Primary Cardiac Lymphoma: Echocardiography and F‐18‐Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in Selection of a Biopsy Site

A 63‐year‐old man was referred to our hospital because of a cardiac tumor. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a rough, mobile tumor in the dilated right atrium, and transesophageal echocardiography showed that the tumor consisted of small, botryoidal masses. Catheter‐based biopsy carried a high risk of embolism. Therefore, we used F‐18‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET), which revealed an abnormal accumulation in the right cervical lymph nodes, as well as in the heart. We safely performed biopsy of the lymph nodes and diagnosed the patient with primary cardiac lymphoma. We concluded that echocardiography and FDG‐PET are useful for selecting an appropriate biopsy site in primary cardiac lymphoma.     

Spontaneous amphophilic focus in the liver of a young Sprague-Dawley rat

Altered hepatocellular focus was histopathologically observed in the liver of a 6-week-old Sprague-Dawley rat. The hepatocytes within this lesion had diffusely eosinophilic cytoplasm with scattered basophilia and slightly enlarged nuclei with prominent nucleoli. Based on these cytological characteristics, the lesion of these hepatocytes was classified as an amphophilic focus. This is the first report to describe spontaneous amphophilic focus in a young rat.     

Placebo controlled evaluation of Xilei San,a herbal preparation in patients with intractable ulcerative proctitis

Background and Aim: Topical mesalamine or corticosteroid has shown efficacy in patients with ulcerative proctitis, but patients often become refractory to these interventions. Xilei San is a herbal preparation with evidence of anti‐inflammatory effects. We evaluated the efficacy of topical Xilei San in ulcerative proctitis patients. Methods: In a double blind setting, 30 patients with intractable ulcerative proctitis despite ≥ 4 weeks of topical mesalamine or corticosteroid were randomly assigned to True (n = 15) and placebo (n = 15). Patients in True received suppository Xilei San (0.1 g/dose per day of Xilei San), the other 15 received placebo suppository. The initial efficacy was evaluated on day 14. Primary endpoint of the trial was avoiding relapse during 180 days, relapse meant recurrence of active disease. Riley's index was applied for endoscopic and histological evaluations, while patients' quality of life was evaluated by an inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire. Results: On day 14, the number of patients who achieved remission, clinical activity index ≤ 4 in True was significantly higher versus placebo (P < 0.04). Likewise, at day 180, an 81.8% of patients in True were without relapse versus 16.7% in placebo (P < 0.001). Further, significant endoscopic (P < 0.01), histological (P < 0.02) and inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (P < 0.04) improvements were observed in True, but not in placebo. Conclusions: This is the first controlled investigation showing significant clinical and endoscopic efficacy for Xilei San in patients with intractable ulcerative proctitis. Topical Xilei San was well tolerated, and was without safety concerns.     

Fusobacterium nucleatum confers chemoresistance by modulating autophagy in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Background Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) is a gut microbe implicated in gastrointestinal tumorigenesis. Predicting the chemotherapeutic response is critical to developing personalised therapeutic strategies for oesophageal cancer patients. The present study investigated the relationship between F. nucleatum and chemotherapeutic resistance in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).Methods We examined the relationship between F. nucleatum and chemotherapy response in 120 ESCC resected specimens and 30 pre-treatment biopsy specimens. In vitro studies using ESCC cell lines and co-culture assays further uncovered the mechanism underlying chemotherapeutic resistance.Results ESCC patients with F. nucleatum infection displayed lesser chemotherapeutic response. The infiltration and subsistence of F. nucleatum in the ESCC cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy. We also observed that F. nucleatum modulates the endogenous LC3 and ATG7 expression, as well as autophagosome formation to induce chemoresistance against 5-FU, CDDP, and Docetaxel. ATG7 knockdown resulted in reversal of F. nucleatum-induced chemoresistance. In addition, immunohistochemical studies confirmed the correlation between F. nucleatum infection and ATG7 expression in 284 ESCC specimens.Conclusions F. nucleatum confers chemoresistance to ESCC cells by modulating autophagy. These findings suggest that targeting F. nucleatum, during chemotherapy, could result in variable therapeutic outcomes for ESCC patients.Subject terms: Tumour biomarkers, Oesophageal cancer     

The cost of antiemetic therapy for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients receiving platinum-containing regimens in daily practice in Japan: a retrospective study

Purpose  

The objective of this study was to estimate the cost of antiemetic therapy for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in daily practice in Japan.     

