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Follicular dendritic cell tumors are an uncommon neoplasm. About half of all cases occur in the lymph nodes, especially in the neck region. Follicular dendritic cell tumors of the liver are even rarer. In this article we report a case of a hepatic follicular dendritic cell tumor. A 30-year-old female was noted to have a hepatic mass 6 cm in size in segment 6. The patient underwent a right lobectomy of the liver. Microscopically, the lesion was an admixture of spindle cells and inflammatory cells, chiefly lymphocytes, plasma cells, histiocytes and a few neutrophils. The spindle cells were arranged in a wavy pattern, with a vague cellular border and eosinophilic cytoplasm. These tumor cells were immunoreactive to CD21 and CD68. The test for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded nuclear RNAs using in situ hybridization was also positive. Although hepatic follicular dendritic cell tumors appear similar to conventional inflammatory pseudotumors in terms of histology, they should be regarded as a clonal proliferation of follicular dendritic cells. In contrast to follicular dendritic cell tumors in extrahepatic areas, hepatic follicular dendritic cell tumors have a strong association with EBV and a greater inflammatory component and are more prevalent in females.

To assess the effects of liver iron overload and fibrosis after treatment with a chelating agent in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected thalassemia, from April 1999 to July 2004, 45 patients with thalassemia major (age range 9-33 years, mean 19.3) received daily deferiprone (L1) for 23-60 months (75 mg/kg). The patients were divided into two groups on the basis of their hepatitis status (27 with, 18 without). Their serum was analyzed for alanine aminotransferase (GPT), aspartate aminotransferase (GOT), bilirubin (total/direct), r-glutamyl transpeptidase (r-GT), alkaline phosphatase (Alk-P), and ferritin. Liver iron overload and fibrosis were defined by a senior pathologist. No significant differences were demonstrated in serum levels of GPT, GOT, bilirubin, r-GT, Alk-P or ferritin; comparison was made for each group before and after L1 treatment. Iron scores were 2.3 +/- 0.9 and 2.8 +/- 0.9 for the hepatitis C negative and positive groups, respectively (p = 0.07), with liver fibrosis scores of 1.0 +/- 0.5 and 0.4 +/- 0.52 (p = 0.56). The two scores were not higher for the positive group. There was no evidence of: 1) greater iron overload and fibrosis in the HCV-infected thalassemic patients; 2) L1 inducing progressive hepatic fibrosis or worsening iron overload in HCV-infected thalassemic patients after long-term therapy; 3) further damage to liver cells associated with L1 treatment.

In recent years, mobile device and mobile network usage have been rapidly growing. Location-based services (LBS), in particular, have become an indispensable aspect of future mobile commerce. In order to develop a model for the antecedents and consequences of LBS, this study used questionnaires to collect survey data. Analysis of this data occurred through the structural equation model (SEM). The data show that service function, media richness, and personalization of LBS help to generate value in LBS. This study concludes that LBS obtain their value through the “3Rs” of relevance, reliability, and recreation. The 3R values enhance users’ customer engagement, purchase intention, and functional alternatives. Overall, recreation is the most influential value, with media richness being the key element of this value. These findings can help LBS research, as well as LBS providers and marketers, in discovering a more tactical approach. To cite this document: I-Ping Chiang and Ching-Hsiang Chen, "Evaluating antecedents and consequences of location-based services", International Journal of Electronic Commerce Studies, Vol.8, No.1, pp.47-76, 2017. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/ijecs.1374

Ganglion cysts of the temporomandibular joint are very rare and always misdiagnosed as synovial cyst, parotid gland tumor, or other cystic lesions. They present with pain, swelling, or dysfunction. Image studies could facilitate to identify the tumor mass from the adjacent soft tissue, but a definitive diagnosis could be made from the pathologic report.A 59-year-old woman presented to the clinics with a chief complaint of a painless swelling mass in the right preauricular region of 3-month duration. Computed tomography was performed, which showed a small radiolucent lesion adjacent to the right condyle. Local excision was performed, and the specimen was sent for histologic examination.Microscopic examination showed a cystic space walled by dense fibrous connective tissue without epithelial or endothelial lining. Immunohistochemical staining of these lining cells showed positivity for vimentin and negativity for cytokeratin. These findings were consistent with the diagnosis of ganglion cyst.Ganglion cysts present as unilobulate or multilobulate cysts that arise from the collagenous tissue and is filled with highly viscous fluid. It does not communicate with the joint cavity. In contrast, synovial cyst is a true cyst lined by cuboidal or flattened cells from the synoviocytes and is filled with gelatinous fluid. It may or may not communicate with the joint cavity. Excision is the treatment of choice of symptomatic cystic lesions. Incomplete excision of these lesions may cause further recurrence or infection. Thus, injection of hydrocortisone or aspiration may be considered as an alternative management.

