Biomedical subjects

T Aikou

Publications and source records attributed to T Aikou.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2001

Allelotype analysis of gallbladder carcinoma associated with anomalous junction of pancreaticobiliary duct.

Anomalous junction of pancreaticobiliary duct (AJPBD) patients has an increased risk of gallbladder and bile duct carcinomas. However, the relevance of carcinoma with AJPBD is not fully clarified. We performed analysis of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at p53 locus and immunohistochemistry of p53 and K-ras gene mutation in five cases of gallbladder carcinoma associated with AJPBD. LOH of p53 locus and overexpression of p53 were detected in two out of five (40%) and five out of five (100%), respectively, in the present study. K-ras gene mutation at codon 12 and 13 was not detected (0%, 0/5). These results suggest that aberrations of p53 are involved in carcinogenesis of gallbladder carcinoma associated with AJPBD. Next, in order to find the genetic events besides K-ras mutation and overexpression of mutant p53 in this disease, LOH analysis was performed using 72 microsatellite markers. High frequency of allelic loss (> 50%) was found on 2p (81.8%), 4p (50%), 4q (50%), 8q (60%), 9q (50%), 10p (50%), 14p (60%), 14q (50%), 16p (60%), 19p (50%), 21p (50%) and Xp (66.6%). The highest deletion regions on chromosome 2p24 (3/3, 100%), 14q22 (3/4, 75%) and 21q22 (3/4, 75%) were found. The present study suggests that gallbladder carcinoma associated with AJPBD has high frequent allelic loss and has two new regions which may harbor putative tumor suppressor genes.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Reversal of LRP-associated drug resistance in colon carcinoma SW-620 cells.

Resistance to multiple drugs is mediated by lung resistance-related protein (LRP) as well as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug resistance protein (MRP). The levels of expression of LRP mRNA and LRP in a human colon carcinoma cell line, SW-620, were increased by the differentiation-inducing agent, sodium butyrate (NaB). Treatment of SW-620 cells with NaB for 2 weeks conferred resistance to adriamycin (ADM) and VP-16. The resistance was almost completely reversed by PAK-104P, a pyridine analog, but not by cepharanthine. ADM accumulated mainly in the nuclei of SW-620 cells not treated with NaB and in the cytoplasm of SW-620 cells treated with NaB. When the NaB-treated SW-620 cells were incubated with ADM in the presence of PAK-104P, the accumulation of ADM in nuclei was substantially increased. Isolated nuclei from untreated cells accumulated more ADM than nuclei from NaB-treated cells. Efflux of ADM from the nuclei isolated from NaB-treated cells was enhanced. PAK-104P and an antibody against LRP increased the accumulation of ADM in the isolated nuclei from NaB-treated cells, and inhibited the enhanced efflux of ADM from the nuclei. These findings suggest that at least in part, PAK-104P reverses LRP-mediated drug resistance by inhibiting the efflux of ADM from nuclei. PAK-104P may be useful for reversing MDR in tumors that overexpress LRP.

Alkaloids↗

PubMed2001

Epstein-Barr virus involvement is mainly restricted to lymphoepithelial type of gastric carcinoma among various epithelial neoplasms.

To demonstrate the association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with primary epithelial neoplasms in the south part of Kyushu, Japan, 761 carcinomas consisting of 75 lung, 61 breast, 107 esophagus, 102 colon, 58 pancreas, 45 thyroid, and 313 gastric cancers were examined by EBER-1 in situ hybridization. EBER-1 was detected in 23 cases (7.3%) out of 313 gastric carcinomas, while none of the other carcinomas was positive for EBER-1. Twenty-eight (9.4%) out of 313 gastric carcinomas were differentiated poorly to moderately carcinomas with prominent lymphoid cell infiltration, similar to so-called lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma, and 19 cases (67.9%) were positive for EBER-1. Although two (2.6%) and 11(10.3%) out of 75 lung and 107 esophagus carcinomas were so-called lymphoepithelioma-like carcinomas, respectively, but EBER-1 was not detected in other epithelial neoplasms that originated from the lung, esophagus, breast, colon, pancreas, and thyroid in the south of Kyushu, Japan. As a result, EBV was associated with only some gastric carcinomas but not with other epithelial neoplasms originating from the lung, esophagus, breast, colon, pancreas, and thyroid in southern Japan.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2001

