Phase II study of personalized peptide vaccination for previously treated advanced colorectal cancer.

The prognosis of advanced colorectal cancer (aCRC) remains poor, and development of new therapeutic approaches, including immunotherapy, is needed urgently. Herein we report on our phase II study of personalized peptide vaccination (PPV) in 60 previously treated patients with aCRC, who had failed at least one regimen of standard chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy. For PPV, a maximum of four HLA-matched peptides were individually selected from a pool of 31 different peptide candidates based on preexisting host immunity, and administered subcutaneously without severe adverse events.

Evaluation of the potential for lymph node metastasis using CRP 1846C>T genetic polymorphism in invasive breast cancer.

Lymph node status is a key indicator of the best approach to treatment of invasive breast cancer. However, the accuracy with which lymph node metastasis is diagnosed is not currently satisfactory. New and more reliable methods that enable one to know who has a greater potential for lymph node metastasis would be highly desirable.

Evaluation of the risk of lymph node metastasis using CRP 1846C>T genetic polymorphism in submucosal thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: More than 40 % of patients with submucosal esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) have lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, the potential presence of undetectable metastasis before treatment prompts surgeons to be aggressive with respect to lymph node dissection. Extending the indication for endoscopic resection, a minimally invasive treatment, to superficial ESCCs will require more accurate and individualized evaluation of lymph node metastasis.

A CRP genetic polymorphism associated with the tumoral expression of CRP in esophageal cancer.

C-reactive protein (CRP) produced locally within esophageal cancer is associated with the prognosis and the rate of recurrence. CRP genetic polymorphisms reportedly affect serum CRP concentrations; however, there are no reports of an association between genetic polymorphisms and tumoral CRP expression. This study enrolled 73 Japanese patients classified with Stage IIA-IV thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer, and also investigated their CRP genetic polymorphisms using DNA extracted from their peripheral blood.

Interleukin-6 -634G>C genetic polymorphism is associated with prognosis following surgery for advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: Systemic and/or local interleukin-6 (IL-6) reportedly plays an active role in the progression and prognosis of thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC). We assessed the associations between IL-6 and IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) genetic polymorphisms, tumoral IL-6 expression and survival rates following surgery.

Methods: The study participants were 63 Japanese patients treated between 2003 and 2008 for T2-T4 advanced TESCC using curative esophagectomy without neoadjuvant treatment.

Tumoral CRP expression in thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancers is associated with poor outcomes.

Purpose: Cancer cells reportedly produce C-reactive protein (CRP) locally within tumors. The aim of this study was to determine whether tumoral CRP is associated with clinical outcome and recurrence in thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer.

Methods: The subjects included 73 Japanese patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer (pathological Stage IIA-IV) that had not been treated preoperatively with either chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Interleukin-2 -330T>G genetic polymorphism associates with prognosis following surgery for thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer.

Background: Key molecules in the T helper (Th)1 and Th2 pathways underlie differential responses to the progression and surgical treatment of cancer. We investigated the relationship between Th1/Th2 cytokine polymorphism and prognosis in patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer.

Materials And Methods: The study participants were 159 Japanese patients treated for thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer with curative esophagectomy at Akita University Hospital.

The CRP 1846T/T genotype is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is one of the acute-phase proteins produced predominantly by hepatocytes in response to inflammation, and it has been widely reported that CRP genetic polymorphism is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and ischemic stroke. In addition, we previously showed that the CRP 1846T/T genotype is related to lymph node metastasis in patients with esophageal cancer. In the present study, we investigated the correlation between CRP 1846C>T polymorphism and the clinicopathological characteristics of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Influence of CYP2C19 and ABCB1 polymorphisms on plasma concentrations of lansoprazole enantiomers after enteral administration.

An intraoral annihilation enteric-coated preparation of lansoprazole is often administered via intestinal fistula. The purpose of this study was to determine the plasma concentrations of lansoprazole enantiomers after enteral administration in subjects with cytochrome P4502C19 (CYP2C19) and ABCB1 C3435T genotypes. Fifty-one patients who underwent a curative oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer were enrolled in this study.

Transforming growth factor-β1 29T>C genetic polymorphism is associated with lymph node metastasis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is known to suppress antitumor immune responses, and its overexpression is closely associated with a poor prognosis in patients with malignant tumors. Moreover, TGF-β1 29T>C genetic polymorphism is known to affect survival among breast cancer patients. The relationship between TGF-β1 polymorphism and the clinicopathological characteristics of non-small cell lung cancer remains unknown, however.

