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Cytotoxic T lymphocyte–associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and inducible T-cell co-stimulator (ICOS) genes are important mediators of T-cell activation in autoimmune diseases. The aim of the current study was to assess the impact of CTLA-4 and ICOS genes on the susceptibility to type 1 diabetes among two populations with different disease incidence rates. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the CTLA-4 region (+49A/G, CT60A/G, CTBC217_1C/T) and two SNPs within the ICOS region (CTIC154_1 C/T, CTIC159 C/G) were genotyped in 955 control subjects and 574 diabetic patients of Estonian and Finnish descent. The current study confirms the involvement of the CTLA-4 but not the ICOS gene in susceptibility to type 1 diabetes. However, the risk alleles and the defined main risk haplotype were more common in the Finnish controls compared with the Estonians, indicating that this gene locus might also be one of the contributing factors to the higher disease incidence in Finland.

In recent years increasing evidence has been provided on frequent simultaneous coexistence of inflammatory diseases and allergies in upper and lower airways. To achieve a good standard of measurement of upper airways, an objective method should be used. A total of 48 nasal cavities with nasal stuffiness associated with chronic sinusitis were measured with acoustic rhinometry (AR) and High-resolution computer tomography volumetry (HRCTV). Comparison of volumes and minimum cross-sectional areas measured with these methods was performed. The volumes measured from the nostril with both methods were the anterior (0–10 mm), middle (11–40 mm) and posterior (41–70 mm) volumes. The AR cross-sectional area curve was analysed based on two minimal notches corresponding to local minimal areas. A series of 1-mm coronal CT images without intervening gaps were made and analysed based on two minimal voxel values, which were later converted to cross-sectional areas corresponding to local, minimum cross-sectional areas (MCA). Furthermore, the distances of these 2 MCAs from the nostril were also measured. Strong statistically significant (P

The applications of a new segmentation software, Anatomatic, in the evaluation of volumetric measurements of brain infarctions and the new Medimag 3D software in the evaluation of 3D image representation of infarctions are described. These programs are applied to magnetic resonance imaging. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of these software packages in making accurate volumetric measurements in 40 patients with right cerebral infarctions, in determining the correlations between the quantitated lesions and neurological/neuropsychological dysfunctions and in creating realistic 3D views of the infarctions. Using Anatomatic, reproducible infarction volumes were achieved with ease and within a reasonably fast time. Medimag helped achieve realistic 3D representations of the infarctions. When compared, the semiautomatic segmentation proved to be much faster and yielded higher infarction volumes than the manual segmentation technique. Significantly positive correlations between the infarction volumes and neurological dysfunctions and neuropsychological deficit (neglect) helped to explain the effect of volumes on the clinical status of the patients.

The objectives of the present study was to correlate the segmented magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) volumes of intracranial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spaces (expressing the extent of brain atrophy) and cerebral plaques with the neurological disability in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Earlier studies have mainly correlated MS plaques and neurological disability measured by expanded disability status scale (EDSS). The data on the association between brain atrophy and EDSS or regional functional scoring scale (RFSS) are very limited. We measured the volumes of intracranial CSF spaces in 28 patients with secondary progressive MS using MRI, and semiautomatic segmentation software. The volumes of T1-weighted hypointense and T2-weighted hyperintense MS plaques were also measured. In multiple regression analysis, increasing volumes of total (P=0.006) and relative (P=0.005) intracranial CSF spaces were significantly associated with worsening neurological disability as expressed by EDSS. No associations were found between these intracranial CSF space volumes and total RFSS scores. The mean volume of T2-weighted plaques showed a tendency to associate with total RFSS score (r=0.40, P=0.03), but no correlations were detected between T1- or T2-weighted plaque volumes and EDSS. The application of a new segmentation technique in quantifying intracranial cerebrospinal fluid spaces allowed an exact and sensitive way of assessing brain atrophy. The associations between brain atrophy and neurological disability expressed by EDSS suggests that the effect of MS therapies should be evaluated by measurement of brain atrophy.

The electroencephalogram (EEG) visualization software was developed containing two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) brain mapping modules. The input to the program is standard clinical individual patient data recorded using digital EEG and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The software utilizes several techniques, such as heuristic triangulation, ray casting, Gouraud shading, and image fusion to form multimodal 3D images. The program has been applied to the 3D visualization of various EEG signals, "cortical" EEG signals, and potential fields generated by a computer model. The developed program appears to operate efficiently and intuitively in PC/Windows environment.

This study focuses on three-dimensional (3D) presentations of medical images such as magnetic resonance (MR) images and computed tomography (CT) images. Also multimodal presentations of medical images and signals, including different visualization techniques are considered. A C++ class library together with graphical user interfaces was developed for presenting the results. The implemented software operates in PC/Windows environment. It was tested with various medical images including raw MR and CT data and segmented images, and was applied in a hospital environment. The software operates relatively fast and the quality of resulting pictures is adequate for all tested medical applications. Further applications of 3D presentations in clinical medicine are considered.

This paper describes a segmentation method primarily developed for reconstructing resistive head models for electroencephalographic modelling purposes. The method was implemented by combining several image processing techniques, such as amplitude segmentation, region growing, and image fusion. Also a graphical user interface was developed to enable semiautomatic approach to the segmentation process. This method was developed especially for segmentation of the brain and skull from T1-weighted magnetic resonance images, but can also be applied in any segmentation procedure. The entire project was implemented successfully in a PC-based computer running the Unix/NeXTstep ™ operating system.

Incubation of hepatocytes from phenobarbital-pretreated rats with diethylmaleate (DEM) and 1 mM [14C]styrene for 3 to 5 hours did not result in binding of styrene 7,8-oxide (SO) to DNA as determined by ion exchange chromatography of enzymatic digests of DNA. The elution of substantial amounts of radioactivity together with natural nucleosides and bases suggests that styrene is partly metabolized via splitting of the vinyl bond and that incorporation of C1 fragments into DNA is most likely the result of repair DNA synthesis following DNA damage by styrene itself or one of its metabolites.