Preoperative assessment of vascularity by color Doppler ultrasonography in human rectal carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Although angiogenesis assessed by immunostaining endothelial cells (microvessel density) is a well-known prognostic factor in a wide variety of human solid tumors, preoperative determination of microvessel density seems to be difficult in rectal carcinoma. Thus, we performed transanal color Doppler ultrasonography in 46 patients with rectal carcinoma to assess preoperative angiogenic status and compare it with microvessel density in surgical specimens. METHODS: Time-averaged maximal velocity, peak systolic velocity, number of vascular points, and vascular point index were conducted by color Doppler ultrasonography in 46 patients with rectal carcinoma. Number of vascular points was defined as the number of vessels with pulsation in the section of tumor. Vascular point index was defined as the average number of vascular points divided by the area assessed by color Doppler ultrasonography in the section of tumor. The profiles of number of vascular points were similar to those assessed by microangiography in five rectal carcinomas. RESULTS: Vascular point index significantly correlated with microvessel density (P < 0.0001). No significant correlation was found between microvessel density and time-averaged maximal velocity or peak systolic velocity. Vascular point index was also a better indicator of lymph node metastasis and venous invasion than microvessel density. In addition, 11 of 46 cases with postoperative hematogenous metastasis (23.9 percent) were observed prospectively. Vascular point index may be a best predictor for hematogenous metastasis from rectal carcinoma compared with peak systolic velocity, time-averaged maximal velocity, and microvessel density by receiver operating characteristic analysis. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that preoperative quantification of angiogenesis using color Doppler ultrasonography will provide quick and useful information in the management of rectal carcinoma.

Blood Flow Velocity↗

PubMed2001

The role of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy using low-dose fraction cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil in patients with carcinoma of the esophagus.

OBJECTIVE: We clarified the role of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy in patients with carcinoma of the esophagus and compared it to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: We retrospectively examined 40 patients diagnosed with advanced thoracic esophageal carcinoma who underwent neoadjuvant therapy followed by esophagectomy between 1993 and 1999. We divided them into 2 groups: radiochemotherapy (17) and chemotherapy (23). Radiochemotherapy patients underwent 40 Gy radiation and low-dose fraction cisplatin (7 mg/body/day, 5 days a week x 4 weeks) and 5-fluorouracil (350 mg/body/day x 28 days). Chemotherapy patients received high-dose fraction cisplatin/5-fluorouracil involving 2 courses of cisplatin (70 mg/m2/day on day 1) and 5-fluorouracil (700 mg/m2/day on days 1-5). RESULTS: Complete pathological response was 17.6% in the radiochemotherapy group and 0% in the chemotherapy group respectively. No hospital mortality occurred in the radiochemotherapy group, and 1 of the 23 chemotherapy patients died in the hospital due to postoperative complications. The incidence of residual tumors was significantly higher in the chemotherapy group (34.8%) than in the radiochemotherapy group (0%). Actuarial survival in the radiochemotherapy group at 1 year was 80.2% and at 3 years 53.5%. Actuarial survival in the chemotherapy group at 1 year was 56.5% and at 3 years 30.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Histological effectiveness was greater in patients treated with preoperative radiochemotherapy than those treated with preoperative chemotherapy. The combination of radiation and low-dose fraction CDDP/5-FU thus is first choice in neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy for the advanced esophageal carcinoma.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Lymph node metastasis and preoperative diagnosis of depth of invasion in early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: No reports have, to date, focused on the relationship between preoperative determination of the depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis. The present study, under the leadership of the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association, was designed to form a basis for decision making in limited treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC). METHODS: From eight major hospitals in Japan, 2672 gastric cancers whose preoperative depth of invasion was mucosal(M-cancer), and 6209 EGCs, consisting of 3584 mucosal(m-) and 2625 submucosal(sm-) cancers, were collected by questionnaire. All registered patients underwent gastrectomy with D1 or more extensive lymphadenectomy between 1985 and 1998. RESULTS: The accuracy of preoperative diagnosis of depth of invasion of M-cancers was 80.2% (2144/2672). However, of the total of 2432 M-cancers in which no nodal involvement was observed intraoperatively (N0), histological examination of the resected specimens confirmed that lymph node metastasis was absent in 2353 (96.8%). The frequencies of lymph node metastasis in early gastric, m-, and sm-cancers were 8.9%, 2.5%, and 17.6%, respectively. Node involvement was associated with a higher frequency of undifferentiated than differentiated histology, as well as with greater tumor size. The incidences of lymph node metastasis in m-cancers with a diameter of less than 4 cm, and in sm-cancers with a diameter below 1 cm were 1.3% (37/2837) and 4.9% (4/82), respectively. These metastases rarely extended beyond the first tier. CONCLUSION: N0 and M-cancers, m-cancers less than 4 cm in diameter, and sm-cancers no larger than 1 cm in diameter may be appropriate indications for limited surgery.

