Discrepancy in Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 Between Primary and Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Aim: To investigate the discordance in the programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression between primary and metastatic tumors and analyze the association between the discordance and the clinical factors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-one NSCLC patients who underwent surgery or biopsy for paired primary and metastatic lesions at our Institution from 2005 to 2016 were analyzed. Lesions with the PD-L1 expression being ≥5% were considered PD-L1-positive.

Combination Therapy of Radiotherapy and Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 Treatment in Non-Small-cell Lung Cancer: A Mini-review.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors against programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) or programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) are a standard pharmacologic therapy for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Substantial data have accumulated in recent years showing that radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy is more effective than monotherapy alone. Preclinical studies have shown that PD-L1 expression is upregulated on tumor cells after radiotherapy, resulting in the synergistically enhanced antitumor effect of irradiation and PD-L1 blockade.

Suppression of HBV replication by the expression of nickase- and nuclease dead-Cas9.

Complete removal of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA from nuclei is difficult by the current therapies. Recent reports have shown that a novel genome-editing tool using Cas9 with a single-guide RNA (sgRNA) system can cleave the HBV genome in vitro and in vivo. However, induction of a double-strand break (DSB) on the targeted genome by Cas9 risks undesirable off-target cleavage on the host genome.

Clinical Outcomes of Esophagojejunostomy in Totally Laparoscopic Total Gastrectomy: A Multicenter Study.

Purpose: To examine the short-term outcomes of intracorporeal anastomosis during totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy retrospectively at multiple institutions.

Patients And Methods: We collected data of the patients who had undergone totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy at 4 institutions. All patients received an intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy.

Clinical implications of the novel cytokine IL-38 expressed in lung adenocarcinoma: Possible association with PD-L1 expression.

Interleukin (IL)-38, a novel member of the IL-1 cytokine family, is homologous to IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and IL-36Ra, and has been reported to act as an antagonist. IL-38 expression is found in tonsil, placenta, and spleen, and recent studies suggest an association between IL-38 and autoimmune diseases. However, whether IL-38 plays a role in carcinogenesis or cancer growth is unclear.

Associations between antibody to hepatitis B core antigen positivity and outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing hepatic resection.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate the effect of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAb) positivity on clinical outcomes after hepatic resection in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with negative hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis C virus antibody (HCVAb), termed non-B, non-C HCC (NBNC-HCC), or with HCV-related HCC.

Methods: Two hundred and sixty-three patients who underwent hepatic resection for HCC and measurements of HBsAg, HCVAb, and HBcAb were enrolled in this study.

Results: The percentages of HBcAb positivity were 52.

Sarcopenia is an independent predictor of complications after colorectal cancer surgery.

Purpose: The significance of sarcopenia after colorectal cancer (CRC) resection has only been discussed with relatively small samples or short follow-up periods. This study aimed to clarify the clinical significance of sarcopenia in a large-sample study.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the relationship between sarcopenia and clinical factors, surgical outcomes, and the survival in 494 patients who underwent CRC surgery between 2004 and 2013.

Impact and Prediction of Lymph Node Involvement in Patients with Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma After Curative Resection.

Background: The aim of this study was to identify the preoperative predictors of prognosis in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) undergoing resection.

Patients And Methods: We enrolled 90 patients with ICC who underwent surgical resection, including 59 in whom surgery was considered curative, and measured the overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and other outcomes and potential prognostic factors.

Results: Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that tumor in the resection margins (R>0) independently predicted long-term OS in the whole cohort.

Prognostic Significance of Preoperative Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score in Patients Undergoing Hepatic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is an objective tool widely used to assess nutritional status in patients with inflammatory disease, chronic heart failure, and chronic liver disease. The relationship between CONUT score and prognosis in patients who have undergone hepatic resection, however, has not been evaluated.

Methods: Data were retrospectively collected for 357 consecutive patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who had undergone hepatic resection with curative intent between January 2004 and December 2015.

Combined primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma with aggressive biological behavior (adverse clinical course): A case report.

Combined primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (PHNEC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a very rare malignant hepatic tumor. Its prognosis and histological features are uncertain. Here we report the case of such a tumor in a 70-year-old male Japanese patient with adverse prognosis.

Customization of laparoscopic gastric devascularization and splenectomy for gastric varices based on CT vascular anatomy.

Background: Laparoscopic gastric devascularization(Lap GDS) and splenectomy (SPL) for gastric varices is technically challenging because of highly developed collateral vessels and bleeding tendency. We investigated the feasibility of customization of Lap GDS and SPL based on CT vascular anatomy.

Methods: We analyzed 61 cirrhotic patients with gastric varices who underwent Lap GDS and SPL between 2006 and 2014.

Clinical characteristics of type A acute aortic dissection with CNS symptom.

Background And Purpose: Accurate diagnosis of acute aortic dissection (AAD) is sometimes difficult because of accompanying central nervous system (CNS) symptoms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of Type A AAD (TAAAD) with CNS symptoms.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 8403 patients ambulanced to our emergency and critical care center between April 2009 and May 2014.

