Biomedical subjects

Kei Fujii

Publications and source records attributed to Kei Fujii.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

S100P is an early developmental marker of pancreatic carcinogenesis.

PURPOSE: Our goal was to clarify the involvement and clinical significance of S100P in pancreatic carcinogenesis. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We examined S100P expression in 45 bulk pancreatic tissues; in microdissected cells, including invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) cells (20 sections), pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) cells (12 sections), intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) cells (19 sections), and normal epithelial cells (11 sections); and in pancreatic juice samples from 99 patients with pancreatic diseases (32 cancer, 35 IPMN, and 32 chronic pancreatitis samples). We used quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR with gene-specific priming to measure S100P in these various types of samples. RESULTS: In bulk tissue analyses, pancreatic cancer and IPMN expressed significantly higher levels of S100P than did nonneoplastic pancreas (P<0.017 and P=0.0013, respectively). Microdissection analyses revealed that IPMN expressed significantly higher levels of S100P than did IDC (P<0.0001) and PanIN (P=0.0031), although S100P expression did not differ between IDC and PanIN (P=0.077). In pancreatic juice analyses, cancer and IPMN juice expressed significantly higher levels of S100P than did pancreatitis juice (both P<0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses revealed that measurement of S100P in pancreatic juice was useful for discriminating neoplastic disease from chronic pancreatitis (area under the curve=0.837; 95% confidence interval, 0.749-0.903). CONCLUSION: S100P may be an early developmental marker of pancreatic carcinogenesis, and measurement of S100P in pancreatic juice may be useful for early detection of pancreatic cancer or screening of early pancreatic carcinogenesis.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗

PubMed2006

Quantitative analysis of MUC1 and MUC5AC mRNA in pancreatic juice for preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic juice is a promising type of diagnostic sample for pancreatic cancer, and members of the mucin (MUC) family are diagnostic candidates. To evaluate the utility of MUC family members as diagnostic markers, we measured MUC mRNA expression in pancreatic tissues and pancreatic juice obtained from patients with different pancreatic diseases as well as in pancreatic cancer cell lines by real-time PCR. Furthermore, to support the possibility of early diagnosis by quantification of MUC1 and MUC5AC, immunohistochemistry and microdissection-based quantitative analysis of mRNA were carried out. There was no significant correlation between MUC1 and MUC5AC expression in cell lines. When beta-actin was used as a reference gene, median MUC1 and MUC5AC mRNA expression levels were remarkably greater in tumoral tissues than in non-tumoral tissues, but median MUC4 and MUC6 mRNA expression levels were not. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that quantitative analysis of MUC1 and MUC5AC mRNA in pancreatic juice is better diagnostic modality than that of MUC4 and MUC6 mRNA. Immunohistochemistry showed that MUC1 and MUC5AC were highly expressed in invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC) and moderately expressed in high-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN); no staining was observed in normal ducts. Analysis of cells isolated by microdissection showed stepwise upregulation of MUC1 and MUC5AC in the development of high-grade PanIN to IDC. Our results suggest that MUC1 and MUC5AC are upregulated stepwise in pancreatic carcinogenesis and that quantitative assessment of MUC1 and MUC5AC mRNA in pancreatic juice has high potential for preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

PubMed2006

Seroepidemiological survey of morbillivirus infection in Kuril harbor seals (Phoca vitulina stejnegeri) of Hokkaido, Japan.

Serological analysis was performed to detect morbillivirus infection in Kuril harbor seals in Hokkaido, Japan. Serum samples were collected from the seals at Nosappu (231 sera), Akkeshi (16), and Erimo (75) between 1998 and 2005. Antibodies to phocine distemper virus (PDV) were detected by ELISA in seals from Nosappu and Erimo. Antibodies to PDV were found in 56% (5/9) of the sampled seals from Nosappu in 1998, versus only 5% (3/66) for 2003, 1% (1/79) for 2004, and 1% (1/77) for 2005. These suggest epidemic caused by the virus in or before 1998. As antibody-positive seals included juvenile seals in 2003 and 2005, sporadic infections of the virus are thought to have occurred in recent years. In Erimo, antibodies to PDV were found in 50% (14/28) of sampled seals in 2004, versus only 13% (1/8) for 1999, 7% (1/15) for 2003, and 0% (0/24) for 2005. These suggest sporadic infection by the virus before 2003 and the epizootic between after autumn in 2003, when samples of 2003 were collected, and 2004. Since antibodies to canine distemper virus (CDV) were detected in one adult seal from Nosappu in each year from 2003 to 2005, sporadic infections of the virus were suggested. There were no difference in incidence of seals with antibodies to the viruses between males and females and between juveniles and adults.

Aging↗

PubMed2005

The role of S100A6 in pancreatic cancer development and its clinical implication as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target.

