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Abstract Meningiomas are common neoplasms arising from the central nervous system meninges. On the other hand, primary ectopic meningiomas are extremely rare and usually limited to the head and neck region or to the paravertebral soft tissues. Their occurrence in the mediastinum is even rarer. Until now, only 4 cases of primary mediastinal meningioma have been reported in the literature searched on Medline. Because of its rarity and intriguing pathogenesis, we report here a case of primary mediastinal meningioma that was treated by surgical resection. The clinical features, treatment, pathological findings, and prognosis are analyzed, and the literature on ectopic meningioma is reviewed.

Objectives: Optical mammography (O-MMG), which utilizes near-infrared light for the detection of abnormal breast tissue, can be a potentially useful and non-invasive tool for the screening of breast cancer patients. Here we report on the preliminary results of our clinical trial using a time-resolved O-MMG system developed by Hamamatsu Photonics (Hamamatsu, Japan). In our past examination, negative results included cases with mismatch for breast cup because of small breast, lesion outside of cup because of big breast, and bad positioning. So, size and shape of a gantry was improved (3 cup sizes; S, M and L cup). We reported the initial experience of the improved O-MMG systems. Materials and Methods: In principle, the technique involves sequential irradiation of the breast tissue with a pulsed laser with a wavelength of 760, 800 and, 830nm, which is then detected by the variable capacity gantry at multiple sites after passing through the breast tissue. Measurement time has improved to about 7 minutes (a third of the conventional measurement time). The data are analyzed and tomographic images of the absorption coefficient of the breast are then reconstructed based on our tomographic reconstruction algorithm. Between October 2011 and May 2012, fifteen patients with breast cancer and one patient with fibroadenoma participated in the trial. Results: In patients with breast cancer, S cup was used for one patient, M cup for 12 patients and L cup for two patients. Five patients after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy were excluded from the analysis. The lesions were depicted as an area of high hemoglobin concentration in 7 of 10 patients with cancer. One lesion of fibroadenoma was also identified as an area of high hemoglobin concentration. Conclusion: Further examination with our new O-MMG systems will be of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a rare case of single pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) with multiple metal allergies, including for platinum. A 47-year-old woman presented to our hospital without any symptoms. Enhanced computed tomography showed a single PAVM in S6 of the right lung. Interviews prompted us to suspect a history of palmoplantar pustulosis associated with metal dental filling. Dermatology patch tests for metal allergy were positive for platinum, cobalt, tin and potassium dichromate. The first choice of treatment for PAVM is endovascular treatment using a metal coil. Since the coil is composed of platinum alloy, we performed partial lung resection for PAVM without metal implants. Although metal allergy is rare for endovascular treatment, it causes an additional stress of removal of causative metal or long-term steroidal treatment. Therefore, for single PAVM with multiple metal allergies to the implants, surgical treatment without metal implants should be considered., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Mediastinal branching of the A7a from the right main pulmonary artery (PA) is extremely rare. Herein, we report a patient with an aberrant mediastinal A7a who underwent right basal segmentectomy for lung cancer., Case Presentation: A 73-year-old man was referred to our department for a right lower lobe nodule measuring 18 mm in diameter on computed tomography (CT). Three-dimensional (3D) CT revealed mediastinal A7a branching from the right main PA. As the patient had undergone colectomy for advanced ascending colon cancer, the nodule was suspected to be a metastasis from the colon primary, and thus, basal segmentectomy of the right lung was performed. Intraoperatively, the A7a was observed behind the V4+5 and middle lobe bronchus. The pathological diagnosis was combined small cell carcinoma with an adenocarcinoma component (p-T1cN0M0, stage IA3). The patient subsequently received adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer. At 1-year postoperative follow-up, there was no evidence of disease., Conclusion: This is the first report describing an aberrant mediastinal A7a branching from the right main PA. It is important to obtain accurate information about variations of the PA using 3D-CT for safe anatomical pulmonary resection.

