KJ Components Enhance the Expression of Metallothioneins and Th17 Cytokines during Human T Cell Activation.

KJ (C-KJ) is a green alga with unique immunoregulatory characteristics. Here, we investigated the mechanism underlying the modification of T cell function by C-KJ components. The water-soluble extract of C-KJ was fractionated into protein (P) and sugar (S) fractions acidic (AS), basic (BS), and neutral (NS).

Efficacy of Nursing Interventions Using Motivational Interviewing Aimed at Weight Loss in Overweight/Obese Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Endocrine Therapy.

Objective: Obesity adversely impacts breast cancer treatment and outcomes. This study assessed the efficacy of nurses' motivational interviews (MI) in promoting weight loss among breast cancer patients.

Methods: Motivational Interviewing was performed at 4, 8, and 12 weeks from baseline in 27 overweight/ obese breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant endocrine therapy.

High-progesterone environment preserves T cell competency by evading glucocorticoid effects on immune regulation.

Progesterone (P4) and glucocorticoid (GC) play crucial roles in the immunoregulation of a mother to accept and maintain a semi-allogenic fetus. P4 concentration increases during pregnancy and becomes much higher in the placenta than in the other peripheral tissues, wherein the concentration of cortisol (COR), the most abundant GC and a strong immunosuppressor, remains uniform throughout the rest of the body. Here, we evaluated the effect of a high-P4 environment on pregnant immunity by comparing it with COR.

Can a Relationship of Trust Be Built Between Student Doctors and Patients Through Remote Interviews During COVID-19?

Introduction: Clinical clerkships could not be conducted as usual in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a questionnaire survey of medical students and patients to determine whether remote medical interviews conducted in such a scenario could build a trusting relationship between the two.

Materials And Methods: Fifth-year students at Tokai University School of Medicine conducted tablet-based medical interviews (remote medical interviews) with patients as part of their clinical clerkship of breast endocrine surgery.

Immunological profiles of the breast cancer microenvironment represented by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and PD-L1 expression.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) are established prognostic and predictive biomarkers for certain breast cancer subsets. However, their association with the immune response complexity is not fully understood. Therefore, we analyzed the association between the immune cell fractions in breast cancer tissues and histologically assessed TIL (hTIL) and PD-L1 (hPD-L1).

Stability of HER2 Status by Dual-color in Situ Hybridization Before and After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer.

Objective: Trastuzumab may convert human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-positive primary breast tumors to HER2-negative tumors after chemotherapy. This study determined whether trastuzumab increases the number of patients with conversion to HER2-negative status and assessed the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 46 patients diagnosed with HER2-overexpression in primary breast cancers at Tokai University Hospital, receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Students' Input on Preparing a Weekly Calendar of Individual Students in the Breast Surgery Clinical Clerkship.

Unlabelled: Background; Until 2018, the Breast and Endocrine surgery had no student calendar. A questionnaire survey was conducted on how students felt by creating a weekly schedule of individual students from 2019.

Method: 6th-year elective courses, targeted at students who selected Breast and Endocrine surgery clinical clerkship.

A Case of Unknown Primary Cancer with a Tumor Formed in the Retroperitoneum: A Case Report.

Background: Cancer of unknown primari (CUP) are said to account for 2% of all carcinomas. Here we report a rare case of CUP confined to the retroperitoneum.

Case Presentation: A 51-year-old man consulted a nearby physician for back pain.

Myxofibrosarcoma that Developed Rapidly in the Breast of an Elderly Man and Recurred Early after Surgery: A Case Report.

Background: Myxofibrosarcoma is a rare disease occurring subcutaneously in the limbs. We report a case of a rapidly growing myxofibrosarcoma in the breast of an elderly man that recurred early after surgery.

Case Presentation: A 73-year-old man presented with a breast mass.

Taste alterations in patients with breast cancer following chemotherapy: a cohort study.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced taste and smell alterations in cancer patients are associated with multiple adverse effects, namely, malnutrition, weight loss, and a diminished quality of life. The aim of this prospective study was to identify the incidence of taste alterations following epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (EC) chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer without previous history of cancer or chemotherapy.

