Lophophora williamsii, known for mescaline synthesis, has raised legal and ethical considerations. However, L. williamsii specimens that do not contain mescaline have been recently identified, necessitating the development of techniques to differentiate between mescaline-positive and mescaline-negative groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKeratin 17 (K17) is frequently overexpressed, associated with poor prognosis in various cancers, and contributes to p27 degradation during cancer progression. Using immunohistochemistry, we evaluated K17 and p27 expression and assessed their biological behavior and prognostic significance in 326 colorectal cancers. High K17 expression was associated with poorly differentiated tumors, high pT classification, and lymph node metastases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: Distal bile duct cancer is an aggressive malignancy. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) in the tumor microenvironment are crucial for predicting prognosis in various cancers. In this study, we analyzed TIICs based on CD11b, CD163, and CD8 expression, and evaluated their association with clinicopathologic factors and prognosis in distal bile duct cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Weight-loss strategies through meal replacements are effective and sustainable options. However, few studies have assessed their effects on weight loss including body composition through protein-supplemented meal replacements targeting the Asian population, including Koreans. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of a protein-supplemented very-low-calorie diet (PSVLCD) for weight reduction and changes in body composition in individuals with obesity over a 12-month long-term period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: MicroRNAs act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in various cancers. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in tumor cell progression and survival.
Methods: MicroRNA expressions were evaluated by using NanoString nCounter assay, qRT-PCR and in situ hybridization.
Synthetic sulfonamide anticancer drugs, including E7820, indisulam, tasisulam, and chloroquinoxaline sulfonamide, exhibit diverse mechanisms of action and therapeutic potential, functioning as molecular glue degraders. E7820 targets RBM39, affecting RNA splicing and angiogenesis by suppressing integrin α2. Phase I studies have demonstrated some stability in advanced solid malignancies; however, further efficacy studies are required.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Lophophora genus of the Cactaceae family includes Lophophora diffusa and Lophophora williamsii, which has traditionally been used as a natural analgesic; however, its use is now under strict regulation worldwide as it contains mescaline, a unique psychotropic agent. Recently, non-medical and illegal distribution and abuse of L. williamsii have increased worldwide; thus, effective species identification methods are urgently needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGraefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol
December 2024
Jpn J Ophthalmol
September 2024
Purpose: To quantitatively analyze choroidal and retinal vascular changes in HLA-B27-associated anterior uveitis.
Study Design: A retrospective study.
Methods: Medical records of 51 eyes with unilateral HLA-B27-associated anterior uveitis, their fellow eyes and 47 sex and age-matched healthy eyes were retrospectively reviewed.
We studied lysosomal Ca in inflammasome. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) + palmitic acid (PA) decreased lysosomal Ca ([Ca]) and increased [Ca] through mitochondrial ROS, which was suppressed in -KO macrophages. Inflammasome activation and metabolic inflammation in adipose tissue of high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice were ameliorated by KO.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOur study aimed to expand tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from primary non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) and evaluate their reactivity against tumor cells. We expanded TILs from 103 primary NSCLCs using histopathological analysis, flow cytometry, IFN-γ release assays, cell-mediated cytotoxicity assays, and in vivo efficacy tests. TIL expansion was observed in all cases, regardless of EGFR mutation status.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGraefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol
October 2024
Purpose: Although leukemic retinopathy accounts for 80% of ocular complications in acute leukemia, its pathogenesis remains unclear. To evaluate changes in retinal and choroicapillaris and structural parameters in patients with acute leukemia, we analyzed the correlation between vascular perfusion metrics and laboratory parameters and assessed the changes after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).
Methods: Herein, 104 eyes of 52 patients aged 18 and above with acute leukemia were enrolled.
Ann Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg
May 2024
Background/aim: Adoptive cell therapy using antigen-specific T cells is a promising treatment modality for cancer patients. Various methods to isolate specific T cells and identify corresponding T cell receptor (TCR) sequences are known. This study aimed to identify antigen-specific TCR from T cells isolated using carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE), which marks proliferating activated T cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGraefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol
August 2024
Purpose: This single center retrospective study aimed to investigate the factors associated with central nervous system (CNS) involvement of primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL).
Methods: Clinical features of patients with PVRL (Group 1), those diagnosed with vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) after primary CNS lymphoma diagnosis (Group 2), and those concurrently diagnosed with CNS lymphoma and VRL (Group 3), were compared. The main outcomes included sex, age, types of treatment, survival, visual acuity, diagnostic methods, VRL recurrence, ocular manifestations, and interleukin levels in the aqueous humor.
Somatostatin analogues have recently been used as therapeutic targets for metastatic or surgically unresectable gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), and associated somatostatin receptor (SSTR) expression has been well demonstrated in most GEP NETs, with the exception of rectal NETs. SSTR2 immunohistochemical expressions were evaluated in 350 surgically or endoscopically resected rectal NETs and compared to clinicopathologic factors. SSTR2 expression was observed in 234 (66.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To determine the cut-off points of minimum linear diameter (MLD) and base diameter (BD) at which the progression rate of idiopathic full-thickness macular holes (MHs) decreases before vitrectomy.
Study Design: A retrospective study.
Methods: We investigated the differences in MLD and BD between baseline and operation days in patients with stages 2, 3, and 4 MHs using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
J Gynecol Oncol
September 2024
Background: Bulky or multiple lymph node (LN) metastases are associated with poor prognosis in cervical cancer, and the size or number of LN metastases is not yet reflected in the staging system and therapeutic strategy. Although the therapeutic effects of surgical resection of bulky LNs before standard treatment have been reported in several retrospective studies, well-planned randomized clinical studies are lacking. Therefore, the aim of the Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group (KGOG) 1047/DEBULK trial is to investigate whether the debulking surgery of bulky or multiple LNs prior to concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) improves the survival rate of patients with cervical cancer IIICr diagnosed by imaging tests.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe study of gender markers is essential in forensic genetic analysis. Mutations in the X or Y homologs of the amelogenin gene can be misleading, resulting in serious mistakes in forensic genetic analysis. We recently discovered two male cases of the X homolog of the amelogenin (AMELX) allelic dropout while analyzing short tandem repeat genotypes obtained from crime scene evidence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to evaluate perivascular reflectivity in patients with branched retinal vascular obstruction (BRVO) using en-face optical coherence tomography (OCT). The study retrospectively analyzed 45 patients with recurrent BRVO, 30 with indolent BRVO, and 45 age- and sex-matched controls. Using a 3.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: TBC1 domain-containing kinase (TBCK) protein functions as a growth suppressor in certain cell types and as a tumor promoter in others. Although TBCK knockdown increases the responsiveness of cancer cells to anticancer drugs, the detailed mechanisms by which TBCK knockdown increases susceptibility to anticancer drugs remain unknown.
Objective: This study analyzed the role of TBCK in sensitivities to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and doxorubicin in human renal cancer cells.