Immunohistochemical analysis of PD-L1 and tumor-infiltrating immune cells expression in the tumor microenvironment of primary signet ring cell carcinoma of the prostate.

Primary signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) of the prostate is a rare neoplasm. However, its potential tumorigenic mechanism, clinicopathological features, and prognostic outcome have not been systematically described. To determine the pathogenic mechanism, we detected distributions of programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), programmed death 1 (PD-1), and cellular components in the tumor microenvironment, including tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (CD4 and CD8), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs; CD163 and CD68), and tumor-associated fibroblasts (vimentin and alpha-smooth muscle actin [α-SMA]), in tumor tissues from four patients with primary prostatic SRCC compared with corresponding adjacent tissues and tumor tissues from 30 patients with prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa) by immunohistochemical staining.

Supercritical CO₂ Foaming of Radiation Cross-Linked Isotactic Polypropylene in the Presence of TAIC.

Since the maximum foaming temperature window is only about 4 °C for supercritical CO₂ (CO₂) foaming of pristine polypropylene, it is important to raise the melt strength of polypropylene in order to more easily achieve CO₂ foaming. In this work, radiation cross-linked isotactic polypropylene, assisted by the addition of a polyfunctional monomer (triallylisocyanurate, TAIC), was employed in the CO₂ foaming process in order to understand the benefits of radiation cross-linking. Due to significantly enhanced melt strength and the decreased degree of crystallinity caused by cross-linking, the CO₂ foaming behavior of polypropylene was dramatically changed.

High-dose dual therapy is superior to standard first-line or rescue therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection.

Background & Aims: The efficacy of treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection has decreased steadily because of increasing resistance to clarithromycin, metronidazole, and levofloxacin. Resistance to amoxicillin is generally low, and high intragastric pH increases the efficacy of amoxicillin, so we investigated whether a combination of a high-dose proton pump inhibitor and amoxicillin (dual therapy) was more effective than standard first-line or rescue therapies in eradicating H pylori.

Methods: We performed a large-scale multihospital trial to compare the efficacy of a high-dose dual therapy (HDDT) with that of standard therapies in treatment-naive (n = 450) or treatment-experienced (n = 168) patients with H pylori infection.

Role of omeprazole dosage and cytochrome P450 2C19 genotype in patients receiving omeprazole-amoxicillin dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication.

Study Objective: To determine the factors that may influence Helicobacter pylori eradication in patients receiving omeprazole-amoxicillin dual therapy.

Design: Prospective, randomized study.

Setting: University-affiliated hospital in Taiwan.