The present study retrospectively examined the diagnostic utility of adding positron emission tomography (PET) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to computed tomography (CT) alone for preoperative diagnosis of anterior mediastinal tumors. A total of 104 consecutive patients who had undergone surgical resection of anterior mediastinal tumors were divided into two groups: Additional PET to another modality and no additional PET to another modality, and further subdivided into three groups: CT alone, additional MRI to CT and additional PET to CT. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosing malignant tumors in each subgroup was calculated. Comparing the two groups, the diagnostic sensitivity was similar for additional PET (98.0%) and no additional PET (95.2%) groups; however, the specificity and accuracy for additional PET (75.0 and 92.2%, respectively) were significantly improved compared with no additional PET (31.6 and 65.0%, respectively). In the subgroup analysis, adding PET to CT showed an improvement in specificity and positive predictive value for detecting malignant tumors, compared with either additional MRI to CT or CT alone. Additional PET, but not MRI, has advantages over CT alone in clinically distinguishing benign from malignant tumors of the mediastinum., (Copyright © 2020, Spandidos Publications.)

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements are identified in approximately 5% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite initial dramatic responses to ALK inhibitors, the majority of patients relapse within 1 year, owing to the development of resistance. Herein we present a case of variant type 2 ALK -rearranged lung adenocarcinoma recurrence with multiple lung metastasis that maintained complete response over 5 years with crizotinib, which is the first approved ALK inhibitor. The efficacy of crizotinib may vary among ALK fusion variants and thus, variant type may represent an important factor in guiding the treatment strategy for ALK -rearranged lung adenocarcinoma.

Antigen (Ag)-specific activated CD8 + T cells are critical for tumor elimination but become exhausted, and thus, dysfunctional during immune response against the tumor due to chronic antigen stimulation. The signaling of immune checkpoint receptors is known to be a critical component in this exhaustion; however, the fate of these exhausted CD8 + T cells remains unclear. Therefore, to elucidate this, we followed the fate of Ag-specific CD8 + T cells by directly visualizing them using MHC class I tetramers coupled with ovoalubumin 257-264 in C57BL/6 mice inoculated with EG.7. We found that the number of generated Ag-specific activated CD8 + T cells decreased via apoptosis during a prolonged tumor immune response. However, the number of Ag-specific CD8 + T cells was significantly higher in Fas ligand (FasL)-dysfunctional gld mice than in control mice, resulting in suppressed tumor growth. In contrast, the enforced expression of Bcl-2 failed to rescue apoptosis of the exhausted CD8 + T cells following EG.7 inoculation. These results suggest that Fas/FasL signaling is critical for the survival of exhausted CD8 + T cells during the tumor immune response., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite advances in the development of various therapeutic agents, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is associated with a poor prognosis. To improve the prognosis of patients with NSCLC, new therapeutic targets for overcoming drug resistance are required. The process of autophagy is required to support the tumorigenesis and drug resistance of cancer cells. We investigated the clinical significance of SIRT6, a member of the NAD(+) -dependent deacetylase family, which regulates a variety of cancer-related processes, including autophagy., Methods: Immunohistochemistry analysis of SIRT6 expression and localization in 98 NSCLC clinical specimens and in vitro analysis using SIRT6-knockout lung carcinoma cell lines were performed., Results: Patients with high cytoplasmic expression and low nuclear expression of SIRT6 (n = 33) had more aggressive cancer, shorter overall survival, and shorter recurrence-free survival than did patients with different SIRT6 expression profiles (P < 0.05). In vitro analysis revealed that SIRT6 knockdown lung adenocarcinoma cell line improved paclitaxel sensitivity (P < 0.05) and reduced the expression levels of both nuclear factor kappaB and autophagy marker Beclin1., Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that SIRT6 expression in NSCLC could be a useful prognostic marker and that SIRT6 might represent a novel target gene for predicting sensitivity of chemotherapy in lung adenocarcinoma., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Aim: To measure cerebral tissue hemoglobin in uncomplicated and complicated pregnant women during the peripartum period., Methods: Time-resolved spectroscopy (TRS-20) can measure absolute concentration of oxygenated, deoxygenated, and total tissue hemoglobin based on the transit time of individual photons. Therefore, we used TRS-20 to measured tissue hemoglobin in the hemi-prefrontal lobes of normotensive pregnant women with (n = 51) or without (n = 19) epidural anesthesia, hypertensive pregnant women with pre-eclampsia (n = 10), a pregnant woman with acute onset of hypertension soon after delivery, and a hypertensive woman after hemorrhagic stroke in delivery., Results: Cyclic labor concomitant with intra-abdominal pressure caused synergistic elevation in cerebral tissue hemoglobin. In contrast, epidural anesthesia reduced the amplitude of the cyclic increase of cerebral tissue hemoglobin in normotensive pregnant women. Hypertension in labor due to pre-eclampsia increased the amplitude of synergistic elevation of cerebral tissue hemoglobin caused by cyclic labor and intra-abdominal pressure. A prolonged high basal level of cerebral tissue hemoglobin was observed in a case of acute onset of hypertension soon after delivery. A decrease in cerebral tissue hemoglobin in the hemi-prefrontal lobe was observed in a woman 2 h after the onset of hemorrhagic stroke in labor., Conclusions: TRS-20 can detect specific changes in maternal cerebral tissue hemoglobin level in response to physiological and pathophysiological changes in delivery. Thus, it represents a promising new conventional tool for maternal cerebral monitoring in the peripartum period., (© 2014 The Authors. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research © 2014 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.)

