Clara cell 10 kilodalton protein (CC10), the predominant product from nonciliated cells in the epithelial lining of bronchioles (Clara cells), has been shown to have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity, and may play roles in controlling inflammation in the airway. This study was designed to examine immunohistochemical expression of CC10 in epithelial cells in small airways (perimeter < 6 mm) of asthmatic and control nonsmokers who underwent lung resection because of peripheral lung carcinoma and to compare CC10-positive epithelial cell proportions with numbers of inflammatory cells in small airways of asthmatics. Significantly decreased proportions of CC10-positive epithelial cells and significantly increased numbers of T cells, activated eosinophils, and mast cells in small airways of asthmatics were found compared with those of control subjects. CC10-positive epithelial cell proportions inversely correlated with numbers of T cells and mast cells in small airways of asthmatics. Decreases of CC10-producing cells may give an accelerating cause for further aggravation of inflammatory responses in chronic asthma.

Clara cell 10-kDa protein (CC10), the predominant product from nonciliated cells in the epithelial lining of bronchioles (Clara cells), has been shown to have immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory activity and may play a role in controlling airway inflammation. This study was designed to measure serum CC10 concentrations in healthy and asthmatic nonsmokers. Serum CC10 concentrations in asthmatic nonsmokers were significantly lower than in healthy nonsmokers. Asthmatic patients with a long duration of the disease (>/=10 years) had significantly lower serum CC10 levels than those with a short duration of the disease (<10 years). There was no significant difference in serum CC10 levels in asthmatic patients between the time of the asthmatic attack and the stable condition. Serum CC10 levels may reflect decreased production of CC10 caused by remodeling of the small airways in asthma.

Glypican-3 (GPC3) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored cell surface glycoprotein overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and may serve as a potential molecular target for therapeutic intervention. This study evaluated the prognostic significance of serum GPC3 in HCC patients receiving curative surgery. A novel sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the quantitative and sensitive determination of serum GPC3 N-terminal subunit antigen (sGPC3N) was developed and used to measure sGPC3N levels in 25 healthy volunteers and 115 HCC patients who underwent curative partial hepatectomy. The relationships between sGPC3N and clinicopathologic features were analyzed and the prognostic impact on overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS) was also investigated. Mean and median levels of sGPC3N in healthy controls were 110.12 and 115.95 pg mL 21 , respectively, with 185.52 pg mL 21 (mean 1 2 SD) being set as the upper limit of the normal range. In HCC patients, sGPC3N levels were significantly increased (mean/median, 405.16/236.19 pg mL 21 ) compared to healthy controls (p < 0.0001), and 60% of HCC cases (69/115) showed sGPC3N levels that were higher than the upper normal limit. High sGPC3N levels were significantly associated with serum AFP level, high Child-Pugh score and positive HCV. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that elevated pre-operative sGPC3N was associated with shorter OS and DFS after hepatectomy (p 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed elevated sGPC3N as an independent poor prognostic marker for OS (p < 0.05) and DFS (p < 0.01). The pre-operative sGPC3N level serves as an independent prognostic biomarker in HCC patients.Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Despite progress in surgical and nonsurgical therapies, the prognosis for HCC is still poor, and HCC remains resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Although the multi-kinase inhibitor sorafenib has extended the survival of HCC patients by 3 months, 1

Background-The purpose of this study was to evaluate the growth rate of type B double-barrel aortic dissection with computed tomography (CT) and the factors influencing its enlargement. Methods and Results-Sixty-two patients were entered into this study, and regular follow-up CT studies (mean; 49.1 months) were performed. The affected aortas and iliac arteries were divided into 5 segments (aortic arch, descending thoracic, suprarenal abdominal, infrarenal abdominal aorta, and iliac artery). Fifty-two of 62 patients (83.9%) had 1 or more segments increased in size during follow-up period. In a total of 177 segments, the presence or absence of blood flow in the false lumen and aortic diameter were evaluated on CT during the follow-up period. The factors (gender, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerotic disease, smoking, entry site in arch, initial diameter, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, blood pressure, and age) influencing increase in the diameter and growth rate were also evaluated. Of 177 segments, 132 segments (74.6%) increased in size during the follow-up period. The presence of blood flow in the false lumen was the only significant risk factor for increase in the diameter in the univariate and multivariate analysis. The group with blood flow in the false lumen had a significantly higher mean growth rate (3.3 mm/year) than the group without blood flow (Ϫ1.4 mm/year) (PϽ0.0001). The growth rate of aortic dissections in thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta were 4.1 and 1.2 mm/year, respectively. There was a significant difference in the growth rate between the 2 groups (Pϭ0.0003). Conclusion-In type B aortic dissection, the affected aortas have shown a high incidence of enlargement during the follow-up period, and more careful follow-up study is needed for aortic dissections in the thoracic aorta. The presence of blood flow in the false lumen is the most important risk factor for aortic enlargement.