Summary: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a monoclonal disease of histiocytes, may involve several organ systems but rarely primarily involves the thyroid gland. This report presents an extremely rare case of LCH of the thyroid and lungs in a 3-year-old boy who presented with a neck mass for several weeks. The patient subsequently underwent chemotherapy with resolution of the goiter and lung findings, and the patient remained in complete remission 1 year after chemotherapy. LCH of the thyroid should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a child with a thyroid mass. Pulmonary examination should be done in these patients.

Division of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Taipei, TaiwanThe optimal treatment of localized large-cell lymphoma of the stomach remains contro-versial. In particular, the role of surgical resection of the primary tumor needs to beclearly defined. We have reviewed all patients with a diagnosis of gastric lymphoma andtreated in our institutions between 1988 and 1998. Patients fulfilling the following criteriawere included in this study: (1) histologically proven large-cell lymphoma of the stomach;(2) adequate pathological materials and complete clinical information for analysis; (3)clinical stage I/II disease according to the Musshoff modification of Ann Arbor system;and (4) received primary chemotherapy alone with anthracycline- or anthracenedione-containing regimens (group A) or curative surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy(group B). There were 38 and 21 patients in group A and group B, respectively. Allpertinent clinicopathologic features were similar between the two groups of patients,except that patients of group A had significantly more stage II-2 disease (P= 0.004). Ofgroup A, among 36 patients who could be evaluated for response to chemotherapy, therewere 29 complete and 1 partial responses, with an overall response rate of 83.3% (95% CI,71.1–95.5%). The projected 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS)were 86.0% (95% CI, 73.3–98.7%) and 72.6% (95% CI, 57.0–88.2%), respectively. On theother hand, the projected 5-year RFS and OS of group B were 77.9% (95% CI, 58.0–97.8%)and 77.8% (95% CI, 57.9–97.7%), respectively, not significantly different from that ofgroup A. Our data suggest that systemic chemotherapy alone may be a reasonablealternative treatment for stage I/II large-cell lymphoma of the stomach. Resection of theprimary tumor before systemic chemotherapy does not appear to improve the cure rateof this group of patients. Am. J. Hematol. 64:175–179, 2000.

Lymphoproliferative diseases of large granular lymphocytes (LDGL) may arise from either CD3+ T cells or CD3− natural killer (NK) cells. LDGL with clonal proliferation of large granular lymphoeytes (LGL) is defined as LGL leukaemia. The number of patients with NK-LGL leukaemia reported is limited and the pathogenesis of the disease is not yet clear. From 1991 to 1998 six patients with cytogenetically proved clonal disease of NK-LGL were identified in our institute. All were seropositive for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). EBV RNA or DNA could be detected in LGL from four patients by EBV in situ hybridization or Southern blot analysis. Most patients ran an aggressive clinical course and five died of the disease. Nonrandom clonal chromosomal abnormalities, including duplication of 1q, rearrangement at 3q and loss of chromosomes Y, 13 or 10, were noted in the six patients from this study and in eight from the literature. The implications of these recurrent cytogenetic aberrations in the development and progression of the disease deserve further studies.

The posterior tibial tendons (PTTs) of 16 patients with PTT dysfunction and 10 age-matched healthy subjects were examined ultrasonographically, using a 10-MHz linear-array transducer. Normal PTTs appeared hyperechoic (more echogenic) and oval, with an average diameter of 7.8 mm × 3.7 mm at the medial malleolar level. Degenerated PTTs appeared hypoechoic (less echogenic) and swollen (9.8 mm × 5.0 mm). Peritendinitis presented as a hypoechoic rim on the longitudinal sonogram (along the long axis of the tendon) and a “target sign” (hyperechoic central structure with a hypoechoic halo) on the transverse sonogram (at the right angle to the long axis of the tendon). Complete rupture of the PTT revealed an empty tibial groove at the level of the medial malleolus on the transverse sonogram and a wavy fibril pattern over the distal end on the longitudinal sonogram. Compared with the operative findings or the results of the magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography was sensitive and specific in diagnosing tenosynovitis and complete rupture of the PTT.