We describe a case of lung adenocarcinoma with multiple postoperative bone metastases that showed a gradual but complete response to combined administration of erlotinib and zoledronic acid. A 76-year-old man with moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma underwent a radical left upper lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection. Three and a half years after the operation, serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was elevated and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18FDG-PET) revealed multiple bone metastases. Pretreatment evaluation of EGFR mutations in the resected primary adenocarcinoma specimen showed an L858R mutation in exon 21. Gefitinib was started as first-line treatment. However, evaluation 1 month after administration revealed progressive disease. Erlotinib was started as second-line treatment, and evaluation 1 month after administration revealed that the disease was stable. Administration of zoledronic acid was then begun with continuation of erlotinib. After 2 courses of zoledronic acid, the serum CEA level had not changed but the maximum standardized uptake values of each region uniformly decreased. Furthermore, the uptake of 18FDG completely disappeared after 6 courses. Subsequently, the serum CEA level continued to decrease and the disappearance of 18FDG uptake was confirmed after 10 courses (12 months after initiation of erlotinib administration). Our results suggest that the combined administration of both drugs is effective against bone metastases.We experienced a case of lung adenocarcinoma with postoperative recurrence of multiple bone metastases that showed a gradual but complete response to combined administration of erlotinib and zoledronic acid. Our results suggest that the combined treatment of both drugs is an effective therapy against bone metastases.

