Clinicopathological significance of expression of nestin, a neural stem/progenitor cell marker, in human glioma tissue.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the pathological and clinical significance of the expression of nestin, a type-VI intermediate filament transiently expressed during brain development, in glioma tissue. This study was conducted in 70 patients with newly diagnosed adult supratentorial gliomas who underwent multimodality treatment in our department, including surgery. The pathological diagnosis was grade II in 6 patients, grade III in 21 patients, and grade IV in 43 patients.

Usefulness of embolization of the middle meningeal artery for refractory chronic subdural hematomas.

Background: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is generally treated by burr hole irrigation. However, sometimes repeated recurrence is observed, and treatment may consequently become difficult. We examined the efficacy of embolization of the middle meningeal artery (MMA) for such cases.

Local extension of HMGB1 in atherosclerotic lesions of human main cerebral and carotid arteries.

High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is a non-histone chromosomal protein which is highly conserved, ubiquitous, and widely distributed. HMGB1 has multiple functions in the nucleus, including the maintenance of nucleosome structure, the regulation of gene transcription, and involvement in DNA recombination. HMBG1 is currently recognized to have a wide range of potential functions and pathological relevance.

Photodynamic therapy with talaporfin sodium induces dose-dependent apoptotic cell death in human glioma cell lines.

Objective: To investigate the kinetics of cell death in human glioma cell lines induced by photodynamic therapy (PDT) with the second-generation photosensitizer talaporfin sodium (TS) and a 664-nm diode laser.

Materials And Methods: Three human glioma cell lines (T98G, A172, U251) were studied. After incubation of the cell lines with various concentrations of TS for 4 h, PDT using diode laser irradiation at 33 mW/cm² and 10 J/cm² was performed.

Preoperative prediction of macrophage infiltration by 3-D tomographic ultrasound in endoarterectomized carotid plaques in elderly patients.

Aim: Assessment of plaque characteristics is important for the optimal treatment of carotid stenosis, particularly in elderly patients. Macrophage infiltration is reported to be involved in carotid plaque instability. However, immunohistochemical assessment of the detailed localization of macrophage infiltration in carotid plaques remains limited.