Androgen decline in patients with nonobstructive azoospemia after microdissection testicular sperm extraction.

Objectives: Microdissection testicular sperm extraction (TESE) is the ideal procedure for obtaining a high sperm retrieval rate. However, few studies of the postoperative endocrinologic course have been reported. We evaluated the endocrinologic course for 1 year after microdissection TESE and compared the results with the testicular histologic findings.

Nitric oxide synthesis leads to vascular endothelial growth factor synthesis via the NO/cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) pathway in human corpus cavernosal smooth muscle cells.

Introduction: Vascular smooth muscle cells express endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and produce nitric oxide (NO). Recently, increased NO production has been reported to induce the synthesis and secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) via the NO/cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) pathway. L-arginine (L-arg), the precursor of NO, and selective phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors that increase levels of intracellular cGMP may complementarily enhance VEGF synthesis in corpus cavernosal smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs), and may consequently restore impaired endothelial function.

[Molecular-targeted therapy for prostate cancer].

Once, prostate cancer becomes hormone-refractory, there are only a few effective therapies such as docetaxel-based chemotherapies. Several molecular targeted therapeutic drugs have been tested for prostate cancer such as endothelin-A receptor antagonist, endothelial growth factor receptor or platelet derived growth factor receptor inhibitor. Nuclear factor kappa B (NFkappaB) is a key molecule for the growth of prostate cancer.

Relationship between substances in seminal plasma and Acrobeads Test results.

Objective: To asses the effects of seminal plasma on sperm function.

Design: Retrospective case-control study.

Setting: University hospital.

The growth-inhibitory effects of dexamethasone on renal cell carcinoma in vivo and in vitro.

Background: Recently, several kinase inhibitors have been reported to exert stronger growth inhibitory effects on metastatic renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) than cytokines such as interferons (IFNs) and interleukin-2 (IL-2). On the contrary, the adverse effects of these drugs are also severe. The aim of this study is to analyze the growth-inhibitory effects of DEXamethasone (DEX) on RCC in vivo and in vitro.

A case of polymyositis associated with adrenal carcinoma.

The association between idiopathic inflammatory myositis and cancer is well recognized. Most descriptions have been of dermatomyositis-associated cancer, however, a few have been of polymyositis-associated adrenal cancer. Here, we report a 69-year-old man in whom polymyositis-associated adrenal cancer was diagnosed.

Elucidation of the mechanism of crystal-cell interaction using fibronectin-overexpressing Madin-Darby canine kidney cells.

Introduction: Attachment of newly formed crystals to renal epithelial cells is considered to be a critical step in stone formation. Previously, we reported that exogenous fibronectin (FN; 220-240 kDa) had an inhibitory effect against renal tubular cell injury in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. However, the exact mechanism of FN is not fully understood.

Decreased number of mast cells infiltrating into needle biopsy specimens leads to a better prognosis of prostate cancer.

Mast cell infiltration is often observed around human tumours. Inflammatory cells such as macrophages, neutrophils and mast cells infiltrating around tumours are known to contribute to tumour growth; however, the clinical significance of mast cell invasion in prostate cancer (PCa) has not been investigated. Mast cell infiltration was evaluated in 104 patients (age range, 45-88 years; median, 72 years), who underwent needle biopsy of the prostate and were confirmed to have PCa.

Clinical comparison of successful and failed microdissection testicular sperm extraction in patients with nonmosaic Klinefelter syndrome.

Objectives: Testicular sperm extraction (TESE), together with intracytoplasmic sperm injection, has become the treatment of choice for patients with nonobstructive azoospermia related to nonmosaic Klinefelter syndrome (KS) who want to father children. However, predicting successful microdissection TESE for patients with KS remains controversial. Thus, we conducted a study to determine whether the prediction of successful microdissection TESE is possible in patients with nonmosaic KS.

Abdominal Tuberculosis: peritoneal involvement shown by F-18 FDG PET.

We present a case of a right renal tumor associated with increased accumulation of F-18 FDG in the peritoneum and ileocecum on PET imaging. The FDG-PET images suggested peritoneal carcinomatosis, but the histopathology of the open biopsy proved tuberculous peritonitis. Tuberculous peritonitis should be considered as a potential interpretive pitfall in mimicking peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and nedaplatin (TIN) salvage chemotherapy for patients with advanced germ cell tumors.

Background: The paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin regimen has been used to treat metastatic testicular cancer with successful results. We investigated the usefulness of a paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and nedaplatin (TIN) regimen as salvage therapy for patients with advanced testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs).

Methods: Eight patients with advanced GCTs were treated with TIN.

Prognostic significance of thymidylate synthase expression in patients with prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy.

Objectives: Thymidylate synthase (TS), a key enzyme in DNA synthesis, is overexpressed in a variety of cancer cells. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), an anticancer agent used clinically against various cancers, including prostate cancer, inhibits DNA synthesis by binding TS. In this study, we investigated the expression of TS in prostate cancer and its prognostic significance.

