First-line cetuximab-based chemotherapies for patients with advanced or metastatic wild-type colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly occurring cancers worldwide. A burgeoning number of studies have demonstrated that the addition of cetuximab to another standard first-line regimen markedly improves the outcome of CRC treatment. However, at present, the efficacy and safety of cetuximab-based combination chemotherapy has not been well described in Japan.

No-wash ethanol precipitation of dye-labeled reaction products improves DNA sequencing reads.

The advent of DNA sequencing has significantly accelerated molecular biology and clinical genetic testing. Despite recent increases in next-generation sequencing throughput, the most popular platform for DNA sequencing is still the multi-capillary DNA sequencer, which is ideally suited for small-scale sequencing projects and is highly accurate. However, the methods remain time-consuming and laborious.

The impact of nutrition and glucose intolerance on the development of tuberculosis in Japan.

Background: Although Japan is categorised as an intermediate tuberculosis (TB) burden country, the incidence of TB is nevertheless decreasing.

Objective: To identify metabolic and nutritional risk factors for the development of TB.

Design: We compared 522 TB in-patients (350 males, 172 females) with age- and sex-matched 522 controls randomly selected from among individuals undergoing comprehensive medical examinations.

[A case of intravascular malignant lymphoma with initial progressive non-specific neurological symptoms].

A 79-year-old woman was admitted to a nearby hospital for seven days due to low-grade fever, loss of appetite and general fatigue. She was diagnosed with normal condition and discharged. She was admitted to our hospital one week later with disturbed consciousness.

[Nutrition-related bone disease].

Bone disorders clearly related to nutrition are osteomalacia and osteoporosis. Osteomalacia is caused by a deficiency of vitamin D or a disturbance of its metabolism. Dietary deficiency of phosphate or excess of aluminum or cadmium will also cause osteomalacia.

[Clinical statistics of the operations during a 20-year period at the Department of Urology, Nissei Hospital: 1982-2001].

A clinical statistics survey of the operations was performed at the Department of Urology, Nissei Hospital during a 20-year period from 1982 to 2001. The total number of operations was 3,164, and the number of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy procedures was 143. Operations for urogenital malignancies urolithiasis and prostatic hyperplasia numbered 893 (28.

Stage specific follow-up strategy after cystectomy for carcinoma of the bladder.

Background: Follow-up strategies after cystectomy for carcinoma of the bladder should be determined according to the risk of recurrence, which is stage dependent. We aimed to develop follow-up protocol for monitoring patients with carcinoma of the bladder for tumor recurrence and diverted urinary tract complications after radical cystectomy.

Methods: The records of 351 patients with carcinoma of the bladder who underwent cystectomy between 1979 and 1999 were reviewed for dates and presenting symptoms of local and distant recurrences.

[Significance of product documents (tenpubunsho) cited in judicial precedents in the field of anesthesiology].

The significance of the product documents (Tempubunsho) was mentioned in 21 out of 94 medical malpractice cases published in several laws reports 1963-97. The number of such cases has been increasing in recent years. Among the items described in the product documents, the precautions for use were most frequently mentioned (12 cases) followed by the instructions for administration and dosage (3 cases).

Reduction of atherosclerosis despite hypercholesterolemia in lyn-deficient mice fed a high-fat diet.

Oxidation and other modifications of serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) are associated with the development of atherosclerosis, and a scavenger receptor and CD40 signalling are also known to play important roles in the process. We previously showed that the Src family protein-tyrosine kinase Lyn is physically and/or functionally associated with macrophage type-I and type-II class-A scavenger receptors (MSR-A) and CD40. In this study, we addressed whether Lyn is involved in the build-up of serum lipid levels and in atherosclerotic changes.

The Molecular Mechanism Underlying the Acquisition of the Antiestrogen-Resistant Phenotype in Breast Cancer.

Breast Cancer is thought to develope as an estrogen-dependent tumor. Approximately 30% of breast cancers can be treated by agents that block estrogen. However, all breast cancers have been known to acquire the hormone therapy-resistant phenotype with ultimate fatal results.

