Novel prognostic protein markers of resectable pancreatic cancer identified by coupled shotgun and targeted proteomics using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues.

Pancreatic cancer is among the most lethal malignancies worldwide. We aimed to identify novel prognostic markers by applying mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic analysis to formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. Resectable, node positive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with poor (n = 4) and better (n = 4) outcomes, based on survival duration, with essentially the same clinicopathological backgrounds, and noncancerous pancreatic ducts (n = 5) were analyzed.

Nm23/nucleoside diphosphate kinase-A as a potent prognostic marker in invasive pancreatic ductal carcinoma identified by proteomic analysis of laser micro-dissected formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is among the most lethal malignancies worldwide. This study aimed to identify a novel prognostic biomarker, facilitating treatment selection, using mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic analysis with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue.

Results: The two groups with poor prognosis (n = 4) and with better prognosis (n = 4) had been carefully chosen among 96 resected cases of pancreatic cancer during 1998 to 2007 in Tohoku University Hospital.

Complicating preeclampsia as a predictor of poor survival of the fetus in complete hydatidiform mole coexistent with twin fetus.

Objective: To examine whether preeclampsia is a predictive factor for fetal prognosis in complete hydatidiform mole coexistent with twin fetus (CHMCF).

Study Design: We performed a retrospective chart review for 17 cases of definitive CHMCF managed in our hospital between 1991 and 2011.

Results: Fifteen patients chose expectant management and the remaining 2 selected termination of the pregnancy.

Development of a model of early-onset IgA nephropathy.

ddY mice spontaneously develop IgA nephropathy (IgAN) with a variable age of disease onset. Establishing a model with early-onset IgAN could aid the investigation of mechanisms that underlie the pathogenesis of this disease. On the basis of histologic grading in serial biopsies, we previously classified ddY mice into early-onset, late-onset, and quiescent groups.

Improvement of lymph node recurrence rate, but not distant recurrence and carcinoma death rates, in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma after disease-free survival for 5 years.

In this study, we investigated the difference in lymph node-recurrence free survival (LN-RFS), distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS), and cause-specific survival (CSS) between patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in the entire group (Group I) and those with lymph node- and distant-recurrence-free survival (DFS) for 5 years after initial surgery (Group II). The LN-RFS of patients with all risk classifications in Group II was significantly better than that of those in Group I. The LN-RFS of intermediate-risk patients in Group II did not differ from that of low-risk patients in Group I, but LN-RFS of high-risk patients in Group II was significantly poorer than intermediate- and low-risk patients in Group I.

The ima approach for the quick identification of the right recurrent laryngeal nerve in thyroid cancer surgery.

Background: The right recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is more difficult to identify than the left RLN. The superior, lateral and inferior approaches are currently used to identify the RLN. This report presents a new technique, called the ima approach (the most inferior approach) for the quick identification of the right RLN.

TSH-suppressive doses of levothyroxine are required to achieve preoperative native serum triiodothyronine levels in patients who have undergone total thyroidectomy.

Objective: Thyroidal production of triiodothyronine (T(3)) is absent in patients who have undergone total thyroidectomy. Therefore, relative T(3) deficiency may occur during postoperative levothyroxine (L-T(4)) therapy. The objective of this study was to evaluate how the individual serum T(3) level changes between preoperative native thyroid function and postoperative L-T(4) therapy.

Cancer Phenotype Diagnosis and Drug Efficacy within Japanese Health Care.

An overview on targeted personalized medicine is given describing the developments in Japan of lung cancer patients. These new targeted therapies with novel personalized medicine drugs require new implementations, in order to follow and monitor drug efficacy and outcome. Examples from IRESSA (Gefitinib) and TARCEVA (Erlotinib) treatments used in medication of lung cancer patients are presented.

Clinical trial of weekly paclitaxel chemotherapy for papillary thyroid carcinoma with squamous cell carcinoma component.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PC) can occasionally include a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) component. In this study, we evaluated the effect of weekly paclitaxel chemotherapy in 3 patients with PC including an SCC component. None of these patients had lesions of anaplastic carcinoma on pathological examination.

Prognostic value of poorly differentiated carcinoma in Japanese Society of Thyroid Surgery in a series of papillary thyroid carcinoma patients: comparison with risk classification system in Kuma Hospital.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) often has poorly differentiated components, and it is discriminated from others and classified as an independent entity in the General Rules for the Description of Thyroid Cancer by Japanese Society of Thyroid Surgery (JSTS). In this study, we compared the prognostic significance between this type of poorly differentiated carcinoma (PDC-JSTS) and our risk classification system based on pre- and intraoperative findings in a series of PTC patients. The 10-year lymph node- and distant organ recurrence-free survival (LN-DFS and DRFS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) of high-risk patients were much poorer than in PDC-JSTS patients.

Measurement of TFF3 mRNA in aspirates from thyroid nodules using mesh filtration: the first clinical trial in 130 cases.

Measurement of gene expression levels in thyroid tumor cells in aspirates was difficult because it is interfered with peripheral blood cells or infiltrating lymphocytes. In this study, we established a novel method to separate thyroid tumor cells from blood cells efficiently with mesh filtration. The expression level of trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) mRNA was estimated using LGALS3 mRNA as an internal control (T/G ratio) in 148 preoperative thyroid aspirates.

Sgp3 and TLR7 stimulation differentially alter the expression profile of modified polytropic retroviruses implicated in murine systemic lupus.

