Identification of novel HCV deletion mutants in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Background: The HCV genome consists of a positive 9.6 kb single-strand of RNA. Nucleotide substitutions in the HCV genome are common and a 2 kb deletion has been reported.

Stroma-directed imatinib therapy impairs the tumor-promoting effect of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in an orthotopic transplantation model of colon cancer.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are reported to contribute to formation of tumor-promoting stromal cells. We reported recently that, in an orthotopic nude mice model of colon cancer, MSCs traveled to tumor stroma, where they differentiated into carcinoma-associated fibroblast (CAF)-like cells. We also found that CAFs express platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) at a high level and that imatinib therapy targeting PDGFR in CAFs inhibits growth and metastasis of human colon cancer.

IL28B polymorphism is associated with fatty change in the liver of chronic hepatitis C patients.

Background: Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the interleukin 28B (IL28B) locus are associated with sustained viral response in chronic hepatitis C (HCV) patients who were treated with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy. Recently, an association between γ-GTP level and IL28B genotype was identified. In this study, the relationship between IL28B genotype and liver steatosis was analyzed.

Hepatitis C virus infection suppresses the interferon response in the liver of the human hepatocyte chimeric mouse.

Background And Aims: Recent studies indicate that hepatitis C virus (HCV) can modulate the expression of various genes including those involved in interferon signaling, and up-regulation of interferon-stimulated genes by HCV was reported to be strongly associated with treatment outcome. To expand our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying treatment resistance, we analyzed the direct effects of interferon and/or HCV infection under immunodeficient conditions using cDNA microarray analysis of human hepatocyte chimeric mice.

Methods: Human serum containing HCV genotype 1b was injected into human hepatocyte chimeric mice.

Anti-stromal therapy with imatinib inhibits growth and metastasis of gastric carcinoma in an orthotopic nude mouse model.

Recent studies have revealed that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) plays a role in promoting progressive tumor growth in several organs; however, whether PDGF plays such a role in gastric carcinoma is undetermined. We examined whether inhibition of PDGF receptor (PDGF-R) tyrosine kinase signaling by imatinib affects tumor growth and metastasis in an orthotopic nude mouse model of human gastric carcinoma. TMK-1 human gastric carcinoma cells were injected into the gastric wall of nude mice.

Expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-B and PDGF-receptor β is associated with lymphatic metastasis in human gastric carcinoma.

Recent study of murine fibrosarcoma has revealed that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) plays a direct role in promoting lymphangiogenesis and metastatic spread to lymph nodes. Thus, we investigated the relation between PDGF and PDGF receptor (PDGF-R) expression and lymphatic metastasis in human gastric carcinoma. We examined PDGF-B and PDGF-Rβ expression in four human gastric carcinoma cell lines (TMK-1, MKN-1, MKN-45, and KKLS) and in 38 surgical specimens of gastric carcinoma.

Hemodynamic consequences of a swinging, infarcted ventricular septum.

Noonan syndrome presents with dysmorphic facial features, short stature, and cardiac abnormalities (most commonly pulmonic stenosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). This report describes a rare case accompanied by a secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) and a ventricular septal aneurysm causing right ventricular (RV) pressure gradient. A 29-year-old mentally retarded man was admitted to hospital with exertional dyspnea.