C-reactive protein -717C>T genetic polymorphism associates with esophagectomy-induced stress hyperglycemia.

Background: Stress hyperglycemia refers to the transient hyperglycemia seen during illness and is usually restricted to patients without previous evidence of diabetes. The influence of genetics on surgery-induced hyperglycemia remains only partially understood.

Methods: The study participants were Japanese patients treated for thoracic esophageal cancer with curative esophagectomy at Akita University Hospital between 2003 and 2007.

Correlation between R/S enantiomer ratio of lansoprazole and CYP2C19 activity after single oral and enteral administration.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether CYP2C19 activity can be estimated from plasma concentrations of lansoprazole enantiomers 4 h (C(4h)) after single administration by oral and enteral routes. Sixty-nine subjects, 22 homozygous extensive metabolizers (homEMs), 32 heterozygous EMs (hetEMs), and 15 poor metabolizers (PMs), participated in the study. After a single oral or enteral dose of racemic lansoprazole (30 mg), plasma concentrations of lansoprazole enantiomers were measured 4 h postdose.

C-reactive protein 1059G>C genetic polymorphism influences serum C-reactive protein levels after esophagectomy in patients with thoracic esophageal cancer.

Background: Little is known about how C-reactive protein (CRP) genetic polymorphisms influence the rise in serum CRP levels seen after surgery. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between CRP polymorphisms and acute-phase serum CRP levels after esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal cancer.

Study Design: We enrolled 110 patients who underwent curative esophagectomy without neoadjuvant treatment between 2003 and 2008.

[Evaluation of infection control activities in health care facilities in Akita Prefecture].

Objective: Infection control is essential for health care facilities. Aiming at improving the activity for infection control, increasing number of health care facilities has settled infection control team (ICT) in this decade. However, the quality of infection control activity has not been evaluated.

Interferon-gamma 874A>T genetic polymorphism is associated with infectious complications following surgery in patients with thoracic esophageal cancer.

Background: Cytokines play a major role in the organization of orchestrated responses to infections, and there is an emerging consensus that cytokine gene polymorphisms mediate individual variations in cytokine expression. Our aim in this study was to assess whether cytokine polymorphisms were associated with infectious complications following esophagectomy in a Japanese population.

Methods: The study participants were Japanese patients treated with transthoracic esophagectomy without neoadjuvant treatment.

CRP genetic polymorphism is associated with lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer.

Background: Lymph node involvement is the most important prognostic factor in thoracic esophageal cancer. A more accurate molecular technique for diagnosing lymph node metastasis and a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing lymph node metastasis would be highly desirable. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between inflammation-related genetic polymorphisms and lymph node metastasis.

Characterization of human cytochrome p450 enzymes involved in the metabolism of cilostazol.

Cilostazol (OPC-13013; 6-[4-(1-cyclohexl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl)butoxy]-3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-quinolinone) is widely used as an antiplatelet vasodilator agent. In vitro, the hydroxylation of the quinone moiety of cilostazol to OPC-13326 [6-[4-(1-cyclohexyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl)butoxy]-3,4-dihydro-4-hydroxy-2(1H)-quinolinone], is the predominant route, and the hydroxylation of the hexane moiety to OPC-13217 is the second most predominant route. This study was carried out to identify and kinetically characterize the human cytochrome P450 (P450) isozymes responsible for the formation of the two major metabolites of cilostazol, namely, OPC-13326 and OPC-13217 [3,4-dihydro-6-[4-[1-(cis-4-hydroxycyclohexyl)-1H-tetrazol-5-yl)butoxy]-2(1H)-quinolinone)].

Three novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CYP2B6 gene in Japanese individuals.

We sequenced all exons and exon-intron junctions of the CYP2B6 gene from 200 Japanese individuals. We found three novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (1375A>G, 1427G>A and 1454A>T) causing amino acid substitutions (Met(459)Val, Gly(476)Asp and Gln(485)Leu in exon 9), respectively. The detected SNP was as follows: 1) SNP, 031226Hiratsuka01; GENE NAME, CYP2B6; ACCESSION NUMBER, AC023172; LENGTH, 25 base; 5'-CAGAACTTCTCCA/GTGGCCAGCCCCG-3'.