Febrile Neutropenia in a Patient with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with the Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitor Nivolumab.

BACKGROUND Nivolumab is a human IgG4 monoclonal antibody against human programmed cell death 1 (PD-1). It has demonstrated efficacy against metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Treatment with nivolumab is sometimes associated with immune-related adverse events (ir AEs) in patients.

The scab-like sign: A CT finding indicative of haemoptysis in patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis?

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the CT findings that characterise haemoptysis in patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA).

Methods: We retrospectively identified 120 consecutive patients with CPA (84 men and 36 women, 17-89 years of age, mean age 68.4 years) who had undergone a total of 829 CT examinations between January 2007 and February 2017.

A case report of aneuysmectomy after thrombo-intimectomy for spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection.

A 53 year-old man was admitted with acute onset of severe abdominal pain, and we performed emergent thrombectomy and intimectomy for acute, complete occlusion of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) due to its spontaneous dissection. However, 4 months later the operated part of the SMA enlarged due to aneurysm and the patient was treated by aneuysmectomy and iliac-mesenteric bypass using a saphenous vein. Aggressive treatment such as surgical or endovascular procedure is necessary for severe ischemia due to SMA dissection.

CD83(+) dendritic cells and Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells in primary lesions and regional lymph nodes are inversely correlated with prognosis of gastric cancer.

Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells that are central to the regulation, maturation, and maintenance of the cellular immune response against cancer. In contrast, CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a central role in self-tolerance and suppress antitumor immunity. In this study, we investigated the clinical significance of mature CD83(+) DCs and Foxp3(+) Tregs in the primary tumor and regional lymph nodes from the viewpoint of the two opposing players in the immune responses.

Expression of tight-junction-associated proteins in human gastric cancer: downregulation of claudin-4 correlates with tumor aggressiveness and survival.

Background: Claudin, occludin, and zonula occludens (ZO)-1 are known as tight-junction-associated proteins. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of these proteins in gastric carcinoma.

Methods: Gastric cancer tissues (n = 124) were obtained from 124 patients who underwent gastrectomy at our hospital between January 2000 and December 2004.

Detection of cancer cells disseminated in bone marrow using real-time quantitative RT-PCR of CEA, CK19, and CK20 mRNA in patients with gastric cancer.

Background: To determine the significance of bone marrow disseminated tumor cells in gastric cancer, we investigated the mRNA expression levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cytokeratin 19 (CK19), and cytokeratin 20 (CK20) using the real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR).

Methods: Bone marrow samples were aspirated from the sternum at the time of surgery in 65 patients with resectable gastric cancer. Total RNA was extracted from bone marrow; and the expression levels of CEA, CK19, and CK20 mRNA were determined by RQ-PCR using an ABI PRISM 7000 and quantified against the GAPDH mRNA level.

Understanding the response of dendritic cells to activation by streptococcal preparation OK-432.

Background: The streptococcal preparation OK-432 induces maturation of T cells and dendritic cells (DCs). However, the mechanisms by which OK-432 induces DC maturation are not well understood.

Materials And Methods: The effects of OK-432 and TNF-alpha on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were compared.

[A case of complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced esophageal cancer with low-dose FP therapy].

The patient was a 58-year-old man complaining of vomit and body-weight loss of 10 kg with advanced lower thoraco-abdominal esophageal cancer, which was 9 cm in length and with a maximum diameter of 5.5 cm on thoracic CT examination. Moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed by pre-operative endoscopic biopsy.

Prediction of sensitivity to fluoropyrimidines by metabolic and target enzyme activities in gastric cancer.

Background: This study was designed to investigate the role of thymidylate synthase (TS), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), and thymidine phosphorylase (TP) in tumor progression and sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).

Methods: A total of 275 tumor samples from 275 patients with gastric cancer were utilized in this study. TS activity was determined in 130 samples by 5-fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate binding assay.