TNF superfamily gene polymorphism as prognostic factor in early breast cancer.

Purpose: Since apoptosis may play a role in the prognosis of breast cancer, the present study analyzed the polymorphisms of apoptosis-related genes and their impact on the survival of 240 patients with early invasive ductal breast cancer.

Methods: The genomic DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tumor-free tissue or blood, and 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 11 apoptosis-related genes in the apoptosis pathway determined using a Sequenom MassARRAY system.

Results: During the median follow-up of 53.

Mobilization effects of G-CSF, GM-CSF, and darbepoetin-alpha for allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

The effects of GM-/G-CSF and darbepoetin-alpha on stem cell mobilization were investigated. From February 2005 to March 2007, 30 allogeneic sibling donors were randomly assigned to a G-CSF group (5 microg/kg/day for 5-7 days) or triple group (GM-CSF 10 microg/kg/day on 1st and 2nd day, G-CSF 5 microg/kg/day for 5-7 days, and darbepoetin-alpha 40 mg on 1st day). The MNCs and CD34(+) cells were not different between the two groups, although the doses (x10(8)/kg of recipient body weight) of CD3(+) cells (3.

Chronic myeloid leukemia patient manifesting fatal hepatitis B virus reactivation during treatment with imatinib rescued by liver transplantation: case report and literature review.

Imatinib mesylate (imatinib) is now a standard treatment for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Although imatinib is known to have a potential impact on various infectious organisms by altering the T-cell mediated immune response, only two cases of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation during imatinib treatment have actually been reported. The role of liver transplantation (LT) after fatal HBV reactivation in patients with potentially treatable or curable hematologic malignancy is also unknown.

Lymphotoxin alfa and receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 gene polymorphisms may correlate with prognosis in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP.

Purpose: Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogenous disease entity due to diverse clinical outcomes to treatment. Most anticancer agents, regardless of their distinct mechanisms of action, ultimately kill cancer cells by inducing apoptosis. Accordingly, the present study analyzed the impact of polymorphisms of apoptosis-related genes on outcome in DLBCL patient treated with R-CHOP.

Clinical significance of autoantibody expression in allogeneic stem-cell recipients.

Background: The occurrence of autoantibodies has been reported in allogeneic stem-cell recipients, but the association of this occurrence with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) or survival remains uncertain.

Methods: A total of 121 consecutive patients who underwent allogeneic stem-cell transplantation from November 2001 to March 2008 and survived at least 3 months after transplantation were included in this study.

Results: Forty-seven patients (38.

BCL2 gene polymorphism could predict the treatment outcomes in acute myeloid leukemia patients.

The Bcl-2 protein inhibits apoptosis (programmed cell death) of hematopoietic stem cells induced by a variety of noxious stimuli, thus mediating chemoresistance and decreasing chemosensitivity. Higher Bcl-2 expression correlates to an adverse outcome following therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The current study determined whether a BCL2 gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) could affect treatment outcomes in 99 AML patients excluding acute promyelocytic leukemia.

No association of the NFKB1 insertion/deletion promoter polymorphism with survival in patients with gastric cancer.

Objective: The present study analyzed the functional insertion/deletion polymorphism in the promoter region of NFKB1 gene and their impact on the prognosis for patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.

Methods: Four hundred and seventy two consecutive patients with curatively resected gastric adenocarcinoma were enrolled in the present study. The genomic DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tissue and the -94 insertion/deletion ATTG polymorphism of NFKB1 determined using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay.

Definitive chemoradiotherapy with capecitabine and cisplatin in patients with esophageal cancer: a pilot study.

We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with capecitabine and cisplatin in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Eighteen patients with esophageal cancer were enrolled on the study. The chemotherapy during CRT consisted of two cycles of intravenous cisplatin of 60 mg/m(2) on day 1 and oral capecitabine 825 mg/m(2) twice daily from day 1 to 14 at 3-week intervals.

Prostaglandin synthase 2/cyclooxygenase 2 (PTGS2/COX2) 8473T>C polymorphism associated with prognosis for patients with colorectal cancer treated with capecitabine and oxaliplatin.

Purpose: The present study analyzed the polymorphisms of apoptosis-related genes and their impact on the response to chemotherapy and survival of patients with colorectal cancer.

Patients And Methods: A total of 76 patients with recurrent or metastatic colorectal cancer treated with capecitabine and oxaliplatin (XELOX) combination chemotherapy were enrolled in the present study. The single nucleotide polymorphisms of 15 apoptosis-related genes (TP53, BCL2L, TNFRSF10B, AKT1, PTGS2/COX2, BID, RIPK1, FAS, FASL, caspase 3, and caspase 6-10) were determined using a PCR-RFLP assay.

Association of vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms with susceptibility and clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal cancer.

Since vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to be a potent pro-angiogenic factor, we evaluated the potential association of two VEGF gene polymorphisms (-634G>C and 936C>T) with the susceptibility and the clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal cancer (CRC). The VEGF genotypes were determined using fresh colorectal tissue from 465 patients who had undergone a surgical resection and peripheral blood lymphocytes from 413 healthy controls by PCR/DHPLC assay. For the -634G>C polymorphism, the -634 GC or CC genotype was associated with a decreased risk of CRC (odds ratio [OR], 0.

Impact of alemtuzumab as conditioning regimen component on transplantation outcomes in case of CMV-seropositive recipients and donors.

