Cooperative study of intraarterial preventive chemotherapy after resection of hepatic metastasis from colorectal cancer

This is a compilation of the results of preventive intraarterial infusion following resection of hepatic metastasis from colorectal cancer at four surgical centers. The cases studied included two groups: A) 76 patients who underwent normal liver resection only, and B) 78 patients who underwent resection with adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods included: 1) WHF, 50 cases; 2) other methods using 5-FU, 18 cases; and 3) intraarterial infusions other than 5-FU, 10 (2 cases, outcome unknown). Survival rates for groups A and B for 1 and 5 years were 71.2, 18.9% and 91.5, 56.2%, respectively, with the rates for the intraarterial infusion group showing far better results. The 1- and 5-year survival rates in terms of infusion methods were: 1) 90.7% and 64.6%; 2) 94.4% and 39.3%; and 3) 90% and 60%, respectively, showing no remarkable differences between methods. Total doses of 5-FU were (a) less than 5 g, 7 patients (b) 5-15 g, 16 patients (c) 15-30 g, 22 patients (d) greater than 30 g, 23 patients. A comparison of 1- and 5-year survival rates shows (a) 85.7% and 17.1%; (b) 66.5% and 44.3%; (c) 100% and 62.7%; (d) 100% and 66.5%, respectively, with doses (c) and (d) showing markedly better results than the (a) dosage. From this we conclude that the group undergoing intraarterial hepatic infusion had a markedly improved prognosis compared to the group not undergoing any type of adjuvant therapy. Also, groups receiving a dosage of 15 g or greater of 5-FU showed prolonged survival rates.     

Peripheral 5-FU blood concentration after high-dose injection into the hepatic artery: potential preventive effect on extrahepatic metastatic foci]

To clarify the effect of high-dose 5-FU injection into the hepatic artery (1,000 mg/m2 weekly) on liver metastases of colorectal cancer, the peripheral venous 5-FU concentration was measured in two groups of patients, one which had undergone hepatectomy and the other which had not. The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) was calculated and the preventive effect of 5-FU on extrahepatic lesions was examined. The peripheral venous 5-FU concentration and AUC were higher in patients who received the drug via the hepatic artery after hepatectomy, and 5-FU was effective for the prevention of extrahepatic lesions as well as against recurrence in the residual liver.     

Seco-prezizaane-type sesquiterpenes and an abietane-type diterpene from Illicium minwanense

A methanol extract of the pericarps of Illicium minwanense afforded seven new seco-prezizaane-type sesquiterpenes (2-8) and a new abietane-type diterpene (9), together with six previously known compounds (1 and 10-14). The structures of the new compounds, (1S)- and (1R)-minwanenone (2 and 3), 1alpha-hydroxy-6-deoxypseudoanisatin (4), (2S)-hydroxy-6-deoxypseudoanisatin (5), 3-oxopseudoanisatin (6), (3S,6R)-4,7-epoxy-6-deoxypseudoanisatin (7), 7-O-methylpseudomajucin (8), and (+)-8,11,13,15-abietatetraene (9), were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis and chemical transformations. The absolute configurations of 1 and 5 were established by X-ray crystallographic analysis of their p-bromobenzoyl derivatives.     

Antimicrobial susceptibilityof clinical isolates of aerobic gram-negative bacteria in 2008

We determined MICs of antibacterial agents against 1145 clinical strains of aerobic Gram-negative bacteria (22 species) isolated at 16 Japanese facilities in 2008. MICs were determined using mostly broth microdilution method and antibacterial activity was assessed. Strains producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) accounted for 3.8% of Escherichia coli, 2.6% of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 6.8% of Klebsiella oxytoca, 5.5% of Proteus mirabilis and 1.8% of Proteus vulgaris. ESBL produced strains were 6.8% at K. oxytoca that increased compared with 3.2% and 5.5% at P. mirabilis that decreased compared with 18.8% in 2006. Among Haemophilus influenzae, 61.7% that decreased compared with 67.7% in 2006, equaled 58.7% in 2004, were strains when classified by penicillin-binding protein 3 mutation. Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the activity of most antibacterial agents was similar to that in 2006. Although two antibacterial agents that tobramycin showed an MIC90 of 1 microg/mL and doripenem showed an MIC90 of 4 microg/mL against P. aeruginosa have potent activity. Of all P. aeruginosa strains, 4.3% were resistant to six agents of nine antipseudomonal agents, that decreased compared to 12.2% in 2004 and 5.7% in 2006. Against other glucose-non-fermentative Gram-negative rods, the activity of most antibacterial agents was similar to that in 2006.     

Establishment of an analyzing method for a Japanese encephalitis virus neutralization test in Vero cells

We established a 50% plaque reduction analyzing method of neutralizing antibody for human serum to Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in Vero cells, called the '3 points least-squares regression method' (3LSRM). Our method shows a high correlation with the chick embryo cell method (the current standard method for human serum), using the chart method established by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases of Japan, which is an equation made with retrospective data obtained with the 50% plaque reduction method as a standard measurement method for neutralizing antibody titers to JEV. Our new method is much simpler and more reliable than the current method in that it uses an established cell line, Vero cells, and its results are computed by the 3LSRM.     

Differences in the priming effect of various clades/subclades of inactivated H5N1 vaccine for booster injection with heterologous clades of vaccine strains

The prime-boost response induced by different combinations of four H5N1 vaccines (NIBRG-14 (clade 1), Indo05/2005(H5N1)/PR8-IBCDC-RG2 (clade 2.1), A/Bar-Headed Goose/Qinhai Lake/1A/05 SJ163222 (clade 2.2), and Anhui01/2005(H5N1)-PR8-IBCDC-RG5 (clade 2.3.4)) was evaluated in mice. Clade 1-primed BALB/c mice showed a booster response to all of the other three H5N1 vaccines. Clade 2.2 vaccine was also a good priming vaccine. However, mice primed with clade 2.1 or clade 2.3.4 vaccine did not respond to booster injection with clade 1 vaccine, suggesting that priming might actually inhibit the booster response with some combinations of vaccines belonging to different clades. Analysis of the mechanism involved showed that lymphocytes from primed mice secreted comparable amounts of cytokines with any combination of priming and booster vaccines. Therefore, impairment of B cell immunity specific to certain booster strains may have been involved.     

The development of a mini-array for estimating the disease state of gastric adenocarcinoma by array CGH

Background  

The treatment strategy usually depends on the disease state in the individual patient. However, it is difficult to estimate the disease state before treatment in many patients. The purpose of this study was to develop a BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) mini-array allowing for the estimation of node metastasis, liver metastasis, peritoneal dissemination and the depth of tumor invasion in gastric cancers.