Investigating the Follow-up Period after ALTA Sclerotherapy Using Transanal Ultrasonography.

Objectives: This study aims to clarify the appropriate follow-up period after aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid (ALTA) sclerotherapy for internal hemorrhoids by transanal ultrasonography.

Methods: Forty-four patients (98 lesions) who underwent ALTA sclerotherapy were analyzed. Transanal ultrasonography was performed pre and post-ALTA sclerotherapy to observe the thickness and the internal echo image of hemorrhoid tissue.

[Urine Protein/Creatinine Ratio Measurement Is Useful to Continue Anti-Angiogenic Agent Treatment].

Background: Aside effect of anti-angiogenic agent treatment is proteinuria. Evaluation of the severity of adverse effects and the decision to discontinue treatment is based on the qualitative analysis of urinary proteins. However, a qualitative analysis result may not be indicative of the actual amounts of protein excreted.

Severe gastrointestinal hemorrhage related to everolimus: a case report.

Everolimus is an mTOR (the mammalian target of rapamycin) inhibitor, which is used for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma. Life-threatening hemorrhages are extremely rare adverse effect of everolimus. We herein report a successfully treated case of severe everolimus-related gastrointestinal hemorrhage by emergency surgical resection for patient with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Expression of CXCR-4 and IDO in human colorectal cancer: An immunohistochemical approach.

C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4), the receptor for the chemokine stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1 [also known as C-X-C motif chemokine 12 (CXCL12)], is involved in lymphocyte trafficking. Recent studies have demonstrated that, during pregnancy, a placental enzyme called indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) exerts a key role in suppressing the maternal T-cell response against the fetus. In the present study, the significance of CXCR4 and IDO expression in human colorectal cancer (CRC) has been investigated by immunohistochemical assay, and their association with survival was analyzed.

The Usefulness of Diffusion MRI in Detection of Lymph Node Metastases of Colorectal Cancer.

The aim of this study was to assess the sensitivity and specificity of preoperative diagnosis by diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (D-MRI) for lymph node metastasis of colorectal cancer. The b-value represents the diffusion factor (measured in s/mm(2)) and the strength of the diffusion gradients. The b-value used in this study was 1,000 s/mm(2).

Thymidine phosphorylase mRNA expression may be a predictor of response to post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 in patients with stage III colorectal cancer.

The aim of the present study was to investigate markers in surgically resected specimens of colorectal cancer that can be used to predict the response to chemotherapy. The mRNA expression levels of enzymes involved in 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) metabolism and folate metabolism were measured in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor sections obtained from the primary tumors of 54 patients with resected stage II or III colorectal cancer who received S-1 for one year. The 5-FU metabolizing enzymes studied were thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase and thymidine phosphorylase (TP).

Increased lymphatic vessels in patients with encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis.

Background: The angiogenic response is partly involved in the progression of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS). However, the details of the angiogenic response, especially for lymphatic vessels in patients with EPS, remain unclear. In addition, because of technical limitations, morphology studies reported to date have examined only the parietal peritoneum.

Feasibility study of S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer.

Background: We evaluated the safety, efficacy, and compliance of 1-year treatment with S-1 in patients with stage II/III resectable colorectal cancer.

Methods: S-1 was administered orally in two divided doses daily. The dose was assigned according to body surface area (BSA) as follows: BSA <1.

Serum vitamin D levels and survival of patients with colorectal cancer: post-hoc analysis of a prospective cohort study.

Background: Recently, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels were shown to be associated with the survival of patients with colorectal cancer. However, 25OHD levels were measured a median of 6 years before diagnosis or were predicted levels. In this study, we directly measured serum 25OHD levels at surgery and examined the association with survival among patients with colorectal cancer.

Clinicopathological features of perforated colorectal cancer.

Unlabelled: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine clinicopathological factors pertinent to the prognosis of perforated colorectal cancer (PCRC).

Patients And Methods: A retrospective review of clinical records of 17 cases of emergency primary resection for PCRC (stage IIIa in 2, stage IIIb in 6 and stage IV in 9) was performed.

Result: The 5-year survival rate was 31% (31% for stage III and 12% for stage IV).

Arterial infusion chemotherapy in patient with repeated recurrent tumor of cecal cancer: report of a case.

Purpose: We report a patient with a repeated recurrent tumor after Right-hemicolectomy for advanced cecal cancer who was treated by intra-arterial infusions of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).

Methods: A computed tomography scan revealed a pelvic mass involving the psoas major muscle and quadratos lumborum muscle, in contact with the widely projecting toward L2-S2. The fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) revealed an accumulation spot in the same place.

Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum: clinical characteristics.

Background/aims: The aims of this study were to assess the prognosis and histopathological factors of poorly differentiated colorectal adenocarcinoma, and the clinical relevance of the proposed histopathological sub classifications.

