Combined adenomatoid tumor and well differentiated papillary mesothelioma of the omentum.

Herein is reported a highly rare case of combined adenomatoid tumor and well differentiated papillary mesothelioma of the omentum. A 45-year-old Japanese man was incidentally found to have a mesenteric mass during abdominal ultrasonography. Grossly, a well-circumscribed and non-encapsulated tumor, measuring 24 × 23 × 22 mm, was located in the omentum with no obvious invasion to the surrounding stomach and pancreas.

Use of samples from endoscopic ultrasound-guided 19-gauge fine-needle aspiration in diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis.

Background & Aims: Histologic techniques are used to distinguish autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) from pancreatic malignancies and to confirm the etiology of pancreatitis. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a well-established technique used in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. However, it is unclear whether specimens obtained from pancreatic lesions by EUS-FNA are adequate for the histologic diagnosis of AIP, because the evaluation of tissue architecture and immunostaining assays usually require larger samples.

Phosphorylation status of heat shock protein 27 plays a key role in gemcitabine-induced apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells.

Gemcitabine, an antitumor drug, is currently considered to be the standard of care for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer, but the clinical outcome is still not satisfactory. Although heat shock protein (HSP) 27 is implicated in the resistance to chemotherapy in several types of cancers, the precise role of phosphorylated HSP27 in cancer cells remains to be clarified. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the effect of gemcitabine and the phosphorylation status of HSP27 in pancreatic cancer cells, Panc1 and KP3.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy for diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders: feasibility of immunohistological, flow cytometric, and cytogenetic assessments.

Objectives: In addition to morphology, immunophenotype and genetic abnormalities should be assessed during diagnosis and subclassification of lymphoproliferative disorders. The objective of this study was to evaluate the yield of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNAB) using a standard 19-gauge needle for diagnosis and subclassification of lymphoma, assessing the feasibility of immunohistological, flow cytometric, and cytogenetic assessments.

Methods: Two hundred forty patients with suspected lymphoma were referred for EUS-FNAB to our quaternary EUS center between June 2005 and December 2010.

Carbon dioxide insufflation vs. conventional saline irrigation for peroral video cholangioscopy.

Background And Study Aims: Recent studies have evaluated the efficacy of peroral cholangioscopy (POCS) for diagnosis of biliary diseases. In order to obtain clear images with POCS, saline irrigation, which is performed to replace yellow bile, is carried out for an extended duration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of replacing saline irrigation with CO₂ insufflation during POCS.

Combined endobronchial and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for mediastinal nodal staging of lung cancer.

Background: Recently, transesophageal endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has been evaluated for mediastinal nodal staging (N staging) of lung cancer, as this technique is less invasive than mediastinoscopy and possibly more accurate than 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET-CT). However, EUS-FNA does not provide access to pretracheal and hilar lymph nodes. More recently, endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has been introduced as a novel technique for accessing pretracheal and hilar lymph nodes.

Myelofibrosis successfully treated with prednisolone in a patient with pachydermoperiostosis.

Pachydermoperiostosis (PDP) is a rare disorder of bone and connective tissue growth. A 21-year-old man was referred to our hospital with anemia. He showed characteristics of PDP.

CT-guided ultrathin bronchoscopy: bioptic approach and factors in predicting diagnosis.

Background: The diagnostic sensitivity of current bronchoscopy for peripheral lung cancer is inadequate because the bronchoscope insertion range is limited and confirmation of the position of the biopsy apparatus at the lesion under X-ray fluoroscopy is inaccurate. The combination of ultrathin bronchoscopy and computed tomography (CT) is effective for solving these problems.

Objective: This study was a retrospective study analyzing prospectively collected data to identify factors contributing to the diagnosis and the appropriate biopsy method in CT-guided ultrathin bronchoscopy for peripheral lung cancer.

Possible role of visfatin in hepatoma progression and the effects of branched-chain amino acids on visfatin-induced proliferation in human hepatoma cells.

