Establishment and Characterization of a Novel Pleuropulmonary Blastoma Cell Line.

Purpose: Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is an infrequently encountered childhood malignant intrathoracic neoplasm associated with unfavorable clinical behavior. Since a well-characterized preclinical model is essential for developing competent agents for PPB, we aim to establish and characterize the world's first cell line of PPB, and attempt to perform the cytotoxicity assay on the PPB cell line.

Experimental Design: The index case is a 2-year-old female who developed a right thoracic tumor that was surgically removed and treated with multi-agent chemotherapy.

Establishment and characterization of a novel MDM2/MYCN-co-amplified neuroblastoma cell line, NBN-SHIM, established from a late recurrent stage MS tumor.

The biological heterogeneity of neuroblastoma underscores the need for an in vitro model of each molecularly defined subgroup to investigate tumorigenesis and develop targeted therapies. We have established a permanently growing cell line from a 12-year-old girl who developed a late recurrent stage MS, MDM2-amplified neuroblastoma arising in the liver and performed histological, molecular, cytogenetic, exome, and telomere analyses of the recurrent tumor and the cell line. On histology, the recurrent tumor was immunoreactive for TP53, CDKN1A, and MDM2.

Altered expression of cytokeratin 7 and CD117 in transitional mucosa adjacent to human colorectal cancer.

The multi-step progression of colorectal cancer through precancerous lesions (adenoma and dysplasia) is associated with cumulative molecular alterations, a number of which have also been demonstrated to be present in morphologically normal transitional mucosa adjacent to colorectal cancer. The cytoskeletal protein cytokeratin 7 (CK7) and the receptor tyrosine kinase, KIT proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase (CD117), encoded by the proto-oncogene c-Kit, are lacking in normal colorectal crypt epithelium and are aberrantly expressed in a subset of colorectal cancer. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression of CK7 and CD117 in morphologically normal transitional mucosa adjacent to colorectal cancer.

Secondary cancers after a childhood cancer diagnosis: a nationwide hospital-based retrospective cohort study in Japan.

Background: The epidemiology of secondary cancers in childhood cancer survivors has been unknown in Asian countries. Our aim is to assess the incidence and risk factors for secondary cancers through a nationwide survey in Japan.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study comprising 10,069 children who were diagnosed with cancer between 1980 and 2009 was conducted in 15 Japanese hospitals.

The International Immune Tolerance Induction Study and its follow-up study on Japanese hemophilia A patients with inhibitors.

The International Immune Tolerance Induction (I-ITI) Study in hemophilia A patients with inhibitors included 16 Japanese patients among a total of 115 test subjects. The results within this group of Japanese patients were 11 cases of I-ITI off-study, three cases of I-ITI on-study, and two cases of tolerance on prophylaxis. There was no significant difference in success rate between the low-dose and high-dose groups (Study I).

Prospective pharmacokinetic study of intravenous busulfan in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in 25 children.

The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the PK and safety of ivBU in 25 Japanese children (median age six yr; range, five months-17 yr) as one of a combination of drugs in a pretransplant regimen. The patients had acute leukemia (n = 14), CML (2), JMML (5), solid tumors (2), chronic granulomatous disease (1), or metachromatic leukodystrophy (1). Five different dose schedules were used according to the patient's ABW: <9 kg (1.

Reduced intensity conditioning in allogeneic stem cell transplantation for AML with Down syndrome.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has not been widely used in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and Down syndrome (DS) due to fear of transplantation-related toxicity. A retrospective analysis of the outcome of allogeneic HSCT was conducted in 15 patients with AML and DS. The five patients transplanted with the reduced intensity conditioning (4 in complete remission (CR) and 1 in non-CR) had a significantly better survival rate than 10 patients transplanted with a conventional conditioning (4 in CR and 6 in non-CR) (3-year EFS (95% confidence interval): 80.

Abnormal adipose tissue distribution with unfavorable metabolic profile in five children following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a new etiology for acquired partial lipodystrophy.

We report five consecutive patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to treat leukemia or neuroblastoma early in their lives and later manifested abnormal patterns of adipose tissue distribution. Lipoatrophy was remarkable in the gluteal regions and extremities, whereas subcutaneous fat was preserved in the cheeks, neck, and abdomen. In addition, visceral fat deposition, fatty changes in the liver, and metabolic derangements such as insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia were evident.

Autopsy findings of Amplatzer septal occluder at 5 months after closure of atrial septal defect: how long does it take to be endothelialized?

An 83-year-old man died of aspiration pneumonia 5 months after closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) with an Amplatzer atrial septal defect occluder (ASO). At autopsy, the device was scarcely covered by the endothelium. After percutaneous ASD closure, 6-month course of antiplatelet therapy and prophylaxis for endocarditis are recommended.

A novel fluorescence in situ hybridization assay for synovial sarcoma.

Synovial sarcoma, which is difficult to diagnose precisely, is one of the most common childhood nonrhabdomyosarcoma soft-tissue sarcomas. The purpose of this study is to develop new molecular cytogenetic assay. We used two sets of two-color break-apart FISH probes, flanking either the SSX1/SSX4 or SSX2 locus.

Sacrococcygeal yolk sac tumor developing after teratoma: a clinicopathological study of pediatric sacrococcygeal germ cell tumors and a proposal of the pathogenesis of sacrococcygeal yolk sac tumors.

Purpose: We evaluated the clinicopathological characteristics of pediatric sacrococcygeal germ cell tumors (SGCTs) and yolk sac tumors (YSTs) developing after sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) resection, and discussed the pathogenesis of sacrococcygeal YST.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed pediatric SGCT patients attending 10 Japanese institutions.

