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It was investigated that the effects of preparation methods and conditions for SrFeCo0.5Ox dense membrane on their oxygen permeability. Three different methods, a solid-state reaction method, an evaporation-to-dryness method, and a combined citrate and EDTA complexing method, were applied for the preparation of parent powder. The oxygen flux through membrane at 900 °C was increased in the order listed above. The oxygen flux could be greatly improved by repeated calcination and grinding of parent powder. The membrane sintered at a temperature as high as 1200 °C showed a higher oxygen flux (0.22 cm3 (STP)/cm2 min). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Heparanase (hep) degrades heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPGs), which are the main components of the extracellular matrix. This process has been considered as the first step of tumour invasion or metastasis. However, HSPGs play an important role in signal transduction. Thus, the degradation of HSPGs by hep may suppress tumour cell growth. In the present study, we investigated the clinicopathological importance of enhanced hep mRNA expression in 48 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and in 48 non-cancerous liver samples obtained from the same patients by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Spontaneous apoptosis in the hepatocytes was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The relative hep mRNA expression levels were described as hep/glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) ratios. The hep mRNA levels of HCCs were significantly lower than those of non-cancerous livers (P<0.001). Hep mRNA levels decreased with increasing liver fibrosis. A significant positive correlation between hep gene expression and spontaneous apoptosis was detected. Hep expression in the tumours did not correlate with tumour differentiation or with tumour stage. However, low hep gene expression was associated with a poor disease-free survival of the patients. Thus, hep gene expression may play an important role in programmed cell death and this gene expression may be lost during the malignant transformation of hepatocytes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reports that survivin messenger RNA expression is a good prognostic biomarker for oesophageal carcinoma. Key issues of interest; Analysis of pertinent topics and relevant issues; Implications on cancer research.

Background: Synchronous and metachronous hematogenic metastases are frequently detected in patients with colorectal carcinoma. Once these metastases have developed, the prognoses of patients are poor. Previously, we reported that enlargement of cancer nuclei significantly correlated with metastatic potential of gastric cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. Moreover, recently it has been reported that reduced expression of E-cadherin is associated with tumor metastasis. To evaluate the correlation between nuclear area (NA) of cancer cells and expression of E-cadherin, and to elucidate whether these factors correlate with clinical outcome in patients with colorectal carcinoma, 105 consecutive patients were investigated. Methods: In each case, the NAs of 600 cancer nuclei were analyzed by means of a computer-assisted image analysis system and E-cadherin expression was detected immunohistochemically by an anti-E-cadherin monoclonal antibody. The expression levels of E-cadherin were divided into three groups according to the percentages of E-cadherin-positive cells (level 0: positive cells ≤ 50%, level 1: 50% < positive cells ≤ 80%, level 2: positive cells > 80%). Results: The mean NA of cancer cells in 105 tumors was 57 μm[sup 2]. The NAs of cancer cells enlarged in proportion to the decrease of E-cadherin expression levels (level 0, n = 48, 62 μm[sup 2]; level 1, n = 35, 57 μm[sup 2], level 2, n = 22, 46 μm[sup 2], P = 0.002). The 10-year survival rates decreased in proportion to the reduced E-cadherin expression levels (80% in level 2, 64% in level 1, and 42% in level 0, P = 0.004). Moreover, the 10-year survival rate of 54 patients with large NA tumors (≤54 μm[sup 2], 36%) was significantly poorer than that of 51 patients with small NA tumors (<54 μm[sup 2], 80%, P < 0.001). The NA of cancer cells was recognized as an important predictor for prognosis and hematogenic metastasis. Although reduced E-cadherin expression was not recognized as the risk factor for hematogenic metastasis, 80% of patients who developed hematogenic metastasis had tumors with both enlarged cancer nuclei and reduced E-cadherin expression. Conclusions: Detection of NA of cancer cells and E-cadherin expression in patients with colorectal carcinoma may reveal important information for hematogenic metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we obtained fresh samples of tissue (tumors, adjacent normal mucosas, and metastatic lymph nodes) from 64 patients (metastatic lymph nodes were obtained from 16 patients) with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy between 1993 and 1998. The thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase) levels of tumors as determined by the ELISA method