Polymyositis/Dermatomyositis (PM/DM) is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) manifesting mainly as symmetrical proximal muscle weakness and/or typical cutaneous features due to autoimmune mechanisms. Clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) is a subset of DM that exhibits only the typical cutaneous features without any clinical muscle symptoms. Several autoantibodies have been found specifically in patients with PM/DM, including CADM patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is often diagnosed in advanced stage with peritoneal dissemination. Recent studies indicate that aberrant accumulation of collagen fibers in tumor stroma has a variety of effects on tumor progression. We refer to remodeled fibrous stroma with altered expression of collagen molecules, increased stiffness, and highly oriented collagen fibers as tumor-associated fibrosis (TAF).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMost epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients are diagnosed with peritoneal dissemination. Cellular interactions are an important aspect of EOC cells when they detach from the primary site of the ovary. However, the mechanism remains underexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough the pro-tumorigenic functions of hyaluronan (HA) are well documented there is limited information on the effects and targets of different molecular weight HA. Here, we investigated the effects of 27 kDa, 183 kDa and 1000 kDa HA on ES-2 ovarian cancer cells overexpressing the stem cell associated protein, Notch3. 1000 kDA HA promoted spheroid formation in ES-2 cells mixed with ES-2 overexpressing Notch3 (1:3).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives Dermatomyositis (DM) is often associated with fatal anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody-positive rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD). RP-ILD often fails to respond to intensive treatment and has a poor prognosis. We examined the effectiveness of early plasma exchange therapy plus intensive treatment with high-dose corticosteroids and multiple immunosuppressants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study was aimed to identify a novel metastasis-promoting molecule and elucidate its functional and prognostic roles in cervical cancer. DDIT4 (DNA-damage-inducible transcript 4), a hypoxia-inducible gene, was identified by analyzing multiple microarray databases. The correlation between DDIT4 expression in immunohistochemistry and clinicopathological characteristics in the public database and our cohort was evaluated by statistical analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is one of the most aggressive gynecological malignancies. In addition, the molecular background of ULMS has not been fully elucidated due to its low incidence. Therefore, no effective treatment strategies have been established based on its molecular background.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is a malignant stromal tumor arising from the myometrium with a poor prognosis and very limited response to current chemotherapy. This study aimed to identify novel targets for ULMS through a three-step screening process using a chemical library consisting of 1271 Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs. First, we evaluated their inhibitory effects on ULMS cells and identified four candidates: proscillaridin A, lanatoside C, floxuridine, and digoxin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetformin monotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been shown to effectively improve blood glucose levels and motivation to undergo treatment and prevent complications. However, no studies have reported its effect when combined with other drugs or compared the effect based on administration time. This study aimed to investigate the effect of metformin administration in Japanese patients with T2D, examine how the introduction line impacts the effect of metformin, and examine the characteristics of patients demonstrating improved blood glucose levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Choriocarcinoma is a rare and aggressive gynecological malignancy. The standard treatment is systemic chemotherapy as choriocarcinoma exhibits high chemosensitivity. However, refractory choriocarcinoma exhibits chemoresistance; thus, the prognosis remains very poor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevious reports indicated the therapeutic effect of chronic continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy on cardiac hypertrophy due to sleep apnea syndrome. However, little is known for cases involving diabetic complications. This retrospective observational study examined the effects of CPAP therapy on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSingleton pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at an increased risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Multiple pregnancies are associated with increased risks of perinatal complications; however, the impact of GDM on maternal and neonatal outcomes in multiple pregnancies is unknown, and there are currently few reports on GDM status in twin pregnancies. This study aimed to compare the background and perinatal outcomes between Japanese twin pregnancies with and without GDM at a perinatal center in Japan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy and has a unique metastatic route using ascites, known as the transcoelomic root. However, studies on ascites and contained cellular components have not yet been sufficiently clarified. In this review, we focus on the significance of accumulating ascites, contained EOC cells in the form of spheroids, and interaction with non-malignant host cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOvarian cancer (OvCa), a lethal gynecological malignancy, disseminates to the peritoneum. Mesothelial cells (MCs) act as barriers in the abdominal cavity, preventing the adhesion of cancer cells. However, in patients with OvCa, they are transformed into cancer-associated mesothelial cells (CAMs) via mesenchymal transition and form a favorable microenvironment for tumors to promote metastasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMost patients with ovarian cancer experience recurrence and develop resistance to platinum-based agents. The diagnosis of platinum resistance based on the platinum-free interval is not always accurate and timely in clinical settings. Herein, we used laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to visualize the platinum distribution in the ovarian cancer tissues at the time of interval debulking surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in 27patients with advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdipocyte-rich omentum offers "good soil" for disseminating ovarian cancer (OvCa), contributing to therapeutic difficulty. However, little is understood about the association between adipocytes and tumor growth at peritoneal dissemination site. Herein, we report the induction of adipocyte dedifferentiation by OvCa cells and pro-tumorigenic effects of resulted adipocyte-derived fibroblasts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLipid management, especially with respect to triglyceride (TG) metabolism, in patients with diabetes is not sufficient with current therapeutic agents, and new approaches for improvement are needed. Members of the angiopoietin-like protein (ANGPTL) family, specifically ANGPTL3, 4, and 8, have been reported as factors that inhibit lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity and affect TGs. The present study investigated the association between lipid and glucose metabolism markers and the mechanism by which these proteins affect lipid metabolism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOvarian cancer has one of the poorest prognoses among carcinomas. Advanced ovarian cancer often develops ascites and peritoneal dissemination, which is one of the poor prognostic factors. From the perspective of the "seed and soil" hypothesis, the intra-abdominal environment is like the soil for the growth of ovarian cancer (OvCa) and mesothelial cells (MCs) line the top layer of this soil.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOvarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is a histological subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer and exhibits dismal prognosis due to chemoresistance. Moreover, only few effective therapeutic options exist for patients with recurrent OCCC, and an understanding of its molecular characteristics is essential for the development of novel therapeutic approaches. In the present study, we investigated unique MicroRNAs (miRNA) profiles in recurrent/metastatic OCCC and the role of miRNAs in cisplatin resistance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOvarian cancer (OvCa) is one of the leading causes of death due to its high metastasis rate to the peritoneum. Recurrent peritoneal tumors also develop despite the use of conventional platinum-based chemotherapies. Therefore, it is still important to explore the factors associated with peritoneal metastasis, as these predict the prognosis of patients with OvCa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDermatomyositis (DM) is a categorised as one of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) indicated by symmetrical proximal muscle weakness as well as characteristic cutaneous manifestations typical of DM. Clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM), a subtype of DM, shows only the skin involvement without any clinical signs of myositis. This condition is often associated with fatal anti-MDA5 antibody-positive rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD), especially in Eastern Asian populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeritoneal dissemination of ovarian cancer (OvCa) arises from the surface of the peritoneum, covered by monolayer of mesothelial cells (MCs). Given that both OvCa cells and MCs are present in the same peritoneal metastatic microenvironment, they may establish cell-to-cell crosstalk or phenotypic alterations including the acquisition of platinum-resistance in OvCa cells. Herein, we report how OvCa-associated mesothelial cells (OCAMs) induce platinum-resistance in OvCa cells through direct cell-to-cell crosstalk.
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