Augmentation of cancellous screw fixation with hydroxyapatite composite resin (CAP) in vivo.

The fixation of fractured bone with screws is important for orthopedic surgery, however, rigid fixation often cannot be attained in elderly patients with osteoporosis. Recently, we developed a new injectable, nonresorbable bone cement (CAP) that possesses mechanical and biological properties superior to those of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement. CAP can directly bond with bone without intervening fibrous tissue, and the peak curing temperature is 46 degrees C.

[Judicial judgements on anesthesia malpractice in Japan].

We reviewed 75 judicial precedents on anesthetic malpractice during surgical procedure which had appeared in legal journals in the period between 1963 and 1997. Anesthetic techniques employed were: general anesthesia (35 cases), spinal anesthesia (19 cases), local anesthesia (12 cases), and others (9 cases). Anesthesiologists were involved in 16 lawsuits, of which anesthesiologists lost 6 suits between 1986 and 1995.

MR-angiographic findings of patients with central vestibular disorders.

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is a new, noninvasive, and useful method to estimate the posterior circulation in patients with vertigo. From June 1995 to May 1997, 180 patients were examined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MRA in our department. One hundred and forty-seven patients were vertiginous patients.

Four cases of vertebrobasilar insufficiency.

Four cases of vertebrobasilar insufficiency are reported. Case 1 was a 38-year-old man who felt a sudden onset of dizziness when he turned his head to the back. An abnormal positional nystagmus was observed when he rotated his head to the left.

Hyperlipidemia enhancement of renal preneoplasia but not tumor formation is due to elevated apoptosis in the Eker rat.

The influence of a high-fat diet on the appearance of renal tumors was assessed in the Eker rat model of hereditary renal carcinoma. Examination of H&E-stained sections showed a significant increase in the number of microscopic solid adenomas in the high-fat group compared with the low-fat group, whereas there was no significant difference in the number of macroscopic tumors between the two groups. Where had the tumor buds gone? Staining for apoptotic bodies occasionally revealed apoptosis in and around the microscopic adenomas.

Unsuspected gallbladder cancer diagnosed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a clinicopathological study.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for gallstones has become a popular treatment modality, but LC for gallbladder cancer is not yet established and its prognosis is still unknown. We clinicopathologically studied unsuspected gallbladder cancer presenting at pathologic evaluation after LC. The entire cross section of gallbladders after 456 LCs was histologically examined.

Functional and possible physical association of scavenger receptor with cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase Lyn in monocytic THP-1-derived macrophages.

Acetyl LDL (modified low-density lipoprotein), which is thought to be taken up through scavenger receptor A (SR-A), rapidly induced the appearance of phosphotyrosine proteins in monocytic THP-1-derived macrophages in vitro. The two alternative forms of Lyn (p53 and p56) were found to be tyrosine-phosphorylated within 30 s after the stimulation with acetyl LDL. The catalytic activity of Lyn measured by an in vitro kinase assay had also increased in acetyl LDL-stimulated THP-1-derived macrophages.

Bilateral atrial tumors--report of an elderly man with a heavily calcified left atrial tumor.

We report here an 88-year-old male who had been treated with antiarrhythmic drugs because of occasional premature ventricular contraction. The plain chest X-ray film showed a heavily calcified mass within the cardiac silhouette. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a mobile tumor in the left atrium, which had not prolapsed through the mitral valve into the left ventricle.

Injury to a duplicated cystic duct during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Duplication of the cystic duct is a rare variation of the biliary system. It is important to pay attention to this variation to avoid intraoperative biliary system injury, especially during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In a 66-year-old woman with gallstones, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) revealed no anomaly of the biliary system.

Significance of laparoscopic excisional biopsy for polypoid lesions of the gallbladder.

Polypoid lesions of the gallbladder taken from 103 patients were examined to correlate clinical indicators with pathological characteristics. By ultrasonographic examination, no carcinoma was found in polypoid lesions with a diameter less than 1 cm. However, the incidence of carcinoma in those with diameters greater than 1 cm was 23%, a lower rate than expected from previous pathological studies.