We studied the incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, clinical outcomes, and complications in 39 recipients of alemtuzumab-containing conditioning-stem cell transplantation, who were classified into two groups based on the median dose (35 mg) of alemtuzumab. All the recipients and donors were CMV-seropositive before transplantation. The median survival duration was 321 days (range, 46-1098 days) and the 2-year survival rate was 47.

Vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms associated with prognosis for patients with colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or its family may be considered to play an important role in lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic tumor spread, thereby affecting prognosis of colorectal cancer. Accordingly, the present study analyzed VEGF gene polymorphisms and their effect on the prognosis for patients with colorectal cancer.

Experimental Design: Four hundred and forty-five consecutive patients with surgically treated colorectal adenocarcinoma were enrolled in the present study.

Simple tests to predict hepatic fibrosis in nonalcoholic chronic liver diseases.

Background/aims: Several simple tests for hepatic fibrosis employ indirect markers. However, the efficacy of using direct and indirect serum markers to predict significant fibrosis in clinical practice is inconclusive. We analyzed the efficacy of a previously reported indirect marker of hepatic fibrosis - the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) - in patients with nonalcoholic chronic liver diseases (CLDs).

Investigation of vascular endothelial growth factor gene polymorphisms and its association with clinicopathologic characteristics in gastric cancer.

Objective: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to be a potent proangiogenic factor. This study evaluates the potential association of three VEGF gene polymorphisms (-460T > C, +405G > C, and 936C > T) with the susceptibility to and clinicopathologic characteristics of gastric cancer.

Methods: The VEGF genotypes were determined using paraffin-embedded tissue from 413 patients who underwent a surgical resection and peripheral blood lymphocytes from 413 healthy controls by PCR-RFLP assay.

Outpatient-basis chemotherapy of oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic or recurrent colorectal cancer.

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an outpatient-basis chemotherapy of oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin as the first-line treatment for patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Forty-three histologically confirmed patients with metastatic or recurrent colorectal cancer were enrolled. The chemotherapy consisted of oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) as a 2-hr infusion on day 1, plus leucovorin 30 mg/m(2) over 10 min, followed by bolus 5-fluorouracil 400 mg/m(2) and an 8-hr infusion of 5-fluorouracil 600 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 2 (modified FOLFOX4), all of which were administered on an outpatient basis every 2 weeks.

Gallbladder lymphangioma: a case report and review of the literature.

Lymphangiomas are rare, benign tumors of the lymphatic system, usually present in children aged 5 years and younger. Because they are asymptomatic until the mass enlarges to cause symptoms, most lymphangiomas are diagnosed at adulthood incidentally. We experienced a case of a 60-year-old man diagnosed with a cystic lymphangioma of the gallbladder, which was successfully resected without any complication.

[A case of adenosquamous carcinoma of the papilla of Vater].

Adenosquamous carcinoma of the papilla of Vater is a rare tumor and only a few cases have been reported so far. Here, we report a case of adenosquamous carcinoma in a 76-year-old male who presented with jaundice and right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Ultrasonography and enhanced abdominal CT scans showed dilated common bile duct (CBD) and intrahepatic bile duct (IHD) with a suspicious obstructing mass in distal CBD.

[A case of colon cancer associated with Crohn's disease].

Colon cancer is the most serious intestinal complication in patients with Crohn's disease. Although an association between Crohn's disease and colon cancer has not been clearly defined, a number of studies in western countries reported an increased rate of colon cancer in patients with Crohn's disease. In Korea, Crohn's disease is rare when compared to western countries, and only a single case of colon cancer associated with Crohn's disease has been reported.

[Association of hepatic iron deposition and serum iron indices with hepatic inflammation and fibrosis stage in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease].

Background/aims: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis can develop from nonalcoholic fatty liver and progress to severe liver disease such as cirrhosis. The mechanism determining the progression from fatty liver to steatohepatitis is unknown. Iron is suspected to enhance hepatic damage associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

[A case of retroperitoneal schwannoma of the vagus nerve].

Schwannomas are benign nerve sheath tumors that originate from any anatomical site. Most schwannomas occur in the head, neck or limbs, but rarely occur in the retroperitoneal space. Furthermore, the schwannoma originating from the vagus nerve of retroperitoneal space is much rare.

Phase II trial of amsacrine plus intermediate-dose Ara-C (IDAC) with or without etoposide as salvage therapy for refractory or relapsed acute leukemia.

Objective: The current trial attempted to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of a salvage therapy consisting of amsacrine plus intermediate-dose Ara-C (IDAC) with or without etoposide for acute leukemia patients in refractory or relapsed states.

Methods: A total of 51 patients with refractory or relapsed acute leukemia were included in the current trial. Twenty-nine patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) received a salvage therapy of amsacrine plus IDAC and etoposide, while 22 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) received amsacrine plus IDAC.

A case of transition of polycythemia vera to chronic neutrophilic leukemia.

Chronic Neutrophilic Leukemia (CNL) is a rare myeloproliferative disorder characterized by a persistent increase of mature peripheral neutrophils, myeloid hyperplasia in bone marrow, hepatosplenomegaly, elevated neutrophil alkaline phosphatase (NAP) and absence of Philadelphia chromosome, with no evidence of infection or malignancy sufficient to mimic a leukemoid reaction. CNL has been associated with multiple myelomas in many reported cases, but transition of Polycythemia Vera (PV) to CNL is very rare. An 81-year-old female patient, who had undergone intermittent phlebotomy following the diagnosis of PV 8 years previously, was admitted to our hospital due to lower back pain.