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The present study evaluated the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed, carboplatin and bevacizumab, followed by maintenance pemetrexed and bevacizumab, in chemotherapy-naive patients with stage IIIB/IV non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The patients were administered pemetrexed (500 mg/m 2 ), carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve, 6.0 mg/ml x min) and bevacizumab (15 mg/kg) intravenously every three weeks for up to six cycles. Patients who did not experience tumor progression remained on maintenance pemetrexed and beva- cizumab until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate. Of the 26 patients enrolled between March 2010 and April 2011, three were excluded due to brain metastases, therefore the intention-to-treat (ITT) population consisted of 23 patients. The median age was 64 years (range, 40-74 years) and 15 patients were male. In total, six patients had a perfor- mance status of 0, and 20 had stage IV tumors. The response rate was 69.6% (95% confidence interval (CI), 47.1-86.8), the disease control rate was 100% and the time to response was 1.2 months (95% CI, 0.72-1.93). The median progression-free survival time was 8.6 months (95% CI, 5.9-10.9) and the median overall survival time was 18.6 months (95% CI, 12.9- 24.8). There were no grade 3 or worse hemorrhagic events and the feasibility was modest. Overall, pemetrexed and carboplatin plus bevacizumab, followed by maintenance pemetrexed and bevacizumab, was effective and tolerable in the patients with non-squamous NSCLC, and the time to response was relatively short.

ObjectiveProgrammed cell death-1 (PD-1) and its ligands (PD-L1 and PD-L2) inhibit T-cell proliferation and activation. This inhibition down-regulates the immune responses. The association of a PD-L1 polymorphism with Graves' disease (GD) was studied.DesignThe association of an A/C polymorphism at position 8923 in PD-L1 intron 4 with GD was studied.PatientsThe study included 327 GD patients and 192 controls, of which 252 GD patients were followed over 5–10 years.MeasurementsPD-L1 intron 4 position 8923 A/C polymorphism was typed using the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism method.ResultsThe A/C genotype frequencies were significantly different between GD patients and controls. The A/C and C/C frequencies were higher in GD patients than in controls. The A/A frequencies were lower in GD patients than in controls. C-allele frequency was higher in GD patients than in controls. A total of 252 GD patients were followed over 5–10 years; 200 had discontinued antithyroid drugs (ATD) while 52 continued to take ATD. Of these 200, 176 continued to be in remission and 24 had relapsed into hyperthyroidism. Significant differences in the duration of positive TBII, positive thyroid-stimulating antibodies, and ATD treatment were noted between the patients in remission and those that had relapsed. Significant differences in the A- and C-allele frequencies were noted between the two. The C-allele frequency was higher in GD patients who did not achieve remission than in those who achieved remission.ConclusionAn A/C polymorphism at position 8923 in PD-L1 is associated with GD. The PD-L1 polymorphism plays a role in GD development. GD patients with the C allele at position 8923 in PD-L1 gene had difficulty in achieving remission.

123I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG)-accumulation in angiomyolipoma (AML) is demonstrated. A 24-year-old Japanese woman presented with tumors in the right retroperitoneal space. The tumors, which accumulated 123I-MIBG, had been thought to be adrenal pheochromocytoma before surgery. They were removed, and were found to be AML. 123I-MIBG was accumulated in AML. 123I-MIBG-accumulation in AML led to a false-positive diagnosis of adrenal pheochromocytoma. Catecholamine levels had been normal. No chromaffin cells were found in the histological examination of the tumors. MIBG accumulation does not necessarily indicate the presence of pheochromocytoma.

Summary Activated interleukin (IL)-4Rα stimulates production of IgE through signal transducer and activator of transcription-6 (Stat6) activation in lymphocytes. Genetic studies have shown an association between polymorphisms in the genes encoding IL-4Rα and Stat6 and elevated serum IgE in patients with atopic disease. Some authors, including us, have reported an association of Graves' disease and elevated serum IgE. To analyse the relationship between IL-4Rα and Stat6 polymorphisms and elevated serum IgE in patients with Graves' disease, 169 patients with Graves' disease were studied. We investigated whether these polymorphisms affect IL-4Rα–Stat6 signalling in cultured human lymphocytes. A high frequency of both the Ile50 polymorphism in IL-4Rα and 13GT repeat variants of the Stat6 gene was observed in patients with Graves' disease and elevated serum IgE (Ile50 allele; P