Publications by authors named "Masahiro Takakura"

Article Synopsis
  • This study analyzed the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine given in Japan from 2009 to 2013, focusing on 1,529 women aged 16-39 who underwent HPV testing and Pap smears.
  • Among participants, 19.6% had been vaccinated, with the highest uptake (53%) in women aged 22-27.
  • Results showed significant protection against various cervical lesions, notably a 49% reduction in low-grade issues and 100% against high-grade lesions, along with a major decrease in HPV16 and HPV18 infections.
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  • Dienogest (DNG) is a progestin used to reduce pain from endometriosis and uterine adenomyosis, but it may cause irregular bleeding, leading to anemia and decreased quality of life.
  • A study examined various risk factors for heavy bleeding in 80 Japanese patients on DNG, including clinical diagnoses, hormone levels, and uterine characteristics.
  • Results indicated that patients with endometrioma had a lower risk of heavy bleeding, while those with uterine adenomyosis required careful monitoring for bleeding issues during DNG treatment.
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  • The study tested the effectiveness of liquid phenol-based chemical peeling therapy for treating cervical and vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN and VaIN) to avoid complications from surgical procedures.
  • Out of 483 women, the therapy showed promising results with less than 2% of treated patients experiencing persistent disease compared to significantly higher rates in untreated patients.
  • Factors like immune suppression, age (35-39 years), and high-grade lesions were linked to treatment resistance, but overall, no obstetric complications arose in pregnancies following the therapy.
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Objectives: We aimed to investigate the psychosocial factors for postpartum depression as indicated by a high score of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), including marital relationship and social support. Relevant factors for antenatal depression were also analyzed.

Methods: Thirty-five wife-and-husband pairs who visited University Hospital A for the wife's antenatal health check-up participated in a questionnaire survey using the Japanese version of the EPDS.

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Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has the potential to promote adaptive immunity. We sought to examine the synergistic effect of BCG-CWS vaccination on cervical cancer patients undergoing standard treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation. We retrospectively analyzed 103 patients (13 cases administered with BCG-CWS vaccine and 90 controls without BCG-CWS) who underwent a standard treatment for cervical cancer from 2005 to 2021.

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The survival of patients with advanced or recurrent ovarian cancer has improved tremendously in the past decade, mainly due to the establishment of maintenance therapy with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPis) after conservative chemotherapies. Despite their superior efficacy, resistance to PARPis has been reported, and patients with resistance have a much worse prognosis. Therefore, the development of novel treatment strategies to overcome PARPi resistance is urgently needed.

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Article Synopsis
  • - In a study of invasive cervical cancers (ICC), researchers reexamined 73 specimens previously identified for HPV presence, using advanced HPV genotyping methods to verify findings from earlier liquid-based cytology tests.
  • - Results showed that 63 specimens contained a single HPV type, with HPV16 and HPV18 found in various cancer types, while 50% of initially HPV-negative samples tested positive upon further analysis.
  • - The study highlighted the varying HPV types associated with different cancer histologies, supporting the need for HPV screening in detecting ICC and suggesting potential high-risk HPV types in Japan that may go undetected due to low viral loads.
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The Aptima human papillomavirus (HPV) test (APTIMA) detects E6-E7 mRNA in abnormal cells in the uterine cervix. To investigate the accuracy of APTIMA for cervical cancer screening in Japan, 423 subjects, mostly referrals with abnormal cytology or being followed up for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)1, were screened using two HPV tests, hybrid capture 2 (HC2) and APTIMA, and by the Pap test. Colposcopy was conducted in all subjects with a positive result in either test type.

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  • * Factors like cell surface proteins, size, and deformability are used for detection, but these can be unreliable indicators of malignancy.
  • * Telomerase, which contributes to the immortality of cancer cells and is activated in them, can be targeted using a special adenovirus that reveals CTCs by expressing a fluorescent protein.
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  • The study examined the prevalence of vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VAIN) among 648 women referred for abnormal cytology, finding a significant occurrence of VAIN alongside cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).
  • Out of the subjects, 17.5% were diagnosed with VAIN, with higher rates observed in older patients, and multiple HPV infections were found in nearly 43% of both VAIN and CIN cases.
  • The research highlighted the predominance of specific HPV types in VAIN and CIN, indicating that the vagina may serve as a significant reservoir for different HPV strains.
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To elucidate oncogenic human papilloma virus (HPV) types in Japan, HPV genotyping was performed in 1526 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 371 invasive cervical cancer (ICC) patients with the novel Genosearch-31+5 HPV test. The HPV-positive rates were 89.3% and 90.

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Dienogest (DNG) is considered to be effective against ovarian endometrioma (OMA). We report a rare case of OMA transformation to ovarian cancer during long-term endometriosis treatment with a periodic administration of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (Gn-RH agonist) and DNG. The patient was a 41-year-old Japanese woman.

