Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase-7 is an Unfavorable Prognostic Factor in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Background  

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC) is a highly malignant neoplasm, but the prognostic factors of IHCC are not yet fully understood. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are known to be related to tumor viability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of clinicopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of resected IHCC.     

The reconstruction of bilateral clefts using endosseous implants after bone grafting.

This article presents the orthodontic reconstruction of an adult bilateral cleft patient with a severe Class III malocclusion in which endosseous implants were inserted after secondary alveolar bone grafting. The patient was a 21-year-old Japanese male whose lateral incisors were congenitally missing and whose premaxilla was inclined lingually. The occlusion was classified as Angle Class III with an overjet of -8 mm. Orthodontic alignment was initiated to correct the position of the maxillary incisors before bone grafting. After the anterior occlusal relationship was corrected, bilateral alveolar clefts were reconstructed by bone grafting with autogenous particulate marrow and cancellous bone harvested from the iliac crest. ITI-SLA fixtures (Institute Straumann, Waldenburg, Switzerland) (length, 10 mm; diameter, 4.1 mm) were placed into the grafted bone for prosthetic restoration of the missing lateral incisors. The results illustrate that this protocol can be expected to provide an acceptable occlusion and good dentoalveolar stability in adult cleft patients.     

A case of solitary necrotic nodule of the liver with acute liver dysfunction: The imaging appearance correlated with pathological findings

A 22-year-old woman was admitted to this institution because of severe liver dysfunction that looked like acute hepatitis. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a liver mass 20 mm in diameter that resembled the bull’s-eye sign. Enhanced CT revealed a low-density mass. The mass was hypointense in T1-weighted MRI images and slightly hyperintense in T2-weighted MRI images. Needle biopsy of the liver under ultrasound guidance led to a diagnosis of solitary necrotic nodule of the liver. The tumor consisted of coagulation necrosis surrounded by fibrotic tissue. These pathologic features were consistent with the Imaging findings.     

Laparoscopic diagnosis and treatment of a hydrocele of the canal of Nuck extending in the retroperitoneal space: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Hydrocele of the canal of Nuck is a rarely encountered entity. We report a case underwent laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) treatment for a hydrocele of the canal of Nuck extending in the extraperitoneal space mainly.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A 37-year-old woman complained of painless and reducible swelling in her left groin, and referred to our hospital for surgical management against left inguinal hernia with the incarcerated ovary. Ultrasonography and MR images revealed a cystic mass in the retroperitoneal space, and we diagnosed as an unusual type of hydrocele of the canal of Nuck. The patient was scheduled for laparoscopic treatment. Laparoscopic findings on pneumoperitoneum showed an extraperitoneal cystic tumor with no contact with the left ovary. The fascia and peritoneum of the port site were closed, and then an extraperitoneal space was created. The cystic tumor with the round ligament of the uterus was dissected and resected by the TEP technique. The extended deep inguinal ring was repaired with polypropylene mesh. Postoperative course was uneventful.

DISCUSSION

Hydrocele of the canal of Nuck in the adult female is a rare condition. The accurate diagnosis of an inguinal hydrocele in a female is seldom made. Laparoscopic examination provides surgeons with information of inguinal swelling accompanied with retroperitoneal cyst, and consecutive treatment by laparoscopic technique, especially TEP, is useful in regard to minimal damage of the peritoneum.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic diagnosis and TEP treatment offers a useful alternative in selected patients with hydrocele of the canal of Nuck.     

