Overexpression of adenylate cyclase‐associated protein 2 is a novel prognostic marker in malignant melanoma

Malignant melanoma is one of the lethal malignant tumors worldwide. Previously we reported that adenylate cyclase‐associated protein 2 (CAP2), which is a well‐conserved actin regulator, was overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma; however, CAP2 expression in other clinical cancers remains unclear. The aim of the current study was to clarify the clinicopathological significance of CAP2 overexpression in malignant melanoma. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that many melanoma cells exhibited diffuse cytoplasmic expression of CAP2, whereas no normal melanocytes showed detectable immunostaining for CAP2. A high level of CAP2 expression was seen in 14 of 50 melanomas and was significantly correlated with greater tumor thickness and nodular melanoma subtypes. In addition, a high level of CAP2 expression was associated with poor overall survival in univariate and multivariate analyses. For 13 patients, samples of primary and metastatic melanoma tissue were available: four patients exhibited higher levels of CAP2 expression in metastatic tumor compared to the primary site, whereas no patient showed lower levels of CAP2 expression in metastatic melanomas. Our findings show that CAP2 overexpression is a novel prognostic marker in malignant melanoma and that CAP2 expression seems to increase stepwise during tumor progression, suggesting the involvement of CAP2 in the aggressive behavior of malignant melanoma.     

The association between erythromycin monotherapy for Mycobacterium avium complex lung disease and cross-resistance to clarithromycin: A retrospective case-series study

Long-term, low-dose erythromycin monotherapy, based on the anti-inflammatory effects of macrolides, has been reported to have the potential to suppress the exacerbation of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) lung disease with less toxicity. It remains unclear whether erythromycin monotherapy induces cross-resistance to clarithromycin, a key drug for MAC. To clarify this point, we conducted a retrospective, single-center, case-series study on patients with MAC lung disease who underwent erythromycin monotherapy for at least 6 months. Drug susceptibility tests, before and after erythromycin treatment initiation, were analyzed. Thirty-three patients were included in our study. All 33 patients showed susceptibility to clarithromycin for MAC both before and after erythromycin monotherapy. There was no significant difference in clarithromycin minimum inhibitory concentrations between before and after erythromycin treatment (median difference = 0 μg/ml; P = .313, Wilcoxon's signed-rank test). We conclude that erythromycin monotherapy for MAC lung disease may not induce cross-resistance to clarithromycin.     

Validation trial for efficacy of ultrasonographic measurement method to predict ascitic volume using virtual ultrasonography

Purpose

The aim of this study was to clarify whether ultrasound quantitative methods were positively correlated with volume of ascites evaluated by whole abdominopelvic CT.

Methods

Sixty-eight patients with cirrhotic ascites were retrospectively analyzed. First, to confirm that virtual ultrasonography (VUS) is an alternative method to conventional ultrasound, 22 patients underwent both conventional ultrasonography and VUS. Second, the efficacy of US quantitative methods (3-point method, 4-point method, 5-point method, and Matsumoto’s method) was confirmed by VUS in 68 patients. We assessed whether the ascites volume predicted by VUS corresponded with that calculated by 3D-CT. Of the 68 patients, 23 patients were analyzed before and after administration of tolvaptan.

Results

The predictive volumes calculated by VUS were remarkably relative to those yielded by conventional US. Correlations between exact volume and those measured by VUS were significantly high (3-point method: r?=?0.882, p?<?0.001; 4-point method: r?=?0.797, p?<?0.001; 5-point method: r?=?0.836, p?<?0.001; Matsumoto’s method: r?=?0.453, p?<?0.001). Correlations between decreasing volume on 3D-CT and that measured by VUS were also significantly high in patients with administration of tolvaptan.

Conclusion

Ascites volume measured by ultrasound was effective, especially the 3-point and 5-point methods. It was useful to assess the efficacy of diuretics in cirrhotic patients.