Chi-Square Distribution↗

PubMed2001

Detection and prediction of micrometastasis in the lymph nodes of patients with pN0 gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: The clinicopathologic significance of micrometastasis (MM) and tumor cell microinvolvement (TCM) in regional lymph nodes as identified by immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin expression was evaluated in patients with node-negative gastric cancer. METHODS: MM was defined as tumor cells with stromal reaction, and TCM was defined as individual tumor cells without stromal reaction. We investigated 1761 lymph nodes obtained from 67 gastric cancer patients whose diagnosis showed no lymph node metastasis by routine histological examination. The depth of tumor invasion was T1 (submucosa) in 33 patients and T2 (muscularis propria and subserosa) in 34 patients. The lymph nodes were examined immunohistochemically for the presence of tumor cells using anti-cytokeratin AE1/AE3 monoclonal antibody. Both the biopsy tumor specimens obtained prior to surgery and the resected primary tumors were immunostained with E-cadherin (E-cad) monoclonal antibody. RESULTS: Thirty (1.5%) of the 1761 lymph nodes showed MM and/or TCM. MM with or without TCM was found in 10 patients, and TCM alone was found in 4 patients; 6 (18.2%) of the 33 patients with T1 tumor and 8 (23.5%) of the 34 patients with T2 tumor had occult lymph node metastasis. The 5-year survival rate was worse among those with MM with or without TCM, than among those without MM. Nearly all of the patients with MM and/or TCM had reduced or negative E-cad expression in the primary tumor. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that the incidence of MM and/or TCM in the lymph nodes of patients with gastric cancer is quite high, and that such metastasis is associated with the prognosis of patients with pN0. Examination of E-cad expression in biopsy tumor specimens may be useful for predicting MM and/or TCM.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Clinical significance and prognostic value of apoptosis related proteins in superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to examine the expression of cell cycle regulators [p53, p21WAF1/CIP1 (p21), and Rb] and apoptosis related proteins Bax and Bcl-X(L) and to evaluate the relationship between their expressions and clinicopathological findings in patients with superficial squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus. METHODS: We immunohistochemically investigated the expression of p53, p21, Rb, Bax, and Bcl-X(L) in 79 patients with superficial esophageal carcinoma. RESULTS: p21 overexpression was found in mucosal carcinoma (P = 0.05) and a high Bcl-X(L) score was observed for submucosal carcinoma (P = 0.03). The patients with high Bcl-X(L) score had more frequent lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis than did those with low Bcl-X(L) score (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis revealed significantly shorter survival in patients with high Bcl-X(L) expression than in those with low Bcl-X(L) expression, but Bcl-X(L) expression was not identified as an independent prognostic factor by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Because Bcl-X(L) expression correlated well with depth of tumor invasion, lymphatic invasion, and lymph node metastasis, examination of Bcl-X(L) expression will help to estimate the properties in superficial squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Patterns of pelvic invasion are prognostic in the treatment of locally recurrent rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Local recurrence of rectal cancer after curative resection remains a difficult clinical problem. The aim of this study was to elucidate prognostic risk factors after resection of recurrent cancer. METHODS: Between January 1983 and December 1999, 83 patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer were studied retrospectively for survival benefit by re-resection. Sixty patients underwent resection for recurrent cancer, including total pelvic exenteration in 30 patients and sacrectomy in 23 patients. The extent of locally recurrent tumour was classified by the pattern of pelvic invasion as follows: localized, sacral invasion and lateral invasion. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed that the pattern of pelvic invasion was a significant prognostic factor which independently influenced survival after resection of recurrent cancer (P < 0.001). The 5-year survival rates were 38 per cent in the localized type (n = 27), 10 per cent in the sacral invasive type (n = 16) and zero in the lateral invasive type (n = 17). CONCLUSION: Resection for locally recurrent rectal cancer is potentially curative in patients with localized or sacral invasive patterns of recurrence. Alternatives should be explored in patients with recurrence involving the lateral pelvic wall.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Micrometastases in the cervical lymph nodes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Few studies have investigated the presence of lymph node micrometastases (MM) in the cervical region of patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer. The present study examines the presence of cervical MM and attempts to determine a way to predict the occurrence and site of such micrometastases. A total of 2203 cervical lymph nodes and 118 mediastinal recurrent nerve nodes obtained from 86 patients with esophageal carcinoma were examined immunohistochemically using cytokeratins. Cervical lymph nodes and mediastinal recurrent nerve nodes metastases were detected histologically in 33 and 41 of the 86 patients respectively. Cervical lymph node and mediastinal recurrent nerve node MM were immunohistochemically detected in 16 (18.6%) and 6 (7.0%) patients respectively. Of these 16 patients with cervical MM, seven were found to have lymph node metastases in different cervical regions, whereas cervical MM only were detected in nine patients. Among the former group of patients, five were diagnosed by ultrasound examination as having cervical lymph node metastases. Mediastinal recurrent nerve node metastases and MM correlated with the presence of cervical MM in all but one patient. Cervical lymph node metastasis, including micrometastasis, can be predicted by preoperative ultrasonography and the routine histologic examination of mediastinal recurrent nerve nodes.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Discrimination value of the new western prognostic system (CLIP score) for hepatocellular carcinoma in 662 Japanese patients. Cancer of the Liver Italian Program.

