Fibrotic airway stenosis following radiotherapy in patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Background And Objective: Radiotherapy is usually administered to the central airway in patients with unresectable adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). The purpose of this study was to describe the outcomes of endobronchial intervention in patients with airway stenosis following radiotherapy for ACC. Moreover, we investigated the incidence and contributing factors for airway stenosis following radiotherapy for ACC.

Efficacy of telbivudine compared with entecavir in hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis: 2 year follow-up data.

Background & Aims: Entecavir (ETV) is effective in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections, even in patients with underlying cirrhosis. However, there is little information on the effect of telbivudine (TBV) in chronic hepatitis B patients with cirrhosis.This study compared the antiviral efficacy of TBV and ETV in HBV-related cirrhosis.

CD10 expression is enhanced by Twist1 and associated with poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with facilitating tumorigenicity in vitro and in vivo.

CD10 expression was identified as a contributor to cancer progression in several cancers; however, the exact biological significance and mechanism of CD10 expression remains unclear. In addition, CD10 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been studied. We investigated the relationship between CD10 and Twist1.

Size- and dose-dependent toxicity of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) on human fibroblasts and colon adenocarcinoma.

A controlled preparation of cellulose nanocrystals of different sizes and shapes has been carried out by acid hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose. The size- and concentration-dependent toxicity effects of the resulting cellulose nanocrystals were evaluated against two different cell lines, NIH3T3 murine embryo fibroblasts and HCT116 colon adenocarcinoma. It could serve as a therapeutic platform for cancer treatment.

Pentoxifylline vs. corticosteroid to treat severe alcoholic hepatitis: a randomised, non-inferiority, open trial.

Background & Aims: Both corticosteroid and pentoxifylline reduce short-term mortality in severe alcoholic hepatitis. However, few studies have directly compared the efficacy of pentoxifylline and corticosteroid in patients with this condition.

Methods: In this multicentre, open-labelled, randomised non-inferiority trial, we assigned 121 patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis (Maddrey's discriminant function ⩾32) to receive either pentoxifylline (400 mg, 3 times daily, in 62 subjects) or prednisolone (40 mg daily, in 59 subjects).

Mussel-inspired cell-adhesion peptide modification for enhanced endothelialization of decellularized blood vessels.

Enhanced endothelialization of tissue-engineered blood vessels is essential for vascular regeneration and function of engineered vessels. In this study, mussel-inspired surface chemistry of polydopamine (pDA) coatings are applied to functionalize decellularized vein matrix (DVM) with extracellular matrix-derived cell adhesion peptides (RGD and YIGSR). DVMs engineered with pDA-peptides enhance focal adhesion, metabolic activity, and endothelial differentiation of human endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) derived from cord blood and embryonic stem cells compared with EPCs on non-coated or pDA-coated DVMs.

Water-gel for gating graphene transistors.

Water, the primary electrolyte in biology, attracts significant interest as an electrolyte-type dielectric material for transistors compatible with biological systems. Unfortunately, the fluidic nature and low ionic conductivity of water prevents its practical usage in such applications. Here, we describe the development of a solid state, megahertz-operating, water-based gate dielectric system for operating graphene transistors.

Oleuropein prevents the progression of steatohepatitis to hepatic fibrosis induced by a high-fat diet in mice.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by hepatocyte injury and inflammatory cell infiltration, which has been linked to peripheral insulin resistance and increased levels of triglycerides in the liver. The purposes of this study were to establish a mouse model of NASH by feeding mice a 60% high-fat diet (HFD) and to demonstrate the anti-fibrotic effects of oleuropein, which has been shown to have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, in this HFD-induced mouse model of NASH. C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups: a regular diet group (Chow), a HFD group and an oleuropein-supplemented HFD group (OSD), which was fed a 0.

Anisotropic multi-spot DBR porous silicon chip for the detection of human immunoglobin G.

Asymmetric porous silicon multilayer (APSM)-based optical biosensor was developed to specify human Immunoglobin G (Ig G). APSM chip was generated by an electrochemical etching of silicon wafer using an asymmetric electrode configuration in aqueous ethanolic HF solution and constituted with nine arrayed porous silicon multilayer. APSM prepared from anisotropic etching conditions displayed a sharp reflection resonance in the reflectivity spectrum.

Clinical outcomes of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for portal hypertension: Korean multicenter real-practice data.

Background/aims: This retrospective study assessed the clinical outcome of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure for managing portal hypertension in Koreans with liver cirrhosis.

Methods: Between January 2003 and July 2013, 230 patients received a TIPS in 13 university-based hospitals.

Results: Of the 229 (99.

Overexpression of integrin αv correlates with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer.

Aims: Integrin αv subunits are involved in tumour angiogenesis and tumour progression in various types of cancers. Clinical trials evaluating agents targeting integrin αv are ongoing. Integrin αv expression has been reported in several cancers in association with tumour progression or poor survival.

Chinese yam extracts containing β-sitosterol and ethyl linoleate protect against atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice and inhibit muscular expression of VCAM-1 in vitro.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, which is associated with increased expression of adhesion molecules and monocyte recruitment into the arterial wall. This study evaluated whether hexane extracts from the edible part (DB-H1) or bark region (DB-H2) of Dioscorea. batatas Decne have anti-atherosclerotic properties in vivo and in vitro experiments.

Periplasmic disulfide isomerase DsbC is involved in the reduction of copper binding protein CueP from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is a facultative intracellular pathogen with the ability to survive and replicate in macrophages. Periplasmic copper binding protein CueP is known to confer copper resistance to S.

