Intake of Improves Defecation Frequency in Healthy Adults.

Reportedly, the intake of , a beverage made from steamed rice fermented by , improves defecation frequency. However, its functional ingredients and mechanism of action remain unclear. To compare the effects of and a placebo beverage on defecation frequency and to identify the functional ingredients and mechanism of action, a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind parallel-group comparative trial was performed on two groups.

[Intrathoracic Migration of a Kirschner Wire Successfully Removed by Video-assisted Thoracic Surgery:Report of a Case].

A 40-year-old man who had been surgically treated for the fracture of the right humerus with two Kirschner wires (K-wires) complained of chest pain and difficulty in breathing at fourth day after surgery and visited our hospital. Chest radiography revealed dislocation of the K-wire and right pneumothorax. Video-assisted thoracic surgery( VATS) was performed immediately, and the K-wire was removed safely.

Role of ferritin in the cytodifferentiation of periodontal ligament cells.

This study investigated the expression and functions of ferritin, which is involved in osteoblastogenesis, in the periodontal ligament (PDL). The PDL is one of the most important tissues for maintaining the homeostasis of teeth and tooth-supporting tissues. Real-time PCR analyses of the human PDL revealed abundant expression of ferritin light polypeptide (FTL) and ferritin heavy polypeptide (FTH), which encode the highly-conserved iron storage protein, ferritin.

Phase II trial of combined treatment consisting of preoperative S-1 plus cisplatin followed by gastrectomy and postoperative S-1 for stage IV gastric cancer.

Background: To improve the poor prognosis in patients with stage IV (StIV) gastric cancer (GC), we conducted a multicenter phase II study of preoperative S-1 plus cisplatin followed by gastrectomy and postoperative S-1 for StIV GC (the protocol is registered at the clinical trial site of the National Cancer Institute; KYUH-UHA-GC03-01, NCT00088816).

Methods: Eligibility criteria included histologically proven StIVGC. Patients received S-1 (80 mg/m(2)/day, days 1-21) plus cisplatin (60 mg/m(2) on day 8) for 2 courses.

Role of mechanical stress-induced glutamate signaling-associated molecules in cytodifferentiation of periodontal ligament cells.

In this study, we analyzed the effects of tensile mechanical stress on the gene expression profile of in vitro-maintained human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells. A DNA chip analysis identified 17 up-regulated genes in human PDL cells under the mechanical stress, including HOMER1 (homer homolog 1) and GRIN3A (glutamate receptor ionotropic N-methyl-d-aspartate 3A), which are related to glutamate signaling. RT-PCR and real-time PCR analyses revealed that human PDL cells constitutively expressed glutamate signaling-associated genes and that mechanical stress increased the expression of these mRNAs, leading to release of glutamate from human PDL cells and intracellular glutamate signal transduction.

Multicenter safety study of mFOLFOX6 for unresectable advanced/recurrent colorectal cancer in elderly patients.

Background: Combination chemotherapy with oxaliplatin plus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (FOLFOX) has become a standard regimen for colorectal cancer. An increase of adverse events with combination chemotherapy is predicted in elderly patients, and it remains controversial whether they should receive the same chemotherapy as younger patients. Accordingly, this study of modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6) therapy was performed to compare its safety between elderly and non-elderly patients.

Intracystic adenomyoepithelioma of the breast--case report and review.

A case of an intracystic adenomyoepithelioma of the breast mimicking intracystic carcinoma is described. Preoperative examination with mammography, sonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging showed an intracystic tumor with an indistinct margin and several swollen lymph nodes in the ipsilateral axilla. Because the results of fine-needle aspiration cytology of the tumor were interpreted as carcinoma, partial mastectomy with dissection of the axillary nodes was performed.

Significance of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and thin-slice computed tomography on sentinel node assessment: metastatic sentinel node in a lateral paramammary lesion out of axillary nodes from breast cancer.