Results: A total of 289 patients were eligible, of which 74.

Salvage allogeneic hematopoietic SCT for primary graft failure in children.

Primary graft failure (pGF) is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Salvage hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) can rescue pGF patients; however, the optimal preconditioning regimen and stem cell source are yet to be determined, particularly in children. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed 102 pediatric patients who received salvage allogeneic HSCT for pGF.

PBSCT is associated with poorer survival and increased chronic GvHD than BMT in Japanese paediatric patients with acute leukaemia and an HLA-matched sibling donor.

Background: Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) may be used as an alternative to bone marrow (BM) for allogeneic transplantation. Since peripheral blood stem cell bank from unrelated volunteer donor has been started in Japan, use of PBSC allografts may be increased. Therefore we surveyed the outcomes of Japanese leukemia children after PBSC and BM transplantation.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of refractory/relapsed myeloid leukemia in children with Down syndrome.

Myeloid leukemia in Down syndrome (ML-DS) is associated with good response to chemotherapy and favorable prognosis. Because little research has been focused on refractory/relapsed (R/R) cases, we conducted a retrospective analysis for R/R ML-DS. Among ML-DS patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2010 in Japan, 26 relapsed (25 in the BM and 1 in the skin), and 3 refractory patients were enrolled.

Primary cerebellar histiocytic sarcoma in a 17-month-old girl.

The authors report on a case of histiocytic sarcoma (HS) in a pediatric patient presenting with a solitary tumor in the cerebellum, with the aim of providing insight into primary HS in the CNS, which is especially rare. A 17-month-old Japanese girl presented with a 2-week history of progressive gait disturbance. Brain MRI revealed a 4.

Treatment outcomes, growth height, and neuroendocrine functions in patients with intracranial germ cell tumors treated with chemoradiation therapy.

Purpose: We carried out a retrospective review of patients receiving chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for intracranial germ cell tumor (GCT) using a lower dose than those previously reported. To identify an optimal GCT treatment strategy, we evaluated treatment outcomes, growth height, and neuroendocrine functions.

Methods And Materials: Twenty-two patients with GCT, including 4 patients with nongerminomatous GCT (NGGCT) were treated with CRT.

Second allogeneic hematopoietic SCT for relapsed ALL in children.

A second SCT is generally accepted as the only potentially curative approach for ALL patients that relapse after SCT, but the role of second SCT for pediatric ALL is not fully understood. We performed a retrospective analysis of 171 pediatric patients who received a second allo-SCT for relapsed ALL after allo-SCT. OS at 2 years was 29.

NUT midline carcinoma: report of 2 cases suggestive of pulmonary origin.

In this study, we report 2 pediatric cases of nuclear protein of the testis (NUT) midline carcinoma (NMC) suggestive of pulmonary origin: case 1 was a 14-year-old Japanese boy and case 2 was a 7-year-old Japanese girl. Initial symptoms of both cases were prolonged cough and chest pain, and the case 2 patient also complained of lumbago and lumbar mass due to bone metastases. Imaging studies revealed that pulmonary tumors from both patients were located at the hilar region of the lower lobe.

Acceptable HLA-mismatching in unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation for patients with acquired severe aplastic anemia.

We retrospectively analyzed the effect of HLA mismatching (HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1) with molecular typing on transplantation outcome for 301 patients with acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA) who received an unrelated BM transplant through the Japan Marrow Donor Program. Additional effect of HLA-DPB1 mismatching was analyzed for 10 of 10 or 9 of 10 HLA allele-matched pairs (n = 169). Of the 301 recipient/donor pairs, 101 (33.

Malignant steroidogenic tumor arising from sacrococcygeal mature teratoma.

We report a case of malignant steroidogenic tumor arising from a sacrococcygeal teratoma in a 5-year-old girl. A congenital gluteal mass and a 7-month history of precocious puberty had been noted, and a large estrogen-producing tumor in the sacrococcygeal area was found. After a biopsy, chemotherapy and tumor resection were performed, and no recurrence has been observed.

Prospective study of a therapeutic regimen with all-trans retinoic acid and anthracyclines in combination of cytarabine in children with acute promyelocytic leukaemia: the Japanese childhood acute myeloid leukaemia cooperative study.

In childhood acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL), the efficacy of therapy combining cytarabine with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and anthracyclines remains unclear in terms of long-term prognosis. Between August 1997 and March 2004, 58 children with APL (median age: 11 years) were enrolled into an acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) study (AML99-M3) and followed up for a median time of 86 months. The regimen included ATRA and anthracyclines combined with cytarabine in both induction and consolidation.

Anaplastic sarcoma of the kidney with chromosomal abnormality: first report on cytogenetic findings.

We report a case of anaplastic sarcoma of the kidney (ASK) with cytogenetic findings. A 12-year-old Japanese girl presented with buttock pain and urinary incontinence. Radiological investigations revealed a right renal tumor with multiple distant metastases and multicystic thyroid tumor.

A prospective study of a long-term follow-up of an observation program for neuroblastoma detected by mass screening.

Background: A nationwide mass screening for neuroblastoma (NBL) in 6-month-old infants (MS6M) was performed in Japan from 1985 to 2003. Favorable biological features were identified for most of the detected tumors; consequently, we began an observation program for selected screened patients in 1993. Here, we report the clinicopathological findings and present status of patients enrolled in our observation program, with the goal of evaluating its usefulness.