Graft reduction using a powered stapler in pediatric living donor liver transplantation.

Large-for-size syndrome is defined by inadequate tissue oxygenation, which results in vascular complications and graft compression after abdominal closure in living donor liver transplantation recipients. An accurate graft reduction that matches the optimal liver volume for the recipient is essential. We herein initially present the feasibility and safety of graft reduction using a powered stapler to obtain an optimal graft size.

The prognostic impact of programmed cell death ligand 1 and human leukocyte antigen class I in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is associated with an immunosuppressive tumor-microenvironment (TME) that supports the growth of tumors and mediates tumors enabling evasion of the immune system. Expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and loss of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I on tumor cells are methods by which tumors escape immunosurveillance. We examined immune cell infiltration, the expression of PD-L1 and HLA class I by PDA cells, and the correlation between these immunological factors and clinical prognosis.

In Situ Posterior Graft Segmentectomy for Large-for-Size Syndrome in Deceased Donor Liver Transplantation in Adults: A Case Report.

Large-for-size syndrome (LFSS) is controversial in pediatric living donor liver transplantation patients and is associated with a poor graft outcome. Similar situations in deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) in adults have not been reported frequently, and there are no official guidelines worldwide. Deceased donation is extremely limited in Japan, and when a larger liver is allocated for a very sick small recipient in Japan, transplantation with a plan to address LFSS might be necessary.

Duct-to-duct Biliary Reconstruction in Living-donor Liver Transplantation for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: Report of a Case.

Although Roux-en Y hepaticojejunostomy was previously recommended for the biliary reconstruction in liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), some recent reports showed no difference in the graft survival between Roux-en Y and duct-to-duct anastomosis in deceased-donor liver transplantation. On the other hand, considering the risk of recurrence and the short length of the bile duct of the graft, duct-to-duct biliary anastomosis has never been reported in a patient undergoing living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for PSC. A 45 year-old male underwent LDLT using a left-lobe graft donated from his brother.

Surgical Repair of Pleuroperitoneal Communication with Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis.

Background: Pleuroperitoneal communication is a serious complication in patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. However, few single-institutional reports discuss the details of pleuroperitoneal communication in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients regarding the intraoperative findings, postoperative course, and outcomes.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of consecutive pleuroperitoneal communication patients who were treated surgically from September 2008 to March 2016.

Association of MTH1 expression with the tumor malignant potential and poor prognosis in patients with resected lung cancer.

Objectives: The oxidized purine nucleoside triphosphatase, mutT homolog 1 (MTH1), physiologically sanitizes 8-oxo-dGTP in the nucleotide pool. Previous studies indicated that MTH1 is associated with tumor proliferation and invasion in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines; however, the role of MTH1 in patients with NSCLC remains unclear.

Materials And Methods: Two patient cohorts that underwent surgery for NSCLC in our institution were investigated retrospectively.

Surgical Outcomes of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer in Patients with a History of Pancreaticobiliary Cancer.

Aim: To determine the efficacy of surgery for non-small cell lung cancer in patients who had previously undergone surgery for pancreaticobiliary cancer.

Patients And Methods: Seven patients who underwent pulmonary resection for primary lung cancer after curative surgery for pancreaticobiliary cancer at our Institution from 2006 to 2016 were retrospectively evaluated.

Results: Five patients had metachronous and two patients had synchronous cancer of pancreaticobiliary and lung origin.

Correction: Integrated Multiregional Analysis Proposing a New Model of Colorectal Cancer Evolution.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.

Left hepatectomy with simultaneous hepatic artery and portal vein reconstructions in the operation for cholangiocarcinoma: the surgical techniques comprised of step-by-step established procedures.

Hepatectomy needing simultaneous reconstruction of the hepatic artery and the portal vein in the operation for cholangiocarcinoma is a challenging procedure. We experienced three cases of left hepatectomy with simultaneous reconstructions of the right hepatic artery (RHA) and the right portal vein (RPV) in all of which the surgical procedures were performed in the same manner. At the initial step of the procedure, we confirmed that the RHA and the RPV at the porta hepatis as well as the proper hepatic artery and the main portal vein (MPV) proximal to the cancer involvement could be controlled by tapes, which meant the cancer could be resected by means of vascular reconstructions.

A case of amebiasis with negative serologic markers that caused intra-abdominal abscess.

A 23-year-old Japanese woman presented with abdominal distention following fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain during a stay in Taiwan. Serology for the detection of amebic-antibodies and stool microscopic examination were both negative. A computed tomography scan showed a 13 cm diameter abscess spreading from the lower abdominal wall to the pelvic retroperitoneal space.

A prospective study of XELIRI plus bevacizumab as a first-line therapy in Japanese patients with unresectable or recurrent colorectal cancer (KSCC1101).

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of XELIRI plus bevacizumab for the treatment of Japanese patients with unresectable or recurrent colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: This was a multicenter, single-arm, open-label prospective study. The major inclusion criteria were previously untreated unresectable or recurrent CRC, presence of measurable lesions, ≥20 years of age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 or 1, and adequate organ function.