Intra-abdominal bronchogenic cyst with gastric attachment: report of a case.

We report a rare case of an intra-abdominal bronchogenic cyst. An abnormal lesion was detected on an ultrasonogram, done as part of a physical checkup, in an 81-year-old woman. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a cystic mass attached to the lesser curvature of the stomach.

Overt bone metastasis and bone marrow micrometastasis of early gastric cancer.

Recently we encountered two cases of early gastric cancer (EGC) with bone metastasis after surgery. As they were not accompanied by overt liver, lung, or peritoneal metastasis, we examined the clinical significance of bone metastasis in EGC and its mechanisms by a review of the literature. We found only 10 cases of EGC complicated with overt bone metastasis in the English literature, so we also examined the Japanese reports of such cases.

Evaluations of interferon-γ/interleukin-4 ratio and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio as prognostic indicators in gastric cancer patients.

Background And Objectives: Th2-dominant immunity and high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios (NLRs) have been reported to reflect tumor progression, and so we examined whether the Th1/Th2 ratio and NLR can act as prognostic indicators or not.

Methods: Peripheral blood samples were taken within 1 week before and 14 postoperative days after curative gastrectomy using 157 gastric cancer cases for the measurement of both ratios. The proportions of Th1 cells (interferon γ-producing CD4 T cells), Th2 cells (interleukin-4-producing CD4 T cells) were counted by two-color flow cytometry analysis.

It is possible that tumour-infiltrating granulocytes promote tumour progression.

Several lines of evidence indicate that tumour-infiltrating granulocytes (TIGs) promote tumour growth and progression. However, the prognostic significance of TIGs, the relationship between TIGs and Fas ligand (FasL) expressed on tumour cells remains unclear and warrants investigation. Using immunnostaining, we retrospectively investigated TIGs and FasL in 130 tissue specimens from gastric carcinoma.

The distribution and intracellular location of Fas and Fas Ligand following gastric carcinogenesis: Fas Ligand expressing gastric carcinoma cells can inhibit local immune response.

Previous reports indicated that Fas Ligand (FasL) in gastric carcinoma might support tumour cells to evade host immune attack. However, the mechanism induced by the Fas/FasL system has not yet been described on the basis of comparison of normal and malignant tissues in terms of the features of regional location of Fas and FasL. By using immunostaining methods, we studied the distribution and regional location of Fas and FasL in gastric epithelial cells (GECs), gastric carcinoma cells (GCCs), normal gastric stroma-infiltrating lymphoid cells (NGILs) and tumour-infiltrating lymphoid cells (TILs) in 59 tissue specimens of human gastric carcinoma.

The granulocyte/lymphocyte ratio as an independent predictor of tumour growth, metastasis and progression: Its clinical applications.

Several investigators have suggested that the granulocyte/lymphocyte (G/L) ratio is a good indicator for the evaluation of the condition of a tumour-bearing host, although its prognotic significance is unclear. To further investigate the clinical applications of the G/L ratio, we injected 1x105 and 1x106 Lewis lung carcinoma cells (3LLc) into the feet of 4-week-old C57BL/6 mice separated into groups A, B, C and D (1x105 cells) and E, F, G and H (1x106 cells). For the observation of tumour metastasis and G/L ratio, the mice in groups A-D were sacrificed on days 11, 14, 17 and 21 after inoculation with the 3LLc cells, and the mice in groups E-H on days 7, 11, 14 and 17.

Spinal destruction induced by chronic contained rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm: report of a case.

We report a case of spinal destruction caused by chronic contained rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The patient was a 73-year-old man who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting, sigmoidectomy for colon cancer, and axillofemoral bypass with AAA resection within months of each other, 3 years earlier. Abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed destruction of the 12th thoracic and 1st lumbar vertebrae.

Acute myelogenous leukemia suddenly developing just after surgery for advanced gastric cancer: report of a case.

We report a case of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) developing just after surgery for advanced gastric cancer, before adjuvant chemotherapy was started. Immature white blood cells were recognized in the peripheral blood from postoperative day (POD) 1. The patient's clinical status and bone scintigraphy showed no evidence of bone metastasis.

[Current status of our home care].

We report a current status of our home care cases. Our home care has provided for 76 patients (46 men, 30 women) since July 1996. The average age was 73 (range 32-92) years old.

[Review of our home parenteral nutrition (HPN) and home enteral nutrition (HEN) cases].

We reviewed our cases of HPN and HEN after percutaneous gastrostomy. We had 38 patients (26 men, 12 women) on HPN. Of them, 23 (17 men, 6 women) had an implantable subcutaneous infusion port.

[Review of our home parenteral nutrition (HPN) and home enteral nutrition (HEN) cases].

We reviewed our cases of HPN and HEN after percutaneous gastrostomy. We had 38 patients (26 men, 12 women) on HPN. Of them, 23 (17 men, 6 women) had an implantable subcutaneous infusion port.

[Evaluation of CA72-4 as a tumor marker in patients with gastric cancer].

The clinical efficacy of CA72-4 for gastric cancer was studied in comparison with CEA and CA19-9. These 3 markers were examined simultaneously, preoperatively in 156 cases of gastric cancer. The positive rate of CA72-4 was higher than of CA19-9 and was equivalent to CEA.