Abstract: A reliable and highly sensitive method is provided for detecting methylation status of CpG-containing nucleic acids by nucleic acid amplification and melting curve analysis of amplification products. The methods and compositions employs a novel design of primers, CpG-containing methylation-independent oligonucleotide primers, wherein both unmethylated and methylated alleles of a CpG-containing nucleic acid can be detected by use of only one set of primers after the CpG-containing nucleic acid has been subjected to cytosine to thymine conversion of unmethylated Cytosine. The method is useful for detection of methylation status in for example cancer genes and other disease related genes, wherein methylation influences gene expression.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for analysis and evaluation of at least one anatomical structure in a medical image, said medical image representing at least a part of a patient or person, said system comprising image analyzing means for calculating the volume and/or providing the shape of the at least one anatomical structure, and statistical analyzing means for providing a confidence interval of the volume and/or the shape of the analyzed anatomical structure(s) based on individual data of the patient or person, thereby quantifying the normality of said anatomical structure(s). By the present system and method a detailed and trustworthy confidence interval can be provided in connection with analysis and evaluation of a medical image of a patient, thereby illustrating the expected normality of the patient. The invention can be applied to images acquired from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). One example of use is for diagnosing diseases and/or initial stages of diseases.