Three multi-allelic gene pairs are responsible for self-sterility in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis.

Many hermaphroditic organisms possess a self-incompatibility system to avoid inbreeding. Although the mechanisms of self-incompatibility in flowering plants are well known, little is known about the mechanisms of self-sterility in hermaphroditic marine invertebrates. Ascidians are hermaphroditic sessile marine invertebrates that release sperm and eggs into the surrounding seawater.

[Bi-weekly docetaxel and doxifluridine combination therapy in pretreated patients with unresectable and/or advanced gastric cancer].

We report an investigation of the therapeutic efficacy and safety of combination chemotherapy with docetaxel (DOC) and doxifluridine (5'-DFUR) administered as second-line or third-line chemotherapy in 23 cases of unresectable and/or advanced gastric cancer. Treatment consisted of intravenous DOC (40mg/m/2) on day 1 and 15, and oral 5'-DFUR (600mg/body) on days 1 to 28 every 4 weeks. The response rate for its antitumor efficacy was 17.

Clinical efficacy of superfine dispersed lentinan (beta-1,3-glucan) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background/aims: Recently, complementary alternative medicine is actively performed for cancer therapy. We investigated the effectiveness of supplementary food containing superfine dispersed lentinan (beta-1,3-glucan) in patients with unresectable or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma in a multi-center study.

Methodology: Peripheral blood was collected prior to the test food ingestion and was incubated with fluorescein-labeled lentinan.

Suppressive effect of oral administration of branched-chain amino acid granules on oxidative stress and inflammation in HCV-positive patients with liver cirrhosis.

Aim: In chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, it is thought that both chronic persistent inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and it has been reported that long-term oral supplementation with branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) granules could inhibit liver carcinogenesis. However, the extent of the involvement of these factors remains obscure.

Methods: To clarify the involvement of inflammation and oxidative stress in the inhibition of liver carcinogenesis, we evaluated the effect of oral administration of BCAA granules on oxidative stress and inflammation in HCV-positive patients with liver cirrhosis.

Accidental exposure to HCV antibody-positive blood in hospital and pre-emptive one-shot interferon alpha-2b treatment.

Aims: Infection with hepatitis viruses following blood exposure accidents, such as needle stick injuries, is a serious issue for medical staff. In particular, although accidental exposure to hepatitis C virus (HCV) occurs frequently, postexposure prophylactic measures have not been established yet. In this study we investigate the efficacy of recombinant alpha-2b interferon (IFN) as a single, 10 MU intramuscular injection for preventing transmission.

[An investigation of TS-1 single-agent therapy administered as first-line therapy for unresectable advanced gastric cancer].

We report an investigation of the therapeutic efficacy and safety of TS-1 single-agent therapy administered as first-line therapy in 23 cases of unresectable advanced gastric cancer treated at our institution. TS-1 was administered at 80 mg-120 mg (divided into two doses) per day for 28 days followed by a 14-day rest interval, making up a single cycle. The response rate for its antitumor efficacy was 39.

[Evaluation of the efficacy of an Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura patients].

The relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and gastric diseases (e.g.

A randomized controlled trial of consensus interferon with or without lactoferrin for chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 1b and high viral load.

Recently, lactoferrin has been reported to have anti-HCV effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of combination therapy using consensus interferon (CIFN) and lactoferrin in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Twenty-one patients with chronic HCV infection, who were positive for HCV-RNA genotype 1b with serum viral loads from 100 to 700KIU/ml, were randomly assigned to two groups; the CIFN + Lac group received CIFN with lactoferrin and the CIFN group received CIFN alone.

Predicting relapse after cessation of Lamivudine monotherapy for chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

There have been reports of relapse after cessation of lamivudine monotherapy for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The aim of this study was to examine factors that predict posttreatment relapse. Comparison 22 patients who experienced relapse with 11 who did not after cessation of therapy showed that predictive factors for nonrelapse were hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion and duration of undetectable HBV DNA load (<0.