Orally Administered Plasmalogens Alleviate Negative Mood States and Enhance Mental Concentration: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Plasmalogens have been shown to improve neurodegenerative pathology and cognitive function. We hypothesized that plasmalogens work in small amounts as a kind of hormone interacting with a G protein-coupled receptor, and then explored the effects of scallop-derived purified plasmalogens on psychobehavioral conditions in a randomized placebo-controlled trial of college athletes in Japan. Eligible participants were male students aged 18-22 years who belonged to university athletic clubs.

Neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas with rhabdoid feature.

Imaging of a 53-year-old Japanese man revealed two tumors in the liver and a tumor in the head of the pancreas with a swelling lymph node. A needle biopsy for the liver tumors was performed, revealing a neuroendocrine tumor. Enucleation, lymphadenectomy, and partial hepatectomy were performed.

Upstaging to invasive ductal carcinoma after mastectomy for ductal carcinoma in situ: predictive factors and role of sentinel lymph node biopsy.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate preoperative factors associated with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) upstaged to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and sentinel lymph node (SLN) status in patients who underwent mastectomy for a preoperative diagnosis of DCIS.

Methods: The medical records of 220 patients who underwent mastectomy for a preoperative diagnosis of DCIS were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Fifty-one (22.

SLC2A1/GLUT1 expression in mural nodules of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas.

In intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs), the presence of a mural nodule showing a papillary or nodular proliferation of tumor cells in the dilated pancreatic duct is an indication for resection of IPMN. Solute carrier family 2, facilitated glucose transporter member 1, known as glucose transporter type 1 (SLC2A1/GLUT1) mediates cellular glucose uptake in many carcinomas and is correlated with increased F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) uptake. We examined SLC2A1/GLUT1 expression in the mural nodules of 180 IPMN specimens to distinguish malignant/benign tumors.

Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Breast Found during Treatment of Lymphoma.

A 71-year-old woman, previously treated for malignant lymphoma, was admitted to our hospital with a tumor in the right breast. The tumor size was 2.0 cm in diameter, and the borderline was unclear.

Expression of glucose transporter-1 is correlated with hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and malignant potential in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

The present study aimed to investigate the prognostic usefulness of the expression of glucose transporter type 1 (GLUT-1) and GLUT-2, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and insulin-like growth factor II messenger RNA-binding protein 3 (IMP3) in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs). Immunohistochemical staining for GLUT-1, GLUT-2, HIF-1α and IMP3 was performed in 70 pNET specimens. The expression of GLUT-1 and HIF-1α was significantly higher in the World Health Organization grade 2 (G2), neuroendocrine carcinoma cases and mixed-type pNETs compared with the G1 cases.

Anterior gradient 2 downregulation in a subset of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a prognostic factor indicative of epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Anterior gradient 2 (AGR2), a member of the protein disulfide isomerase family, has been implicated in various cancers including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and is known to promote cancer progression. However, the prognostic value of AGR2 expression and the interaction with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) remain unclear. We investigated the clinical significance of AGR2 and EMT markers in PDAC patients by immunohistochemical analyses.

Podoplanin expression in the cyst wall correlates with the progression of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm.

A thickened, enhanced cyst wall on imaging examinations is one of the "worrisome features" described in the consensus guidelines for management of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas (IPMN). Podoplanin (PDPN) expression by cancer-associated fibroblasts is known to be an indicator of poor prognosis in some types of cancer. We performed immunohistochemical staining for alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in IPMN lesions and determined the pathological wall thickness by measuring the thinnest and thickest α-SMA-positive parts of the wall of the largest cyst in each case, and the mean of these two values was recorded as the wall thickness.

Pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia in the background of invasive ductal carcinoma of the pancreas as a prognostic factor.

Aims: Of the recognized precursor lesions of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) is the most common form. However, little is known about the relationship between the grade of PanIN and prognosis for patients with invasive ductal carcinoma.

Methods And Results: In 124 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma, we examined the grade and number of PanIN lesions in all slides of resected pancreas.

