Establishment of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system to detect the amino terminal secretory form of rat Erc/Mesothelin.

By representational difference analysis, we previously identified the rat Erc (Expressed in renal carcinoma) gene that was more abundantly expressed in the renal carcinoma tissues of Eker rats than in the rat normal kidney. In this study, we raised antibodies against the amino-terminal portion of the rat Erc, and demonstrated the existence of a approximately 30-kDa secretory form in the supernatant of cultured cells derived from rat renal carcinoma. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system using these antibodies detected high concentrations of this form in the sera of Eker rats bearing renal carcinomas, and in the sera of rats transplanted with mesothelioma cells.

[The result of VIP chemotherapy as an induction therapy in 6 patients with non-seminomatous extragonadal germ cell tumor].

We treated 6 patients with non-seminomatous extragonadal germ cell tumor (NSEGCT) by VP-16 + ifosfamide + cisplatin (VIP) chemotherapy as an induction therapy to investigate the effectiveness and safety. Primary lesions were located at the mediastinum in 4 patients and the retroperitoneum in 2 patients. As a rule, all patients were treated with VIP chemotherapy of 4 courses with or without second-line treatment such as chemotherapy, residual tumor resection and/or radiation.

[A case of locally advanced prostate cancer with low serum testosterone associated with intake of an androgenic medicine].

A 74-year-old man was referred to our clinic for the work-up of digitally hard and irregularly surfaced prostate and elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA). His serum PSA was elevated to 41 ng/ml, but testosterone and LH level were decreased to 23.5 ng/dl and 0.