Relationship of aberrant DNA hypermethylation of CHFR with sensitivity to taxanes in endometrial cancer.

The relationship of aberrant DNA hypermethylation of cell cycle checkpoint genes with the sensitivity of cancer cells to anticancer drugs is a question of current interest. In this study, we investigated the relationship between aberrant hypermethylation of the CHFR (checkpoint with forkhead-associated and ring finger) mitotic checkpoint gene and sensitivity to taxanes in endometrial cancer. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) indicated aberrant hypermethylation of CHFR in 12.

Relationship of the aberrant DNA hypermethylation of cancer-related genes with carcinogenesis of endometrial cancer.

Epigenetic abnormalities including the aberrant DNA hypermethylation of the promoter CpG islands play a key role in the mechanism of gene inactivation in cell carcinogenesis. To identify the genes associated with aberrant DNA hypermethylation in endometrial carcinogenesis, we studied the hypermethylation of the promoter regions of five genes: hMLH1, APC, E-cadherin, RAR-beta and p16. The frequencies of aberrant hypermethylation were 40.

Healthcare utilization in women with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome 2 years after diagnosis and treatment.

Unlabelled: SUBJECTIVE OBJECTIVES: To document healthcare utilization 2 years after diagnosis in women with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).

Design: Retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary university-based medical center.

Metabolic syndrome in Japanese patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

We investigated the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) referred to a tertiary university-based medical center. A cross-sectional study of patients with a definite diagnosis of OSAS was performed using new diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome that were designed for the Japanese population. Clinical features and comorbidities related to metabolic syndrome were compared between 819 patients with OSAS (719 men and 100 women) and 89 control subjects without OSAS.

Hypermethylation in the p16 promoter region in the carcinogenesis of endometrial cancer in Japanese patients.

Background: p16 has been reported to disappear by hypermethylation in various cancers. However, the relationship between the frequency of hypermethylation of p16 and the mechanism of its inactivation has not been completely elucidated in endometrial cancer.

Materials And Methods: Hypermethylation in the promoter region of the p16 gene and the expression of the p16 protein in 51 specimens, including 8 endometrial cancer cell lines, 7 normal endometrial tissues, 12 atypical endometrial hyperplasia tissues and 32 endometrial cancer tissues were analyzed.

Utilization of healthcare resources in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a 5-year follow-up study in men using CPAP.

Study Objectives: Patients with untreated obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) have higher healthcare utilization than matched controls. However, the long-term impact of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) use on healthcare utilization is unknown.

Design: Retrospective observational cohort study.

Clinicopathologic manifestations of early-onset endometrial cancer in Japanese women with a familial predisposition to cancer.

Aim: The number of patients under 40 years of age with early-onset endometrial cancer is on the rise in Japan. Preservation of fertility in younger patients is a critical issue. In order to examine the clinical and pathological characteristics of these patients, cases of early-onset endometrial cancer at a single hospital were analyzed.

Differences between men and women in the clinical presentation of patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Study Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) results from recurrent episodes of breathing cessation during sleep. Epidemiologic studies have shown that OSAS is more prevalent in men than women (4% vs 2%). Previous studies have explored gender-related differences in upper airway anatomy and function, hormone physiology, and polysomnographic findings.

Experience in using split-day studies for suspected obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Background: Because in many locations the demand for sleep studies exceeds resources, we evaluated the utility of split-day in-laboratory studies (SDS) in highly selected patients.

Methods: We studied 100 eligible cases: 68 males (age 48.6+/-1.

Successful analysis of anticancer drug sensitivity by CD-DST using pleural fluid and ascites from patients with advanced ovarian cancer: case reports.

In vitro anticancer drug sensitivity tests have been performed for various types of cancers, and a relationship with clinical response has been observed. The collagen gel droplet-embedded culture drug sensitivity test (CD-DST) is a new in vitro anticancer drug sensitivity test by Yabushita et al., recently reported to be useful in ovarian cancer.