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Developments in subcellular fractionation strategies have provided the means to analyze the protein and lipid composition of organelles by proteomics. Here, we developed ultrasmall magnetic-plasmonic hybrid nanobeads and applied them to the isolation of autophagosomes by applying a magnetic field. The beads were chemically synthesized and comprised an Ag/FeCo/Ag core/shell/shell structure with a mean diameter of 15 nm.

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To examine validity of the hybrid capture-2 and cobas 4800 HPV tests, 396 women including 188 women visiting for cancer screening, and 208 referral cases were examined with both HPV tests and the liquid-based cervical Pap test. Concordant results between the HPV assays were observed in 333 cases (coincident rates; 84.1%, kappa value; 0.

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Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are newly discovered biomarkers of cancers. Although many systems detect CTC, a gold standard has not yet been established. We analyzed CTC in uterine cervical cancer patients using an advanced version of conditionally replicative adenovirus targeting telomerase-positive cells, which was enabled to infect coxsackievirus-adenovirus receptor-negative cells and to reduce false-positive signals in myeloid cells.

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Article Synopsis
  • A case study is presented of a 47-year-old woman diagnosed with synchronous endometrioid adenocarcinomas in both the uterine cervix and corpus, highlighting the challenge of distinguishing between multiple primary carcinomas and metastases.
  • Despite the lesions both expressing HPV type 16, microscopic continuity was absent, and significant differences in PTEN mutations were noted, leading to the conclusion that they are multiple primary cancers rather than metastases.
  • This case is notably the first report of simultaneous occurrence of multiple primary endometrioid adenocarcinomas in these locations, suggesting a potential link between HPV and the development of these cancers.
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Exosomes are small membrane vesicles secreted from a variety of cell types. Recent evidence indicates that human cells communicate with each other by exchanging exosomes. Cancer cells closely interact with neighboring stromal cells, and together they cooperatively promote disease via bidirectional communication.

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  • Tamoxifen is an anti-estrogen drug used to treat breast cancer, and its use in premenopausal women in Japan is increasing, prompting a study on its effects on ovarian function.
  • The study analyzed 11 women with high serum estradiol levels during tamoxifen therapy, focusing on their serum Follicular Stimulating Hormone (FSH) levels and follicular development.
  • Results showed that tamoxifen could stimulate ovarian function even after two years of treatment, with observed large follicles indicating potential adverse effects on the hormone regulation system.
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  • The study introduces a new method for preserving uterine branches of pelvic nerves during radical trachelectomy for cervical cancer, which could potentially prevent bladder dysfunction.
  • Four cases of early-stage cervical cancer (FIGO stage Ia2-Ib1) were examined, where surgeons successfully identified and preserved these nerves by carefully detaching them from surrounding tissues.
  • The results showed no cancer recurrences in patients, suggesting this nerve-sparing technique might enhance reproductive outcomes, though further research with a larger sample is necessary.
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Objective: To investigate the impact of estrogen contained in oral contraceptives (OCs) on the action of progestin on ovarian endometrioma epithelial cells.

Design: Experimental in vitro study and immunohistochemical analysis.

Setting: University hospital.

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A small subset of cells with CD133 expression is thought to have increased chemoresistance and tumorigenicity, features of cancer stem cells (CSCs); the molecular mechanisms by which these properties arise remain unclear. We characterized CD133+ endometrial cancer cells based on microarray analyses of Ishikawa cells. Of the genes upregulated in CD133+ cells compared with CD133- cells, we noted several key factors involved in the aggressive behavior of cells, including ABCG2 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP).

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The use of molecular target therapy has not been established for endometrial cancer. The present study investigated the potential therapeutic strategy of targeting CD117-positive cancer cells as a novel molecular target therapy. FACS-sorted CD117(+) cells isolated from endometrial cancer cell lines (Ishikawa or MFE280 cells) exhibited higher proliferative capacity in vitro and colony forming activity on soft agar, and decreased sensitivity to cisplatin, compared to CD117(-) cells.

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Article Synopsis
  • Progestin inhibits the growth of both normal and cancerous endometrial cells mainly through the progesterone receptor subtype PRB, rather than PRA.
  • *The study identified that the gene FOXO1 is up-regulated by progestin in a PRB-dependent way, and it acts as an upstream regulator of IGFBP-1, which is also induced by progestin.
  • *The findings suggest that the FOXO1/IGFBP-1 pathway is crucial for the growth-inhibitory effects of progestin in endometrial epithelial cells, highlighting potential therapeutic applications.*
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  • * Imaging revealed a large fluid collection in the thoracic cavity, prompting a thoracoscopic operation that identified and treated bleeding from endometriotic lesions on the diaphragm.
  • * The report emphasizes the need for vigilance regarding potential thoracic complications stemming from diaphragmatic endometriosis when patients exhibit respiratory issues post-surgery.
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