Mechanical sensitivity and psychological factors in patients with burning mouth syndrome

Clinical Oral Investigations - The aim of this study was to compare mechanical sensitivity on the tongue using quantitative sensory testing (QST) and psychological factors using the General Health...     

Disruption of pRb-p16INK4 pathway: a common event in ampullary carcinogenesis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Aberrations of the pRb (Retinoblastoma gene protein)-p16INK4 pathway play a critical role in carcinogenesis. Our objective is to evaluate its role in tumorigenesis and the development of ampullary cancer. METHODOLOGY: We examined expression status of p16INK4 protein and pRb immunohistochemically and assessed their possible prognostic relevance in 36 ampullary cancers. RESULTS: Thirty-four specimens (94.4%) exhibited alteration of p16INK4 and/or pRb expression, with 63.9% (23/36) of cancers showing p16INK4 negative expression and 94.4% (34/36) pRb abnormal expression. p16INK4 protein negative expression correlated significantly with tumor progression features such as advanced tumor stages (p=0.0291), lymph node metastasis (p=0.005), pancreas invasion (p=0.0002) and duodenum invasion (p=0.0101). Cases with both p16RNK4 protein negative expression and pRb overexpression showed poorer differentiation, more invasive growth (p=0.0425), higher level tumor stages (p=0.0079) and more frequent pancreas invasion (p=0.0024), compared with the others. p16INK4 protein expression showed no relationship with pRb expression (p=0.2199). No association was found in pRb expression status compared with any clinicopathological parameters analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: The disruption of the pRb-p16NK4 pathway plays an important role in ampullary carcinogenesis, the absence of p16INK4 protein expression might be involved in ampullary tumor progression.     

Subcellular localization of KL-6 mucin in colorectal carcinoma cell lines: association with metastatic potential and cell morphology

KL-6 mucin, a type of MUC1 mucin, is expressed in many malignant tissues including colorectal adenocarcinoma. Previous studies on colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues showed that subcellular localization of KL-6 mucin was associated with the tumor metastatic potential and the patient prognosis. In the present study, to further investigate the significance of subcellular localization of KL-6 mucin, we examined KL-6 mucin expression in colorectal carcinoma cell lines, COLO 201, LoVo, WiDr, and DLD-1, by means of Western blot, flow cytometric and immunocytochemical analyses in conjunction with xylitol treatment. COLO 201 cells characterized by free cells in culture and high metastatic potential revealed extremely high level expression of KL-6 mucin in the cytoplasm and cell surface. The cell surface mucin of COLO 201 cells could not be removed by xylitol treatment, suggesting that the mucin may tightly bind to the cell membrane. LoVo cells characterized by adhesive cells in culture and high metastatic potential express a low level of KL-6 mucin in their cytoplasm and cell surface. In contrast, WiDr and DLD-1 cells, both of which are characterized by low metastatic potential, express KL-6 mucin around the cell surface. The mucin of WiDr and DLD-1 cells could be removed by xylitol treatment, suggesting that KL-6 mucin of these two cell lines may be weakly attached around the cell surface. These results suggest that expression level and subcellular localization of KL-6 mucin may be related to the cell morphology in culture and metastatic potential in colorectal carcinoma cell lines. In addition, xylitol is an effective tool to remove KL-6 mucin weakly attached around the cell surface and to investigate the role of subcellular localization of KL-6 mucin.     

Effect of sleep restriction on somatosensory sensitivity including occlusal sensation in the orofacial area

Purpose

To investigate the effect of sleep restriction on somatosensory sensitivity related to occlusion.