The ANN can provide a useful output as a second opinion to improve general radiologists' diagnostic performance in the differential diagnosis of certain diffuse lung diseases using HRCT.

Purpose To assess the position and signal intensity of the ulnar nerve at elbow extension and flexion by using magnetic resonance imaging. Materials and Methods Institutional review board approval and written informed consent were obtained. Transverse T2-weighted images were obtained perpendicular to the upper arm in 100 healthy elbows of 50 volunteers (23 men, 27 women; age range, 21-57 years) and nine elbows with ulnar neuropathy (five men, four women; age range, 24-59 years) with extension and 130° of flexion. Ulnar nerve position was classified into three types: no dislocation, subluxation, or dislocation. One-way analysis of variance, paired t tests, Student t tests, and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze correlations between ulnar nerve movement angle during flexion and age, sex, presence of the anconeus epitrochlearis muscle, and ulnar neuropathy and to compare the contrast-to-noise ratio of nerve to muscle between extension and flexion. Results Nerve positions in healthy elbows were as follows: All had no dislocation at extension, and at flexion, 51 of 100 elbows (51.0%) had no dislocation, 30 of 100 elbows (30.0%) had subluxation, and 19 of 100 elbows (19.0%) had dislocation. Nerve movement angle was smaller in elbows with the anconeus epitrochlearis muscle than in those without the muscle (P = .045, .015). Presence of the muscle was the only significant factor associated with nerve movement angle (P = .047, .013). Only dominant elbows with nerve movement angle of less than 15° and nondominant elbows with nerve movement angle of less than 10° showed contrast-to-noise ratio increase at flexion (P = .021-.030). Conclusion Ulnar nerve movement during flexion was apparent in approximately half of healthy elbows and was similar between healthy elbows and elbows with ulnar neuropathy. Nerve signal intensity increased during flexion only in elbows without apparent nerve movement. (©) RSNA, 2016 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Endovascular treatment is now an alternative to surgery for the treatment of iliac artery aneurysms (IAAs). A variety of minimally invasive therapeutic options are available (eg, coil embolization, stent-graft placement), and choosing an appropriate option is essential for achieving excellent long-term results and reducing potential complications. Preprocedural imaging with multi-detector row computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is necessary for evaluating patient eligibility and planning the interventional procedure. An imaging classification system for IAAs that is based on anatomic features and endovascular treatment options has been developed and may help determine therapeutic strategies for affected patients. Early experience indicates that endovascular treatment is safe and effective in treating IAAs, and it is expected that various devices that will make endovascular treatment easier to perform will soon become commercially available. However, large, long-term follow-up studies will be needed to determine whether this approach is a practical alternative to open surgery.

Lung surfactant protein A (SP-A) and Clara cell 10-kDa protein (CC10) are the most abundant proteins produced locally in the lower respiratory tract, as assessed in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) analysis. However, it is not known what factors influence SP-A and CC10 levels in BAL fluids, and the relationship between SP-A and CC10 levels in BAL fluids has been unclear. We measured SP-A and CC10 concentrations in BAL fluids from 11 healthy nonsmokers and 12 healthy smokers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays using specific antibodies. Mean SP-A and CC10 levels in BAL fluids of healthy smokers were significantly lower than those of healthy nonsmokers. SP-A values correlated significantly with CC10 and phospholipid values in BAL fluids. On BAL examinations using three 50-ml aliquots, the mean SP-A level in the second lavage was 2.0-fold and 2.4-fold, respectively, of that in the first and third lavages, and the mean CC10 level in the first lavage was 5.0-fold and 5.6-fold, respectively, of that in the second and third lavages. We conclude that BAL fluid SP-A and CC10 levels are influenced by the BAL methods and by cigarette smoking. There is a significant positive correlation between SP-A and CC10 values in BAL fluids of healthy subjects.