The envelope glycoprotein, gp70, of endogenous retroviruses represents one of the major nephritogenic autoantigens implicated in murine systemic lupus erythematosus. Among different endogenous retroviruses (ecotropic, xenotropic and polytropic), lupus-prone mice express remarkably high levels of modified polytropic (mPT) retroviruses, which are controlled by the Sgp3 (serum gp70 production) locus. To define the contribution of the Sgp3 locus derived from lupus-prone mice to the expression of the specific mPT proviruses, the genetic origin of different mPT viruses expressed in livers and thymi of wild-type and Sgp3 congenic C57BL/6 mice was determined through clonal analysis of their transcripts.

Prognosis and prognostic factors of papillary thyroid carcinoma in patients under 20 years.

Age is an important prognostic factor of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). In this study, we investigated the prognosis and prognostic factors of PTC in patients younger than 20 years. We enrolled 110 patients who underwent initial surgery at Kuma Hospital between 1987 and 2008.

Cognitive deficits following exposure to pneumococcal meningitis: an event-related potential study.

Background: Pneumococcal meningitis (PM) is a severe and life-threatening disease that is associated with cognitive impairment including learning difficulties, cognitive slowness, short-term memory deficits and poor academic performance. There are limited data on cognitive outcomes following exposure to PM from Africa mainly due to lack of culturally appropriate tools. We report cognitive processes of exposed children as measured by auditory and visual event-related potentials.

Investigation of the prognosis of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma by tumor size.

In papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), extrathyroid extension (Ex) and clinical lymph node metastasis (N) significantly affect the prognosis. We investigated the prognosis of patients with PTC 1 cm or less (1,220 patients), 1.1-2 cm (2,101 patients), 2.

Latin American immigrants have limited access to health insurance in Japan: a cross sectional study.

Background: Japan provides universal health insurance to all legal residents. Prior research has suggested that immigrants to Japan disproportionately lack health insurance coverage, but no prior study has used rigorous methodology to examine this issue among Latin American immigrants in Japan. The aim of our study, therefore, was to assess the pattern of health insurance coverage and predictors of uninsurance among documented Latin American immigrants in Japan.

Validity of 6(th) edition of UICC TNM classification system for medullary thyroid carcinoma: a proposal for intraoperative evaluation of T category.

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) accounts for 1.4% of all thyroid malignancies in Japan. Here, we studied the validity of a staging system evaluated preoperatively (Stage), intraoperatively (intra-Stage), and pathologically (pStage) based on the 6(th) and 7(th) UICC TNM classifications.

Relationship between prognosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma patient and age: a retrospective single-institution study.

Age is an important prognostic factor in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). In this study, we investigated the difference in prognosis of 7 subsets of PTC patients without distant metastasis at presentation or a history of radiation exposure (20 years or younger, 21-30 years, 31-40 years, 41-50 years, 51-60 years, 61-70 years, and older than 70 years). The lymph node recurrence rate was high in patients 20 years or younger and those older than 60 years.

Mutation analysis of barley malt protein Z4 and protein Z7 on beer foam stability.

Beer foam stability is an important characteristic. It has been suggested that isoforms of protein Z, that is, protein Z4 and protein Z7, contribute to beer foam stability. We investigated the relationship between beer foam stability and protein Z4 and protein Z7 using their deficient mutants.

Prognosis and prognostic factors of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma requiring resection of recurrent laryngeal nerve due to carcinoma extension.

The recurrent laryngeal nerve (RN) is one of the most common organs to which papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) extends. However, the prognosis and prognostic factors for patients with PTC extending to the RN remain unclear. In this study, we investigated this issue in 298 patients who underwent initial and locally curative surgery for PTC requiring RN resection due to carcinoma extension.

O-glycosylated IgA rheumatoid factor induces IgA deposits and glomerulonephritis.

Structural aberrations of O-linked glycans present in the IgA1 hinge region are associated with IgA nephropathy, but their contribution to its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. In this study, mice implanted with hybridoma secreting 6-19 IgA anti-IgG2a rheumatoid factor, but not 46-42 IgA rheumatoid factor bearing the same IgA allotype, developed mesangial deposits consisting of IgA, IgG2a, and C3. Studies in immunoglobulin- and C3-deficient mice revealed that the development of these glomerular lesions required the formation of IgA-IgG2a immune complexes and subsequent activation of complement.

Fault analysis: optical performance investigation of fiber connections with imperfect physical contact.

We investigated the insertion and return losses of optical fiber connections with various air-filled gaps. Such gaps might occur when a fiber connection using physical contact unexpectedly fails, resulting in imperfect physical contact. The optical performance of these fiber connections depends on wavelength and gap size.

Behavioral problems in children with epilepsy in rural Kenya.

The aims of this study were to record behavioral problems in children with epilepsy (CWE), compare the prevalence with that reported among healthy children without epilepsy, and investigate the risk factors. A child behavioral questionnaire for parents comprising 15 items was administered to the main caregiver of 108 CWE and 108 controls matched for age in Kilifi, Kenya. CWE had a higher mean score for reported behavioral problems than controls (6.

Prognosis of low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma patients: its relationship with the size of primary tumors.

It is well-known that papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has a generally indolent character and shows a favorable prognosis unless it has no high-risk features such as clinical lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and significant extrathyroid extension. In this study, we investigated the prognosis of 3,965 patients with PTC without these features. We classified these patients into 3 groups: T-1, tumor ≤ 2 cm (n = 2,591); T-2, tumor 2.