The serum tenascin C level is a marker of metabolic disorder-related inflammation affecting pancreatic cancer prognosis.

Obesity is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer development, partly due to the tissue environment of metabolic disorder-related inflammation. We aimed to detect a tissue environment marker triggered by obesity-related metabolic disorders related to pancreatic cancer progression. In murine experiments, Bl6/j mice fed a normal diet (ND) or a high-fat diet (HFD) were orthotopically injected with mPKC1, a murine-derived pancreatic cancer cell line.

The relationship between observation interval and prognosis in pancreatic cancer concomitant with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia.

Background: Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia (IPMN) is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer (PC). PC concomitant with IPMN shows rapid progression similar to de novo PC, therefore, the appropriate observation interval (OI) is not yet clear.

Patients And Method: This was a multicenter retrospective observational study, and patients with PC concomitant with IPMN were analyzed.

Regnase-1 downregulation promotes pancreatic cancer through myeloid-derived suppressor cell-mediated evasion of anticancer immunity.

Background: Pancreatitis is known to be an important risk factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the exact molecular mechanisms of how inflammation promotes PDAC are still not fully understood. Regnase-1, an endoribonuclease, regulates immune responses by degrading mRNAs of inflammation-related genes.

Efficacy and associated factors of endoscopic transpapillary drainage for postoperative biliary leakage.

Objective: Adequate biliary decompression is important in treating bile leaks, and endoscopic transpapillary drainage is widely used for this purpose. As an indicator to evaluate the usefulness of endoscopic drainage for postoperative biliary leakage, we focused on external drain removability, which affects quality of life, after endoscopic treatment. Our aim was to clarify the success rate of external tube removal after endoscopic drainage for postoperative biliary leakage and to examine associated factors.

Duodenal diverticulum metastasis from pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed by EUS-FNA.

A 76-year-old male with pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma achieved complete response by chemoradiotherapy and subsequent systemic chemotherapy. During follow-up, fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography showed strong fluorodeoxyglucose accumulation near the duodenal papilla. Elevated lesions were observed in the duodenal diverticulum upon lateral-viewing endoscopy, and a curved linear array echoendoscope showed a hypoechoic mass.

Pentraxin 3 is an adipose tissue-related serum marker for pancreatic cancer cachexia predicting subsequent muscle mass and visceral fat loss.

Cancer cachexia, a paraneoplastic syndrome characterized by ongoing skeletal muscle mass loss, is accompanied by adipose tissue loss and strongly affects chemotherapy endurance. Our aim was to detect a serum marker reflecting pancreatic cancer cachexia and predicting subsequent loss of muscle mass and adipose tissue, focusing on adipose tissue-secreted proteins. Murine-derived pancreatic cancer cells were orthotopically injected into the mouse pancreatic tail.

Pancreatic CT density is an optimal imaging biomarker for earlier detection of malignancy in the pancreas with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm.

Background: Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are typically detected as incidental findings by computed tomography (CT); however, the conventional surveillance is not valid for the early detection of concomitant pancreatic cancer. The pancreas of IPMN is often accompanied by fatty infiltration in the parenchyma, and pancreatic fatty infiltration could be evaluated by pancreatic CT density (pancreatic index, PI). We aimed to investigate whether PI could be an imaging biomarker for the early prediction of malignancies in the pancreas with IPMN.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Patient with Tetralogy of Fallot: A Case Report and Literature Review.

We herein report a 34-year-old woman born with tetralogy of Fallot who had undergone 5 cardiac repair procedures. She developed liver nodules with congestive cirrhosis secondary to severe mitral regurgitation and an atrial septal defect. A percutaneous liver biopsy showed hepatocellular carcinoma with liver fibrosis, which was treated using transarterial chemoembolization.

The First Transileocolic Obliteration for Refractory Esophageal Varices: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Transileocolic obliteration (TIO) is a useful treatment for gastric, duodenal, or rectal varices. However, TIO for esophageal varices has not yet been reported. We herein report successful TIO performed for refractory esophageal varices with a large paraesophageal vein, with no subsequent recurrence of varices.

