Close relationship between strict blood glucose control, including suppression of blood glucose variability, and mortality reduction in acutely ill patients with glucose intolerance investigated by means of a bedside-type artificial pancreas.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relationship between strict control of blood glucose (BG) and mortality reduction with the use of an artificial pancreas (AP). Patients were evaluated in the (1) early phase (E phase: mean 3.3 ± 2.

Recent progress in mechanical artificial pancreas.

Strict blood glucose (BG) control is proved to improve the outcome in patients with glucose intolerance both in acute and chronic phases, irrespective of whether the patient has diabetes mellitus. However, strict BG control by conventional methods is so complicated that it cannot be performed easily in normal clinical situations. Furthermore, it is sometimes inadequate.

Correlation of N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 expression with clinical outcomes of colorectal cancer patients of different race/ethnicity.

Aim: To evaluate the role of N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) expression in prognosis and survival of colorectal cancer patients with different ethnic backgrounds.

Methods: Because NDRG1 is a downstream target of p53 and hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha), we examined NDRG1 expression together with p53 and HIF-1 alpha by immunohistochemistry. A total of 157 colorectal cancer specimens including 80 from Japanese patients and 77 from US patients were examined.

Colon carcinoma metastasis to the thyroid gland: report of a case with a review of the literature.

Metastasis of colon cancer to the thyroid gland is very rare and we would like to report a case we have experienced, with a review of the literature. A 66-year-old woman noticed a swelling in the anterior neck area and sought medical attention at our department in August 2003. At age 63, she had undergone surgery for cancer of the ascending colon, but subsequently the cancer metastasized to the liver and she underwent an outer hepatic segmentectomy.

Pericostal tuberculosis diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy: report of a case with a review of the literature.

We present an 81-year-old woman with pericostal tuberculosis, a rare disease recently, without a past history of pulmonary tuberculosis or tuberculous pleurisy. She developed a subcutaneous nodule on her right chest. She was suspected of skin tuberculosis after the confirmation of acid-fast bacilli in a fine needle aspiration material of the nodule.

Telomeric repeat-length alterations in colorectal carcinoma are associated with loss of heterozygosity and point mutation in p53 gene.

The telomere, the terminal region of eukaryotic chromosomes, plays an important role in the stability of DNA replication and in the protection of chromosomal ends. To investigate whether the two-stage mechanism of cellular aging and immortalization in vitro is involved in the carcinogenesis and immortalization of human colorectal carcinomas, we examined for genetic alterations in the telomeres and in the p53, Rb, and K-ras genes. Based on our results, we discuss the effects that these genetic changes might have on mechanisms, such as the mortality stage 1 (M1), that normally prevent immortalization in carcinoma cells.