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Solid-phase single antigen bead (SAB) assay for detection of anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies and high-resolution HLA typing have enabled tremendous progress in virtual crossmatch (VXM) technology in recent years. However, misinterpretation of the SAB assay may result in detrimental consequences after kidney transplantation. Meanwhile, epitope analysis could be an effective method to estimate immunizing eplets, which may provide ancillary information for better understanding of the SAB assay. To perform epitope analysis appropriately, it is necessary to understand the basic principles related to histocompatibility testing and the characteristics of the SAB assay. Therefore, knowledge of the properties and limitations of the SAB assay is critical. In this review, we aim to describe the fundamental concepts regarding immunobiological assessment, including HLA, anti-HLA antibodies, and SAB assay, and explain epitope analysis using examples.

We evaluated whether a first-degree family history (FH) of prostate cancer (PCa) in Japanese patients undergoing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RP) is correlated with clinicopathological variables and disease progression.We reviewed consecutive 392 localized PCa patients undergoing robotic-assisted RP at our institution between 2015 and 2020. Information on FH was obtained via a self-administered questionnaire. A positive FH was defined as having a first-degree FH: a father and/or one or more brothers with PCa prior to diagnosis. All patients had clinically localized PCa treated by robotic-assisted RP. We evaluated the relationship between clinical characteristics, pathological findings, and biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) according to first-degree FH status.Median follow-up was 20.8 months. FH was identified in 42 (10.7%) patients. Patients in the FH group (median, 64.8 years) were diagnosed at a significantly younger age than patients in the non-FH (NFH) group (patients without FH) (median, 67.7 years) (p = 0.003). The 5-year bPFS in the FH and NFH groups was 72.0% and 78.1%, respectively (p = 0.90). A subgroup analysis revealed a significant difference in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density between the FH group (median, 0.51 ng/ml/cmIn this RP population, FH of PCa was not associated with worse clinical characteristics, pathological findings, or disease progression. Patients with a FH underwent surgery at a significantly younger age, and among patients60 years, patients with a FH had significantly higher PSA density compared with patients without a FH.

Objective: To assess the incidence of benign renal lesions in our Japanese clinical experience with surgical resection. Methods: A total of 411 renal masses harvested by radical or partial nephrectomy between January 1991 and April 2011 at our institution were retrospectively assessed. The incidence of benign lesions in 1-cm increments in diameter was determined, and a logistic regression model was used to assess relationships between the incidence of benign lesions and other factors. Results: Histological examination confirmed a total of 18 (4.4%) benign lesions. The incidence of benign lesions was 42.8% for nodules

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of combined gemcitabine and capecitabine (Gca) chemotherapy in patients with advanced renal cell cancer after immunotherapy failure. Nine patients were enrolled in this trial. Gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2) was injected on days 1 and 8, followed by oral administration of capecitabine (1660 mg/m2) on days 1–14. The response rate was 11%, with a partial response in one patient (11%), stable disease in five patients (56%) and disease progression in three patients (33%). Grade 3–4 neutropenia was observed in one patient (11%) and thrombocytopenia in two patients (22%). The quality of life (QOL) questionnaire scales showed no significant changes induced by chemotherapy. The median progression-free survival was 4 months with an overall 1-year survival rate of 78%. Gemcitabine and capecitabine chemotherapy can be safely administered as second-line therapy in renal cell cancer patients, maintaining QOL baseline parameters.

This study was designed to assess the intraoperative and postoperative benefits of two techniques for treating renal cell carcinoma (portless endoscopic surgery with radical nephrectomy [PLES-RN] and laparoscopic radical nephrectomy [LRN]) carried out at a single center. Radical nephrectomy with either PLES-RN (14 cases) or LRN (15 cases) was carried out on 29 patients with cT1 renal cell carcinoma. There were no statistically significant between-group differences in patient characteristics (except tumor side), operation time, and amount of blood loss (chi(2) and Fisher's test). No blood transfusions were required in either group. The mean incision length of PLES-RN was not significantly longer than that of LRN. No minor or major complications resulted. From postoperative data, the first intake of fluid (P = 0.07) and food (P = 0.02) tended to be sooner in the PLES group than the LRN group. Postsurgically, white blood cell count and C-reactive protein were not significantly different between the two groups. The added cost of disposable instruments needed in LRN was 111 570 Japanese yen (1115.7 United States dollars). Both techniques are optimal options for surgically treating early renal cell carcinoma. The comparison related to invasiveness between the two methods should be evaluated using a large number of cases focusing on the various aspects for the future.