Our previous study showed that patients with advanced stages of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were frequently detected with upregulation of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). In vitro, HGF reduced expression of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and cisplatin sensitivity in NSCLC cells. The effect of HGF was via HGF receptor (c-MET) and the downstream effector, focal adhesion kinase (FAK). In this study, we determined the prognostic value of AIF in NSCLC patients. AIF expression was determined by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. Our data show that AIF expression was associated with better prognosis. Expression of AIF inversely correlated with that of positive NSCLC markers, e.g., dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (DDH), c-MET, short oncostatin M receptor (OSMRs), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, and HER2/neu, which were closely associated with drug resistance, tumor recurrence, metastasis and poor prognosis. Noteworthy, silence of HER2/neu gene expression increases AIF level and drug sensitivity. Addition of HGF inhibits AIF expression in HER2/neu-silenced cells. These results suggested that both HGF and HER2/neu affect drug resistance by regulating AIF expression in NSCLC.

This study investigated the effects of exercise training on the regional release of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (EDNO) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Male SHR and Wistar-Kyoto rats were divided into control and training groups, respectively. The training groups received moderate exercise by running on a drum exerciser for 60 min/day, 5 days/week for 10 weeks. At the end of experiments, thoracic aortae and common carotid arteries were excised. Acetylcholine (ACh)-induced relaxing responses due to EDNO release were evaluated in the presence of indomethacin. Vascular relaxing responses to A23187 or to sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were also studied. Our results indicated that after training, (1) the vascular sensitivity of thoracic aortae to ACh-induced relaxation was elevated when indomethacin was present; this effect was absent in the common carotid artery and it was abolished by adding N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine, and (2) no significant changes in SNP- or A23187-induced vascular relaxing responses, both being nonreceptor-mediated processes, were observed. We can conclude that for both hypertensive and normotensive rats, exercise training may increase receptor-mediated agonist-stimulated EDNO release in the thoracic aorta, but not in the common carotid artery. Copyright 1996 S. Karger AG, Basel

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common pruritic disorder that most often begins in early infancy and frequently occurs in patients with a personal or family history of atopic disease. The incidence of atopic dermatitis, like asthma, has been increasing.1 Larsen et al found that the cumulative incidence rate of atopic dermatitis in children up to 7 years of age increased from 3% in the cohort born between 1960 and 1964 to 10% in the cohort between 1970 and 1974.2

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Few studies have compared the distinct hepatic collagen morphometrics of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC). This study compared the discrepancies between CHB and CHC in liver fibrosis (F) quantification by using the collagen proportionate area (CPA) and liver stiffness (LS) measured with shear wave velocity (SWV). This study enrolled 274 eligible consecutive patients diagnosed with CHB (n = 137) or CHC (n = 137). Their ages ranged from 20 to 80 years (median = 50). In total, 154 patients (56.2%) were male. Participant LS was measured by using acoustic radiation force impulse elastography preceding an immediate percutaneous liver biopsy. The total proportion of the collagen stained with picrosirius red to the total tissue area was expressed as the CPA percentage, which was stratified into portal–bridging (PB) and perisinusoidal (PS) proportionate areas (PAs). Based on the METAVIR F staging system, 36 (26.3%), 36 (26.3%), 28 (20.4%), and 37 (27.0%) participants in the CHB group and 34 (24.8%), 45 (32.9%), 34 (24.8%), and 24 (17.5%) participants in the CHC group were staged as F1, F2, F3, and F4, respectively. Both the total CPAs and PBPAs were significantly (P

