tellurium and Acute-Disease

The use of cadmium-zinc-telluride-based scanners may increase the clinical feasibility of simultaneous dual-isotope imaging. In the current study, we sought to investigate a potential acquisition time in simultaneous Tc-tetrofosmin/I-β-methyl-p-iodophenyl pentadecanoic acid dual-isotope imaging using a Discovery NM/CT 670 cadmium-zinc-telluride.. Simultaneous Tc-tetrofosmin/I-β-methyl-p-iodophenyl pentadecanoic acid dual-isotope imaging was performed in 29 patients who had undergone primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction. Referenced images with an acquisition time of 65 s/view (16.25 min) were reframed to produce images with acquisition times of 33, 16, and 8 s/view. The values for the quantitative-gated single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and the quantitative perfusion SPECT were compared.. The quantitative-gated SPECT values for images with 33, 16, and 8 s/views showed good consistency with those for 65 s/view (the lower 95% confidence intervals for the intraclass correlation were ≥0.80). The quantitative perfusion SPECT values for Tc-tetrofosmin images with 33, 16, and 8 s/views also showed good consistency with those for 65 s/view; however, the quantitative perfusion SPECT values for I-β-methyl-p-iodophenyl pentadecanoic acid images with an acquisition time of 8 s/view were not consistent with the reference acquisition time of 65 s/view.. The quantitative-gated SPECT and quantitative perfusion SPECT values obtained from images with shorter acquisition times correlated with the values obtained from images with a reference acquisition time of 65 s/view; however, tracer-specific predisposition should be considered. These findings suggest that it is possible to reduce acquisition time when performing simultaneous Tc-tetrofosmin/I-β-methyl-p-iodophenyl pentadecanoic acid dual-tracer imaging with the novel cadmium-zinc-telluride scanner.

Topics: Acute Disease; Cadmium; Fatty Acids; Female; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Iodobenzenes; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Organophosphorus Compounds; Organotechnetium Compounds; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; Tellurium; Time Factors; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Zinc

Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconducting nanocrystals with unique optical properties. When coated with shell/capping, QDs are not deleterious to cells and organisms. However, when QDs are retained in the cellular environment for a certain period of time, their coatings may be degraded, yielding "naked" QDs. Although some studies have documented the acute effects of cadmium telluride (CdTe) QDs in various cell lines, however, to our knowledge, there are no published studies on the chronic effects of CdTe QDs in normal lung cells. In this study, we therefore sought to study the effects of CdTe QDs of various particle sizes on their cytotoxicity and carcinogenicity in normal human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). A total of three particle sizes of CdTe QD with emission maximum at 520, 580, and 730 nm were employed (abbreviated as 520Q, 580Q, and 730Q, respectively). Our results indicated that acute exposure to 520Q (∼2.04 nm in diameter) and 580Q (∼3.24 nm in diameter) elicited dose-dependent cytotoxicity; while acute exposure to 730Q (∼5.40 nm in diameter) elicited negligible cytotoxicity in BEAS-2B cells. Notably, chronic exposure to CdTe QD of all three tested particle sizes induced BEAS-2B cell transformation as evidenced by enhanced cell migration and anchorage-independent growth on soft agar. Taken together, our findings suggest that CdTe QDs are potent human lung carcinogens.

Topics: Acute Disease; Alveolar Epithelial Cells; Bronchial Neoplasms; Cadmium Compounds; Cell Line; Cell Survival; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Chronic Disease; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Humans; Particle Size; Quantum Dots; Tellurium; Toxicity Tests

To assess the relationships between myocardial structure and function on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and sympathetic tone on (123)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine ((123)I-MIBG) scintigraphy early after myocardial infarction (MI).. Ten patients underwent (123)I-MIBG and (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin rest cadmium zinc telluride scintigraphy 4 ± 1 days after MI. The segmental left ventricular (LV) relative radiotracer uptake of both (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin and early (123)I-MIBG was calculated. The day after scintigraphy, on CMR imaging, the extent of ischaemia-related oedema and of myocardial fibrosis (late gadolinium enhancement, LGE) was assessed. Accordingly, the extent of oedema and LGE was evaluated for each segment and segmental wall thickening determined. Based on LGE distribution, LV segments were categorized as "infarcted" (56 segments), "adjacent" (66 segments) or "remote" (48 segments).. Infarcted segments showed a more depressed systolic wall thickening and greater extent of oedema than adjacent segments (p < 0.001) and remote segments (p < 0.001). Interestingly, while uptake of (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin was significantly depressed only in infarcted segments (p < 0.001 vs. both adjacent and remote segments), uptake of (123)I-MIBG was impaired not only in infarcted segments (p < 0.001 vs. remote) but also in adjacent segments (p = 0.024 vs. remote segments). At the regional level, after correction for (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin and LGE distribution, segmental (123)I-MIBG uptake (p < 0.001) remained an independent predictor of ischaemia-related oedema.. After acute MI the regional impairment of sympathetic tone extends beyond the area of altered myocardial perfusion and is associated with myocardial oedema.

Topics: 3-Iodobenzylguanidine; Acute Disease; Aged; Cadmium; Edema; Female; Heart; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Myocardial Infarction; Radionuclide Imaging; Sympathetic Nervous System; Tellurium; Zinc

Since myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with conventional sodium iodine (NaI) device has low spatial resolution, there have been some cases in which small structures such as non-transmural myocardial infarction could not be properly detected. The purpose of this study was to evaluate potential usefulness of cadmium-telluride (CdTe) semiconductor detector-based high spatial resolution gamma cameras in detecting myocardial infarction sites, especially non-transmural infarction.. A total of 38 patients (mean age ± SD: 64 ± 21 year) who were clinically diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction were included. Twenty-eight cases of them were with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 10 cases with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). In all patients, myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography images were acquired with Infinia (NaI device) and R1-M (CdTe device), and the images were compared concerning the detectability of acute myocardial infarction sites.. The detection rates of the myocardial infarction site in cases with STEMI were 100% both by NaI and CdTe images. In cases with NSTEMI, detection rate by NaI images was 50%, while that of CdTe images was 100% (p = 0.033). The summed rest score (SRS) value derived from CdTe images was significantly higher than that from NaI images in cases with STEMI [NaI images: 12 (7-18) versus CdTe images: 14 (9-20)] (p < 0.001). SRS derived from CdTe images was significantly higher than that derived from NaI images in cases with NSTEMI [NaI images: 2 (0-5) versus CdTe images: 6 (6-8)] (p = 0.006).. These results indicate that MPI using CdTe-semiconductor device will provide a much more accurate assessment of acute myocardial infarction in comparison to current methods.

Topics: Acute Disease; Aged; Cadmium Compounds; Female; Gamma Cameras; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Myocardial Perfusion Imaging; Phantoms, Imaging; Semiconductors; Tellurium; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Tellurium is an element used in the vulcanization of rubber and in metal-oxidizing solutions to blacken or tarnish metals. Descriptions of human toxicity from tellurium ingestion are rare. We report the clinical course of 2 children who ingested metal-oxidizing solutions containing substantial concentrations of tellurium. Clinical features included vomiting, black discoloration of the oral mucosa, and a garlic odor to the breath. One patient developed corrosive injury to the esophagus secondary to the high concentration of hydrochloric acid in the solution. Both patients recovered without serious sequelae, which is typical of tellurium toxicity. An awareness of situations in which children may be exposed to tellurium and its clinical presentation may assist clinicians in the diagnosis of this rare poisoning.

Topics: Acute Disease; Household Products; Humans; Infant; Male; Tellurium