were compared with clinicopathological findings of tumors and were evaluated for their usefulness as a prognostic parameter for these patients. The dThdPase levels of tumors (221 ± 21 U/mg protein) and metastatic lymph nodes (253 ± 51 U/mg protein) were significantly higher than the dThdPase level of normal mucosas (53 ± 7 U/mg protein, p < 0.001). The dThdPase levels of tumors did not correlate with the histopathological grading of tumors, the depth of tumor invasion, and lymph node metastasis. The 3-year survival rate of 32 patients with a high level of dThdPase (42%) was not different from that of 32 patients with a low level of dThdPase (52%, p = 0.267). Moreover, the dThdPase level of tumors was not an independent prognostic factor for patients with esophageal cancer. These findings suggest that the level of dThdPase activity in esophageal cancers may not correlate with tumor progression and may not be a useful prognostic marker for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is expressed in many types of cancers. It has been suggested that the expression of NF-κB is associated with poor prognosis and resistance to chemoradiation therapies. This study evaluated the relationship between the expression of NF-κB and the prognosis and sensitivity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) to chemotherapy. One hundred and nine ESCC specimens, from patients who had undergone radical esophagectomy, were divided into two groups depending on the expression of NF-κB. Surgical data and prognosis were compared between the two groups. NF-κB-positive tumors were detected in 61.5% of the cases. In 69 patients with stage II and III disease, 41 patients who were NF-κB-positive showed poor survival. The sensitivity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was analyzed by their NF-κB expression, and the effect of 5-FU was evaluated on the proliferation and activity of two cell lines of cultured ESCCs expressing NF-κB. ESCCs with activated NF-κB had poor sensitivity to 5-FU. These results suggest that the increased expression of NF-κB is associated with poor prognosis in patients with ESCC. NF-κB may be a target for ESCC therapy because of its selective expression in this type of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although malignant diseases are known to be associated with immune suppression, detailed mechanisms of this phenomenon are still unknown. NKG2D is an activating cell surface receptor expressed by natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ T cells, and it has been reported that NKG2D engagement is extremely important for T cell activation. In the current study, NKG2D expression on CD8+ T cells and the frequency of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells were determined by multicolor flow cytometry to investigate one of the mechanisms responsible for immune evasion in esophageal cancer patients. NKG2D expression on CD8+ T lymphocytes in esophageal cancer patients was significantly lower than in those of normal controls. NKG2D expression in T3/T4 esophageal cancer was significantly lower than that in T1/T2 esophageal cancer. CD8+ T cells from patients with lymph node metastasis expressed significantly lower NKG2D than those without lymph node metastasis. Moreover, significantly lower NKG2D expression was observed in stage III/IV cancer in comparison with stage I/II. The frequency of CD4+CD25+ Treg cells in esophageal cancer patients was significantly higher than those in normal controls. NKG2D expression on CD8+ T cells was significantly inversely correlated with the frequency of CD4+CD25+ Treg cells in esophageal cancer patients. Our data indicates that decreased NKG2D expression on CD8+ T cells is correlated with disease severity. Decreased NKG2D expression and an increase in Treg cells may be one of the key mechanisms responsible for immune evasion in esophageal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression of thymidine phosphorylase (TP) and the density of microvessel in advanced gastric carcinoma were examined by immunohistochemistry to evaluate the significance of TP. The expression of TP was negative in 72 cases, positive in 54. The microvessel density correlated with the expression of TP. In total cases, patients with TP-positive tumours survived longer than those with TP-negative tumours. In patients treated with fluorouracil derivatives (FUs), the expression of TP significantly correlated with favourable prognosis and with unfavourable prognosis in those not treated with FUs. The patients with TP-positive tumours, the prognosis of patients treated with FUs was significantly better than that of those not treated with FUs. In patients with TP-positive tumours, treatment with FUs and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors according to the Cox proportional hazards model. Depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors in patients with TP-negative tumours. The determination of the expression of TP might be useful for predicting the efficacy of post-operative chemotherapy using FUs to prevent recurrence in advanced gastric carcinoma patients who undergo curative gastrectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]