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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive imaging technique with increasing importance in clinical medicine. It has become a valuable and reliable imaging tool in the diagnosis and management of many medical and surgical conditions. Important advantages of MRI are its flexibility in orientation of imaging plane and the possibility of both anatomical and functional imaging. MRI is based on the application and detection of radio signals and works without any exposure to ionizing radiation, and therefore it is regarded as a safe imaging technique. In the heart there are well established imaging indications such as in acquired and congenital heart disease, pericardial and aortic disease and visualisation of cardiac masses and hypertrophy. Its applications in coronary artery disease (CAD) have been relatively limited, but recent developments in ultrafast imaging sequences and computer hardware have led to a considerable improvement in spatial and temporal image resolution. This has made applications in CAD a possibility, particularly coronary imaging and myocardial perfusion imaging. Recent clinical studies report good correlation between Magnetic Resonance Coronary Angiography (MRCA) and conventional x-ray contrast angiography in the detection of coronary lesions. In the assessment of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patency and the definition of anomalous coronary arteries, MRI showed good sensitivity and specificity. The first results of coronary artery flow measurements have now been reported. Myocardial perfusion imaging and stress-ventriculography for detection of wall motion abnormalities are reported as indirect imaging methods with high reliability and clinical value in the diagnosis of CAD. This overview describes recent developments in cardiac MRI and assesses the current and future value of MRI for clinical cardiology.

Objectives: All antiretroviral treatments and their virological efficacy were analysed in a German Cohort over the past 10 years. Methods: Between 997 (in 2000) and 2,452 (in 2009) data sets were collected from up to 23 medical-centres in NRW. ART were divided into combinations containing either [for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 10. Kongress für Infektionskrankheiten und Tropenmedizin (KIT 2010)

Background: Prior to initiating therapy with Maraviroc, the knowledge of the patients' viral tropism is crucial. The focus of this evaluation (11/2007–01/2010) was to prove the practicability of HIV tropism prediction and consequently therapeutical success of Maraviroc regimens[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 10. Kongress für Infektionskrankheiten und Tropenmedizin (KIT 2010)

The WNT signalling pathway plays a central role during embryonic development of multi-cellular organisms, especially for the temporal and spatial specification of organs (e.g. WNT4 in kidney development), a process called pattern formation. Interestingly, genes of the WNT pathway are deregulated in a variety of solid tumours, being considerably up- or down-regulated compared to their expression in the corresponding normal tissue. Some members like WNT1 have demonstrated oncogenic properties in animal models. The SFRP1 gene on chromosome 8 p12 is a negative regulator of the WNT pathway. SFRP1 protein is supposed to bind WNT1 molecules thereby inhibiting the activation of frizzled receptors and the WNT pathway. Characterising an SFRP1-specific antibody we could show that loss of SFRP1 is an extremely common event in breast cancer, i.e. SFRP1 was considerably down-regulated in 73% (n = 1967) of analysed invasive breast cancers. SFRP1 loss is associated with unfavourable prognosis in early breast cancer (pT1 tumours). To analyse the cause of SFRP1 inactivation in breast cancer we performed a parallel expression and promoter methylation analysis in human breast cancer and tumour cell lines. RT-PCR techniques and methylation-specific PCR (MSP) were applied. All tumorigenic cell lines analysed exhibited complete promoter methylation and did not express detectable amounts of SFRP1 mRNA. SFRP1 expression could be restored in these cell lines after treatment with 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine, a demethylating agent. Human primary breast cancer was methylated in nearly 75% of cases. Our results indicate that epigenetic inactivation by methylation is the predominant mechanism of SFRP1 gene silencing in breast cancer.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive imaging technique with increasing importance in clinical medicine. It has become a valuable and reliable imaging tool in the diagnosis and management of many medical and surgical conditions. Important advantages of MRI are its flexibility in orientation of imaging plane and the possibility of both anatomical and functional imaging. MRI is based on the application and detection of radio signals and works without any exposure to ionizing radiation, and therefore it is regarded as a safe imaging technique. In the heart there are well established imaging indications such as in acquired and congenital heart disease, pericardial and aortic disease and visualisation of cardiac masses and hypertrophy. Its applications in coronary artery disease (CAD) have been relatively limited, but recent developments in ultrafast imaging sequences and computer hardware have led to a considerable improvement in spatial and temporal image resolution. This has made applications in CAD a possibility, particularly coronary imaging and myocardial perfusion imaging. Recent clinical studies report good correlation between Magnetic Resonance Coronary Angiography (MRCA) and conventional x-ray contrast angiography in the detection of coronary lesions. In the assessment of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patency and the definition of anomalous coronary arteries, MRI showed good sensitivity and specificity. The first results of coronary artery flow measurements have now been reported. Myocardial perfusion imaging and stress-ventriculography for detection of wall motion abnormalities are reported as indirect imaging methods with high reliability and clinical value in the diagnosis of CAD. This overview describes recent developments in cardiac MRI and assesses the current and future value of MRI for clinical cardiology.