TP53 variants in p53 signatures and the clonality of STICs in RRSO samples

ObjectivePrecursor lesions may be identified in fallopian tube tissue after risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) in patients with pathogenic variants of BRCA1/2. Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) is considered a precursor of high-grade serous carcinoma, whereas the significance of the p53 signature remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the p53 signature and the risk of ovarian cancer.MethodsWe analyzed the clinicopathological findings and conducted DNA sequencing for TP53 variants of p53 signatures and STIC lesions isolated using laser capture microdissection in 13 patients with pathogenic variants of BRCA1/2 who underwent RRSO and 17 control patients with the benign gynecologic disease.Results TP53 pathogenic variants were detected significantly higher in RRSO group than control (p<0.001). No difference in the frequency of p53 signatures were observed between groups (53.8% vs 29.4%; p=0.17). TP53 sequencing and next-generation sequencing analysis in a patient with STIC and occult cancer revealed 2 TP53 mutations causing different p53 staining for STICs and another TP53 mutation shared between STIC and occult cancer.ConclusionThe sequence analysis for TP53 revealed 2 types of p53 signatures, one with a risk of progression to STIC and ovarian cancer with pathological variants in TP53 and the other with a low risk of progression without pathological variants in TP53 as seen in control.     

Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency in Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Carcinoma Presenting with Leg Edema Treated with Pancreatic Exocrine Replacement Therapy

An 89-year-old woman underwent examinations for leg edema. Blood tests indicated low nutrition and low pancreatic enzymes, and a stool examination indicated fatty stool. Computed tomography showed pleural effusion, ascites, and cystic lesions in the pancreatic head and mural nodules within the cysts. Pancreatic juice cytology revealed adenocarcinoma. The diagnosis was pancreatic exocrine insufficiency caused by intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma. The patient did not wish to undergo surgery. Therefore, diuretics, component nutrients, and pancreatic exocrine replacement therapy using pancrelipase were initiated. After starting treatment, her leg edema, pleural effusion, and ascites disappeared, and her activities of daily living improved markedly.     

Risk factors for postoperative pneumonia in elderly patients with colorectal cancer: a sub-analysis of a large,multicenter, case-control study in Japan

Surgery Today - Postoperative pneumonia affects the length of stay and mortality after surgery in elderly patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to determine the risk factors of...     

Increased insulin sensitivity and hypoinsulinemia in APS knockout mice

A tyrosine kinase adaptor protein containing pleckstrin homology and SH2 domains (APS) is rapidly and strongly tyrosine phosphorylated by insulin receptor kinase upon insulin stimulation. The function of APS in insulin signaling has heretofore remained unknown. APS-deficient (APS(-/-)) mice were used to investigate its function in vivo. The blood glucose-lowering effect of insulin, as assessed by the intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test, was increased in APS(-/-) mice. Plasma insulin levels during fasting and in the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test were lower in APS(-/-) mice. APS(-/-) mice showed an increase in the whole-body glucose infusion rate as assessed by the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp test. These findings indicated that APS(-/-) mice exhibited increased sensitivity to insulin. However, overexpression of wild-type or dominant-negative APS in 3T3L1 adipocytes did not affect insulin receptor numbers, phosphorylations of insulin receptor, insulin receptor substrate-1, or Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase. The glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation were not affected by insulin stimulation in these cells. Nevertheless, the insulin-stimulated glucose transport in isolated adipocytes of APS(-/-) mice was increased over that of APS(+/+) mice. APS(-/-) mice also showed increased serum levels of leptin and adiponectin, which might explain the increased insulin sensitivity of adipocytes.     

Influence of Underweight on Asthma Control

Background: Although the association between asthma control and body mass index (BMI) has been thoroughly investigated, most of this work has focused on the influence on asthma incidence or the effect of obesity on asthma control. To date, there have been no published studies on the influence of underweight on asthma control.Methods: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of underweight, as defined by the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity (JASSO), on asthma control in Japanese asthmatic patients. Using data from questionnaire surveys administered by the Niigata Asthma Treatment Study Group, we compared asthma control, as measured by the Asthma Control Test (ACT), between a normal weight group (18.5 kg/m² =< BMI < 25 kg/ m²) and an underweight group (BMI < 18.5 kg/m²).Results: Of the asthmatic patients who completed the 2008 and 2010 surveys, 1464 and 1260 cases were classified as being in the normal weight group, and 174 and 155 cases were classified as being in the underweight group. The ACT score (median, [interquartile range]) in the underweight group in 2008 (22, [19-24]) and 2010 (23, [19-25]) was significantly lower than that in the normal group in 2008 (23, [20-25]) and in 2010 (24, [21-25]).Conclusions: This study is the first, large-scale investigation of the influence of underweight on asthma control, and we have confirmed an adverse influence in a clinical setting. A potential mechanism for this interaction was unknown. Further investigation will be required.     