Purpose: Recent advances in image diagnostic technology have enhanced the discovery of peripheral small size lung cancers. Here, we examined the utility of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) for the evaluation of grade of tumor malignant potency., Methods: Seventy-nine patients with peripheral small lung cancers (≤2 cm) who underwent surgical resections and preoperative FDG-PET were enrolled. The correlations between the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and various clinicopathological features related to tumor invasiveness, nodal metastasis, and recurrence were analyzed., Results: The median SUVmax of all tumors was 2.4 (range, 0-16.1). The SUVmax was significantly higher in patients with vascular invasion (5.6 ± 3.5 vs. 2.4 ± 2.4; P <0.0001), lymphatic invasion (4.9 ± 3.7 vs. 2.7 ± 2.6; P = 0.0029), lymph node metastasis (6.1 ± 4.4 vs. 3.0 ± 2.7; P = 0.0022), and recurrences (5.8 ± 3.3 vs. 3.1 ± 3.1; P = 0.0219). Patients with SUVmax ≥2.5 had a significantly higher incidence rate of vascular invasion (56% vs. 7%; P <0.0001), lymphatic invasion (51% vs. 15%; P = 0.0006), lymph node metastasis (26% vs. 3%; P = 0.0033), and recurrence (18% vs. 3%; P = 0.0289). The patients with SUVmax ≥1.5 also had a significantly higher incidence of vascular invasion, lymphatic invasion, lymph node metastasis, and recurrence. It is particularly worth noting that patients with SUVmax <1.5 had no vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, or recurrence., Conclusion: Preoperative SUVmax of peripheral small lung cancers were significantly associated with tumor malignancy.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has been enthusiastically used as a less-invasive diagnostic or therapeutic surgical procedure in recent years. VATS results in considerably less postoperative pain than traditional thoracotomy incisions. The current trend is to reduce the number of ports and minimize the length of incisions to further reduce postoperative pain, chest wall paresthesia, and length of hospitalization. Although several accounts of reduced port surgery, such as single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), have been reported, there are few descriptions of single-incision thoracoscopic surgery (SITS) using a thin puncture device for a variety of diseases. Herein, we describe a minimally invasive SITS technique using a thin puncture device.

Unlabelled: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. To improve the prognosis of patients with NSCLCs, new and validated therapeutic targets are critically needed. In this study, we focused on F-box and WD repeat domain containing-7 (FBXW7), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, that regulates the degradation of MCL1, Myc, cyclin E, and TOP2A. Importantly, loss of FBXW7 was associated with increased sensitivity of tumors to a class I-specific histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, MS-275. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed increased expression of FBXW7 targets, MCL1 and TOP2A, in NSCLC tumors with low expression of FBXW7. Moreover, clinical specimens exhibiting low FBXW7 expression presented with more progressive cancer and significantly shorter cancer-specific survival than patients with high FBXW7 expression. Mechanistic study of NSCLC cell lines with silenced FBXW7 revealed enhanced MS-275 sensitivity and taxol resistance. Interestingly, taxol resistance was eliminated by MS-275 treatment, suggesting the potential of HDAC inhibitors for the treatment of aggressive taxol-resistant NSCLCs that lack FBXW7., Implications: FBXW7 status impacts chemosensitivity and is a prognostic marker in NSCLCs. VISUAL OVERVIEW: http://mcr.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2013/12/19/1541-7786.MCR-13-0341/F1.large.jpg., (©2013 AACR.)

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) of the esophagus is a relatively rare variant of esophageal malignancies. It is regarded as a disease with a poor prognosis because of the high frequency of distant metastases. We managed a case of resected solitary pulmonary metastasis of BSCC of the esophagus in a 78-year-old female. We performed curative thoracic esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection for her disease. After two years and nine months, a thoracoscopic partial resection of the left lung was performed for the solitary pulmonary metastasis. At present, one year after the surgery, the patient is doing well without any recurrence. There have been few reports of case of resected pulmonary metastases. In addition, no treatment strategy for pulmonary metastases from BSCC of the esophagus has been established because of the limited number of cases. Additional cases are required to determine the treatment method.

A 35-year-old female presented with multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules on a chest X-ray during a regular health checkup. Chest computed tomography revealed multiple well-defined nodular shadows in the lung. She had undergone a myomectomy 7 years previously for leiomyoma of the uterus. Thoracoscopic resection of one of the nodules was performed to establish a pathological diagnosis. Pathological findings were consistent with benign metastasizing leiomyoma. Estrogen and progesterone receptors showed strong positives by immunohistostaining of the tumor. The patient is currently receiving outpatient treatment for a benign metastasizing leiomyoma by administration of a GnRH analog drug.