Sentinel node status was evaluated using preoperative lymphoscintigraphy in a 43-year-old woman who presented with an invasive ductal carcinoma in the lower outer quadrant of the right breast. Two strong hot nodules were visualized in the affected axillary basin on an early image, and a faint accumulation of radioactive tracer was lying between the cancer in the right lower outer quadrant and the axillary hot nodules on the lymphoscintigram taken at 90 min. The faint accumulation was considered to represent a small paramammary node on thin-slice computed tomography (CT) and was confirmed by node biopsy to be a sentinel node grossly involved with tumor cells.

Motor dominant neuropathy induced by adjuvant therapy with adriamycin and cyclophosphamide followed by dose-dense paclitaxel in a breast cancer patient.

A 38-year-old woman underwent mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection for invasive ductal carcinoma with multiple lymph node involvement. The patient received adriamycin 60 mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m(2) followed by weekly paclitaxel 80 mg/m(2) (without interruption) as adjuvant treatment. After receiving ten courses of paclitaxel, the patient developed motor neuropathy, with difficulty in ascending stairs and rising from a chair.

Retrospective analysis of 45 consecutive patients with advanced gastric cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy using an S-1/CDDP combination.

Background: Standard treatment for highly advanced gastric cancer (AGC) has not been established yet. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) represents a promising approach, which may improve the prognosis of AGC. In this study, we analyzed the feasibility and efficacy of NAC with S-1 (TS-1)/cisplatin CDDP in order to design appropriate clinical trials for AGC.

Computed-tomographic features of invasive lobular carcinoma.

We retrospectively analyzed contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) findings in 18 patients with pure invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). The features were divided into five types: an ill-defined and inhomogeneous mass with or without regional heterogeneous enhancement, a spiculated inhomogenous mass, a regional heterogeneous enhancement, and a normal finding. The correlation between tumor size on pathological examination was better with size estimation on CE-CT than that on mammography and sonography.

Potential role of chemo-radiation with oral capecitabine in a breast cancer patient with central nervous system relapse.

A 54-year-old woman underwent mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection for infiltrating ductal carcinoma with multiple lymph node involvement. The patient received adriamycin 60 mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m(2) (AC) followed by weekly paclitaxel 80 mg/m(2) and external irradiation to the local lymph node regions as adjuvant treatment. After 1 year and 5 months, the patient suffered her first recurrence, developing multiple brain and meningeal metastases.

Evaluation of prognostic significance in extracapsular spread of lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric cancer.

Background: Extracapsular spread of lymph node metastasis has been shown as a negative prognostic factor in cancers of several other organs. This study was performed to clarify the prognostic significance of extracapsular spread in patients receiving curative resection for gastric cancer.

Methods: Extracapsular spread was defined as infiltration of cancer cells beyond the capsule of the metastatic lymph node.

[Efficacy of weekly administration of paclitaxel for advanced or recurrent gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination].

We report 3 gastric cancer patients with peritoneal dissemination who failed to take TS-1 due to adverse effects and who were successfully treated with weekly paclitaxel administered intravenously. The patients were 2 men and 1 woman from 73 to 82 years in age. The histological types of gastric cancer were undifferentiated adenocarcinoma in all cases.

[A case of advanced gastric cancer successfully treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy of combined weekly paclitaxel and doxifluridine (5'-DFUR)].

We report a case of advanced gastric cancer with metastasis to the paraaortic lymph nodes that showed a remarkable response to treatment with a combination of weekly paclitaxel and doxifluridine (5'-DFUR). The patient was a 72-year-old man. Oral chemotherapy of TS-1 was discontinued due to drug induced eruption.

Removal of a splenic artery with a large aneurysm adhered to the pancreas without pancreatectomy: report of a case.

Splenic artery aneurysms account for about 60% of all visceral aneurysms. The treatment include surgical procedures that sometimes require pancreatectomy. This report describes the case of a 64-year-old woman who had multiple splenic artery aneurysms with various visceral artery dilatations.