To reliably estimate the prognoses of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), both liver function and tumor-related factors should be accounted for. However, there are few worldwide staging systems that assess prognostic value in the context of selecting individual patients for randomized stratification in therapeutic and clinical trials. We investigated the value of known prognostic systems and verified the usefulness of the new scoring system proposed by the Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP), as determined from 662 Japanese patients. A retrospective analysis of the HCC diagnoses at 4 Japanese institutions from 1990 and 1998 was performed. Overall survival was the only end point used in the analysis. Discriminatory ability and predictive power of the CLIP score were compared with those of Okuda stage and AJCC TNM stage. Compared with the Okuda and AJCC staging systems, the CLIP score's enhanced discriminatory capacity, which was tested by the linear trend test and Harrels' c-index, revealed a class of patients with an impressively more favorable prognosis and another class with a relatively shorter life expectancy. Moreover, the likelihood ratio test showed that the CLIP score had additional homogeneity of survival within each score above that of the Okuda stage or the AJCC stage. This was true for 3 subgroups of patients who received surgery, transcatheter arterial chemoembolizations, and percutaneous ethanol injections. Collectively, these findings indicate that the CLIP score has the highest stratification ability with regard to prognosis in patients with HCC. The CLIP score could be used internationally to stratify randomization groups in therapeutic and clinical trials.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Magnetic compression anastomosis for benign obstruction of the common bile duct.

Advances in interventional radiology have made possible magnetic compression anastomosis between the bile duct and the small intestine as a novel treatment. A 70-year-old man who had undergone subtotal gastrectomy for gastric cancer 2 years previously experienced recurring cholangitis with high fever and jaundice. Diagnostic evaluation subsequently demonstrated complete obstruction of the common bile duct which was attributed to recurrent cholangitis. A parent magnet was placed endoscopically into the afferent loop of the duodenum through the gastrojejunostomy with Billroth II reconstruction. The daughter magnet attached to a guide wire was placed in the obstructed common bile duct through a percutaneous transhepatic cholangiographic drainage tube. Two magnets were immediately attracted towards each other transmurally, and anastomosis was established on day 32 after the procedure. This novel method of magnetic compression anastomosis has the advantages of noninvasiveness and simplicity, as well as being a well-tolerated procedure for indications such as biliary obstruction.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Intravenous chlorhexidine gluconate causing acute respiratory distress syndrome.