Combined endobronchial and transesophageal approach of an ultrasound bronchoscope for mediastinal staging of lung cancer.

Background: We evaluated the utility of a combined approach using endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) and transesophageal bronchoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA-B/E) for mediastinal staging of lung cancer.

Methods: An EBUS-TBNA database was analyzed retrospectively. EUS-FNA-B/E was performed after EBUS-TBNA when mediastinal lymph nodes were not accessible using EBUS-TBNA or when tissue sampling using EBUS-TBNA alone was inadequate.

Cardiac channelopathy testing in 274 ethnically diverse sudden unexplained deaths.

Sudden unexplained deaths (SUD) in apparently healthy individuals, for which the causes of deaths remained undetermined after comprehensive forensic investigations and autopsy, present vexing challenges to medical examiners and coroners. Cardiac channelopathies, a group of inheritable diseases that primarily affect heart rhythm by altering the cardiac conduction system, have been known as one of the likely causes of SUD. Adhering to the recommendations of including molecular diagnostics of cardiac channelopathies in SUD investigation, the Molecular Genetics Laboratory of the New York City (NYC) Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) has been routinely testing for six major channelopathy genes (KCNQ1, KCNH2, SCN5A, KCNE1, KCNE2, and RyR2) since 2008.

The risk of perioperative adverse events in patients with chronic liver disease.

Background & Aims: Chronic liver disease is a common comorbidity in surgery. To assess post-operative morbidity and mortality in relation to progression of chronic liver disease and to identify the risk factors.

Methods: Six hundred and nine consecutive patients with chronic liver disease who underwent surgery were classified into two groups: non-cirrhotic (n = 363) and cirrhotic (n = 246).

Direct ROS scavenging activity of CueP from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is an intracellular pathogen that has evolved to survive in the phagosome of macrophages. The periplasmic copper-binding protein CueP was initially known to confer copper resistance to S.

Is propofol safe when administered to cirrhotic patients during sedative endoscopy?

Background/aims: In patients with liver cirrhosis, drugs acting on the central nervous system can lead to hepatic encephalopathy and the effects may be prolonged. Recently, misuse of propofol has been reported and the associated risk of death have become an issue. Propofol is commonly used during sedative endoscopy; therefore, its safety in high-risk groups must be further investigated.

De-repression of RaRF-mediated RAR repression by adenovirus E1A in the nucleolus.

Transcriptional activity of the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) is regulated by diverse binding partners, including classical corepressors and coactivators, in response to its ligand retinoic acid (RA). Recently, we identified a novel corepressor of RAR called the retinoic acid resistance factor (RaRF) (manuscript submitted). Here, we report how adenovirus E1A stimulates RAR activity by associating with RaRF.

Chemotherapy-induced focal hepatopathy in patients with gastrointestinal malignancy: gadoxetic acid--enhanced and diffusion-weighted MR imaging with clinical-pathologic correlation.

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate findings of chemotherapy-induced focal hepatopathy (CIFH) on gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) and diffusion-weighted (DW) images and to determine imaging features that are most helpful in differentiating CIFH from metastasis.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was waived. MR images, including DW images and gadoxetic acid-enhanced images, from 12 patients (four men, eight women; age range, 25-64 years) with 15 CIFHs were reviewed independently and in consensus by two radiologists and were compared with those obtained in 20 control patients (12 men, eight women; age range, 32-84 years) with 30 hepatic metastasis who were matched for tumor size, primary organ, and chemotherapy regimen.

Novel stem-loop RNA and drug-bearing DNA hybrid nanostructures specific to LNCaP prostate carcinoma.

Advances in nanotechnology have resulted in the introduction of new materials for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. In particular, DNA and RNA are viewed as representative and generic nano-blocks because of their physiochemical characteristics of specificity and nanoscopic-level accuracy. In addition, the intrinsic biocompatibility of DNA and RNA and their immune stimulation effects make these molecules ideal candidates for the rational design of novel bio-drug molecules.

Lack of difference among terlipressin, somatostatin, and octreotide in the control of acute gastroesophageal variceal hemorrhage.

Unlabelled: Vasoactive drugs are recommended to be started as soon as possible in suspected variceal bleeding, even before diagnostic endoscopy. However, it is still unclear whether the therapeutic efficacies of the various vasoactive drugs used are comparable. The aim of this prospective, multicenter, randomized, noninferiority trial was to characterize the effects of terlipressin, somatostatin, and octreotide when they are initiated before endoscopic treatment in patients with acute variceal bleeding.

Clinical significance of hepatitis B virus precore and core promoter variants in Korean patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background/aim: We aimed to clarify the clinical significance of precore (preC)/core promoter (CP) variants of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Methods: We assessed serum HBeAg, HBV DNA levels, alanine transferase (ALT) levels, and progression of liver fibrosis in 226 Korean CHB patients, presumed to be infected with genotype C HBV, to analyze HBV variants in the preC region (G1896A) and CP regions (A1762T, G1764A).

Results: CP and preC variants were more frequently found in HBeAg-negative patients than in HBeAg-positive patients (P<0.

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome is not uncommon and shows better clinical outcome than generally recognised.

Background: Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a rare disease which can cause severe morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical manifestation and course of DRESS syndrome.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data in 45 patients with DRESS syndrome diagnosed between September 2009 and August 2011.

Specific protein markers for stem cell cross-talk with neighboring cells in the environment.

A stem cell interacts with the neighboring cells in its environment. To maintain a living organism's metabolism, either cell-cell or cell-environment interactions may be significant. Usually, these cells communicate with each other through biological signaling by interactive behaviors of primary proteins or complementary chemicals.