Identification of the BRAF V600E mutation in Japanese patients with hairy cell leukemia and related diseases using a quenching probe method.

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare B-cell lymphoid malignancy that is difficult to distinguish from other morphological variants. The frequency of HCL has not been determined accurately in Japan. Recent studies revealed that the BRAF V600E mutation is the causal genetic event in HCL.

Mutation Profile of B-Raf Gene Analyzed by fully Automated System and Clinical Features in Japanese Melanoma Patients.

BRAF gene mutations have been observed in 30-50 % of malignant melanoma patients. Recent development of therapeutic intervention using BRAF inhibitors requires an accurate and rapid detection system for BRAF mutations. In addition, the clinical characteristics of the melanoma associated with BRAF mutations in Japanese patients have not been investigated on a large scale evaluation.

Measurement of ankle plantar flexor spasticity following stroke: Assessment of a new quantitative tool.

Objective: To assess the ability of a newly developed portable instrument (the Electric Spastic Ankle Measure (E-SAM)) to quantitatively measure ankle plantar flexor muscle tone and spasticity.

Design: Comparison of quantitative measurements of the E-SAM with those obtained manually with the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS).

Participants: Seven adult men with stroke of more than 8 months' duration with a MAS score of 3, and 7 healthy age-matched control subjects.

Hairy Cell Leukemia with Systemic Lymphadenopathy: Detection of BRAF Mutations in Both Lymph Node and Peripheral Blood Specimens.

A 47-year-old woman with pancytopenia, excessive systemic lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly was referred to our hospital. The peripheral blood (PB) smear findings indicated neutropenia with lymphoid cells exhibiting hairy projections, while the histological findings of the cervical lymph node (LN) suggested hairy cell leukemia (HCL). In addition, the BRAF V600E mutation was detected, and the immunoglobulin gene rearrangement patterns were identical in both the cervical LN and PB specimens.

Correlation between plasma DNA and tumor status in an animal model.

Overcoming metastasis is one of the most important issues with lung cancer. Since metastasis arises through complex steps, a suitable animal model is indispensable for investigation of metastasis. To establish an animal model reflecting human metastatic lung cancers, we used NOD/SCID/Jak3null (NOJ) mice, which exhibit deficiencies in NK cell activity, macrophage and dendritic cell function, and complement activation, as well as T and B cell deficiencies.

Development of lymphoproliferative diseases by hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha is associated with prolonged lymphocyte survival.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1 alpha) plays an essential role in the regulation of various genes associated with low oxygen consumption. Elevated expression of HIF-1alpha has been reported to be associated with tumor progression, invasion and metastasis in many cancers. To investigate the role of HIF-1alpha in tumor development and metastasis, we established transgenic mice constitutively expressing HIF1A gene under regulation of the cytomegalovirus gene promoter.

A fully integrated and automated detection system for single nucleotide polymorphisms of UGT1A1 and CYP2C19.

The need for examinations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on drug metabolizing enzymes is accelerating. Especially, SNPs of UTG1A1 and CYP2C19 are important for patients who are treated with irinotecan and proton pump inhibitors, respectively. Thus, a method for the rapid, fully automated, and accurate measurement of these SNPs is desired.

NK314 potentiates antitumor activity with adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma cells by inhibition of dual targets on topoisomerase II{alpha} and DNA-dependent protein kinase.

Adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) is an aggressive disease, incurable by standard chemotherapy. NK314, a new anticancer agent possessing inhibitory activity specific for topoisomerase IIα (Top2α), inhibited the growth of various ATL cell lines (50% inhibitory concentration: 23-70nM) with more potent activity than that of etoposide. In addition to the induction of DNA double-strand breaks by inhibition of Top2α, NK314 induced degradation of the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs), resulting in impaired DNA double-strand break repair.

Uncommon case of chronic myeloid leukemia with multiple myeloma.

We describe a 72-year-old woman who was diagnosed with asymptomatic multiple myeloma (MM) while being treated for Philadelphia (Ph)-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with imatinib mesylate (400 mg/day). The diagnosis of CML was based on the presence of the Ph chromosome and chimeric BCR-ABL messenger RNA. Three months after starting imatinib mesylate treatment, the patient achieved a complete cytogenetic response.

Clinico-pathological characteristics of p63 expression in B-cell lymphoma.

A member of the family of p53-related genes, p63 plays a role in regulating epithelial proliferation and differentiation programs, but the pathological and clinical meaning of p63 in B-cell lymphoma has not been elucidated. We investigated the expression pattern of p63 in B-cell malignancies, and evaluated the correlation between the expression of p63 and other germinal center markers. Ninety-eight B-cell lymphomas (28 FCL, 5 MCL, and 65 DLBCL) were analyzed by immunohistochemical examination for p63, bcl-6, CD10 and MUM-1 proteins, and for rearrangement of bcl-2/IgH.

Two cases of antinuclear antibody negative lupus showing increased proportion of B cells lacking RP105.

B cells lacking RP105 molecule, a member of the Toll-like receptor family, were increased in the peripheral blood of 2 patients with antinuclear antibody (ANA) negative systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The increased proportion of RP105-lacking B cells was associated with disease activity in patients with ANA-negative SLE. When there are no significant serological markers for SLE, analysis of expression of RP105 may be helpful in evaluation of activity in ANA-negative SLE.