CASE REPORT: A 67-year-old man undergoing a colectomy for colon cancer was unintentionally administered 0.8 mg of chlorhexidine gluconate intravenously and subsequently developed acute respiratory distress syndrome. The operation was discontinued immediately. Respiratory failure progressed despite three cycles of plasma exchange beginning on day 1. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for 72 h beginning on day 3 was associated with dramatic improvement. The patient showed complete recovery of intellectual function and subsequently underwent a colectomy with lymph node dissection for colon cancer. CONCLUSION: For acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to chlorhexidine gluconate intoxication, consideration should be given to the treatment of initial respiratory distress and subsequent pneumonia. The benefit of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and plasma exchange may merit further investigation.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Surgical maneuvers enhance molecular detection of circulating tumor cells during gastric cancer surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relation between the presence of cancer cells in blood according to the time course during a surgical procedure and liver metastases in patients with gastric cancer. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Several studies have reported on the detection of circulating cancer cells in blood by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). However, few reports have examined the relation between molecular detection of circulating cancer cells according to the time course during a surgical procedure and blood-borne metastases. METHODS: Blood samples from 57 patients with gastric cancer were obtained from the portal vein, peripheral artery, and superior vena cava before and after tumor dissection. After total RNA was extracted from each blood sample, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-specific RT-PCR was performed. RESULTS: CEA-mRNA was detected in the blood of 21 (36.8%) of the 57 patients. CEA-mRNA was not detected in the blood obtained from 15 healthy volunteers and 15 patients with benign disease. The positive rate increased in proportion to the depth of tumor. The incidence of positive CEA-mRNA did not differ among the various sites of blood sampling. The appearance of circulating cancer cells was related to the surgical maneuver. A significant relation was found between the detection of CEA-mRNA and blood-borne metastases. CONCLUSIONS: A high incidence of positive CEA-mRNA was found in the blood during gastric cancer surgery. Surgical maneuvers are a possible cause of hematogenous metastasis. The authors found that patients with positive CEA-mRNA had a high risk of blood-borne metastasis even after curative resection.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Number of lymph node metastases determined by presurgical ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound is related to prognosis in patients with esophageal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact on prognosis of the number of lymph node metastases detected by ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound in patients with esophageal carcinoma. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound are useful for diagnosing tumor depth and lymph node metastasis in patients with esophageal carcinoma. However, the clinical significance of the number of lymph node metastases before surgery has not been elucidated. METHODS: The authors evaluated lymph node metastases using preoperative ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound in 329 consecutive patients who underwent esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy. TNM classification and one-to-one comparison of lymph node metastasis was performed between the preoperative and histologic diagnosis. The number of lymph node metastases was subdivided into four groups: zero, one to three, four to seven, and eight or more. RESULTS: The accuracy of preoperative ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound diagnosis exceeded 70% in each category of TNM classification. The incidence of lymph node metastasis determined by preoperative and histologic diagnosis was 69.0% (234/339) and 59.3% (201/339), respectively. The correlation between preoperative and histologic diagnosis was significant (P <.0001). According to the subdivision of number of lymph node metastases, the accuracy rates associated with nodal involvement of zero, one to three, four to seven, and eight or more were 83.8%, 59.7%, 43.3%, and 96.0%, respectively. The clinical outcome between ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound diagnosis and histologic diagnosis in stage grouping was almost similar. The 5-year survival rates of patients with zero, one to three, four to seven, and eight or more lymph node metastases determined by ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound were 53.3%, 33.8% 17.0%, and 0%, respectively. The differences among groups were statistically significant. The survival curves associated with preoperative and histologic diagnosis were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Not only the stage grouping of TNM classification but also the number of lymph node metastases determined by ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound before surgery may be useful for predicting prognosis in patients with esophageal carcinoma.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Clinical importance of preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels in gastric cancer.