Background Previous research has shown variation in the effects of patient factors, including hepatic necroinflammatory activity, on liver stiffness measurement (LSM). This prospective study attempts to identify explanatory factors for LSM in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) technology. Methods A cohort of 127 Taiwanese patients with CHC underwent ARFI LSM and immediate percutaneous liver biopsy. This study compares the concurrent diagnostic performances of LSM and FibroTest using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Three multiple linear regression models were used to evaluate the significance of concurrent patient factors in explaining LSM. Results To classify METAVIR fibrosis (F) stages, the areas under ROC curves (AUCs) were ARFI LSM, 0.847 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.779-0.914) and FibroTest, 0.823 (95% CI, 0.748-0.898), for F1 versus F2-4; ARFI LSM, 0.902 (95% CI, 0.835-0.970) and FibroTest, 0.812 (95% CI, 0.735-0.888), for F1-2 versus F3-4; ARFI LSM, 0.831 (95% CI, 0.723-0.939) and FibroTest, 0.757 (95% CI, 0.648-0.865), for F1-3 versus F4. After adjusting for other demographic and biological covariates, biochemical and histological necroinflammatory factors consistently explained LSM. Factors included serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT)/upper limit of normal (ULN) categories (model R2 = 0.661, adjusted R2 = 0.629), ActiTest A scores (R2 = 0.662, adjusted R2 = 0.636), and METAVIR activity (A) grades (R2 = 0.651, adjusted R2 = 0.620). METAVIR F stages, body mass index, and platelet count were also independently associated with LSM. Necroinflammatory degrees, including ALT/ULN, ActiTest A scores, and METAVIR A grades, explained the false positivity of liver fibrosis staging using ARFI LSM. Conclusions The degree of hepatic necroinflammatory activity independently and significantly exaggerated liver fibrosis evaluation using ARFI LSM. However, comparisons with concurrent FibroTest indicate that ARFI LSM may be a promising alternative, or adjunctive single indicator, for liver fibrosis evaluation in patients with CHC.

Primary angiosarcoma of lung is a rare condition. Only about 20 cases have appeared in English published reports so far. Its rarity and consequent low index of suspicion makes clinical diagnosis difficult. Pathological diagnosis of the epithelioid variant of pulmonary angiosarcoma is particularly challenging. We report a case of primary pulmonary epithelioid angiosarcoma as a solitary pulmonary nodule in image study in a 41-year-old man with a brief review, to contribute it to the sparse literature on this disease.

The increasingly high penetration rate of mobile phones indicates that mobile commerce has become the hottest issue around the world. However, in Taiwan, the adoption rate of mobile commerce still is low. Very few previous studies have explored how to influence mobile phone users to adopt mobile commerce. The purpose of this study is to identify key success factors for mobile commerce in Taiwan. In this study, we surveyed a sample of 449 users who had used mobile commerce. Through factor analysis, we identified six key factors: externality, accessibility, reliability, entertainment, reciprocity, and mobility. In addition, we used cluster analysis to explore the different types of concerns of customers. Apart from our findings, further conclusions and implications are also provided.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has a striking tendency to migrate and metastasize. Cysteine-rich 61 (Cyr61), from the CCN gene family, is a secreted and matrix-associated protein, which is involved in many cellular activities such as growth and differentiation. However, the effects of Cyr61 on human OSCC cells are largely unknown. In this study, we found that Cyr61 increased the migration and the expression of matrix metalloproteinases-3 (MMP)-3 in human OSCC cells. αvβ5 or α6β1 monoclonal antibody (mAb), focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitors (PD98059 and U0126) inhibited the Cyr61-induced increase of the migration and MMP-3 up-regulation of OSCC cells. Cyr61 stimulation increased the phosphorylation of FAK, MEK, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). In addition, NF-κB inhibitors suppressed the cell migration and MMP-3 expression enhanced by Cyr61. Moreover, Cyr61 increased NF-κB luciferase activity and binding of p65 to the NF-κB element on the MMP-3 promoter. Taken together, our results indicate that Cyr61 enhances the migration of OSCC cells by increasing MMP-3 expression through the αvβ3 or α6β1 integrin receptor, FAK, MEK, ERK, and NF-κB signal transduction pathway. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 1977–1986, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

By screening mouse monoclonal antibody libraries for Kelch repeats, we serendipitously identified monoclonal antibodies to eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2). Interestingly, eEF2 was highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma (LADC), but not in the neighboring non-tumor lung tissue. Normally, eEF2 is involved in the peptidyl-tRNA translocation during protein synthesis. Overexpression of eEF2 would implicate an association with disease progression of LADC. In the present study, we investigated the prognostic significance of eEF2 in patients with LADC. Expression of eEF2 was detected by immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. Our results show that patients with high eEF2 expression had a significantly higher incidence of early tumor recurrence (67.8%vs 18.2%, P = 0.016), and a significantly worse prognosis (P < 0.001). In an in vitro study, silencing of eEF2 expression increased mitochondrial elongation, cellular autophagy and cisplatin sensitivity. Moreover, eEF2 was sumoylated in LADC cells, and eEF2 sumoylation correlated with drug resistance. These results suggest that eEF2 is an anti-apoptotic marker in LADC. However, biological function and involvement of eEF2 in the disease progression of LADC require further studies.