Frequency and Risk Factors of Various Complications After Computed Tomography–Guided Radiofrequency Ablation of Lung Tumors

Objective To retrospectively determine the frequency and risk factors of various side effects and complications after percutaneous computed tomography–guided radiofrequency (RF) ablation of lung tumors. Methods We reviewed and analyzed records of 112 treatment sessions in 57 of our patients (45 men and 12 women) with unresectable lung tumors treated by ablation. Risk factors, including sex, age, tumor diameter, tumor location, history of surgery, presence of pulmonary emphysema, electrode gauge, array diameter, patient position, maximum power output, ablation time, and minimum impedance during ablation, were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Total rates of side effects and minor and major complications occurred in 17%, 50%, and 8% of treatment sessions, respectively. Side effects, including pain during ablation (46% of sessions) and pleural effusion (13% of sessions), occurred with RF ablation. Minor complications, including pneumothorax not requiring chest tube drainage (30% of sessions), subcutaneous emphysema (16% of sessions), and hemoptysis (9% of sessions) also occurred after the procedure. Regarding major complications, three patients developed fever >38.5°C; three patients developed abscesses; two patients developed pneumothorax requiring chest tube insertion; and one patient had air embolism and was discharged without neurologic deficit. Univariate and multivariate analyses suggested that a lesion located ≤1 cm of the chest wall was significantly related to pain (p < 0.01, hazard index 5.76). Risk factors for pneumothorax increased significantly with previous pulmonary surgery (p < 0.05, hazard index 6.1) and presence of emphysema (p <0.01, hazard index 13.6). Conclusion The total complication rate for all treatment sessions was 58%, and 25% of patients did not have any complications after RF ablation. Although major complications can occur, RF ablation of lung tumors can be considered a safe and minimally invasive procedure.     

Laparoscopic pancreatic cystgastrostomy

Background/Purpose: Internal drainage of acute pancreatic pseudocysts is indicated after the first 6 weeks of pseudocyst documentation. It is also indicated for symptomatic chronic pseudocysts 6 cm or more in diameter. When a pseudocyst is in close contact with the posterior wall of the stomach, it is best drained by pseudocyst gastrostomy. Methods: Intragastric surgical techniques were used in 18 patients with retrogastric pseudocysts. Intragastric ports were successfully placed in all patients, and the presence of pseudocysts was confirmed by needle aspiration in 17. Results: The intragastric approach was successful in 14 patients. In three cases a small abdominal would 8 cm in length was needed. The reasons for such conversion included uncontrollable bleeding from the cystic wall in two cases and a cystic wall in contact with, but not adherent to, the posterior gastric wall in one. Bleeding was controlled through a gastrotomy, and cystgastrostomy was performed. The wound required for conversion was much smaller than that needed for planned open surgery. These procedures are called laparoscopy-assisted cystgastrostomy. Good short- and long-term results were obtained. One patient, in whom the cystgastrostomy was too small, developed a cyst infection and underwent reoperation. Except for this case, no recurrence was observed, and no further treatment was needed. Conclusions: This experience demonstrates that cystgastrostomy with the intragastric surgical technique is a safe, less invasive procedure for effectively draining a retrogastric pseudocyst. Received: April 20, 2002 / Accepted: May 13, 2002 Offprint requests to: T. Mori     

Migration of the lag screw within the femoral head: a comparison of the intramedullary hip screw and the Gamma Asia-Pacific nail

OBJECTIVES: To study the functional difference in the performances of sliding femoral head screws by comparing the displacement of the screw in relation to the femoral head in hips treated with the Gamma Asia-Pacific nail (GN) and hips treated with the intramedullary hip screw (IMHS). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. METHODS: Displacement of the femoral head screw in relation to the femoral head was measured in fifty-six elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures who were treated with an IMHS or GN. Displacement of the femoral head screw was determined by comparing screw position in the immediate postoperative radiograph with a film taken 3 months after surgery. RESULTS: In the GN group, significant displacement of the screw was observed with 3.8 +/- 3.8 percent translation in the horizontal axis (P < 0.005) and 4.3 +/- 5.1 percent displacement in the vertical axis (P < 0.05) in comparison with the diameter of the femoral head. In comparison, displacement of the femoral head screw was not observed with the IMHS (P = 0.48 for horizontal, P = 0.18 for vertical). Total displacement of the femoral head screw in relation to the femoral head in the GN was twice that observed in the IMHS (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the displacement of the femoral head screw of the IMHS was less than the lag screw of the GN. However, it is still unknown whether this smaller displacement of the IMHS is clinically significant for reducing the rate of screw cut-out after surgery.     

Anesthetic management for pneumonectomy in a patient with cardiac amyloidosis

Cardiac amyloidosis may cause restrictive cardiomyopathy associated with heart failure, conduction disorder and ischemic heart disease. Therefore, patients with amyloidosis require careful hemodynamic monitoring in perioperative period. A 63-year-old man with cardiac amyloidosis was scheduled for pneumonectomy. His transthoracic echocardiography assessment showed a hypertrophic interventricular septum and slight decreased ejection fraction of 55%, but left ventricular (LV) diastolic function was decreased. Pulse Doppler for mitral valve inflow showed that the early peak velocity/atrial peak velocity (E/A) ratio was 0.9, the deceleration time (DT) was 163 msec and the early diastolic mitral annular tissue velocity (E') was 4 cm x sec(-1). These data suggested a pseudonormalization state. We performed careful monitoring using arterial pressure-based cardiac output (APCO), central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) and transesophageal echocardiography. There were no severe complications such as circulatory collapse and arrhythmia in the perioperative period.