Serum c-erbB-2 protein is a useful marker for monitoring tumor recurrence of the breast.

C-erbB-2 oncogene protein (ErbB-2/HER-2) overexpression is a prognostic marker of breast carcinoma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate serum ErbB-2 for monitoring tumor recurrence of operable breast carcinoma patients. The subjects were 86 breast carcinoma patients with stage I-IIIB.

Shh/BMP-4 signaling pathway is essential for intestinal epithelial development during Xenopus larval-to-adult remodeling.

During amphibian larval-to-adult intestinal remodeling, progenitor cells of the adult epithelium actively proliferate and differentiate under the control of thyroid hormone (TH) to form the intestinal absorptive epithelium, which is analogous to the mammalian counterpart. We previously found that TH-up-regulated expression of bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) spatiotemporally correlates with adult epithelial development in the Xenopus laevis intestine. Here, we aimed to clarify the role of BMP-4 in intestinal remodeling.

Impact of isolated tumor cells in sentinel lymph nodes detected by immunohistochemical staining.

Aim: Isolated tumor cells (ITCs) in lymph nodes are defined histologically as node-negative. The clinical impact of ITCs in sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) remains unclear. We report the prognosis of breast cancer patients with ITC-positive SLNs detected by immunohistochemical staining.

Prostate-specific antigen induces apoptosis of osteoclast precursors: potential role in osteoblastic bone metastases of prostate cancer.

Background: Prostate cancer is frequently associated with bone metastases with marked osteoblastic changes and low osteoclastic activity but its mechanism is not well understood. We previously reported that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) stimulated the proliferation and the activation of osteoblasts. In this study, we investigated the effect of PSA on osteoclastogenesis.

Hormonal stimulation increases the recruitment of bone marrow-derived myoepithelial cells and periductal fibroblasts into the mammary gland.

Recent reports have revealed that bone marrow (BM)-derived cells can be constituents in a number of organs, especially in remodeling tissue. Using bone marrow transplantation (BMT) technique, we found that BM can serve as a source of both myoepithelial cells and periductal fibroblasts in the mammary gland. The numbers of BM-derived myoepithelial cell were 4.

Computer-assisted analysis of biopsy specimen microvessels predicts the outcome of esophageal cancers treated with chemoradiotherapy.

Purpose: A computer-assisted microvessel analysis system was developed to evaluate correlations between the architecture of biopsy specimen microvessels and the outcome for patients with esophageal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy.

Experimental Design: Biopsy specimens from 51 patients with esophageal cancer (T(2-3), any N, M0) treated with chemoradiotherapy were immunostained with an anti-CD31 antibody and quantified using computerized image analysis. We evaluated the association of several microvessel factors with overall survival, including the ratio of total microvessel perimeter to total tumor area (TP/TA), the tumor hypoxic ratio, and the ratio of total microvessel number to total tumor area (TN/TA).

Spatial and temporal expression profiles suggest the involvement of gelatinase A and membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase in amphibian metamorphosis.

The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of proteases capable of degrading various components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Among them, the membrane type MMP-1 (MT1-MMP) has been shown to participate in the activation of MMP gelatinase A (GelA), suggesting that they may function together in development and pathogenesis. Here, we have investigated the spatiotemporal expression profiles of Xenopus laevis MT1-MMP and GelA genes during thyroid-hormone-dependent metamorphosis.

Identification of citrullinated eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G1 as novel autoantigen in rheumatoid arthritis.

Antibodies against citrullinated proteins are highly specific for rheumatoid arthritis. We previously reported that functional variants of the gene encoding peptidylarginine deiminase type 4 were closely associated with RA. The purpose of this study was to investigate the citrullinated autoantigens recognized by serum samples from patients with RA.

Important prognostic histological parameters for patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the pancreas.

For clinicians, the orthodox histological investigation of patients with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) remains important for predicting prognoses. The purpose of the present study was to determine the most important of the known prognostic histological parameters (including fibrotic focus and tumor necrosis), enabling the outcomes of 101 patients with IDC of the pancreas to be predicted accurately. Furthermore, we established a scoring classification consisting of important prognostic histological parameters examined in this study.