Obesity and related metabolic abnormalities, including adipocytokine dysbalance, are risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Visfatin, an adipocytokine that is highly expressed in visceral fat, is suggested to play a role in the progression of human malignancies. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) reduce the incidence of HCC in obese patients with liver cirrhosis and prevent obesity-related liver carcinogenesis in mice.

Ultraviolet enhances the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine by activation of 5' AMP-activated protein kinase.

Although gemcitabine is recognized as the standard drug for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer, the clinical outcome is not satisfactory. We recently reported that relatively high dose ultraviolet-C (UV-C; 200J) inhibits cell growth by desensitization of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in human pancreatic cancer cells. In the present study, we investigated the combination effects of low dose UV-C (10J) and gemcitabine on apoptosis and cell growth in these cells.

Diffuse skeletal muscles uptake of [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose on positron emission tomography in primary muscle peripheral T-cell lymphoma.

A 40-year-old man presented with weakness of neck extensor muscles. Cervical magnetic resonance imaging showed high-intensity areas in muscles of the left lateral cervical region on T2-weighted images. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography scan demonstrated striking fluorodeoxyglucose uptake by multiple skeletal muscles of the neck, chest, and abdominal region.

Ultra-violet irradiation induces apoptosis via mitochondrial pathway in pancreatic cancer cells.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly lethal disease and gemcitabine is considered to be the standard of care for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer. However, the outcome of the patients treated with gemcitabine is still unstatisfactory and further development of new treatments is required. We recently found that short wavelength ultra-violet (UV-C) suppresses cell proliferation with downregulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in human pancreatic cancer cells, but not in normal pancreatic epithelial (PE) cells.

L-tryptophan-mediated enhancement of susceptibility to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is dependent on the mammalian target of rapamycin.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the most common liver diseases. L-tryptophan and its metabolite serotonin are involved in hepatic lipid metabolism and inflammation. However, it is unclear whether L-tryptophan promotes hepatic steatosis.

A phase II study of rituximab combined with pirarubicin-cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisolone regimen as first-line therapy for patients with indolent B-cell lymphoma.

The anthracycline drug pirarubicin (tetrahydropyranyl-adriamycin [THP]) apparently has been reported to show fewer cardiotoxic effects than doxorubicin. We have previously described the effectiveness of the R-THP-COP regimen comprising rituximab, cyclophosphamide, pirarubicin, vincristine and prednisolone in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. We conducted a phase II study to determine the effectiveness of a regimen incorporating rituximab (R-THP-COP) for patients with previously untreated advanced-stage indolent CD20-positive B-cell lymphoma according to the Working Formulation and World Health Organization classification.

Stem-like and non-stem human pancreatic cancer cells distinguished by morphology and metastatic behavior.

We report here that XPA1 human pancreatic cancer cells are dimorphic. After injection in the spleen, XPA1 cells isolated from the primary tumor in the spleen were predominantly round; while cells isolated from the resulting liver metastasis and ascites were comprised of both round- and spindle-shaped cell types. Cancer cells previously grown in the spleen and re-implanted in the spleen developed large primary tumors in the spleen only.

Inhibition of Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase enhances the activation of epidermal growth factor receptor in pancreatic cancer cells.

Background: Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase (Rho-kinase/ROCK) is involved in various cellular functions including cell proliferation, and is generally considered to be oncogenic, while some studies show that ROCK functions as a negative regulator of cancer progression. As a result, the precise role of ROCK remains controversial. We have previously reported that Rho-kinase/ROCK negatively regulates epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced cell proliferation in SW480 colon cancer cells.

Pitavastatin suppresses diethylnitrosamine-induced liver preneoplasms in male C57BL/KsJ-db/db obese mice.

Background: Obesity and related metabolic abnormalities, including inflammation and lipid accumulation in the liver, play a role in liver carcinogenesis. Adipocytokine imbalances, such as decreased serum adiponectin levels, are also involved in obesity-related liver tumorigenesis. In the present study, we examined the effects of pitavastatin - a drug used for the treatment of hyperlipidemia - on the development of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver preneoplastic lesions in C57BL/KsJ-db/db (db/db) obese mice.