Dysregulation of PI3K and Hippo signaling pathways synergistically induces chronic pancreatitis via CTGF upregulation.

The role of PI3K and Hippo signaling in chronic pancreatitis (CP) pathogenesis is unclear. Therefore, we assessed the involvement of these pathways in CP by examining the PI3K and Hippo signaling components PTEN and SAV1, respectively. We observed significant decreases in pancreatic PTEN and SAV1 levels in 2 murine CP models: repeated cerulein injection and pancreatic ductal ligation.

The First Case of Coil Embolization for Left Gastric Vein Aneurysm with Liver Cirrhosis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

We herein report the first case of interventional radiology for a left gastric vein aneurysm with a gastrorenal shunt. The etiology of the aneurysm was considered secondary to portal hypertension and liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis B virus infection. As the aneurysm was asymptomatic but had a tendency to expand, we successfully performed coil embolization for the aneurysm through a gastrorenal shunt.

Improvement of Skeletal Muscle Mass after Ledipasvir and Sofosbuvir Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus in Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be eliminated by direct-acting antivirals in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. Although viral clearance in decompensated liver cirrhosis leads to improvement of the liver function and quality of life, changes in the skeletal muscle mass after sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis have not been reported. We present the first report of skeletal muscle mass improvement with the achievement of SVR for HCV in a 76-year-old woman with decompensated liver cirrhosis.

Utility of a 20G needle with a core trap in EUS-guided fine-needle biopsy for gastric submucosal tumors: A multicentric prospective trial.

Background And Objectives: Differential diagnosis to estimate the malignant potential of gastric submucosal tumor (g-SMT) is important for decision-making. This study evaluated the use of a 20G needle with a core trap for EUS-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) for g-SMT.

Methods: This multicentric prospective trial was registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN000021410).

Endoscopic biliary stenting as the risk factor for cholangitis after endoscopic ultrasound in patients with biliary strictures.

Background And Aim: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) are established as efficient and safe diagnostic modalities. However, the risk of cholangitis after EUS/EUS-FNA (post-EUS cholangitis) in patients who have biliary strictures has not been fully examined.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 136 consecutive inpatients with biliary strictures who received EUS/EUS-FNA at our hospital from April 2012 to September 2017 and evaluated complications that occurred by the next day after EUS/EUS-FNA.

Histological diagnosis and grading of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle biopsy using a 25-gauge needle with a core trap: A multicenter prospective trial.

Objectives: Preoperative grading of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNET) is challenging. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the use of a 25-gauge needle with a core trap for diagnosis and grading of PanNET.

Methods: This multicenter prospective trial was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN000021409).

Hyperglycemia enhances pancreatic cancer progression accompanied by elevations in phosphorylated STAT3 and MYC levels.

Diabetes mellitus is a well-known risk factor for pancreatic cancer. We focused on hyperglycemia, a main feature of diabetes mellitus, and uncovered its effect on precancerous pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) progression. In vivo induction of hyperglycemia with 100 mg/kg streptozotocin in KrasLSL G12D Pdx1Cre (KP) mice promoted the PanIN formation and progression.

Risk Factors for Pancreatic Cancer and the Necessity of Long-Term Surveillance in Patients With Pancreatic Cystic Lesions.

Objectives: Pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) are a risk factor for pancreatic cancer (PC). Which PCLs should be surveilled and necessity of long-term observation are still controversial.

Methods: From January 2000 to March 2016, we enrolled 1137 patients with PCLs observed for 1 year.

CRISPR Loss-of-Function Screen Identifies the Hippo Signaling Pathway as the Mediator of Regorafenib Efficacy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Regorafenib is used for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its response does not last long, partly due to chemoresistance acquisition. We performed a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based loss-of-function genetic screen and aimed to discover molecules involved in regorafenib resistance in HCC. Xenograft tumors established from Cas9-expressing HCC cells with pooled CRISPR kinome libraries were treated with regorafenib or a vehicle.