Des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin expression in cancer and/or non-cancer liver tissues: association with survival of patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma

Des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP), also known as a protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist II, is an abnormal prothrombin. The level of serum DCP is used in clinical diagnosis and prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our previous immunohistochemical study showed that DCP is expressed not only in cancer tissues but also in the surrounding non-cancer tissues of HCC patients. However, clinical significance of DCP expression in non-cancer tissues of HCC patients remains unclear. In this study, we examined the relationship between histochemical expression of DCP in cancer and/or non-cancer tissues and the clinical outcome of the HCC patients. A retrospective study was performed of 132 patients each with a single primary HCC nodule. Expression of DCP in tissues was evaluated with immunohistochemical staining using anti-DCP antibody (MU-3). Serum DCP levels were determined using enzyme immunoassay with a double antibody sandwich system. Experimental and clinical data were processed by univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. DCP expression, even if it was observed only in non-cancer tissues, was related to poorer prognosis. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that DCP expression in cancer and/or non-cancer tissues was a significant prognostic factor. Furthermore, the combined evaluation of tissue DCP expression and serum DCP levels showed that prognosis was poorest for patients showing positive tissue DCP expression and high levels of serum DCP. These results suggest that immunohistochemical evaluation of DCP expression not only in cancer but also in non-cancer tissues serves as a valuable factor in the prognosis of HCC patients and that the combined evaluation of tissue DCP expression and serum DCP level will be more valuable than either factor alone in the effective treatment and prognosis.     

Unexpected metastasis of intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct without an invasive component to the brain and lungs:A case report

BACKGROUND Despite an expanding number of studies on intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct(IPNB),distant metastasis remains unexplained especially in cases of carcinoma in situ.In the present study,we report a rare and interesting case of IPNB without invasive components that later metastasized to lungs and brain.CASE SUMMARY A 69-year-old male was referred to our hospital due to suspected cholangiocarcinoma.Laboratory tests on admission reported a mild elevation of alkaline phosphatase,γ-glutamyl transpeptidase,and total bilirubin in serum.Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography revealed a filling defect in the common bile duct(CBD)extending to the left hepatic duct.Peroral cholangioscopy delineated a tumor in the CBD that had a papillary pattern.Multidetector computed tomography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography detected partial blockage ot interlude in the CBD leading to cholestasis without evidence of metastasis.Therefore,a diagnosis of IPNB cT1N0M0 was established.Left hepatectomy with bile duct reconstruction was performed.Pathological examination confirmed an intraepithelial neoplasia pattern without an invasive component and an R0 resection achievement.The patient was monitored carefully by regular examinations.However,at 32 mo after the operation,a 26 mm tumor in the lungs and a 12 mm lesion in the brain were detected following a suspicious elevated CA 19-9 level.Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery of left upper lobectomy and stereotactic radiotherapy are indicated.In addition to histopathological results,a genomic profiling analysis using whole exome sequencing subsequently confirmed lung metastasis originating from bile duct cancer.CONCLUSION This case highlights the important role of genomic profiling analysis using whole exome sequencing in identifying the origin of metastasis in patients with IPNB.     

Sialoglycoconjugate expression in primary colorectal cancer and metastatic lymph node tissues

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Aberrant cell surface glycosylation, and especially excessive sialylation, is thought to have great importance in tumor malignancy. To investigate the clinicopathological significance of sialylation in colorectal cancer, we performed histochemical analyses using sialic acid-binding lectins. METHODOLOGY: Primary colorectal cancer and lymph node tissues obtained from 80 cases were subjected to lectin-immunohistochemical staining using Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin (MAL) and Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA). The relationship between the staining characteristics and the various clinicopathological parameters was statistically analyzed. RESULTS: In primary cancer tissues, a high level of SNA staining was significantly related to worse prognosis and some pathological characteristics such as lymph node metastasis, whereas a high level of MAL staining was related to worse prognosis. In metastatic lymph node tissues, positive staining was frequently found for MAL and SNA, which wasremarkable in cases categorized as N2 metastasis. Furthermore, cases with MAL-positive staining in metastatic lymph node tissues evidently indicated worse prognosis than those with MAL-negative staining. CONCLUSIONS: Aberrant expression of SNA-positive sialoglycoconjugates in primary colorectal cancer tissues is important in terms of unfavorable pathological characteristics of the cancer. In addition, aberrant expression of MAL-positive sialoglycoconjugates in metastatic lymph node tissues might be related to worse prognosis.