TRPV2 Promotes Cell Migration and Invasion in Gastric Cancer via the Transforming Growth Factor-β Signaling Pathway

Annals of Surgical Oncology - Transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 (TRPV2) is a highly Ca2+-permeable ion channel that is involved in a number of cellular processes. It is expressed in various...     

Castration-resistant prostate cancer without metastasis at presentation may achieve cancer-specific survival in patients who underwent prior radical prostatectomy

International Urology and Nephrology - Radical prostatectomy (RP) is relatively better oncological outcomes in patients with prostate cancer (PCa). However, the incidence of castration-resistant...     

Quality of life in active surveillance for early prostate cancer

Recently, the prevalence of the prostate-specific antigen screening test for early-stage prostate cancer has increased, but this has also resulted in an increase in insignificant cancers. The treatment outcome of early-stage prostate cancer is excellent, but such a radical treatment also leaves the patient with undesired adverse consequences. To resolve such problems, attention should be paid to active surveillance as a modern treatment option. This study aimed to systematically review the literature about quality of life in prostate cancer patients undergoing active surveillance. Evidence was acquired from PubMed databases in March 2019 using quality of life, prostate cancer, well-being, anxiety, depression, stress, outcomes, active surveillance, radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy as keywords. Five clinical active surveillance studies measured health-related quality of life and related psychological factors, and seven compared active surveillance with other treatments (radical therapy and hormone therapy). Active surveillance was superior to radical therapy for urinary and sexual function. Furthermore, most patients who opted for active surveillance showed lower anxiety and fear of progression, whereas health-related quality of life was maintained. Although active surveillance has the advantage of being non-invasive, its diagnosis and follow-up protocols are unreliable. Because such uncertainty can affect patients’ quality of life, utilization of imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging, and the development of new biomarkers are required.     

Changes in Cell-Mediated Immunity (IFN-γ and Granzyme B) Following Influenza Vaccination

Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is considered a key moderator of cell-mediated immunity. However, little is known about its association with granzyme B, which plays an important role in the effector function of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). In the present study, we collected blood samples from 32 healthy adults before and after vaccination with inactivated influenza vaccine in 2017/18 to measure the levels of IFN-γ and granzyme B, which play roles in cell-mediated immunity, and hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) antibody, which plays a role in humoral immunity. The levels of IFN-γ and granzyme B were significantly correlated both before and after vaccination. Furthermore, the post-vaccine fold increases in the IFN-γ and granzyme B levels were significantly correlated. The levels of IFN-γ and granzyme B decreased five months after vaccination in more than half of the subjects who exhibited an increase in IFN-γ and granzyme B at two weeks post-vaccination. This is the first study to investigate the correlation between IFN-γ and granzyme B levels following influenza vaccination. Our study suggests that both IFN-γ and granzyme B can be used as markers of cell-mediated immunity.     

Blue laser imaging identifies endoscopic findings corresponding to metachronous esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophagus - This study aimed to evaluate endoscopic findings using non-magnifying blue laser imaging (BLI) to determine the risk factors for metachronous esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)....     

Hepatic gene expression profiles associated with fibrosis progression and hepatocarcinogenesis in hepatitis C patients

AIM: To determine fibrosis progression and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), using simultaneous gene expression analysis. METHODS: Total RNA samples were extracted from liver biopsies from 19 patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and 3 patients without HCV infection. Among the 19 HCV-infected patients, 7 and 12 patients had grade Fl-2 and F3-4 fibrosis, respectively. Of the 12 patients with F3-4 fibrosis, 8 had HCC. Gene expression in the liver samples was determined using an oligonucleotide microarray. The following comparisons were performed: normal livers vs HCV-infected livers; F1-2 vs F3-4; and F3-4 with HCC vs F3-4 without HCC. Genes that were differentially expressed between these groups were identified based on signal-to-noise ratios. RESULTS: In the HCV-infected livers, genes involved in immune responses were highly expressed. Expression levels of genes for plasma proteins and drug-metabolizing enzymes were decreased and those of genes involved in the cell cycle and oncogenesis were increased in the F3-4 cases as compared to the F1-2 cases. Among the F3-4 cases, genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism tended to be more highly expressed in patients with HCC than in patients without HCC. CONCLUSION: We identified genes that are associated with fibrosis progression and hepatocarcinogenesis. This information may be used to detect increased carcinogenic potential in the livers of patients with HCV infection.     

