Effect of a Device-Free Compressed Shell Fixation Method on Hepatic Respiratory Movement: Analysis for Respiratory Amplitude of the Liver and Internal Motions of a Fiducial Marker

Purpose

Suppression of respiratory movement of the liver would be desirable for high-precision radiation therapy for liver tumors. We aimed to investigate the effect of our original device-free compressed shell fixation method and breathing instruction on suppression of respiratory movement. The characteristics of liver motion based on the movement of a fiducial marker were also analyzed.

Excessive fibrinolysis detected with thromboelastography in a case of amniotic fluid embolism: fibrinolysis may precede coagulopathy

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis - Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a catastrophic condition in the peripartum period and still remains as a leading cause of maternal death. Although over 80%...     

Postoperative development of sarcopenia is a strong predictor of a poor prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction and upper gastric cancer

Background

There were few studies assessed the postoperative sarcopenia in patients with cancers. The objective of present study was to assess whether postoperative development of sarcopenia could predict a poor prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction, (AEG) and upper gastric cancer (UGC).

Association of kidney function with cancer incidence and its influence on cancer risk of smoking: The Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study

The association between kidney function and cancer incidence is inconsistent among previous reports, and data on the Japanese population are lacking. It is unknown whether kidney function modifies the cancer risk of other factors. We aimed to evaluate the association of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with cancer incidence and mortality in 55 242 participants (median age, 57 years; 55% women) from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study. We also investigated differences in cancer risk factors between individuals with and without kidney dysfunction. During a median 9.3-year follow-up period, 4278 (7.7%) subjects developed cancer. Moderately low and high eGFRs were associated with higher cancer incidence; compared with eGFR of 60-74 ml/min/1.73 m², the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for eGFRs of ≥90, 75-89, 45-59, 30-44 and 10-29 ml/min/1.73 m² were 1.18 (1.07-1.29), 1.09 (1.01-1.17), 0.93 (0.83-1.04), 1.36 (1.00-1.84) and 1.12 (0.55-2.26), respectively. High eGFR was associated with higher cancer mortality, while low eGFR was not; the adjusted subdistribution HRs (95% CIs) for eGFRs of ≥90 and 75-89 ml/min/1.73 m² were 1.58 (1.29-1.94) and 1.27 (1.08-1.50), respectively. Subgroup analyses of participants with eGFRs ≥60 and <60 ml/min/1.73 m² revealed elevated cancer risks of smoking and family history of cancer in those with eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m², with significant interactions. Our findings suggest that the relationship between eGFR and cancer incidence was U-shaped. Only high eGFR was associated with cancer mortality. Kidney dysfunction enhanced cancer risk from smoking.     

Long-term vardenafil therapy improves hemodynamics in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

The phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor, sildenafil, has been reported to produce sustained pulmonary vasodilatation in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Recently, vardenafil, a more potent and selective PDE-5 inhibitor than sildenafil, has been approved for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. However, the long-term effects of oral vardenafil in patients with PH are unknown. We studied five consecutive patients with PH; one with primary pulmonary hypertension, two with chronic pulmonary thromboembolism, one with Eisenmenger syndrome (ventricular septal defect) and one with secondary pulmonary hypertension after a ventricular septal defect closure operation. In an acute hemodynamic trial, vardenafil (5 mg) significantly decreased both the pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) with an increase in cardiac output. In a chronic hemodynamic trial, the maintenance dose of vardenafil (10 to 15 mg) for 3 months significantly decreased the PVR, but not the SVR, with a 20.7% reduction of the PVR/ SVR ratio. Plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were also significantly decreased after 3 months. This pilot study demonstrates that long-term oral vardenafil therapy may be a safe and effective treatment for patients with PH.     