Podoplanin, a small type I integral membrane mucin-type sialoglycoprotein, serves as a useful marker for diagnosing malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM); however, the physiological function of podoplanin in mesothelioma cells is not known. To elucidate the role of podoplanin in the pathogenesis of MPM, we generated two mesothelioma cell lines (PODO1 and PODO2) that stably express high levels of podoplanin. Although PODO1 cells proliferated to the same extent in culture or in nude mice, the survival rate of the mice was significantly reduced compared with that of the controls. We demonstrated that PODO1 and PODO2 cells had increased invasive ability in in vitro assays and induced upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-1. PODO1 and PODO2 cultures could not be induced to undergo apoptosis when starved or treated with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) compared with the controls. Moreover, silencing of podoplanin expression using RNA interference restored the ability of CDDP to induce apoptosis. Consistent with their growth properties, we detected constitutive activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase in PODO1 and PODO2 cultures. These findings suggest that constitutive expression of podoplanin contributes to the invasive growth properties of mesothelioma cells and their resistance to apoptosis. Moreover, our data suggest that podoplanin or components of its signaling pathway, or both, may serve as important targets for developing novel treatments for MPM.

The appearance of pulmonary metastasis more than 15 years after primary treatment for breast cancer is rare. We herein report the case of a breast cancer patient with solitary pulmonary metastasis, after an 18-year disease-free period, treated with resection. A 66-year-old Japanese woman was found to exhibit an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray. She had undergone a left mastectomy for breast cancer 18 years previously. The nodule was suspected to be either metastatic or primary lung cancer, and thus thoracoscopic surgery was performed. The histologic diagnosis was metastasis from breast cancer. Pulmonary resection in breast cancer recurrence is an important diagnostic tool that allows for a differential diagnosis with primary lung cancer. The clinical implication of surgery for a solitary pulmonary metastasis from breast cancer is discussed in this report.

Giant cell tumors (GCTs) are rare neoplasms, most commonly arising in the metaphysis/epiphysis of long bones. They consist of multinucleated giant cells with surrounding spindle-shaped mononuclear stromal cells. GCTs rarely appear in the ribs. We report a case of a GCT originating from the anterior arc of the fourth rib in a 31-year-old man who presented with a progressively growing thoracic mass in the left anterior chest wall. Thoracotomy involving en bloc resection of the chest wall and tumor and a reconstruction of the chest wall were performed.

A 31-year old female with anorexia nervosa was referred to the Department of General Surgical Science at Gunma University for a surgical resection of a pulmonary aspergilloma. The patient had received treatment for anorexia nervosa at the Department of Psychiatry of the Hospital of Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine. A chest radiograph showed an infiltrative shadow with apical pleural thickening in the left upper lung field. A contrast enhanced computed tomography showed an irregular mass shadow with cavity formation that involved spherical clusters in the left upper lobe. The patient was diagnosed with pulmonary aspergilloma by serological studies and radiological features. A pulmonary segmentectomy of the left apical segment (S1 + 2) through a lateral thoracotomy was successfully performed. She had an uneventful postoperative recovery, and the final histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary aspergilloma. This is a rare case study of a young female patient with anorexia nervosa who developed pulmonary aspergilloma.

Here, we report a rare case of a 39-year-old male who presented with left forearm pain and swelling as the initial manifestation of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The patient underwent chemoradiotherapy followed by surgical resection of the primary lesion as a salvage treatment. Four years and 7 months after his first presentation, the patient is alive with no symptoms of recurrence or metastasis. Although the optimal treatment for skeletal muscle metastasis from NSCLC has not been determined, aggressive treatment for the primary and the solitary metastatic lesion could be considered as a potentially successful treatment option.

Extracutaneous glomus tumors are uncommon, and their occurrence in the trachea is rare. We present a case of a surgically resected glomus tumor of the trachea in a 56-year-old woman who presented with worsening dyspnea and cough. Bronchoscopy and computed tomography showed a polypoid tumor arising from the posterior membrane of the lower trachea just above the carina; the tracheal lumen was approximately 80% occluded. The patient underwent successful tracheal sleeve resection with primary reconstruction. The histological characteristics and immunohistochemical profile were typical for this tumor. The clinicopathological features of this unusual neoplasm are discussed, and the literature is reviewed.