Recent microarray analyses showed that the S100 family contains members that are candidate diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets. In the present study, to evaluate the involvement of S100A6 in pancreatic cancer and its clinical usefulness for diagnosis, we examined S100A6 mRNA expression in pancreatic tissues and pancreatic juice from patients with different pancreatic diseases. To investigate the role of S100A6 in carcinogenesis of pancreatic cancer and the potential of S100A6 as a diagnostic marker for early detection of pancreatic cancer, we did immunohistochemistry and microdissection-based mRNA analysis of pancreatic normal ducts, pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias, and invasive ductal carcinomas. We also used in vitro experiments and microarray analysis with RNA interference to evaluate the functional role of S100A6 and its potential as a therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer. S100A6 mRNA levels were significantly higher in carcinoma specimens than in nonneoplastic tissues. In pancreatic juice, there was a significant difference in S100A6 expression between patients with carcinoma and those with nonneoplastic disease. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed that S100A6 might be a useful marker for diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Immunohistochemistry and microdissection-based analysis showed differential expression of S100A6 among normal ducts, pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias, and invasive ductal carcinomas. In vitro data showed that inhibition of S100A6 decreased proliferation and invasiveness of cancer cells, and these findings were supported by microarray data. Our present results suggest that quantitation of S100A6 mRNA is a promising tool for diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and that S100A6 may be a promising therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

PubMed2005

Seasonal changes in serum leptin of the feral raccoon (Procyon lotor) determined by canine-leptin-specific ELISA.

Several reports have been published on blood leptin concentrations in feral animals, including members of the Carnivora, using a commercially available multi-species radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit with anti-human leptin antibody. However, we observed weak immunoreactivity between recombinant canine leptin and anti-human leptin antibody, suggesting a limitation in the applicability of the RIA kit for leptin assays in Carnivora species. We tested the applicability of RIA and sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with anti-canine leptin antibody to assay blood leptin in the dog (Canis familiaris) and the raccoon (Procyon lotor). When RIA was used for recombinant canine leptin and dog sera, values were much lower than those determined by ELISA at higher concentrations (>10 ng/ml), while rather higher at lower concentrations (<2 ng/ml). A similar discrepancy between the two methods was found for serum leptin concentrations in raccoons. Clear seasonal variations were observed by ELISA, but not by RIA, with high values in autumn (3.46+/-0.45 ng/ml) and low values in spring and summer (0.71+/-0.07 ng/ml). Serum leptin concentrations in raccoons correlated positively with their body weight (r=0.753) and body mass index (r=0.755), corroborating our previous findings of a strong positive correlation between serum leptin concentrations and body fat content in dogs. Thus, the canine leptin ELISA is useful for assays of dog and raccoon leptin, and blood leptin is a good marker of nutritional condition in the species of Carnivora assayed in this study.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

A minute nonfunctioning islet cell tumor demonstrating malignant features.

We report a patient with a minute nonfunctioning islet cell tumor, 8 mm in diameter, which demonstrated malignant features by histology. The patient was a 43-year-old Japanese woman, who had an elevated carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level, of 59 U/ml (normal range, <37 U/ml) identified on a health check to rule out malignancies. Ultrasonography and computed tomography demonstrated a well-defined pancreatic tumor, 8 mm in diameter, in the body of the pancreas. Serum levels of pancreatic hormones were within normal limits, and thus a tentative diagnosis was nonfunctioning islet cell tumor. The size of the tumor remained unchanged for 1 1/2 years, but, at this time, the serum level of CA19-9 was elevated to 253 U/ml. Segmental pancreatectomy was performed because malignancy could not be ruled out. The resected specimen showed an endocrine tumor invading both the pancreatic parenchyma and the perineural spaces outside the tumor. In general, minute nonfunctioning islet cell tumors have been considered to be completely benign, but the present tumor showed clear malignant features. We might have to take surgical resection into consideration even if the size of such an endocrine tumor is minute.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗

PubMed2002

In search of a function for the E3B1/Abi2/Argbp1/NESH family (Review).

An E3B1/Abi2/Argbp1/NESH protein family has recently emerged from analysis of the sequence and structural similarities. These are adaptor proteins possessing homeobox homology domain, proline rich region and Src-homology 3 (SH3) domain that interact with Abl-family tyrosine kinases. Some of the members of this family are involved in cytoskeletal reorganization that plays important roles in membrane-ruffling, lamellipodia formation and cell migration. Furthermore, it seems likely that this family may also regulate cancer development through modulation of the oncogenic Abl kinase. The knowledge of this status is helpful in thinking of the regulatory mechanisms to cell metastasis and to malignant transformation of cancer. We discuss how these interesting molecules work and consider their involvement in cancer.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