Our aim was to determine the association of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection with the expression of ATPase family AAA domain containing 3A (ATAD3A), an anti-autophagy factor, in uterine cervical cancer (UCC). The HPV genotype was determined by an Easychip HPV blot assay. ATAD3A expression was determined by immunohis- tochemical staining. High-risk HPV (hrHPV) was detected in 184 (88.9%) of 207 UCC cases. ATAD3A expression was detected in 164 (79.2%) UCC cases. A significant correlation was found between ATAD3A expression and the presence of hrHPV (p

DNA repair has been suggested to be a major cause of spontaneous drug resistance in patients with lung adenocarcinomas (LADC). Among the DNA repair-related proteins, excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) has been shown to be essential for repairing cisplatin-induced interstrand cross-linkage. However, the role of other DNA repair-related proteins in drug resistance has not been clearly elucidated. In this study, we used suppression subtractive hybridization and microarray analysis to identify the DNA repair-related genes associated with cisplatin resistance. We focused on the association of XPC protein expression, which plays a pivotal role in the earliest response to global genomic repair, with the survival of LADC patients. Using suppression subtractive hybridization and a microarray analysis to identify drug resistance-associated DNA repair-related genes, we found that the mRNA levels of ERCC1, MSH-3, MSH-6 and XPC were significantly increased in LADC patients. Since the results of ERCC1 mRNA expression corresponded well with those in previous reports, in this study we focused on the clinical correlation between XPC expression and patient survival. The level of XPC protein was determined by immunohistochemical and immunoblotting analyses. We detected the XPC protein in 46 (43%) of 107 pathological LADC samples. XPC protein expression correlated with tumor stage, cigarette smoking and poor survival. In the in vitro experiments with LADC cell lines, increased XPC expression was associated with elevated drug resistance, and silencing of XPC expression reduced cisplatin resistance. Our results suggest that XPC expression predicts drug resistance in LADC.

Optic atrophy 1 protein, a 112-kd guanosine triphosphatase, is involved in the mitochondrial inner membrane fusion and anticancer drug-mediated cytotoxicity, which implicate an association with disease progression of the cancer. In this study, we investigated the prognostic value of optic atrophy 1 expression in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Using immunohistochemical staining, expression of optic atrophy 1 was determined in 286 lung adenocarcinoma patients. Expression of optic atrophy 1 was confirmed by immunoblotting. The relationship between optic atrophy 1 expression and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed statistically by comparing survival between different groups using the log-rank test. The results showed that optic atrophy 1 overexpression was detected in 219 (76.6%) of lung adenocarcinoma patients. A significant difference was found in cumulative survival between patients with high optic atrophy 1 levels and those with low optic atrophy 1 levels (P = .0016). In the in vitro experiments with cell lines, silencing of optic atrophy 1 expression reduced cisplatin resistance, which was further shown via increased release of cytochrome c and activation of caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway. In conclusion, optic atrophy 1 is highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma and indicates poor prognosis.

DNA repair is one of the major causes of spontaneous drug and radiation resistance in patients with lung adenocarcinomas (LADC). 53BP1 is a mediator that relays signals from DNA damage sensors and activates various effectors for the DNA repair and cell survival. In this study we investigated the clinical and biological significance of 53BP1. Expression of 53BP1 was detected by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Our data showed that 53BP1 was detected in 166 (75.8%) of 219 LADC patients. Expression of 53BP1 correlated with tumor stage, cigarette smoking, lymphovascular invasion and poor clinical outcome. In vitro, increased 53BP1 expression elevated drug resistance, and silencing of 53BP1 expression reduced cisplatin resistance. Our results suggest that 53BP1 expression plays an important role in cisplatin resistance and predicts the prognosis for LADC.