Mesenchymal cystic hamartomas are uncommon tumors originating from nodules of primitive mesenchymal cells, and their occurrence in the lung is extremely rare. We present a case of surgically resected mesenchymal cystic hamartoma of the lung in a 49-year old woman who presented without any symptoms. Chest computed tomography showed a solitary cystic lesion in the right lower lobe. The patient underwent preoperative marking by 0.2 ml lipiodol 4 days before surgery. Thoracoscopic partial resection of the right lower lobe was performed. The histological picture and immunohistochemical profile were compatible with this tumor.

Gefitinib and erlotinib, which are epidermal growth factor receptor- (EGFR-) specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), are widely used as molecularly targeted drugs for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Currently, the search for EGFR gene mutations is becoming essential for the treatment of NSCLC since these have been identified as predictive factors for drug sensitivity. On the other hand, in almost all patients responsive to EGFR-TKIs, acquired resistance is a major clinical problem. Mechanisms of acquired resistance reported in the past few years include secondary mutation of the EGFR gene, amplification of the MET gene, and overexpression of HGF; novel pharmaceutical agents are currently being developed to overcome resistance. This review focuses on these mechanisms of acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs and discusses how they can be overcome.

Bochdalek hernia is usually diagnosed in pediatric patients and not in the elderly. In adults, there are some cases resulting in misdiagnosis of pneumonia, pleural effusion, congenital bulla, and pneumothorax by chest roentgenogram. We present here a rare case of Bochdalek hernia in an elderly patient who suffered from sudden back pain and had the hernia repaired with laparotomy.

Purpose: Overexpression of EGFR is found in several malignancies including lung cancers. Recently, EGFR mutation has been shown to correlate with responsiveness to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). Although antibodies against phophorylated EGFR have been used in vitro, phosphorylated EGFR has yet not been examined well in resected non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs)., Experimental Design: We studied the immunohistochemistry of anti-EGFR and phosphorylated EGFR in 97 resected NSCLCs, examined the relationship with EGFR mutation, and performed quantitative RT-PCR of the EGFR gene in the TaqMan assay., Result: EGFR mutation was seen in 27% of 97 NSCLCs and 37% of 70 adenocarcinomas. EGFR was stained in 60% of 97 NSCLCs. Phosphorylation of tyrosine 845 (pY845) and 1068 (pY1068) was positive in 49% and 48%, respectively. The observed correlation with EGFR mutation and pY845 or pY1068 was statistically significant (P=0.0001 for pY845, P<0.0001 for pY1068, chi square test), although phospho-EGFR status was not associated with a particular mutation type. pY1068-positive tumors also correlated with female, light smoker, and adenocarcinoma histology, but not with mRNA expression. Moreover, patients with pY1068-positive tumors showed prolonged survival (P=0.0093, log-rank test)., Conclusion: It is possible that immunohistochemistry of phosphorylated EGFR can substitute for EGFR mutation analysis. Further investigation is necessary to determine whether phospho-EGFR immunohistochemistry predicts response to TKIs and survival benefit.

A mediastinal tumor in a 49-year-old woman with myasthenia gravis is reported. The tumor was well-demarcated and located in the supero-anterior mediastinum. Microscopically, the tumor consisted of thymic and neuroblastic tumor components, the latter of which consisted of immature and maturing neuronal cells, abundant neuropils, and Schwannian stroma. The two components intermingled with each other inside the tumor capsule. The tumor was diagnosed as thymoma with a ganglioneuroblastomatous component. The coexistence of epithelial and neuronal tissues in the thymic neoplasm is extremely rare.

Endometriosis is a relatively common disorder in women of reproductive age; however, appendiceal endometriosis is rare. Thus, a definitive diagnosis is likely to be established only by histology of the appendix. We report a case of endometriosis of the appendix in a 42-year-old woman who presented with symptoms of acute appendicitis. We treated the patient by performing laparoscopic appendectomy, which resulted in a good outcome.