Although serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 are commonly measured before surgery for gastric carcinoma, this clinical significance is not fully understood. We evaluated a total of 549 patients with gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy. Levels of CEA and CA19-9 were measured preoperatively in all patients. We retrospectively analyzed correlations between CEA or CA19-9 and clinicopathologic features, and estimated the prognostic utility of the tumor markers by analyzing clinicopathologic characteristics of the carcinoma as a function of seropositivity or negativity of the antigens in combination or by raising the levels. The positivity rates of CEA (> or =5 ng/mL) and CA19-9 (> or =37 U/mL) were 19.5% and 18%, respectively. Serum CEA and CA19-9 positivity significantly correlated with depth of invasion, hepatic metastasis, and curativity. Forty-nine patients positive for both CEA and CA19-9 had significantly higher frequencies of lymph node metastasis, deeper invasion by the tumor, lower rates of curative resection (p < 0.01), and higher rates of hepatic metastasis (p < 0.05) than 377 patients with normal levels of CEA and CA19-9. Surgical outcomes of patients who were CEA- and CA19-9-positive were poorer than those of patients with normal CEA and CA19-9 levels (p < 0.01). Significant correlation was found between serum CEA and CA19-9 level (p < 0.001, r = 0.24). Doubling the threshold level of serum positivity to 10 ng/mL (CEA) and 74 U/mL (CA19-9) improved the prognostic value of these factors. However, multivariate analysis using Cox's hazards model revealed that only CEA positivity using the doubled threshold value (10 ng/mL) (p = 0.04, hazard ratio = 1.7), nodal involvement (p = 0.01, hazard ratio = 1.9), and depth of invasion (p = 0.02 hazard ratio = 1.5) significantly predicted prognosis. Carcinoembryonic antigen positivity using the doubled threshold level (10 ng/mL) was an important prognostic factor in patients with gastric cancer.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Structure, expression and chromosome mapping of MLZE, a novel gene which is preferentially expressed in metastatic melanoma cells.

We isolated a novel gene, termed MLZE, from a B16-BL6 cDNA library after subtraction of B16-F10 mRNA. Expression levels of mouse MLZE (mMLZE) increased in accordance with metastatic ability of B16 melanoma sublines. Human homolog of mMlze (hMlze) contained one leucine zipper structure and two potential nuclear localizing signals. Northern blot analysis of multiple human tissues showed that hMLZE was expressed primarily in trachea and spleen. We mapped the hMLZE gene (by fluorescence in situ hybridization) to 8q24.1 - 2, which contains the c-myc gene and is often amplified in malignant melanoma. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the number of hMlze-positive cases was significantly larger in Clark levels III, IV and V melanomas (6 / 11 = 55%) than in Clark levels I and II melanomas (2 / 15 = 13%). In two cases of hMlze-positive melanomas, the strength of hMlze staining increased substantially in the deep component of the tumor. Considering that melanomas above Clark level II are more metastatic than those below Clark level III, these findings suggested that MLZE is one of the genes whose expression is upregulated during the course of acquisition of metastatic potential in melanoma cells.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma in Japanese Brazilians and non-Japanese Brazilians in São Paulo.

The proportion of Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma (EBV-GC) was examined in 149 Japanese-Brazilian and 151 non-Japanese-Brazilian gastric-carcinoma cases using in situ hybridization (ISH) assay to detect EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER), and the results were compared with our referent Japanese data. We found that 4.7% of cases in Japanese Brazilians were EBER-positive. This frequency was slightly lower than that of the referent Japanese, among whom 6.2% of 2038 gastric-carcinoma cases were EBER-positive. On the other hand, the non-Japanese-Brazilian series showed a significantly higher proportion of EBV-GC (11.2%) than the referent group did (P = 0.01). Although EBV-GC was predominant in males among non-Japanese Brazilians (M / F = 3.6, P = 0.047), as was the case in Japanese (M / F = 2.7), Japanese Brazilians did not show such a male predominance. The sex-ratio difference between the Japanese Brazilians and Japanese was statistically significant (P = 0.005). In conclusion, the present study in Japanese Brazilians and Japanese yielded no evidence suggesting any change in the frequency of EBV-GC caused by migration, except the absence of male predominance, which was observed both in Japanese and non-Japanese Brazilians.

Adenocarcinoma↗