In previous study, n-butylidenephthalide (BP), a natural compound from Angelica sinensis, has anti-glioblastoma multiform (GBM) cell effects. In this study, we modified BP structure to increase anti-GBM cell effects. The anti-GBM cell effects of one derivative of BP, (Z)-N-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)-2-(3-((3-oxoisobenzofuran-1(3H)-ylidene)methyl)phenoxy)acetamide (PCH4) were tested in vitro and in vivo.MTT assay and PI/Annexin V assay were performed to evaluate the anti-GBM effects of PCH4. The Nur77 expression and translocation were assayed by RT-PCR and Western blot. The Nur77 siRNA was used to downregulate the Nur77 expression. The JNK inhibitor (SP600125) was used to block the JNK pathway.The anti-GBM effect of PCH4 is four times more than BP. The IC(50) of PCH4 on DBTRG-05MG cells was 50 µg/ml. Nur77 expression and translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm were important in PCH4-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, the downregulation of PCH4-induced Nur77 expression by Nur77 siRNA reduced PCH4-induced apoptosis. In addition, PCH4-induced apoptosis was associated with the JNK pathway. The JNK inhibitor, SP600125, inhibited Nur77 mRNA expression and reduced PCH4-induced apoptosis.In conclusion, PCH4, a derivative of BP, induced Nur77-mediated apoptosis via the JNK pathway and this mechanism, which is different from that of BP, may explain the increase in the anti-tumor effects on GBM.

Background GI stromal tumors (GISTs), with their potential for malignant transformation, are usually treated by surgical intervention. Endoscopic treatment remains controversial. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate clinical outcomes associated with use of endoscopic ligation and resection for diagnosis and treatment of small EUS-suspected gastric GISTs. Design Prospective case series. Setting Academic medical center. Patients Eight patients with submucosal gastric tumors Interventions Endoscopic ligation and resection. Main Outcome Measurements Clinical/technical feasibility, success, and adverse events. Results Seven patients with small EUS-suspected gastric GISTs were successfully treated by endoscopic ligation, with sloughing of residual tissue within 1 month. All were diagnosed pathologically with GISTs of low malignant potential. One additional patient required a second ligation to remove residual tumor, also diagnosed as a GIST with low malignant potential. No perforation, massive hemorrhage, or other complication requiring endoscopic or surgical intervention occurred. Limitations Small number of patients (n = 8) and limited follow-up; risk of microscopically positive margins, which limits application to lesions strongly suspected to be benign. Conclusions Endoscopic ligation and resection shows promise as a safe and feasible technique to treat small EUS-suspected gastric GISTs. Controlled clinical trials with more subjects and longer follow-up are needed to confirm the value and limitations of this method.

Dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1), an 80 kDa GTPase, is involved in mitochondrial fission and anticancer drug-mediated cytotoxicity, which implicate an association with disease progression of cancer. In this study we investigated the prognostic value of DRP1 in lung adenocarcinomas. Using immunohistochemistry, we measured the expression of DRP1 in 227 patients with lung adenocarcinomas. Expression of DRP1 was confirmed by immunoblotting. The correlation between DRP1 expression and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed by statistical analysis. Difference of survivals between different groups was compared by a log-rank test. The results showed that DRP1 expression was detected in 202 patients with lung adenocarcinomas. Among these, nuclear DRP1 (DRP1(nuc)) was detected in 184 patients. A significant difference was found in cumulative survival between patients with high DRP1(nuc) levels and those with DRP1(cyt) levels (P

SUMMARY. The aim of this study is to examine whether dysregulated expression of cortactin occurs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and is involved in the development of ESCCs. An immunohistochemistry study for cortactin expression was performed on 46 pairs of surgically resected non-tumor and ESCC tumor tissues and murine tumors of esophagi induced by a carcinogen. The results show increased cortactin expression in 20 and in 22 to a lesser extent, out of a total 46 ESCC tumor tissues. Increased cortactin was also detected in the premalignant lesions, the early stage dysplasia and carcinoma in situ, of ESCC tumor tissues. Differential polymerase chain reaction results showed slight increases in the EMS1 gene only in two of 10 ESCC tumor tissues, suggesting that EMS1 gene amplification is not the only mechanism for cortactin overexpression. In the mouse model induced by treatment with 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide and arecoline, increased cortactin was detected in the epithelia with hyperkeratosis, papillomas, and ESCCs with invasion into the submucosa, respectively. Overall, we observed cortactin overexpression in early and late stages of human ESCCs and carcinogen-induced murine ESCCs, suggesting a role for cortactin in esophageal carcinogenesis.

