Invadopodia are essential in transurothelial invasion during the muscle invasion of bladder cancer cells.

Muscle invasive bladder cancer is an aggressive type of epithelial tumor with a high rate of metastasis. For bladder cancer cells to reach the muscle layer, cells must invade through an urothelial cell monolayer (transurothelial invasion) and basement membrane. However, the process by which transurothelial invasion occurs has not been fully characterized.

Post-transplant renal function and cardiovascular events are closely associated with the aortic calcification index in renal transplant recipients.

Introduction: The aortic calcification index (ACI) is reported to be closely associated with renal dysfunction and cardiovascular events; however, its implication in renal transplant recipients has not been well examined. In this study, we investigated the relationship between pretransplant ACI, ACI progression, post-transplant renal function, and post-transplant cardiovascular events in renal transplant recipients.

Patients And Methods: The study from June 1996 to Jan 2012 included 61 renal transplant recipients (living donors, 47; cadaveric donors, 14).

Extravasation during bladder cancer metastasis requires cortactin‑mediated invadopodia formation.

Invasive cancer cells form the filamentous actin‑based membrane protrusions known as invadopodia. Invadopodia are thought to play a critical role in cancer cell invasion and metastasis due to their ability to degrade the extracellular matrix. The present study assessed whether invadopodia formation is essential in extravasation of circulating bladder cancer cells and lung metastasis.

Serum N-glycan profiling predicts prognosis in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of serum N-glycan profiling for prognosis in hemodialysis patients.

Methods: Serum N-glycan analysis was performed in 100 hemodialysis patients in June 2008 using the glycoblotting method, which allows high-throughput, comprehensive, and quantitative N-glycan analysis. All patients were longitudinally followed up for 5 years.

Gene expression changes in venous segment of overflow arteriovenous fistula.

Aim. The objective of this study was to characterize coordinated molecular changes in the structure and composition of the walls of venous segments of arteriovenous (AV) fistulas evoked by overflow. Methods.

Tumor defense systems using O-glycans.

During the process of hematogenous tumor metastasis, tumor cells that dissociated from the primary site enter the blood vessels and are exposed to innate immune systems in host blood circulation. In the innate immune systems, natural killer (NK) cells play a major role in rejecting tumors and suppressing metastasis. To establish metastasis, tumor cells therefore need to defend themselves against tumor rejection by NK cells.

Unexpected outcome after sclerotherapy of simple renal cyst.

Background: Simple renal cysts usually have benign clinical features. We report a rare case of papillary renal cell carcinoma (RCC) associated with a large recurrent simple cyst following sclerotherapy.

Case Presentation: A 47-year-old Japanese woman received minocycline sclerotherapy for a large (9 cm in diameter) simple left renal cyst in May 2005.

Two opposing roles of O-glycans in tumor metastasis.

Despite the high prevalence of metastatic cancers and the poor outcome for patients, the processes of tumor metastasis still remain poorly understood. It has been shown that cell-surface carbohydrates attached to proteins through the amino acids serine or threonine (O-glycans) are involved in tumor metastasis, with the roles of O-glycans varying depending on their structure. Core2 O-glycans allow tumor cells to evade natural killer (NK) cells of the immune system and survive longer in the circulatory system, thereby promoting tumor metastasis.

An aggressive signet ring cell carcinoma of the prostate in a Japanese man.

Signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) of the prostate is rare, with approximately 100 case reports to date. Here we report a very aggressive case of SRCC of the prostate in a Japanese man. The patient received estramustine, docetaxel, and carboplatin combination chemotherapy, followed by TS-1 and CPT-11 combination therapy.

A novel strategy for evasion of NK cell immunity by tumours expressing core2 O-glycans.

The O-glycan branching enzyme, core2 β-1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (C2GnT), forms O-glycans containing an N-acetylglucosamine branch connected to N-acetylgalactosamine (core2 O-glycans) on cell-surface glycoproteins. Here, we report that upregulation of C2GnT is closely correlated with progression of bladder tumours and that C2GnT-expressing bladder tumours use a novel strategy to increase their metastatic potential. Our results showed that C2GnT-expressing bladder tumour cells are highly metastatic due to their high ability to evade NK cell immunity and revealed the molecular mechanism of the immune evasion by C2GnT expression.

Invadopodia formation by bladder tumor cells.

A major cause of death in patients with bladder tumors is recurrence with metastasis. Bladder tumor metastasis is largely dependent upon the invasive capacity of tumor cells. Tumor cell invasion is mainly mediated by actin-rich protrusive membrane structures called invadopodia.