Background/aims: Cystic duct leakage (CDL) is one of the most common complications after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). We retrospectively examined 3 patients with CDL that were treated with endoscopic stenting., Methodology: From January 1995 to December 2004, 1127 LCs were performed. CDL occurred in 3 cases and a closed suction drain was inserted in 2 of those 3 cases., Results: The duration from LC to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was 2 to 4 days, and the patient without the drain experienced the longest waiting time. Hospital stay was almost identical for all 3 cases. There was an immediate improvement after the procedure., Conclusions: It is important to employ accurate technical surgical procedures to prevent complications. ERCP with stent placement and sphincterotomy is an easy and safe diagnostic and therapeutic procedure for CDL, and has a high success rate in resolving leaks.

Background: The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been detected in lymphoepithelioma of the nasopharynx and lymphoepithelioma-like carcinomas in various organs. Ten percent of gastric carcinomas, including lymphepithelioma-like carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, are associated with EBV infection. The p16 protein is a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor that decelerates the cell cycle, inactivating the CDKs that phosphorylate retinoblastoma (Rb) protein., Materials and Methods: To clarify the relationship between p16 overexpression and EBV-associated gastric carcinomas, immunohistochemical analysis of p16 and detection of EBV by in situ hybridization were performed on 238 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples of gastric carcinomas., Results: The non-expression of p16 protein in EBV-positive and -negative carcinoma was 81.5% (53 out of 65 samples) and 26.6% (46 out of 173 samples), respectively (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: We suggest that the carcinogenesis of EBV-associated gastric cancers may be closely associated with a p16 abnormality.

Background: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of neutrophil elastase inhibitor on postoperative cytokine levels in patients after esophagectomy., Methods: Fifteen patients were divided into two groups; group 1: 9 patients receiving neutrophil elastase inhibitor (0.2 mg x kg(-1) x hr(-1) from the admission to ICU to extubation), group 2: 6 patients as a control. We measured neutrophil elastase activity, interleukin 1-beta, interleukin 6 and interleukin 8 preoperatively, just after the admission to ICU, and 24, 48 and 72 hours after the surgery., Results: There were significant differences in neutrophil elastase activity and interleukin 8 in group 1 24 hours after the surgery, compared with those in group 2. The time necessary for mechanical ventilation in group 1 was shorter than that in group 2 (group 1: 44.7 +/- 24.7 hrs, group 2: 112.8 +/- 90.3 hrs, P = 0.048)., Conclusions: The administration of neutrophil elastase inhibitor may be useful for patients after esophagectomy to reduce overexpression of plasma cytokine levels after surgery.

In the course of investigations of coronary artery disease in Utah, we identified a family whose proband showed elevated plasma levels of LDL cholesterol. To determine the genetic etiology of the lipoprotein abnormalities, we screened DNA samples for mutations in all 18 exons and the exon- intron boundaries of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene. Novel point mutations were identified in the proband: a T-to-A transversion at nucleotide position 223, causing substitution of Ser for Cys at codon 54 in exon 3 of the receptor gene. This amino acid replacement would disrupt one of the disulfide bonds necessary for maintenance of the secondary structure of the repeat at the N-terminal of the receptor, prevent correct folding of the receptor, and result in defective intracellular transport of the receptor.

Plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels reflect in part the influence of relevant genetic loci. Defects at some of these loci account for specific types of dyslipoproteinemia occurring with regularity among family members. In the course of familial investigations of coronary artery disease, we identified an family in which several members were affected with elevated low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. To study the genetic defects responsible for plasma lipoprotein abnormality in this pedigree, we developed a simple method for genotyping a single base substitution that does not affect a restriction recognition enzyme site in exon 10 of the LDL receptor gene. Using our mismatched PCR method, this G- > A substitution at nucleotide 1413 could be genotyped in the form of a biallelic restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) after digestion with restriction enzyme Hpa II. Linkage analysis using this molecular method demonstrated that the defect at the LDL receptor locus is responsible for elevated LDL cholesterol phenotype observed in this family by segregation of defective alleles at the LDL receptor locus with the disease (peak decimal logarithm of odds score > 3.0).