Predictive factors for long-term survival in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND: In order to elucidate the predictive factors for long-term survival in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), we evaluated 7 patients who survived for more than 5 years (5-year survivors). METHODS: We examined the clinicopathologic and biologic factors of the 5-year survivors, and these findings were then compared with those in 20 patients who died within 5 years after surgery (control group). RESULTS: In the 5-year survivors, the gross appearance of the tumors included a mass-forming (MF) type in 5 cases, an intraductal growth (IG) type in 1, and another type (microcarcinoma with hepatolithiasis) in 1. No case demonstrated a periductal infiltrating (PI) type. Except for 1 case with an IG type tumor, no lymph node metastasis was seen in any patients. All of the 5-year survivors were classified from stage I to III, and all also underwent a curative resection. The clinicopathologic factors demonstrating significant differences between the 5-year survivors and the control group included the gross type of the tumor, lymph node involvement, the surgical margin, curability, and pTNM stage. CONCLUSION: The predictive factors for long-term survival in patients with ICC are thus suggested to include not only tumor staging and curability, but also lymph node metastasis and the gross type of the tumors.     

Effect of β-endorphin on cell growth and cell death in human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Beta-endorphin (β-end) was investigated for its ability to influence sequential metabolic events that accompany the movements of T-lymphocytes into the cell cycle. When cultured lymphocytes are exposed to this endogenous opioid peptide an increase in polyamine transport across cell membrane is observed. This membrane modification is an early cell cycle event, whose enhancement leads to the intracellular polyamine accumulation. It is shown that β-end is able to enhance spermidine transport and that the exposition of cells to this peptide is perceived as an apoptotic signal. The possible relationship between induction of apoptotic death and enhancement of polyamine uptake is discussed.     

Hypoxia in head and neck cancer

A high level of hypoxia in solid tumours is an adverse prognostic factor for the poor outcome of cancer patients following treatment. This review describes the status of research into finding a practical method for measuring hypoxia and treating hypoxic tumours. The application of such methodology would enable the selection of head and neck cancer treatment based on an individual's tumour oxygenation status. This individualization would include the selection not only of surgery or radiotherapy, but also of novel hypoxia-modification strategies.     

A novel human adenovirus hexon protein of species D found in an AIDS patient

To date, human adenoviruses are classified into 53 types (types 1–51 and types 53 and 54), which have been grouped into six species named A through F, and the recently identified type 52 has been proposed as member of a new species, G. Type classification is based on type-specific epitopes within loop 1 (L1) and loop 2 (L2) of the hexon protein, which contain seven hypervariable regions that are responsible for type specificity. In this paper, we present the characterization of an adenovirus strain isolated from a male AIDS patient in Cordoba, Argentina. This strain was found to be a member of species D by genomic Sma I restriction analysis. Sequencing of the L1 and L2 regions of the hexon gene and immunological characterization by virus neutralization revealed this hexon to be unique and distinct from the previously identified hexons of types within species D. A seroepidemiologic study in the human population of Cordoba showed that this strain was not endemic in the local human population.     

Quantitative inter-segmental and inter-laminar comparison of corticospinal projections from the forelimb area of the primary motor cortex of macaque monkeys

Corticospinal projections from the forelimb area of the primary motor cortex to the C2-Th2 spinal cord segments were quantitatively analyzed using the high resolution anterograde tracer, biotinylated dextran amine (BDA), in rhesus monkeys (n=5). The majority of descending axons were located in the contralateral dorsolateral funiculus (DLF) (85-98%), but a minor portion was observed in the ipsilateral DLF (1-12%) and ventromedial funiculus (VMF) (1-7%). In the gray matter, axon collaterals and terminal buttons were found mainly in the contralateral laminae VI-VII and IX and ipsilateral lamina VIII. The majority of projections to the contralateral gray matter originated from the contralateral DLF, but a minority originated from the ipsilateral DLF. Axons from the ipsilateral DLF were not found to project collaterals on the ipsilateral side, but directly entered the contralateral side after crossing the midline. On the other hand, projections to the ipsilateral lamina VIII were from the ipsilateral VMF, and commissural axons were from the contralateral DLF. Terminal buttons in the motoneuron pool in the contralateral lamina IX were found mainly at the C7-Th1 spinal cord segments, whereas the projections to the contralateral laminae VI-VII, ipsilateral lamina VIII, and commissural axons were also found in more rostral segments, abundantly at the C4-C8 segments, 1-3 segments rostral to the motoneuronal projections. These results suggest that cortical control of contralateral forelimb motoneurons accompanies regulation of interneuronal systems in the contralateral laminae VI-VII and the ipsilateral lamina VIII located a few segments rostral to the motoneurons.