Podoplanin expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts enhances tumor progression of invasive ductal carcinoma of the pancreas.

Background: Interactions between cancer cells and surrounding cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play an important role in cancer progression. Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the pancreas is characterized by abundant fibrous connective tissue called desmoplasia. Podoplanin (PDPN) is a lymphatic vessel marker (D2-40), and expression of PDPN by stromal CAFs has been reported to be a prognostic indicator in various types of cancer.

Expression of glucagon-like Peptide 1 receptor and its effects on biologic behavior in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Objectives: Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) interacts with its specific high-affinity receptor, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R), and induces cellular growth and inhibition of apoptosis in pancreatic β cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of GLP-1R expression in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs).

Methods: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor expression was semiquantitatively evaluated by immunohistochemical staining in 50 resected PNETs, and the correlation between the GLP-1R expression and clinicopathologic features was investigated.

Analysis of risk factors for recurrence after curative resection of well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors based on the new grading classification.

Background: It is difficult to predict the malignant potential of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) precisely. This study investigated the validity of a new grading system adopted by the World Health Organization 2010 classification to determine risk factors for recurrence of PNETs.

Methods: Data of 70 patients with PNETs who underwent curative resection were retrospectively examined by uni- and multivariate analyses.

Insulin-like growth factor II messenger RNA-binding protein-3 is a valuable diagnostic and prognostic marker of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm.

Recently, various studies have shown that insulin-like growth factor II messenger RNA-binding protein-3 (IMP3) is a useful diagnostic marker for malignant lesions and a prognostic marker for poor survival in several kinds of tumors. However, the value of IMP3 as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of pancreas has been unclear until now. In this study, we examined IMP3 immunohistochemical expression in 190 resection samples and 15 biopsy samples of IPMN and analyzed the value of IMP3 as a diagnostic and prognostic marker.

Differential ezrin and phosphorylated ezrin expression profiles between pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, and invasive ductal carcinoma of the pancreas.

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanINs) are important premalignant lesions of pancreatic cancer. Ezrin is a member of the ezrin, radixin, and moesin protein family and acts as a cross-linker between the plasma membrane and the actin cytoskeleton. We investigated the roles of ezrin during carcinogenesis in IPMN and invasive ductal carcinoma and examined whether ezrin was a prognostic factor.

Hypoxia enhances the interaction between pancreatic stellate cells and cancer cells via increased secretion of connective tissue growth factor.

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC), a hypovascular tumor, thrives under hypoxic conditions. Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) promote PC progression by secreting soluble factors, but their functions in hypoxia are poorly understood. This study aimed to clarify the effects of hypoxic conditions on the interaction between PC cells and PSCs.

Analysis of lymph node metastasis in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) based on the tumor size and hormonal production.

Background: Because of the rarity and variety of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs), there have been few reports regarding the indication for lymph node dissection in patients with these tumors. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of lymph node metastasis of PNETs based on the tumor size and hormonal production.

Methods: Data for a total of 66 patients who had PNETs resected at our department between 1987 and 2010 were retrospectively studied.

Type II congenital biliary dilation (biliary diverticulum) with pancreaticobiliary maljunction successfully treated by laparoscopic surgery: report of a case.

Biliary diverticulum or type II congenital biliary dilation accounts for only 1-2% of all patients with congenital biliary dilation. The association between pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) and this type of anomaly remains unclear. A 40-year-old Japanese woman presented with a history of repeated upper abdominal pain for more than 30 years.

Side-to-side isoperistaltic strictureplasty for chronic ischemic enteritis: report of a case.

Chronic ischemic enteritis can cause intestinal strictures, but extensive resection of the small intestine may leave patients with short bowel syndrome. Thus, the importance of preserving diseased small bowel is now recognized. We report a case of successful side-to-side isoperistaltic strictureplasty (SSIS), performed to prevent short bowel syndrome, in a patient with ischemic enteritis caused by strangulated intestinal obstruction.