Methods: Forty-one patients undergoing EC chemotherapy for breast cancer at Tokai University Hospital were included.

Humanized Mice as an Effective Evaluation System for Peptide Vaccines and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Peptide vaccination was developed for the prevention and therapy of acute and chronic infectious diseases and cancer. However, vaccine development is challenging, because the patient immune system requires the appropriate human leukocyte antigen (HLA) recognition with the peptide. Moreover, antigens sometimes induce a low response, even if the peptide is presented by antigen-presenting cells and T cells recognize it.

[Two Cases of Pneumocystis Pneumonia during Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer].

In recent years, human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)-negative Pneumocystis pneumonia(PCP)onset has been occasionally seen in breast cancer. In particular, dose-dense epirubicin and cyclophosphamide(EC: ddEC)therapy, in which EC is administered every 2 weeks, has been generally used in clinical practice for early stage breast cancers. PCP may develop before and during postoperative chemotherapy.

Rare Finding of Bilateral Pseudoangiomatous Stromal Hyperplasia of the Breast: A Case Report.

A 49-year-old woman, with a medical history of rheumatism, was admitted to our hospital with chief complaints of bilateral enlargement and redness of breasts. She underwent weekly breast examinations. Mammography findings were reported as category 3 for both breasts.

Difficult Diagnosis of Peritoneal Serous Papillary Carcinoma in a 63-year-old Woman: A Case Report.

Background: Peritoneal serous papillary carcinoma (PSPC) is a rare disease. It is clinically and histologically similar to progressive ovarian serous adenocarcinoma and involves normal-sized ovaries, making it challenging to diagnose. In this report, we describe a case of peritoneal serous papillary carcinoma that was difficult to identify and how we made a correct diagnosis in order to begin a timely course of treatment.

Pyoderma Gangrenosum after Breast Mastectomy and Primary Rectus Abdominis Flap Reconstruction.

Pyoderma gangrenosum is an intractable disease of unknown cause involving recurrent ulcerative lesions on the skin, and may accompany ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, leukemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, and other conditions. Here, we report a rare case of pyoderma gangrenosum in the thoracic abdomen following post-mastectomy reconstructive surgery. A 39-year-old presented at the hospital with a complaint of left papilla erosion.

NOG-hIL-4-Tg, a new humanized mouse model for producing tumor antigen-specific IgG antibody by peptide vaccination.

Immunodeficient mice transplanted with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are promising tools to evaluate human immune responses to vaccines. However, these mice usually develop severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which makes estimation of antigen-specific IgG production after antigen immunization difficult. To evaluate antigen-specific IgG responses in PBMC-transplanted immunodeficient mice, we developed a novel NOD/Shi-scid-IL2rγnull (NOG) mouse strain that systemically expresses the human IL-4 gene (NOG-hIL-4-Tg).

Comparison of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes between primary and metastatic tumors in breast cancer patients.

The presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is associated with favorable long-term outcome in breast cancer. However, little is known about changes in TILs during metastatic progression. To confirm our hypothesis that malignant tumors escape from the host immune system during metastasis, we evaluated the percentage of TILs in paired samples of primary and metastatic breast tumors.

A Case of Giant Borderline Phyllodes Tumor of the Breast Associated with Hypoglycemia.

We report a patient with a giant phyllodes tumor of the right breast associated with a hypoglycemic attack. A 48-year-old woman experienced a loss of consciousness and was transferred via ambulance to our hospital emergency department. Upon arrival, her blood glucose level was 26 mg/dl, and a giant tumor (>20 cm in diameter) with skin ulceration was observed on the right breast.

Diagnostic performance of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT and bone scintigraphy in breast cancer patients with suspected bone metastasis.

Background: We prospectively compared the diagnostic accuracies of PET/CT and BS in patients with suspected bone metastases from breast cancer.

Methods: This single-institution prospective study included consecutive patients with suspected bone metastases from biopsy-proven breast cancer seen at Tokai University Hospital between September 2011 and March 2014. Inclusion criteria included suspicions for bone metastases (bone pain, elevated alkaline phosphatase, elevated tumor markers, or suspected bone metastases by BS).