Many companies have launched their products or services online as a new business focus, but only a few of them have survived the competition and made profits. The most important key to an online business's success is to create "brand value" for the customers. Although the concept of online brand has been discussed in previous studies, there is no empirical study on the measurement of online branding. As Web 2.0 emerges to be critical to online branding, the purpose of this study was to measure Taiwan's major Web sites with a number of personality traits to build a perceptual map for online brands. A pretest identified 10 most representative online brand perceptions. The results of the correspondence analysis showed five groups in the perceptual map. This study provided a practical view of the associations and similarities among online brands for potential alliance or branding strategies. The findings also suggested that brand perceptions can be used with identified consumer needs and behaviors to better position online services. The brand perception map in the study also contributed to a better understanding of the online brands in Taiwan.

Expression of thymidylate synthase (TS) in tumor cells is frequently suggested as an important prognostic factor for patients scheduled for chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). However, clinical evidence does not fully support such an anticipation. We studied the expression of rTSbeta, a reverse orientation gene of TS, as a 5-FU resistance marker in patients with primary breast cancer. Expression of rTSbeta was examined in 129 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer and five breast cancer cell lines by immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting. Clinically, expression of rTSbeta was found to correlate with survival of the patients (p=0.023) when patients received chemotherapeutic regimen containing 5-FU. In vitro, rTSbeta expression was found to correlate with 5-FU resistance in breast cancer cell lines. Notably, in the 5-FU-resistant cells, rTSbeta was identified in the nucleus, whereas in the 5-FU-sensitive cells, rTSbeta was found in the cytoplasm. Nuclear localization of rTSbeta was further found to be associated with protein farnesylation. Therefore, nuclear expression of rTSbeta could be a novel 5-FU resistance marker in patients with primary breast cancer.

Expression of thymidylate synthase (TS) in tumor cells is frequently suggested as an important prognostic factor for patients scheduled for chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). However, clinical evidence does not fully support such an anticipation. We studied the expression of rTSbeta, a reverse orientation gene of TS, as a 5-FU resistance marker in patients with primary breast cancer. Expression of rTSbeta was examined in 129 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer and five breast cancer cell lines by immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting. Clinically, expression of rTSbeta was found to correlate with survival of the patients (p=0.023) when patients received chemotherapeutic regimen containing 5-FU. In vitro, rTSbeta expression was found to correlate with 5-FU resistance in breast cancer cell lines. Notably, in the 5-FU-resistant cells, rTSbeta was identified in the nucleus, whereas in the 5-FU-sensitive cells, rTSbeta was found in the cytoplasm. Nuclear localization of rTSbeta was further found to be associated with protein farnesylation. Therefore, nuclear expression of rTSbeta could be a novel 5-FU resistance marker in patients with primary breast cancer.

Objective: We report a rare case of synchronous cancer consisting of ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma and endocervical mucinous adenocarcinoma. Related literature was reviewed and it appeared that no similar case had been reported previously. Case Report: A 30-year-old (gravida 1, para 1, abortus 0) woman complained of abdominal fullness, chest tightness and dyspnea on exertion of several days' duration. Gynecologic sonography showed a right complex adnexal cyst, 16 × 14 cm in size. Computed tomography showed an 18 × 16 cm right pelvic tumor, with both cystic and solid components, ascites and bilateral massive pleural effusion. Cytology of the pleural effusion showed no malignant cells. The patient underwent staging surgery. Histology showed moderately to poorly differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the right ovary with extensive lymphovascular permeation, as well as paraaortic and bilateral pelvic lymph node metastases. Extensive tumor thrombi were observed in the lymphovascular channels of the left ovary, bilateral tubes and uterus. Endocervical adenocarcinoma, < 3 mm in depth, was also identified on the cervix. The final surgical-pathologic stage of ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma was stage IIIc and of endocervical mucinous adenocarcinoma was stage IA1. Adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel was prescribed postoperatively, but the malignancy was not controlled due to lung, brain and vulva metastases. The patient died of respiratory failure. Conclusion: The coexistence of primary neoplasms in the ovary and cervix is rare. Diagnosis should be based on histologic examination and requires appropriate treatment for both tumors.