Inhibition of bone-derived insulin-like growth factors by a ligand-specific antibody suppresses the growth of human multiple myeloma in the human adult bone explanted in NOD/SCID mouse.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a fatal disease that affects plasma cells. Patients with MM have 1 or more osteolytic lesions in their bone tissues, where insulin-like growth factors (IGFs; IGF-I and IGF-II) are mainly stored. The role of bone-derived IGFs in the development of MM has not been extensively studied because reliable animal models are lacking.

Solitary bile duct hamartoma of the liver.

Bile duct hamartomas, also known as von Meyenburg complexes, are benign liver malformations which usually present as multiple small nodules scattered in both lobes of the liver. We report a unique case of bile duct hamartoma. An asymptomatic 30-year-old man who had a solitary cystic lesion underwent partial hepatectomy.

Biological markers as a predictor for response and prognosis of unresectable gastric cancer patients treated with irinotecan and cisplatin.

Background: Previously we reported that immunohistochemical examination of p53, bcl-2, glutathione S-transferase-pi (GST-pi), thymidylate synthase (TS) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in biopsy samples was a useful method for predicting clinical outcome of gastric cancer patients treated with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. Here, we investigated if these biological markers can predict chemoresponse and survival of unresectable gastric cancer patients treated with irinotecan and cisplatin.

Methods: The subjects were 55 unresectable gastric cancer patients treated with irinotecan (70 mg/m(2), Days 1 and 15) and cisplatin (80 mg/m(2), Day 1).

Predictors of tumour involvement in remaining axillary lymph nodes of breast cancer patients with positive sentinel lymph node.

Aims: To characterize the various clinicopathologic features in cases of breast cancer with positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), in order to determine factors that might help in predicting the involvement of the non-SLNs.

Methods: A retrospective database review was performed of 726 breast cancer patients with stage 0-II, in whom SLNs were successfully identified. One hundred eighty-five of these patients showed positive SLNs, and subsequently underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND).

Fluorinated diamond-like carbon as antithrombogenic coating for blood-contacting devices.

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) is being considered for widespread clinical use as a surface coating for cardiovascular devices. We synthesized fluorinated DLC (F-DLC) coatings in order to create a more hydrophobic surface with improved antithrombogenicity and flexibility when compared with conventional DLC coatings by combining the inertness of DLC films with the advantage of fluorination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro hemocompatibility and in vivo biocompatibility of the F-DLC coating for medical devices.

Primary gastric choriocarcinoma: two case reports and a pooled analysis of 53 cases.

Primary gastric choriocarcinoma (PGC) is a rare tumor. In total, approximately 140 cases of PGC have been reported in the international medical literature. However, the clinical behavior, tumor characteristics, and prognostic parameters of PGC have not been clearly described.

Efficacy of MR mammography (MRM) in providing preoperative locoregional information on breast cancer: correlation between MRM and histological findings.

Rationale And Objectives: To assess the efficacy of MRM in providing preoperative locoregional information on patients with breast cancer.

Methods: MRI was performed on 62 female breast cancer patients. A 1.

Histological characteristics of tumor cells and stromal cells in vessels and lymph nodes are important prognostic parameters of extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma: a prospective study.

Extrahepatic bile duct carcinomas (EHBDCs) consist of primary tumors, tumors in vessels, and tumors in lymph nodes. The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate whether the histological characteristics of tumor cells and tumor stromal cells in vessels and lymph nodes were significantly associated with the outcomes of 60 EHBDC patients as compared with the histological characteristics of tumor cells and tumor stromal cells in primary tumors. Multivariate analyses, using the Cox proportional hazard regression model, showed that in EHBDCs without nodal metastasis, blood vessel tumor emboli with an angiomatous stroma significantly increased the hazard ratios (HRs) of tumor recurrence and death ( P < .

Matrix metalloproteinase-7 degrades all insulin-like growth factor binding proteins and facilitates insulin-like growth factor bioavailability.

