Carbon Monoxide Suppresses Neointima Formation in Transplant Arteriosclerosis by Inhibiting Vascular Progenitor Cell Differentiation.

[Figure: see text].

Prognostic Significance of Circulating Tumor Cells with Mesenchymal Phenotypes in Patients with Gastric Cancer: A Prospective Study.

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been shown to be heterogeneous. Focusing on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and perioperative kinetics, we evaluated CTCs with mesenchymal phenotypes as a potential prognostic biomarker for patients with gastric cancer.

Methods: Peripheral blood was collected from 54 patients with gastric cancer before surgery and at 1 week and 1 month after surgery.

Solitary left axillary lymph node metastasis after curative resection of carcinoma at the colostomy site: a case report.

Background: The incidence of axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) of colon cancer is very low, and there have been only a few reports of solitary ALNM. Neither the mechanism involved in solitary colon cancer ALNM nor the proper treatment has been elucidated. We encountered a case of solitary left ALNM after curative resection of carcinoma at the colostomy site.

Successful treatment of rectovaginal fistula and rectal stenosis due to perianal Crohn's disease by dual-port laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection: a report of two cases.

Background: The incidence of rectovaginal fistula in women with Crohn's disease has been reported to be 3-10 %. Although rectovaginal fistulas can be managed medically and surgically, they have high rates of recurrence and complications. Rectal stenosis is another condition that occurs due to perianal Crohn's disease.

Postoperative analgesia using fentanyl plus celecoxib versus epidural anesthesia after laparoscopic colon resection.

Purpose: Effective postoperative analgesia is essential to a patient's recovery after laparoscopic colon resection (LCR). We introduce a new analgesic protocol using fentanyl plus celecoxib following LCR.

Methods: The subjects of this retrospective comparative study were 137 patients who underwent LCR, 63 of whom were treated with 72 h of epidural anesthesia (group E), and 74 of whom were treated with 24 h of fentanyl intravenous injection followed by 7 days of oral celecoxib (group FC).

Dimeric but not monomeric soluble CD40 prolongs allograft survival and generates regulatory T cells that inhibit CTL function.

Background: We previously reported that adenovirus mediated CD40Ig gene therapy (AdCD40Ig) induced long-term acceptance of fully allogeneic rat cardiac allografts, however, the underlying mechanism has not been fully clarified. To address this we have compared the ability of dimeric and monomeric soluble CD40 to prolong allograft survival in vivo and generate regulatory T cells in vitro.

Methods: The ability of CD40Ig (soluble dimmer, containing an Fc region) or CD40/Myc/His (soluble monomer, lacking an Fc region) therapy to generate CD4CD25 regulatory T cells in vitro and to prevent rejection of rat cardiac allografts (ACI to LEWIS) was compared.

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 and CXCR4 interaction is critical for development of transplant arteriosclerosis.

Background: Posttransplant chronic allograft deterioration associated with development of transplant arteriosclerosis (TA) remains an unresolved problem. Recent studies suggest that the smooth muscle cells (SMCs) constituting the neointima are derived from recipient hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). However, the underlying mechanisms of the process are not yet fully elucidated.