The relationship between consumption of antimicrobial agents and the prevalence of primary Helicobacter pylori resistance.

Background: Primary and acquired resistance to the antimicrobial agents is a primary reason for the failure of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapies. We assessed the primary antibiotic resistance rates of H. pylori to three different antibiotics and its relationship due to the annual antibiotic consumption in Japan during the period prior to approval of anti-H.

Long-term outcome after endoscopic mucosal resection in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma invading the muscularis mucosae or deeper.

Background: Endoscopic mucosal resection is recommended for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus confined to the lamina propria. However, endoscopic mucosal resection is often performed in patients with tumors that invade the muscularis mucosa or upper submucosa to minimize surgical invasiveness, despite the increased risk of lymph node metastasis. This study prospectively evaluated long-term outcome in such patients.

Clinical role of (18)F-FDG PET for initial staging of patients with extrahepatic bile duct cancer.

In extrahepatic bile duct cancer, preoperative evaluation is important because only surgical excision of all detectable tumours is associated with improvement in 5-year survival. However, morphological imaging techniques, including computed tomography (CT), are still insufficient for accurate staging. The purpose of this study was to assess the additional value, in relation to CT, of 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy- D-glucose positron emission tomography ((18)F-FDG PET) for the evaluation of extrahepatic bile duct cancer.

Improvement of long-standing iron-deficiency anemia in adults after eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection.

We report two cases of long-standing iron-deficiency anemia in premenopausal women that improved after eradication of H. pylori infection. There were no ulcerations or hemorrhagic lesions in the gastrointestinal tract and no bleeding focus in gynecological organs.

Development of an H. pylori-infected animal model and gastric cancer: recent progress and issues.

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies in the world. Gastric carcinogenesis is multifactorial. Although some environmental factors, such as excessive intake of salt and N-nitroso compounds in foods, are involved in this process, Helicobacter pylori has been closely linked to an increased risk of the development of gastric adenocarcinoma.

Amelioration of dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis by anti-macrophage migration inhibitory factor antibody in mice.

Background & Aims: We investigated the effects of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) antibodies in experimental colitis-induced dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) and examined whether plasma levels of MIF were elevated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods: BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice were fed 4% DSS in their drinking water for up to 7 days with and without administration of an anti-MIF antibody every 2 days. The severity of inflammation in the cecum and colon was assessed by clinical signs and histologic scoring.

Analysis of T-cell repertoire and mixed chimaerism in a patient with aplastic anaemia after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

We analysed 26 T-cell receptor (TCR) beta chain subfamilies (VB) of a patient with aplastic anaemia (AA) who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT). The patient developed pancytopenia at d 80. The patient's T cells were skewed in 10 of 26 TCR-VB on d 83.

Analysis of mixed chimerism in patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation using a capillary electrophoresis system.

We analyzed mixed chimerism (MC) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) using a capillary electrophoresis system with four kinds of fluorescence-labeled primers for microsatellites (D3S1359, D6S89, ACTBP2, HGH). The sensitivities of all microsatellites were at least 3%. The present method is sufficiently rapid: only 3-4 h are needed to perform all the procedures.

Pneumococcal purulent genual arthritis after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

A 21-year-old male patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (diffuse large T-cell type, clinical stage IV) received allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from a partially HLA-mismatched unrelated donor in July 1998 and achieved complete remission. Thereafter, he suffered from chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and was continuously administered immunosuppressive drugs for a long time. Two years after the BMT, he complained of severe pain in the right knee, which was swollen, and was diagnosed as having pneumococcal purulent genual arthritis.

Induction of CD94/NKG2A expression on T cells in mixed lymphocyte culture by CD14+ cells from granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

We report the increased expression of inhibitory natural killer (NK) cell receptor, CD94/NKG2A, for human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I on CD8+ T cells in granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (G-PBMC) after mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC). The addition of purified CD14+ cells to CD14-depleted G-PBMC-induced CD94/NKG2A expression in a dose-dependent fashion; however, this enhancing effect was inhibited by the membrane between responder cells and CD14+ cells. Therefore, CD14+ cells in G-PBMC induce CD94/NKG2A expression on CD8+ T cells, which in turn appear to downregulate alloresponses after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

Removal of mucus for ultrastructural observation of the surface of human gastric epithelium using pronase.

Background: Helicobacter pylori adhering to the human gastric epithelium causes gastric diseases such as ulcer, carcinoma and lymphoma. It is thus important to observe in detail both the surface of the epithelial cells and the H. pylori that adhered to it for the elucidation of H.

Lamivudine treatment for reverse seroconversion of hepatitis B 4 years after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Reverse seroconversion of hepatitis B virus (HBV) after allogeneic BMT is rare. We present a case of HBV reactivation late after allogeneic BMT which responded well to lamivudine therapy. A 35-year-old woman with CML received an allogeneic BMT.

Decreased adherence of cagG-deleted Helicobacter pylori to gastric epithelial cells in Japanese clinical isolates.

Background: The cag pathogenicity island (cag PAI) is a major virulence factor. The ability of Helicobacter pylori to adhere to gastric epithelial cells is an important initial step for virulence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between genetic variations of cag PAI in Japanese clinical isolates and the ability of H.

Autocrine production of epithelial cell-derived neutrophil attractant-78 induced by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in neutrophils.

Whereas mobilization to inflammatory sites is an important function of neutrophils, it remains to be determined whether granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) stimulates the mobilization of neutrophils to the inflammatory sites. This study compared the expression of more than 9000 genes in neutrophils treated with and without G-CSF with the use of a DNA microarray system to determine the effects of G-CSF on the function of neutrophils. It was found that messenger RNA expression of epithelial cell-derived neutrophil attractant-78 (ENA-78), which has been reported to be a chemotactic factor for neutrophils, was induced by G-CSF in neutrophils.