Long-term treatment of sleep breathing disorder in a patient with Huntington's disease.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder. An association with sleep breathing disorder has not previously been established in the literature. We report the case of a 45-year-old woman with HD, presenting with snoring and observed apnea.

[PR of clinical testing].

Regardless of its vital role of providing quality of patients care and optimizing overall healthcare costs, a clinical testing in Japan bears too strong cost containment pressures, which lead to too economically driven cost reduction initiatives. As a result, there is a risk of hampering infrastructure of appropriate medical services in Japan, including accuracy of tests, speed of tests, adoptation of new IVD technology, quality of information, adding value information, risk management, etc. In order to maintain a proper clinical testing in Japan, people/organizations associated with IVD and clinical testing should take more proactive PR actions to appeal the importance and value addition of clinical testing to patients, media, governments, hospital management, and other medical professionals.

Clinical characteristics of prognostic factors in poorly differentiated (G3) endometrioid adenocarcinoma in Japan.

Background: It has been reported that prognosis is less favorable in poorly (G3) differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma than in well (G1) or moderately (G2) differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma. The goal of this study is therefore to analyze the prognosis of G3 endometrioid adenocarcinoma and various factors that may predict a favorable prognosis.

Method: This study included 699 Japanese cases of endometrioid adenocarcinoma at the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) surgical stages I-IV (including 74 G3 cases).

Diagnostic clinical application of two-color fluorescence in situ hybridization that detects chromosome 1 and 17 alterations to direct touch smear and liquid-based thin-layer cytologic preparations of endometrial cancers.

We performed two-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on direct touch smears and liquid-based thin-layer (ThinPrep) cytological preparations of endometrial tumors to detect alterations of chromosome 1 and 17 that present with high incidence in endometrial cancers. The DNA probes used for two-color FISH analysis were a combination of the probes designed for 17cen (cCI 17-321) and 17p13.3 (D17S34), and a combination of the probes designed for 1q12 (D1Z1) and 1p36 (cCI1-5335).

Association of HNPCC and endometrial cancers.

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is among the representative familial cancers that are autosomally dominant inherited disorders. Because endometrial cancers develop at high rates in women with HNPCC, it is suggested that some endometrial cancers are familial cancers that are induced by mutations of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes, as in HNPCC. To understand the clinical pathology of familial endometrial cancers that are associated with HNPCC, we surveyed the family histories of 385 patients with endometrial cancer and found that 0.

Purification and characterization of NADPH-dependent aldo-keto reductase specific for beta-keto esters from Penicillium citrinum, and production of methyl (S)-4-bromo-3-hydroxybutyrate.

A novel beta-keto ester reductase (KER) was purified to homogeneity from recombinant Escherichia coli (pTrcKER) cells, which efficiently expressed the ker gene cloned from Penicillium citrinum IFO4631. The enzyme was monomeric and had a molecular mass of 37 kDa. It catalyzed the reduction of some beta-keto esters, especially alkyl 4-halo-3-oxobutyrates.

Two Japanese kindreds occurring endometrial cancer meeting new clinical criteria for hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), Amsterdam Criteria II.

Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), also called Lynch syndrome, is an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder of cancer susceptibility. Patients with HNPCC exhibit an increased risk for HNPCC-associated extracolonic tumors such as cancer of the endometrium. HNPCC is associated with germline mutations in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes: hMLH1, hMSH2 and hMSH6.

Sleep-disordered breathing in patients with idiopathic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Sleep-disordered breathing may adversely affect heart function, and thereby contribute to the progression of heart failure. A study was undertaken in patients with idiopathic cardiomyopathy to document the characteristics of sleep-disordered breathing.

Methods And Results: Thirty-five patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic cardiomyopathy, comprising 20 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and 15 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), underwent overnight polysomnography.

Identification of germline MSH2 gene mutations in endometrial cancer not fulfilling the new clinical criteria for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer.

Endometrial cancer is the second most common malignancy in patients with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). This cancer is caused by germline mutations in one of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes. The present study was undertaken to analyze the relation between microsatellite instability (MSI) and germline mutations of MMR genes.