Tumor formation assays.

Animal experiments are necessary to confirm and demonstrate the reliability of the results of in vitro assays and to reveal any unexpected effects in the living body. Tumor invasion and metastasis consist of multistep and complex cascades. Moreover, conflictive interactions between cancer cells and host immune system exist in the living body.

Hepatoid carcinoma of the skin: spontaneous rat skin hepatoid carcinoma with eosinophilic globules and crystals immunoreactive to alpha-1-antitrypsin.

We present a case of hepatoid carcinoma of the abdominal skin in a male Wistar rat. Histopathologically, this carcinoma resembled human hepatocellular carcinoma with respect to trabecular-sinusoidal structures. Carcinoma tissues contain numerous eosinophilic globules and crystals, and in this case, we found the characteristic eosinophilic globules in the hepatoid carcinoma cells and the crystals in the extracellular portions.

Progression of atherosclerosis in hemodialysis patients: effect of adiponectin on carotid intima media thickness.

Aim: We investigated the parameters related to the progression of common carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT) in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods: IMT was examined in 85 patients by ultrasonography at baseline and after 12 months. The difference in IMT between these two time points was calculated (DeltaIMT).

Carotid intima media thickness and aortic calcification index closely relate to cerebro- and cardiovascular disorders in hemodialysis patients.

Aim: Atherosclerosis can be evaluated by carotid intima media thickness (IMT), the aortic calcification index (ACI), and pulse wave velocity (PWV). We investigated which test was most closely related to cerebro- and cardiovascular disorders (CCVD) in hemodialysis patients.

Methods: Maximum IMT (max-IMT), ACI, and PWV were examined in 110 hemodialysis patients, using carotid ultrasonography, abdominal CT and a blood pressure pulse wave instrument, respectively.

Subtypes of BK virus prevalent in Japan and variation in their transcriptional control region.

BK polyomavirus (BKV) is ubiquitous in the human population, infecting children without obvious symptoms, and persisting in the kidney in a latent state. In immunosuppressed patients, BKV is reactivated and excreted in urine. BKV isolates have been classified into four subtypes (I-IV) using either serological or genotyping methods.

Calcium ions are abnormally distributed in the skin of haemodialysis patients with uraemic pruritus.

Background: Although a close relationship between uraemic pruritus and serum calcium levels has been demonstrated for some time, the degree of pruritus was not always correlated with calcium concentrations. In the present study, we assessed calcium ion distribution in the skin of chronic haemodialysis patients with and without pruritus.

Methods: We excluded patients with concomitant psoriasis or atopic dermatitis or with a previous history of allergy, those who had an arteriovenous fistula created prior to induction of haemodialysis, and patients with only mild pruritus.

Effect of pressure distribution of shockwave on renal hemorrhage after extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy: comparison of EDAP LT-01 and Siemens Lithostar.

Background: Renal hemorrhage is the most common adverse effect of SWL, and it has been speculated to be related to the type of lithotripter used.

Methods: We investigated the incidence of renal hemorrhage in patients with urinary stones who underwent lithotripsy using either the EDAP LT-01 or the Siemens Lithostar. In addition, we performed in vitro experiments using pressure-sensitive paper in conjunction with gelatin, agar, or porcine tissue models of renal lithotripsy.

Dynamic SPECT evaluation of renal plasma flow using technetium-99m MAG3 in kidney transplant patients.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate Patlak's graphic analysis method to determine renal plasma flow (RPF) in kidney transplants.

Methods: Dynamic SPECT was performed with 99mTc MAG3 in 12 patients. RPF was determined by both Patlak's graphic analysis method and Russell's method.

[Evaluation of renal allograft dysfunction employing dynamic SPECT with 99mTc-MAG3 and graph plot analysis].

To estimate renal blood flow and tubular function in transplanted kidneys, we applied the 4 compartments model and the graphic analysis method to 99mTc-MAG3 dynamic SPECT and calculated some parameters, i.e. K1 (renal influx rate constant), K3 (tubular transporting rate constant), Vd12 (intrarenal distribution volume), and others.

[Estimation of catecholamine release based on dialyzer clearance rate during hemodialysis].

To estimate catecholamine (CA) release during hemodialysis (HD), plasma-free and conjugated CAs and their dialyzer clearance rates were measured in 10 HD patients (age; 49.8 +/- 15.2 years, duration of HD; 5.