Study on the lymphatic flow of the lower gastric region for radical lymphadenectomy in advanced lower gastric cancer

A prognosis of patients with a curative resected advanced cancer of the lower gastric region was worse than that of the other region of the stomach. The 5 year survival rate was only 47.3%. One of the main reasons was that a rate of lymph node recurrence was higher. In this point of view, we studied on lymphatic flow of the lower gastric region using an activated carbon particle (CH40). Lymph nodes were stained black soon after the injection of CH40 into the lower gastric wall at laparotomy. The black stained rate of an each regional lymph node was as follows. 3. 58%, 4. 17%, 5. 50%, 6. 25%, 1. 21%, 7. 58%, 8. 83%, 9. 58%, 11. 17% and 12. 33% in case of injection into the greater curvature and and 4. 31%, 6. 100%, 8. 25%, 9. 25%, 14V and 56% in case of injection into the lesser curvature. The stained rate was relatively high in 12 and 14V lymph node which we had not routinely dissected. The rates of lymph nodes stained black were related to those of cancer metastasis. The results suggest that lymphadenectomy of 12 for the cancer at the lesser curvature and that of 14V for the cancer at the greater curvature might make a prognosis of lower gastric cancer better.     

Clinical phase I study of T-2588

A clinical phase I study for T-2588 was carried out in 25 healthy male volunteers. Each volunteer received T-2588 in one of the following doses: 100 mg capsule or tablet as a single oral administration in fasting or non-fasting state, 200 or 400 mg capsule as a single oral administration in non-fasting state or 300 or 600 mg daily for 14 approximately 15 days as a repeated administration in non-fasting state. The results are summarized below. No subjective or objective adverse effects were noted after a single oral administration. But repeated dose of 300 mg daily for 15 days and 600 mg daily for 14 days brought about abdominal distension in 1 case and soft stool in 1 case, respectively. As an abnormal change in clinical laboratory findings, 1 case with slight increase in transaminase after a single administration and 3 cases with slight increases in transaminase after repeated doses were observed. Time to reach a maximum concentration of T-2525 in blood (Tmax) was longer in subjects at non-fasting states than subjects in fasting states. Maximum blood concentration was lower in the latter than in the former. Urinary excretion rate in 8 hours after an oral administration was 19 approximately 28% and it was higher in non-fasting subject than in fasting subject. No accumulation of T-2588 was noted after repeated doses.     

Monoclonal antibody to human pancreatic carcinoma cells

A monoclonal antibody (MoAb, SK-930) of the IgG2a subclass to human pancreatic carcinoma cells (MIA-PaCa 2) was obtained by hybridization of spleen cells from immunized Balb/c mice with murine myeloma cells. SK-930 was investigated for reacting in indirect immunofluorescence on FACS against a panel comprising 12 types of different origin. SK-930 reacted with seven out of 11 tumor cells and with one PBL. Immunoperoxidase techniques (ABC method) showed that SK-930 antigen was present on pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells, but could not be detected on normal pancreatic tissue. Immunoprecipitation experiments and SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that SK-930 recognized 134K dalton peptide on tumor cells. These results suggest that SK-930 reacts with a novel pancreatic cancer-associated antigen.     

Molecular cloning and sequence determination of the peplomer protein gene of feline infectious peritonitis virus type I

Summary cDNA clones spanning the entire region of the peplomer (S) gene of feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) type I strain KU-2 were obtained and their complete nucleotide sequences were determined. A long open reading frame (ORF) encoding 1464 amino acid residues was found in the gene, which was 12 residues longer than the ORF of the FIPV type II strain 79–1146. The sequences of FIPV type I and mainly FIPV type II were compared. The homologies at the N- (amino acid residues 1–693) and C- (residues 694–1464) terminal halves were 29.8 and 60.7%, respectively. This was much lower than that between FIPV type II and other antigenically related coronaviruses, such as transmissible gastroenteritis virus of swine and canine coronavirus. This supported the serological relatedness of the viruses and confirmed that the peplomer protein of FIPV type I has distinct structural features that differ from those of antigenically related viruses.