomyelitis in this study was characteristic, and MR was as accurate and sensitive as radionuclide scanning in the detection of osteomyelitis.

This study investigated white matter integrity in young children with autism using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Twenty-two children with autism, mean age 3:2 years, and 32 controls, mean age 3:4 years, participated in the study. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) revealed white matter abnormalities in several distinct clusters within the genu and body of the corpus callosum (CC), left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and right and left cingulum (Cg). TBSS-VOIs analysis was performed in the clusters where differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) were detected to investigate the relationship between changes in FA and diffusivity indices. In all VOIs, increase in FA was caused by a decrease in radial diffusivity (Dr), while no changes in axial diffusivity (Da) or mean diffusivity (MD) were observed. Tractography analysis was applied to further study the CC, SLF, and Cg. Witelson parcellation scheme was used for the CC. Significant increase in FA was seen in children with autism in the mid-body of the CC as well as in the left Cg. It is suggested that such abnormal white matter integrity in young children with autism may adversely affect connectivity between different brain regions and may be linked to some of the behavioral impairments apparent in autism.

The destruction of the immune system by progressive loss of CD4 T cells is the hallmark of AIDS. CCR5-dependent (R5) human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates predominate in the early, asymptomatic stages of HIV-1 infection, while CXCR4-dependent (X4) isolates typically emerge at later stages, frequently coinciding with a rapid decline in CD4 T cells. Lymphocyte killing in vivo primarily occurs through apoptosis, but the importance of apoptosis of HIV-1-infected cells relative to apoptosis of uninfected bystander cells is controversial. Here we show that in human lymphoid tissues ex vivo, apoptosis of uninfected bystander CD4 T cells is a major mechanism of lymphocyte depletion caused by X4 HIV-1 strains but is only a minor mechanism of depletion by R5 strains. Further, X4 HIV-1-induced bystander apoptosis requires the interaction of the viral envelope glycoprotein gp120 with the CXCR4 coreceptor on CD4 T cells. These results emphasize the contribution of bystander apoptosis to HIV-1 cytotoxicity and suggest that in association with a coreceptor switch in HIV disease, T-cell killing evolves from an infection-restricted stage to generalized toxicity that involves a high degree of bystander apoptosis. Gradual depletion of CD4 T cells is the hallmark of disease progression in AIDS (14). Both decreased thymic production and increased destruction of CD4 T cells are thought to play a role in CD4 depletion (25,37). In vivo and in vitro data have shown that CXCR4-dependent (X4) human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) strains cause more pronounced depletion of CD4 T cells than CCR5-dependent (R5) strains (11,23,24,29,32,33,41,44,45). The higher cytopathogenicity of X4 strains is due at least in part to their wider range of susceptible target cells (11,23,24,29,32,33,41,44,45). CXCR4 is expressed on nearly all CD4 T lymphocytes, whereas only about 15 to 30% express detectable levels of CCR5 on the cell surface (7, 23).Apoptosis of CD4 T cells has been proposed as a key mechanism underlying CD4 T-cell depletion in vivo (1, 34, 47), but the relative contributions of HIV-1-induced killing of productively infected cells as opposed to uninfected bystander cells remain highly controversial (8,15,17,27,39). To study HIV-1-induced cell death, we performed infections of ex vivo human lymphoid tissue cultures. This highly relevant system is permissive for HIV-1 infection independent of exogenous stimulation by mitogens or interleukin-2 and maintains its natural cytokine milieu, cellular activation status, and cell-to-cell interactions (19). Critically, these are all factors which have been shown to be crucial for the determination of HIV-1-induced cell death (10,21,26,30,35,42).We investigated the relative contributions of apoptosis in productively infected cells and apoptosis of uninfected bystander CD4 T cells to overall lymphocyte depletion. We observed massive HIV-1-induced apoptosis of bystander CD4 T cells following infections with X4 viruses but detected little bystander killing following infection with R5 vir...

This Capsule Endoscopy Structured Terminology (CEST) is a copy− righted work, protected by United States and worldwide copy− right laws and treaties. Users of the CEST are hereby granted a free license to use, copy or distribute the CEST in connection with supporting a structured terminology for capsule endoscopy, subject to the following conditions: 1. This copyright and terms of use notice must be displayed on each and every copy of the CEST, on all manuals and other mate− rials used in connection with the CEST, including without limita− tion electronic media (i. e., disks, CD−ROMs, etc.), and in all text files loaded onto electronic media or the Internet. Such copyright and terms of use notice shall not be removed, obscured, modified or otherwise hidden. All references to the CEST, in whole or in part, shall properly cite the CEST as the source for such reference. Proper citation shall read "Capsule Endoscopy Structured Termi− nology (CEST), Endoscopy 2005; 37: 951 ± 959 (February 16, 2002 Given Imaging Ltd.)". 2. The CEST shall not be used, in whole or in part, to harm or de− grade the reputation of Given Imaging or any participant in the Given Capsule Standard Working Group (the "GCSWG"). 3. Neither Given Imaging nor any participant in the GCSWG shall be liable for any errors or omissions contained in the CEST, or for any use you or any third party may make of the CEST. Given Ima− ging reserves the right to make changes to the CEST without no− tice. The information contained in the CEST is provided on an "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to the results or effects obtained through use of information, or that it is fit for any use intended or can be used without infringing the copyright or other proprietary rights of any third party. All express and implied warranties, including those relating to title, non−infringement, merchantability or fit− ness for a particular purpose, are hereby expressly disclaimed and excluded with respect to any information provided hereun− der.

Combining elaborate neurophysiological assessment, tractography-based neuronavigation, and updated IOUS images provided accurate localization of the CSTs and enabled the safe resection of tumors approximating these tracts. This is the first attempt to evaluate the distance from the CSTs using the threshold of subcortical monopolar stimulation with real-time IOUS for the correction of brain shift. The linear correlation between the distance to the CSTs and the threshold of subcortical stimulation producing a motor response provides an intraoperative technique to better preserve motor function.

The herpesvirus visualized in Kaposi's sarcoma lesions has morphologic and cytopathic features typical of human herpesviruses, productively infects vasoformative spindle cells and mononuclear cells, and is consistent with HHV-8. It can also form intranuclear inclusions that are identifiable by light microscopy in hematoxylin and eosin sections and by ISH.

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