Retrospective Risk Analysis for Anastomotic Leakage Following Laparoscopic Rectal Cancer Surgery in a Single Institute.

Purpose: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the most serious complications after laparoscopic low anterior resection (LALAR) for rectal cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the risk factors for AL after LALAR.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of 103 patients who underwent LALAR in a single institute between October 2008 and January 2018.

A fermented mixed tea made with camellia (Camellia japonica) and third-crop green tea leaves prevents nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet.

Background: Established treatments for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are few, thus it is imperative to develop novel dietary strategies that can prevent NASH. A fermented mixed tea (FMT) made with Camellia japonica (Japanese camellia) and third- crop green tea leaves by tea-rolling processing was reported to reduce body weight and adipose tissue weight in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Because visceral fat is one of the most important factors for the development of hepatic steatosis, this FMT supplementation can be a candidate dietary strategy for the prevention of NASH.

Hepatitis C virus-related symptoms, but not quality of life, were improved by treatment with direct-acting antivirals.

Aim: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have a significantly high sustained virologic response rate after a short treatment course and do not have any severe adverse effects. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have become increasingly important to assess the total impact of a chronic disease. We aimed to evaluate the changes in symptoms of patients with HCV infection treated with DAAs by using PROs.

The effect of epidermal growth factor on production of vascular endothelial growth factor by amnion-derived (WISH) cells.

Our objective was to clarify the physiological role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by amnion-derived (WISH) cells. WISH cells were cultured, and the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF), mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase or extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase (MEK) inhibitors (U0126) or phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase on the production of VEGF was examined. VEGF was assayed by ELISA.

Expression and regulation of thrombospondin-1 by human endometrial stromal cells.

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) production was modulated by EGF, IFN-gamma, and in vitro decidualization. It is suggested that TSP-1 may contribute to the regulation of neovascularization in the endometrium and gestational tissues.

The effect of insulin-like growth factor-I on production of vascular endothelial growth factor by amnion-derived (WISH) cells.

Objective: Our objective was to clarify the modulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by amniotic cells.

Design: Amnion-derived (WISH) cells were cultured, and the effect of insulin-like growth factor (IGF), mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase and/or extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase (MEK) inhibitors (U0126), and phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase inhibitors (wortmannin) on the production of VEGF was examined. VEGF was assayed using ELISA.

Changes in vascular endothelial growth factor production associated with decidualization by human endometrial stromal cells in vitro.

Background: The aim of this study was to clarify changes in the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during decidualization by endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) in vitro.

Methods: ESCs were separated by enzymic digestion and filtration, and were cultured with RPMI 1640 in 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) and treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and dibutyryl-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (db-cAMP) to induce decidualization in vitro. The levels of prolactin (PRL) in the culture media were measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and the levels of VEGF were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

[Minute pulmonary meningothelial-like nodules: a case report].

The presence of multiple small nodular shadows on a routine chest radiograph was noticed in a 56-year-old woman who had undergone a left mastectomy on the diagnosis of breast cancer 8 years before. Chest CT films revealed small nodules scattered beneath the pleura mainly in both lower lobes. A biopsy was performed during video-assisted thoracoscopy to rule out metastasis from breast cancer.

Expression of interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10 in human endometrial stromal cells.

Human endometrial stromal cells (ESC) can produce a variety of chemokines, especially after inflammatory stimulation. Interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) is a potent chemoattractant for lymphocytes, and belongs to the family of non-ELR CXC chemokines. The expression of IP-10 in ESC after stimulation with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was evaluated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Northern blot analysis.