Proteolytic modification of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) plays an important physiological role in regulating insulin-like growth factor (IGF) bioavailability. Recently, we demonstrated that matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7)/Matrilysin produced by various cancer cells catalyzes the proteolysis of IGFBP-3 in vitro and regulates IGF bioavailability, resulting in an anti-apoptotic effect against anchorage-independent culture. In the present study, we investigated whether MMP-7 contributes to proteolysis of the other five IGFBPs, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, IGFBP-4, IGFBP-5, and IGFBP-6, and whether this results in phosphorylation of the IGF type 1 receptor (IGF-1R).

In vivo and in vitro characterization of human fibroblasts recruited selectively into human cancer stroma.

Fibroblasts, which are a major component of cancer-induced stroma, can have a significant impact on the progression of adjacent malignant epithelia. To characterize fibroblasts recruited into cancer-induced stroma, we examined the recruitment efficiency of 9 human fibroblast cell lines into experimental tumors generated in immunodeficient mice. Green fluorescence protein (GFP)-labeled fibroblast cell lines and human pancreatic cancer cell line Capan-1 were injected i.

Correlation between concordance of tracers, order of harvest, and presence of metastases in sentinel lymph nodes with breast cancer.

Background: There are various methods for the detection of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in breast cancer by using a combined method with blue dye and radioisotope (RI) tracers. The purpose of the study was to reveal any correlation between concordance of the tracers and the order of harvest with the presence of metastases in SLNs.

Methods: The outcomes were reviewed in 408 cases with stage 0 to II breast cancer; the combined method was used in which blue dye and RI were injected subcutaneously around the tumor.

Laminin 5 expression protects against anoikis at aerogenous spread and lepidic growth of human lung adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma of the lung is characterized by frequent aerogenous spread (AE) and advancement along the alveolar wall (BAC growth). To elucidate the mechanism of AE metastasis and BAC growth in human lung adenocarcinoma, we established an in vivo orthotopic animal model and an in vitro culture. Investigation of expression levels of integrins, laminins and Type IV collagens, which are the major regulating molecules for cell attachment and anoikis was carried out and a clear correlation between the expression level of laminin 5 (LN5) and the BAC growth was observed using an orthotopic animal model.

In vivo characterization of bone marrow-derived fibroblasts recruited into fibrotic lesions.

Fibroblasts, which are widely distributed and play a key part in tissue fibrosis, are phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous. Recent studies reported that bone marrow can be a source of tissue fibroblast. In the study reported here, we investigated in vivo characterization of bone marrow-derived fibroblasts recruited into various fibrotic lesions.

Primary tumour-vessel tumour-nodal tumour classification for patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.

There are many studies that show biological differences between invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) with and without nodal metastasis, but no prognostic classification taking into consideration any biological differences between them is currently available. We previously investigated the histological characteristics that play an important role in tumour progression of IDCs according to their nodal status, and a new prognostic histological classification, the primary tumour-vessel tumour-nodal tumour (PVN) classification, was devised based on the histological characteristics of IDCs with and without nodal metastasis. Multivariate analyses using the Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to compare the ability of the PVN classification to predict tumour recurrence and death in 393 IDC patients based on the following histological classifications: (1) the pTNM classification, (2) the Nottingham Prognostic Index, (3) the modified Nottingham Prognostic Index, and (4) the histologic grade.

Hyaluronan synthase expression in pleural malignant mesotheliomas.

Hyaluronan (HA) is thought to play several important roles in tumor growth, tumorigenicity, and tumor dissemination and metastasis. Recently, three isoforms of hyaluronan synthase (HAS) have been cloned. Our objective was to determine which of the HAS isoforms were expressed in pleural malignant mesotheliomas, the most representative lesion of HA-producing tumors.

Expression and localization of mRNAs for matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in mixed bronchioloalveolar carcinomas with invasive components.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are believed to play an essential role in cancer invasion, although detailed differences between noninvasive and invasive lung carcinomas are still unclear. To elucidate the expression and activity patterns of MMPs in noninvasive and invasive carcinoma of the lung, we performed in situ hybridization and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to detect messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of MMPs and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs). The basement membrane was evaluated by immunohistochemistry for type IV collagen.