     

Type 1 Autoimmune Pancreatitis Extending along the Main Pancreatic Duct: IgG4-related Pancreatic Periductitis

We herein report a unique form of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) spreading along the main pancreatic duct (MPD). A 70-year-old man was referred for a small lesion at the pancreatic neck, accompanying an adjacent cyst and dilated upstream MPD. Four years earlier, health checkup images had shown a pancreatic cyst but no mass lesion. Endoscopic ultrasonography showed a contrast-enhanced, tumorous lesion, mainly occupying the MPD. With a preoperative diagnosis of ductal neoplasms mainly spreading in the MPD, Whipple''s resection was performed. The resected specimens showed MPD periductitis with IgG4-related pathology, indicating type 1 AIP. Clinicians should practice caution concerning the various AIP forms.     

Therapeutic Dilemma of Sarcoidosis and Treatment-naïve Hepatitis C Manifesting as Tattoo Reactions

A 23-year-old man had an 8-day history of fatigue and dry cough and papulo-nodular reactions on his extensive tattoos. Chest radiography revealed several small granular shadows, and a transbronchial lung biopsy showed non-caseating epithelioid cell granuloma. A skin biopsy of the tattooed area showed histiocytic infiltrates with phagocytized tattoo pigment. Antibody tests for hepatitis C virus were positive. The patient was successfully treated with corticosteroid therapy, and after inflammation was suppressed, he received delayed anti-viral therapy. Sarcoidosis should be considered as a concurrent condition if papules are presented on the tattoos of patients with hepatitis C.     

Review on acute pancreatitis attributed to COVID-19 infection

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is known to cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Recent studies have revealed COVID-19-attributed acute pancreatitis (AP). However, clinical characteristics of COVID-19-attributed AP remain unclear. We performed a narrative review to elucidate relation between COVID-19 and AP using the PubMed database. Some basic and pathological reports revealed expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and transmembrane protease serine 2, key proteins that aid in the entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) into the pancreas. The experimental and pathological evaluation suggested that SARS-CoV-2 infects human endocrine and exocrine pancreas cells, and thus, SARS-CoV-2 may have a direct involvement in pancreatic disorders. Additionally, systemic inflammation, especially in children, may cause AP. Levels of immune mediators associated with AP, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, interferon-γ, monocyte chemotactic protein 1, and tumor necrosis factor-α are higher in the plasma of patients with COVID-19, that suggests an indirect involvement of the pancreas. In real-world settings, some clinical features of AP complicate COVID-19, such as a high complication rate of pancreatic necrosis, severe AP, and high mortality. However, clinical features of COVID-19-attributed AP remain uncertain due to insufficient research on etiologies of AP. Therefore, high-quality clinical studies and case reports that specify methods for differential diagnoses of other etiologies of AP are needed.     

Voxel-based analysis of age and gender effects on striatal [123I] FP-CIT binding in healthy Japanese adults

Annals of Nuclear Medicine - Although previous studies have investigated age and gender effects on striatal subregional dopamine transporter (DaT) binding, these studies were mostly based on a...     

Reversible stenosis of large cerebral arteries in a patient with combined Sjögren’s syndrome and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

We report a 49-year-old woman with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) spectrum disorder coexisting with Sj?gren's syndrome (SS). She presented with acute brainstem symptoms and transverse myelitis. Brain MRI showed focal high signal intensity lesions in the hypothalamus and the pontine tegmentum on T2-weighted and FLAIR images. MRA revealed stenotic changes of the bilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA), posterior cerebral arteries (PCA) and basilar artery (BA). Spinal MRI revealed hyperintense lesions within the cord extending from the T4 to the T6 level on the T2-weighted image. The patient fulfilled the clinical criteria of primary SS. In addition, anti-AQP4 antibody which is highly specific for NMO was detected in the serum at the acute phase. The patient excellently responded to IVIg while methylprednisolon pulse therapy was not effective. Follow-up MRA displayed complete resolution of the stenosis of the MCA, PCA and BA.