Application of novel targeting nanoparticles contrast agent combined with contrast-enhanced computed tomography during screening for early-phase gastric carcinoma

Kaimin Zhang; Xijian Du; Kaihu Yu; Kaiyu Zhang; Yicheng Zhou

doi:10.3892/etm.2017.5388

Application of novel targeting nanoparticles contrast agent combined with contrast-enhanced computed tomography during screening for early-phase gastric carcinoma

Exp Ther Med. 2018 Jan;15(1):47-54. doi: 10.3892/etm.2017.5388. Epub 2017 Oct 30.

Authors

Kaimin Zhang¹, Xijian Du², Kaihu Yu², Kaiyu Zhang³, Yicheng Zhou⁴

Affiliations

¹ Physical Examination Center, Xianning Central Hospital, Xianning, Hubei 437000, P.R. China.
² Department of Radiology, Xianning Central Hospital, Xianning, Hubei 437000, P.R. China.
³ Department of Radiology, The First People's Hospital of Xianning City, Xianning, Hubei 437000, P.R. China.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, P.R. China.

Abstract

Gastric cancer is one of the most common human tumors worldwide. The biggest bottleneck is a lack of advanced and sensitive protocols for the diagnosis of patients with early-stage gastric cancer. Therefore, more sensitive methods of diagnosing gastric cancer are urgently required to improve survival rates. In this clinical study, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) with targeting nanoparticles contrast agent (CECT-TNCA) was used to diagnose early-stage gastric cancer. The specific-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors of gastric cancer, including platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β, Ret and Kit, were used as TNCAs. A total of 484 patients with suspected gastric cancer were voluntarily recruited to investigate the efficacy of CECT-TNCA in the diagnosis of patients with early-stage gastric cancer. Patients with suspected gastric cancer were subjected CT and CECT-TNCA to detect whether gastric tumors existed. TNCA was orally administered before CT and CECT-TNCA (20 min). Our diagnostic data revealed that CECT-TNCA improved sensitivity and provided a new protocol to diagnose tumors in patients with suspected gastric cancer at the early stage. In addition, imaging using CECT-TNCA enabled the visualization of tiny nodules in the gastric area. CECT-TNCA diagnosed 182 patients with suspected gastric cancer as tumor-free. CECT-TNCA confirmed gastric cancer in 302 patients. Our novel diagnosis indicated significantly (P<0.01) differential signal enhancement in the gastric nodules via CECT-TNCA compared with CT, suggesting higher accuracy and the accumulation of TNCA in tumor nodules in the stomach. Furthermore, survival rates of patients detected by early-diagnosis of CECT-TNCA were significantly higher than the mean five-year survival (P<0.01). In conclusion, our investigations demonstrate that the sensibility and accuracy of CT is improved through combination with liposome-encapsulated nanoparticle contrast agent for the diagnosis of early stage gastric cancer when compared with single CT detection. CECT-TNCA improves the accuracy of CT and diagnostic confidence in assessing mural enhancement in patients with suspected gastric cancer.

Keywords: contrast-enhanced computed tomography-targeting nanoparticles contrast agent; early diagnosis; gastric cancer; nanoscale microbubble; specific-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors β.