UVC radiation induces downregulation of EGF receptor via phosphorylation at serine 1046/1047 in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in human pancreatic cancer and is one of the clinical targets in its treatment. In the present study we investigated the mechanism underlying ultraviolet C (UVC)-radiation-induced cell growth inhibition and downregulation of EGFR in human pancreatic cancer cells (Panc1 and KP3). The cell proliferation assay indicated that Panc1 and KP3 cells were more sensitive to UVC radiation, and their growth was significantly inhibited compared to cells of the normal human pancreatic epithelial cell line, PE.

Comparison of axial force and cell width of self-expandable metallic stents: which type of stent is better suited for hilar biliary strictures?

Background: Various types of self-expandable metallic stents (SEMSs) are commercially available. However, few reports have compared the performance of the various SEMSs. In addition to long-term patency, maneuverability during initial placement and feasibility of re-intervention for the stent occlusion are also very important.

Ultraviolet irradiation can induce evasion of colon cancer cells from stimulation of epidermal growth factor.

Receptor down-regulation is the most prominent regulatory system of EGF receptor (EGFR) signal attenuation and a critical target for therapy against colon cancer, which is highly dependent on the function of the EGFR. In this study, we investigated the effect of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) on down-regulation of EGFR in human colon cancer cells (SW480, HT29, and DLD-1). UV-C caused inhibition of cell survival and proliferation, concurrently inducing the decrease in cell surface EGFR and subsequently its degradation.

Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors suppress azoxymethane-induced colonic preneoplastic lesions in C57BL/KsJ-db/db obese mice.

Obesity-related metabolic abnormalities, including chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) also plays a critical role in obesity-related metabolic disorders and in several types of carcinogenesis. In the present study, we examined the effects of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and angiotensin-II type 1 receptor blocker (ARB), both of which inhibit the RAS, on the development of azoxymethane (AOM)-initiated colonic premalignant lesions in C57BL/KsJ-db/db (db/db) obese mice.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of lesions near the aortoiliac bifurcation via an upper gastrointestinal approach.

Background And Aims: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is widely used to investigate posterior mediastinal and upper abdominal lesions. Previously, we noticed that the aortoiliac bifurcation can be visualized by transduodenal EUS scanning, and the surrounding area might be a potential target for EUS-guided FNA. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of using EUS-guided FNA to study lesions near the aortoiliac bifurcation via the upper gastrointestinal approach.

Serum interleukin-18 level is associated with the outcome of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with CHOP or R-CHOP regimens.

Background: We have previously reported that serum interleukin-18 (IL-18) concentration predicted the clinical outcome of patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (CHOP). When rituximab (R) was added to this regimen, the prognosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was markedly improved.

Patients And Methods: In this study, we re-evaluated the prognostic significance of serum IL-18 in 227 DLBCL patients.

Primary gastrointestinal follicular lymphoma involving the duodenal second portion is a distinct entity: a multicenter, retrospective analysis in Japan.

We conducted a multicenter, retrospective study to determine the anatomical distribution and prognostic factors of gastrointestinal (GI) follicular lymphoma (FL). This study included 125 patients with stage I and II(1) GI-FL. Of the 125 patients, the small intestine was examined in 70 patients, with double-balloon endoscopy and/or capsule endoscopy.

Role of EUS in the early detection of small pancreatic cancer.

Unlabelled: The prognosis of pancreatic cancer is extremely poor as a result of the difficulty in early detection of small pancreatic cancer and the intractable nature of appropriate anti-cancer therapies. Computed tomography (CT) is generally used for initial screening, but imaging sensitivities are generally insufficient to detect small masses. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), in contrast, exhibits higher sensitivity than other imaging modalities for the detection of pancreatic cancers, because of the high resolution of images.