CXCL12-CXCR4 axis promotes the natural selection of breast cancer cell metastasis

CXCR4 and its ligand CXCL12 can promote the proliferation, survival, and invasion of cancer cells. They have been shown to play an important role in regulating metastasis of breast cancer to specific organs. High CXCR4 expression was also correlated to poor clinical outcome. Previous study also showed that tumor cells express a high level of CXCR4 and that tumor metastasis target tissues (lung, liver, and bone) express high levels of the ligand CXCL12, allowing tumor cells to directionally migrate to target organs via a CXCL12-CXCR4 chemotactic gradient. However, the exact mechanisms of how CXCR4 and CXCL12 enhance metastasis and/or tumor growth and their full implications on breast cancer progression are unknown. Yet it is likely that chemokine receptor signaling may provide more than just a migrational advantage by also helping the metastasized cells establish and survive in secondary environments. In this study, we investigated CXCR4 and CXCL12 expression in breast cancer and analyzed its association with clinicopathological factors by immunohistochemistry first. Then, we detected the mRNA and protein expression of CXCR4 and CXCL12 in breast cancer cell lines by Western blot and RT-PCR. The MDA-MB-231 has CXCR4 expression and very weak CXCL12 expression. So, we constructed the functional CXCL12 expression in MDA-MB-231 using a gene transfection technique. Further experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of CXCL12 transfection on the biological behaviors of MDA-MB-231. The cell proliferation of MDA-MB-231–CXCL12 was accessed by MTT assay; the apoptosis was analyzed by an AnnexinV-FITC/propidium iodide double staining of flow cytometry method; and the cell invasive ability was examined by Matrigel invasion assay. Immunohistochemical analysis showed the co-expression of CXCR4 and CXCL12 correlated with lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (p?CXCL12 and its sole ligand CXCR4 play important role in the malignance of breast cancer. To gain a deeper insight into it, we picked CXCR4-expressing cells MDA-MB-231 to be transfected with CXCL12 stably. The decreased cellular proliferation, increased apoptosis, and invasive ability were found in MDA-MB-231 with successful CXCL12 transfection (p?CXCL12-CXCR4 axis correlated tightly with breast cancer metastasis. CXCL12-CXCR4 axis can increase the invasion and apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 simultaneously. These data strongly support the hypothesis that CXCL12-CXCR4 axis promotes the natural selection of breast cancer cell metastasis. Our findings could have significant implications in terms of breast cancer aggressiveness and the effectiveness of targeting the receptors and downstream signaling pathways for the treatment of breast cancer.     

散发性乳腺癌中MTA1表达与ERα甲基化关系的研究

目的:通过甲基化特异性PCR和免疫组化研究女性散发性乳腺癌中ERα基因启动子区甲基化和MTA1蛋白表达的相关性。方法:甲基化PCR研究102例散发性乳腺癌ERα启动子甲基化情况,免疫组化研究其MTA1蛋白表达情况。结果:乳腺癌组织中ERα启动子甲基化率为37.3%,乳腺癌组织中MTA1表达率为29.4%,高于其在癌旁正常乳腺组织中的表达(P<0.05),MTA1表达和ERα启动子甲基化均与乳腺肿瘤大小、TNM分期及淋巴结转移相关(P<0.05),且乳腺癌中ERα启动子甲基化与MTA1阳性表达呈正相关(P<0.05)。结论:女性散发性乳腺癌中ERα基因启动子甲基化与MTA1表达升高密切相关,其在乳腺癌发展过程中可能起重要作用。     

Initial experience in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for Japanese morbid obesity

Introduction: We evaluated the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in Japanese patients with morbid obesity. Materials and Methods: Between June 2006 and March 2009, seven morbidly obese Japanese patients (four women, three men; mean age 36±12 years; mean body mass index (BMI) 51±3 kg/m²) underwent LSG at our institute. The inclusion criteria were morbid obesity (BMI>35 kg/m²), the presence of obesity‐related disorders, and failure to lose weight while using other medical therapies for at least 6 months. The criteria also included contraindications for laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding or super‐obesity (BMI>50 kg/m²). LSG was carried out using endoscopic linear staplers from the greater curvature of the antrum 6–7 cm proximal to the pyloric ring to the angle of His alongside a 32‐Fr endoscope or a 45‐Fr overtube of the endoscope. Results: In all of the patients, LSG was successfully performed without open conversion. There were no serious postoperative complications and there was no mortality. The mean weight loss and percent excess weight loss after LSG were 33±8 kg and 47±16% at 6 months, and then 44±16 kg and 63±30% at 12 months. Due to the weight loss, the resolution and improvement rates of comorbidities in the five patients followed up for >3 months were 100% and 100% in type 2 diabetes, 67% and 100% in hypertension, 60% and 100% in dyslipidemia, and 100% and 100% in metabolic syndrome. Discussion: Although further long‐term studies are necessary with regard to weight maintenance, LSG is a feasible and safe treatment for Japanese patients with morbid obesity.     

