Integration of hepatitis B virus DNA into the myeloid/lymphoid or mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL4) gene and rearrangements of MLL4 in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Integration of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA into host DNA is detected in about 90% of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the preferential sites of the viral integration etiologically relevant to oncogenesis have been controversial. By using an adaptor-ligation/suppression-PCR, we identified four integrations into the myeloid/lymphoid or mixed-lineage leukemia 4 (MLL4) gene from 10 HCC patients with positive HBV surface antigen (HBsAg). Determination of the cellular-virus DNA junction demonstrated that various lengths of the virus were integrated within 300 bp of intron 3 flanked by the Alu element of MLL4.

Combination of direct intratumoral administration of dendritic cells and irradiation induces strong systemic antitumor effect mediated by GRP94/gp96 against squamous cell carcinoma in mice.

We tested a new therapeutic modality for head and neck and esophageal cancers, a combination of direct intratumoral (i.t.) administration of dendritic cells (DCs) and radiation therapy (RT) in mouse squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Induction of apoptosis in human tumor cells after exposure to Auger electrons: comparison with gamma-ray exposure.

To clarify the contribution of apoptosis to cell death in four human solid tumor cell lines, clonogenic cell survival (indicator of radiosensitivity) and induction of caspase-3 (CASP-3)/caspase-3-like proteases (CASP-3LP) and the production of DNA fragmentation (markers for apoptosis) were studied in RKO, LS174T, MCF7 and TE671 cells exposed to DNA-incorporated Auger-electron-emitting (125)I (5-[(125)I]iodo-2'-deoxyuridine) or gamma-radiation. Clonogenic survival was assessed by colony-forming assay, CASP-3/CASP-3LP induction with a fluorogenic substrate and DNA fragmentation by ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction. For (125)I, log dose-survival curves had no shoulder [high-linear-energy-transfer (LET)-like] and decreased exponentially at different rates in various cell lines.

Activation of diverse pathways to apoptosis by (125)IdUrd and gamma-photon exposure.

Purpose: To delineate the mechanisms underlying induction of apoptosis in malignant cells irradiated by DNA-incorporated iodine-125 or gamma-photons.

Materials And Methods: Human tumor cells (RKO, LS174T, TE671, and MCF7) were irradiated by DNA-incorporated 5-[125I]iodo-2'-deoxyuridine (125IdUrd) or by gamma-photons. Clonogenic survival was determined by the colony-forming assay.

Intraductal papillary-mucinous tumors of the pancreas.

Background/aims: To elucidate the risk of malignancy and the morphological alterations associated with malignancy.

Methodology: Thirty cases of intraductal papillary-mucinous tumors and 5 papillary-mucinous carcinomas (invasive intraductal papillary-mucinous tumors) of the pancreas were clinicopathologically and histopathologically analyzed.

Results: The invasive carcinoma developed on the basis of severe dysplasia-carcinoma in situ changes and never from mild or moderate dysplasia changes.

Aggressive surgical resection for hilar-invasive and peripheral intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

The clinicopathology and surgical outcome of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to clarify the clinicopathologic features of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and evaluate prognostic factors influencing survival. Forty consecutive patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas undergoing surgical resection at Chiba University Hospital between October 1981 and October 1997 were analyzed retrospectively.

Long-term surgical outcome of noninvasive and minimally invasive intraductal papillary mucinous adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.

The objective of this study was to clarify the long-term outcome after surgical resection in patients with noninvasive and minimally invasive intraductal papillary mucinous adenocarcinoma. We performed a retrospective review of the clinicopathological features and outcome in patients who underwent pancreatic resection for noninvasive and minimally invasive intraductal papillary mucinous adenocarcinoma between November 1982 and December 1997 at Chiba University Hospital. Minimally invasive structures were pathologically observed in five cases.