Methodology: Fifty eight patients with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma were enrolled in this study. According to the lymphatic canal spread in tumor tissue, they were classified into lymphangitic type (tumor spread beyond the intra mucosal tumor space through the lymphatic canal widely) and non-lymphangitic type (tumor spread within that space).

Synergistic induction of antigen-specific CTL by fusions of TLR-stimulated dendritic cells and heat-stressed tumor cells.

Dendritic cell (DC)/tumor cell fusion cells (FCs) can induce potent CTL responses. The therapeutic efficacy of a vaccine requires the improved immunogenicity of both DCs and tumor cells. The DCs stimulated with the TLR agonist penicillin-killed Streptococcus pyogenes (OK-432; OK-DCs) showed higher expression levels of MHC class I and II, CD80, CD86, CD83, IL-12, and heat shock proteins (HSPs) than did immature DCs.

Streptococcal preparation OK-432 promotes fusion efficiency and enhances induction of antigen-specific CTL by fusions of dendritic cells and colorectal cancer cells.

Dendritic/tumor fusion cell (FC) vaccine is an effective approach for various types of cancer but has not yet been standardized. Antitumor activity can be modulated by different mechanisms such as dendritic cell (DC) maturation state. This study addressed optimal strategies for FC preparations to enhance Ag-specific CTL activity.

[Multiple hepatic metastases of colon cancer responding to combined therapy with TS-1 and CPT-11--a case report].

We treated a patient with multiple liver metastases arising from colon cancer in whom the metastatic tumors were responsive to treatment with the combination of TS-1 and CPT-11. The patient was a 71-year-old woman with cancer of the ascending colon and metastatic hepatic tumors. She had undergone surgery on July 28, 2004, and abdominal contrast CT scans obtained after discharge from hospital revealed numerous LDA (low-density areas) in both lobes of the liver.

Dendritic cells fused with allogeneic colorectal cancer cell line present multiple colorectal cancer-specific antigens and induce antitumor immunity against autologous tumor cells.

The aim of antitumor immunotherapy is to induce CTL responses against autologous tumors. Previous work has shown that fusion of human dendritic cells and autologous tumor cells induce CTL responses against autologous tumor cells in vitro. However, in the clinical setting of patients with colorectal carcinoma, a major difficulty is the preparation of sufficient amounts of autologous tumor cells.

Gasless laparoscopic surgery using a new intra-abdominal fan retractor system: an experience of 500 cases.

Aim: The aim of this study is to report the feasibility of a newly developed intra-abdominal fan retractor system for use in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery.

Methods: Five hundred women undergoing gasless laparoscopic surgery using the abdominal wall lifting device were included in the study. The intraoperative and postoperative courses, and complications were examined.

The activities of thymidine phosphorylase and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase in colorectal cancer depend on where the sample is taken.

The significance of tumor tissue thymidine phosphorylase (TP) and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) levels, as well as the TP/DPD ratio have recently been reported as prognostic factors and for custom-made chemotherapy. However, there have been no distinct studies on actual tumor sampling methods. For 16 patients who had undergone resection of advanced colorectal cancer, we: i) measured TP and DPD levels in different portions of the tumor using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); ii) categorized the tumor into an edge, center, and base area, and histo-pathologically calculated the ratio of cancer cell/cancer cell + stromal cell; and iii) examined the correlation between cancer and stromal cell TP expression and TP value.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase 7, laminin and type IV collagen-associated liver metastasis in human colorectal cancer: immunohistochemical approach.

Background/aims: Matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP-7) plays an important role in vessel invasion and metastasis in human colorectal cancer.

Methodology: The significance of MMP-7, laminin and type IV collagen expression in human colorectal cancer was investigated by immunohistochemical assay, and the correlation with liver metastasis was analyzed.

Results: In a synchronous metastasis group, 26 of 36 cases (72%) showed positive staining of MMP-7: There were 32 cases (89%) in the lymph channel and 28/32 cases (87%) in the vessels, and 17/34 cases (50%) showed a positive rate of laminin.

Induction of antigen-specific CD4- and CD8-mediated T-cell responses by fusions of autologous dendritic cells and metastatic colorectal cancer cells.

Human metastatic colorectal carcinomas (CRCAs) express carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and/or MUC1 tumor-associated antigens as potential targets for the induction of active specific immunity. In the present study, freshly isolated metastatic CRCA cells were successfully fused with immature autologous human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). The created heterokaryons (DC/CRCA) coexpress the CRCA-derived CEA and MUC1 antigens and DC-derived MHC class II and costimulatory molecules.

Molecular cloning and characterization of three adult rat beta-globin gene promoters.

We analyzed the promoter regions of the adult rat beta (IIbeta, IIIbeta, and 0beta)-globin genes. The results indicated that (1) the activities of the minimal promoters of these three genes are proportional to the gene expression levels in vivo, and (2) erythroid-specific repressor regions are located immediately upstream of the minimal promoter sequences and are regulated by the same transcription factor.