Involvement of clusterin expression in the refractory response of pancreatic cancer cells to a MEK inhibitor

Constitutive activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway is essential for tumorigenesis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). To date, however, almost all clinical trials of inhibitor targeting this pathway have failed to improve the outcome of patients with PDAC. We found that implanted MIA Paca2, a human PDAC cell line sensitive to a MAPK inhibitor, PD0325901, became refractory within a week after treatment. By comparing the expression profiles of MIA Paca2 before and after acquisition of the refractoriness to PD0325901, we identified clusterin (CLU) as a candidate gene involved. CLU was shown to be induced immediately after treatment with PD0325901 or expressed primarily in more than half of PDAC cell lines, enhancing cell viability by escaping from apoptosis. A combination of PD0325901 and CLU downregulation was found to synergistically or additively reduce the proliferation of PDAC cells. In surgically resected PDAC tissues, overexpression of CLU in cancer cells was observed immunohistochemically in approximately half of the cases studied. Collectively, our findings highlight the mechanisms responsible for the rapid refractory response to MEK inhibitor in PDAC cells, suggesting a novel therapeutic strategy that could be applicable to patients with PDAC using inhibitor targeting the MAPK signaling pathway and CLU.     

Hyperecho in ultrasound images during high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation for hepatocellular carcinomas

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a noninvasive method that can cause complete coagulation necrosis without requiring the insertion of any instruments. The hyperechoic grayscale change (hyperechoic region) is used as a sign that the treated lesion has been completely coagulated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the first hyperechoic region during treatment using HIFU ablation according to various conditions, such as the sonication power, the depth of the tumor from the surface of the skin, and the shield rate. HIFU treatment was performed in 20 patients. The HIFU system (Chongqing Haifu Tech, Chongqing, China) was used under ultrasound guidance. Complete coagulation was achieved in 17 cases. Hyperechoic region were detected after HIFU ablation in 17 patients. The size of the hyperechoic region at a depth of >50 mm was significantly smaller than that at a depth of ≤50 mm. The number and power of the sonications for areas at a depth of >50 mm were significantly larger than those for areas at a depth of ≤50 mm. The number and power in cases with a shield rate of 31-60% were significantly larger than those in cases with a shield rate of 0-30%. When the shield rate was 0%, a hyperechoic region occurred, even when a maximum sonication power was not used. In all three cases with tumors located at a depth of greater than 70 mm and a shield rate of larger than 60%, a hyperechoic region was not seen. In conclusion, hyperechoic regions are easy to visualize in cases with tumors located at a depth of ≤50 mm or shield rates of 0-30%.     

Large Mucinous Cystadenoma of the Pancreas During Pregnancy: Report of a Case

A 33-year-old woman, gravida 2, para 1, was diagnosed to have a benign mucinous cystic neoplasm of the pancreas 5 months before delivery. The tumor measured 12 cm in diameter at the time of diagnosis. The antenatal course was uneventful, and a vaginal delivery produced a normal infant. By 2 months after delivery, the tumor reached 18 cm. At surgery, a huge cyst was found to originate from the pancreas, and a distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy was performed. The cystic mass was multilocular 18 × 17 × 12 cm, 2450 g, and red to yellowish-gray. The histologic diagnosis was benign mucinous cystadenoma. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient remains free of recurrence at 7 months after surgery. To our knowledge, this is only the fifth reported case of pancreatic mucinous cystadenoma in association with pregnancy. This is the first reported case of a successful resection of such a tumor after delivery.