Somatic mutations of the von Hippel-Lindau disease gene in renal carcinomas occurring in patients with long-term dialysis.

Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) frequently occurs in patients with long-term dialysis. Long-term dialysis causes distinctive pathological changes in the kidney, which is known as acquired cystic disease of the kidney (ACDK). It is of great interest to know whether RCCs occurring in the dialytic kidneys harbour the same or similar mutations of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene as conventional dialysis-unrelated clear cell RCCs so often do.

Successful superselective arterial embolization for post-traumatic high-flow priapism.

We report a case of high-flow priapism treated successfully with superselective embolization of the cavernous artery. An 18-year-old man presented to our hospital 12 days after having been struck in the perineum by the corner of a skateboard. Immediately after the injury, he suffered painless sustained incomplete erection.

Risk factors for malignancy in Japanese renal transplant recipients.

Background: Among recipients of renal transplants, the incidences of renal cancer and gastrointestinal cancer are higher and that of skin cancer is much lower in Japan than in Europe and North America.

Methods: The risk factors for the development of malignant tumors were examined in Japanese recipients of renal transplants. A total of 556 patients underwent renal transplantation at the Department of Urology, Osaka University Faculty of Medicine between March 1, 1965, and April 31, 2004.

Overexpression of XIAP expression in renal cell carcinoma predicts a worse prognosis.

X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is the most potent caspase-inhibitory IAP family member and a negative regulator of various apoptotic stimuli. Thus, XIAP overexpression in cancer cells may select for tumor cell survival following various cytotoxic therapeutic modalities. The anatomical staging system in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) currently provides good prognostic information, albeit insufficient.

Sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide suppresses tumor growth in a xenograft model of renal cell carcinoma by inhibiting the activation of NF-kappaB.

The transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) has been shown to be constitutively activated in various human malignancies, including leukemia, lymphoma and a number of solid tumors. NF-kappaB regulates the transcriptional of genes important for tumor invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance. The sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide, an inhibition of NF-kappaB, has been used conventionally to treat migraines and inflammation.

Long-term results of first-line sequential high-dose carboplatin, etoposide and ifosfamide chemotherapy with peripheral blood stem cell support for patients with advanced testicular germ cell tumor.

Objective: Standard chemotherapy shows relatively low long-term survival in patients with poor-risk testicular germ cell tumor (GCT). First-line high-dose chemotherapy (HD-CT) may improve the result. High-dose carboplatin, etoposide, ifosfamide chemotherapy followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) was investigated as first-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced testicular GCT.

Isolation of germ cells from leukemia and lymphoma cells in a human in vitro model: potential clinical application for restoring human fertility after anticancer therapy.

More than 70% of patients survive childhood cancer, but chemotherapy and radiation therapy may cause irreversible impairment of spermatogenesis. To treat infertility secondary to anticancer treatment for childhood cancer, we have developed a procedure to isolate germ cells from leukemic mice by fluorescence-activated cell sorting with two surface markers, and transplantation of isolated germ cells successfully restored fertility without inducing leukemia. In the present study, we analyzed human germ cells and human malignant cells, including five leukemia cell lines and three lymphoma cell lines, by fluorescence-activated cell sorting with antibodies against MHC class I and CD45.

[The growing teratoma syndrome report of a case].

A 26-year-old man presented with a swelling of the right scrotal content, lumbago and exertional dyspnea. He underwent high inguinal orchiectomy. Histopathological examination of the specimen revealed yolk sac tumor and mature teratoma.

The expression of thymidine phosphorylase is a prognostic predictor for the intravesical recurrence of superficial bladder cancer.

Background: Thymidine phosphorylase (TP), also known as platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor, has been implicated in the angiogenesis of bladder cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between TP expression and the clinicopathologic findings, and the prognostic value.

Methods: TP immunohistochemical staining was performed in specimens from 71 patients (50 men and 21 women) with superficial bladder cancer (pTa or pT1).

[Living unrelated renal transplantation in an eldery couple: a case report].

We present a 60-year-old female who underwent living unrelated renal transplantation from her 62-year-old husband. The primary immunosuppression consisted of tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and steroid. We did not recognize any rejection in a histopathological study.

Renal cell carcinoma in dialysis patients: a single center experience.

Aim: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a life-threatening complication of end-stage renal disease with an unclear pathogenesis. We evaluated RCC developing in patients undergoing dialysis.

Methods: In 2624 patients undergoing hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis at our hospital between July 1993 and March 2004, we performed annual screening for RCC using abdominal computed tomography and ultrasonography.

Rare case of aggressive angiomyxoma presenting as a retrovesical tumor.

Aggressive angiomyxoma (AAM) is a rare mesenchymal benign tumor that preferentially involves the pelvic and perineal regions in relatively young females. We report here a rare case of AAM presenting as a retrovesical tumor in a male patient. A 59-year-old man undergoing abdominal ultrasound examination because of benign prostatic hyperplasia was found to have a retrovesical mass.