Overweight and obesity as risk factors for biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy

International Journal of Clinical Oncology - Previous studies have shown a relationship between the occurrence and recurrence of prostate cancer; however, this relationship remains controversial....     

Immune Response and the Tumor Microenvironment: How They Communicate to Regulate Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. A growing body of evidence indicates that inflammation is closely associated with the initiation, progression, and metastasis of many tumors, including those of gastric cancer. In addition, approximately 60% of the world''s population is colonized by Helicobacter pylori, which accounts for more than 50% of gastric cancers. While the role of inflammation in intestinal and colonic cancers is relatively well defined, its role in stomach neoplasia is still unclear because of the limited access of pathogens to the acidic environment and the technical difficulties isolating and characterizing immune cells in the stomach, especially in animal models. In this review, we will provide recent updates addressing how inflammation is involved in gastric malignancies, and what immune characteristics regulate the pathogenesis of stomach cancer. Also, we will discuss potential therapeutics that target the immune system for the efficient treatment of gastric cancer.     

Development of an acute obstructive hydrocephalus model in rats using N-butyl cyanoacrylate

Purpose  

Previous animal models of obstructive hydrocephalus that was frequently combined with subarachnoid inflammation are not suitable for investigating cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow between ventricles and cisterns in obstructive hydrocephalus. In this study, we attempted to develop a new animal model for obstructive hydrocephalus in rats sparing subarachnoid space using N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA).     

The correlation of left atrial volume index to the level of N-terminal pro-BNP in heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction

Background: Patients with heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) have high N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐pro‐BNP) level and a high ratio of early transmitral inflow to diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (E/E′) derived from tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). Because left atrial volume indexed to body surface area (LAVI) is believed to reflect chronic diastolic dysfunction, we assessed the ability of LAVI and E/E′ ratio to predict NT‐pro‐BNP level in patients with HFPEF. Methods: One hundred forty‐eight patients with HFPEF (ejection fraction ≥ 50%, NT‐pro‐BNP ≥ 100 pg/ml) underwent conventional echocardiography including LAVI and E/E′ ratio, which were compared with NT‐pro‐BNP level. Results: In the overall patient population, modest correlations were found between NT‐pro‐BNP level and peak systolic TDI (S′) (P = 0.009), LAVI (P = 0.009), and E/E′ ratio (P = 0.017). However, in patients with E/E′ ratio ≥13, LAVI was the most important predictor of NT‐pro‐BNP level (P < 0.001), whereas in those with E/E′ ratio <13 it was S′ (P < 0.001) in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: In patients with HFPEF evidenced by high NT‐pro‐BNP level, LAVI correlates with NT‐pro‐BNP level in the setting of elevated E/E′ ratio. However, in the setting of low E/E′ ratio, LAVI does not seem to be associated with NT‐pro‐BNP level.     

Introduction of HIV type 1 subtype E virus into South Korea

Subtype E HIV-1 is the most prevalent strain in Southeast Asia. Although subtype B is prevalent in Korea, geographical distance and increases in travel may lead to the spread of subtype E in Korea. Therefore, we tried to identify and monitor the patterns of HIV subtype E virus introduction into Korea. The divergence of nucleotide sequences within the envelope region (V3 to V5) of Korean subtype E isolates ranged from 4.3 to 14.6% (n = 8; mean, 9.5 +/- 2.8%). In pairwise comparisons of subtype E isolates between Korea and other regions, the divergence of nucleotide sequences between 8 Korean and 16 Asian subtype E variants ranged from 1.3 to 15.2% (mean, 7.8 +/- 2.6%), whereas the divergence of nucleotide sequences between 8 Korean and 2 African variants ranged from 11.7 to 20.7% (mean, 15.4 +/- 2.2%). A phylogenetic tree showed that Korean subtype E isolates cluster with the Asian isolates but far from the African isolates. These epidemiological and molecular epidemiological data suggest that HIV-1 subtype E strains have been transmitted into Korea from endemic areas of Southeast Asia rather from Africa.