Enhanced Fos expression in rat lumbar spinal cord cultured with cerebrospinal fluid from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract

School, Okayama, Japan The etiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains unknown although an existence of neurotoxic substances in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from ALS patients have been postulated. In order to investigate a possible effect of CSF from ALS patients on cellular signaling in spinal neurons, we compared Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-LI) in organotypic cultures of rat lumbar spinal cord after addition of CSF from ALS patients or another neurologic disease. Fos-LI was normally present predominantly in dorsal horn neurons, whereas only a few ventral horn neurons were positive for Fos-LI. The number of Fos-LI positive neurons significantly increased in dorsal horn with addition of CSF from ALS patients as well as glutamate at 100 μM. However, the increase was not observed with addition of CSF from other neurologic diseases. The increase in Fos-LI positive neurons in dorsal horn was reversed by a further supplement of MK801, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, but not of CNQX, an a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4- isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA)/kainate antagonist. These results indicate that there may be substances in CSF from ALS patients that stimulate Fos expression in certain populations of spinal neurons via the NMDA receptors. [Neurol Res 1999; 21: 309-312]     

Simulation study on therapeutic vertebral artery occlusion for VA-PICA giant aneurysm

Abstract

We investigated haemodynamic effects of therapeutic vertebral artery (VA) occlusion on giant aneurysms at the bifurcation of the VA-posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). An hydraulic model of the human vertebro-basilar artery was manufactured from glass and silicone tubes. Class-spheres 2.5 cm in diameter were placed at the bifurcation as model aneurysms with respective distances of 8.5, 7.5, 6.5 and 5.5 mm between the VA union and aneurysmal neck. A 40% glycerol solution was perfused in this system and the half-life of the dye injected into aneurysms was regarded as an index of intra-aneurysmal stagnation. Flow conditions in aneurysms depended on the presence or absence of the effect of contralateral VA flow as well as the PICA flow. The half-life increased significantly after VA occlusion proximal to the PICA when the aneurysmal neck was more than 7.5 mm away from the VA union and PICA flow volume was less than 12 ml min^–1 The half-life in aneurysms located within 6.5 mm from the union changed little after VA occlusion regardless of the PICA flow volumes. The haemodynamic simulation study would be helpful in speculating on the efficacy of this treatment. [Neurol Res 1994; 16: 100-103]     

Major Hepatectomy Induces Phenotypic Changes in Circulating Dendritic Cells and Monocytes

Introduction  Patients undergoing major hepatectomy are at increased risk for post-operative morbidity and mortality, and changes in the phenotype of effector cells may predispose these patients to infectious sequelae. Methods  To better understand post-hepatectomy immune responses, peripheral blood from 15 hepatectomy patients was drawn immediately before and after liver resection and on post-operative days 1, 3, and 5. Circulating monocytes and dendritic cells were analyzed by flow cytometry for quantity, phenotype, activation status, human leukocyte antigen DR (HLA-DR) expression, and toll-like receptor-2 and -4 expression. Results  Major hepatectomy increased the numbers of activated CD16^bright blood monocytes and the percentage of activated dendritic cells, although monocyte HLA-DR expression was reduced. These results may represent both dysfunctional antigen presentation and pending anergy, as well as cellular priming of immune effector cells. Better understanding of the alterations in innate immunity induced by hepatectomy may identify strategies to reduce infectious outcomes.