Esophageal actinomycosis is uncommon and has been reported in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. A 41-y-old man with a history of heavy alcohol use presented with progressively worsening odynophagia and dysphagia over a 2-wk period. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and esophageal biopsy revealed ulceration with Actinomyces and candidal infection. After therapy with intravenous penicillin G followed by oral amoxicillin that led to clinical improvement, repeat upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed healing of esophageal ulceration and no evidence of Actinomyces. From this case and a review of the literature regarding clinical symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment, it is clear that esophageal actinomycosis is a cause of odynophagia and dysphagia. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and pathologic examination should be carefully evaluated in patients who present with odynophagia and dysphagia.

Dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (DDH) is one of the major enzymes catabolizing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the liver. Although four DDH isoforms have been detected in the normal liver, only DDH1 and DDH2 have been detected in cancer cells of lung and esophagus. Moreover, the available information about hepatic pathophysiological regulation of DDH expression is limited. Therefore we addressed the question of DDH expression in patients with liver disorders, in particular, patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Expression of DDH1/2 was determined by immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 52 patients with resected HCC. DDH1/2 expression was detected in 31 (59.6%) of 52 pathological sections. Frequency of DDH1/2 expression was significantly higher in patients with tumor size >2 cm, and in those who had early local recurrence. In addition to the tumor size and frequency of local recurrence, our results further indicated that expression of DDH1/2 was correlated with those of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEpH) and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEpH) in HCC patients. Interestingly, the expression of DDH1/2 was found inversely correlated with that of glutathione S-transferase (GST) and NADPH p450 reductase (NPR). In conclusion, these results indicate that DDH expression was significantly decreased in about 40% of HCC patients. However, in the bordering non-neoplastic region of liver DDH1/2 expression increased, and the increased DDH1/2 expression correlated with tumor size and the disease progression.

PURPOSE: High-grade mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas of the stomach are generally believed to be Helicobacter pylori–independent, autonomously growing tumors. However, anecdotal cases of regression of high-grade lymphomas after the cure of H pylori infection had been described. The present prospective study was conducted to evaluate the effect of anti–H pylori therapy in stage IE high-grade gastric MALT lymphomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with H pylori infection and stage IE gastric high-grade MALT lymphoma consented to a brief antibiotic therapy as first-line treatment from June 1995 through April 2000. Then, patients underwent intensive endoscopic follow-up examinations (± endoscopic ultrasonography) with biopsy to evaluate tumor response. Patients with significant improvement of gross lesions that accompanied regression of large cells were followed up without additional treatment. Patients without significant improvement were immediately referred to systemic chemotherapy. RESULTS: Eradication of H pylori was achieved in 15 patients and was accompanied by rapid gross tumor regression and disappearance of large cells in 10. All 10 of these patients with early response had subsequent complete histologic remission of lymphoma. The complete remission rate was 62.5% (95% confidence interval, 35.8% to 89.1%). The response rate was not affected by the tumor grading (proportion of large blast cells within the tumor) but was adversely affected by the depth of tumor invasion. At a median follow-up of 43.5 months (range, 21.1 to 67.4 months), all 10 of these patients remained lymphoma-free. The median duration of complete response was 31.2 months (range, 14.4 to 49.1 months). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that high-grade transformation is not necessarily associated with the loss of H pyloridependence in early-stage MALT lymphomas of the stomach.

Purpose: To report a rare case of T-cell malignant lymphoma involving the conjunctiva. Methods: A 63-year-old woman had rapid onset of bilateral perilimbal congestion and chemosis. Perilimbal thickening with corneal infiltration developed 20 days later. Computed tomography incidentally disclosed a right maxillary sinus mass. Biopsy specimens from the maxillary sinus mass and the left limbus were subjected to histopathologic examination and immunohistochemical study. Results: T-cell malignant lymphoma of diffuse large cell type, stage IV, was diagnosed. The patient was treated with combination chemotherapy plus 13- cis -retinoic acid and remained in remission 112 years after diagnosis. Conclusion: Conjunctival involvement with T-cell lymphoma may present as episcleritis and chemosis.

Gemella morbillorum was isolated from the blood of a 38-year-old woman with a 4-week history of fever. An echocardiogram showed a left atrial tumor. The patient was successfully treated by antibiotic therapy and early surgical excision of the tumor. Histological examination of the excised tumor revealed a typical myxoma with infiltrates of neutrophils and remnants of bacteria. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of infected left atrial myxoma caused by G. morbillorum.