Factors affecting the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma invading the portal vein--a retrospective analysis using 952 consecutive HCC patients

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatocellular carcinoma with portal venous invasion has a very poor prognosis. The aim of this study is to clarify the factors contributing to the survival of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with portal venous invasion. METHODOLOGY: Out of 952 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma admitted to Tokyo University hospital and its affiliated hospitals from 1987 to 1999, 53 patients developed portal venous invasion until December 2000. The main portal vein was invaded in 33 patients, and the first branch was invaded in the 20 patients. The factors contributing to the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with portal venous invasion were determined by univariate and multivariate analyses using 19 clinicopathological parameters. RESULTS: Overall survival rates of the 53 patients at 6 months, and 1 and 2 years were 40%, 18%, and 12%, respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that the serum albumin level, Child classification, number of tumor foci, portal venous invasion-targeted irradiation, and percutaneous tumor ablation of the parenchymal main tumor were significant. Multivariate analysis showed that percutaneous tumor ablation (P = 0.033; risk ratio = 0.28) was the most important factor contributing to a favorable prognosis followed by number of tumor foci (P = 0.048; risk ratio = 0.41). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed the significance of treatment for the parenchymal main tumor in addition to portal venous invasion in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma involving portal venous invasion. Therefore, the efficacy of combined therapy using portal venous invasion-targeted irradiation and percutaneous tumor ablation for the parenchymal main tumor on survival of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with portal venous invasion is suggested.     

Clinical characteristics and early outcomes of patients newly diagnosed with pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex disease

Background

The incidence of asymptomatic pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease appears to be increasing. This study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics and examine early outcomes of patients newly diagnosed with MAC disease.

Hepatitis B and C virus infection among adult women in Jilin Province, China: an urban-rural comparison in prevalence of infection markers

Twin seroepidemiological surveys on prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV, respectively) infection were conducted on 100 adult women in total, 50 each in the provincial capital of Changchun and in a farming village in the vicinity in Jilin Province, northeast China. Positivity to three markers on HBV (ie HBsAg+, anti-HBs+, and anti-HBc+) was examined by RIA methods, and to one on HCV (anti-HCV+) by EIA. The results were evaluated in combination with two foregoing studies in Shandong and Shaanxi Provinces, and with special reference to possible urban-rural differences in prevalence. The prevalence of HBsAg+ cases was rather low (ie 9% when two groups were combined), but that of anti-HBs+ and anti-HBc+ cases was high, being 50% and 45%, respectively. Thus, the rate of HBV+ cases was 62%. The rate for HCV+ cases was 3%. The comparison of the prevalence between the city group and the village group showed that the rates for anti-HBs+ and HBV+ were significantly or marginally higher in the former group than in the latter, respectively. The HCV+ prevalence rate for the city group (4%) also tended to be higher than the corresponding rates for the village group (2%), although the difference was statistically insignificant. When evaluated together with the observation in Shandong and Shaanxi Provinces, it appears possible to generalize that the HBV infection prevalence is not higher and probably lower in rural areas than in urban areas, and that such may also be the case for the HCV infection prevalence.     

Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma After General Anesthesia for Bone Grafting

Acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG) is a rare complication of general anesthesia. The coexistence of individual risk factors for postoperative AACG and factors associated with intraocular hypertension are considered to be required for postoperative AACG to develop. We present a case of AACG after general anesthesia for oral bone grafting in a patient with no preoperative eye symptoms. In this case, several factors such as postoperative care in a darkened room, psychological stress, and postoperative hypertension may have precipitated the event in this patient, who may have had preexisting undiagnosed elevated intraocular pressure. The interval between the earliest appearance of symptoms at 9 hours and the ultimate diagnosis was 36 hours. In the postoperative period following general anesthesia, any patient is at risk for AACG. It is important that a postoperative diagnosis of AACG should be considered and a timely consultation with an ophthalmologist be considered if a postoperative patient complains of red eyes, visual disorder, eye pain, headache, and nausea.Key Words: Acute angle-closure glaucoma, General anesthesia, Postoperative ophthalmological emergencyAcute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG) is a rare complication of general anesthesia that can have a grave prognosis. Predicting AACG after general anesthesia is difficult. In addition, preventive measures against AACG after general anesthesia have not been established. To prevent poor outcomes, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important. We encountered a case of AACG after general anesthesia for oral bone grafting.