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Biomedical subjects

T Beppu

Publications and source records attributed to T Beppu.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Ultrasonographic evaluation of metastatic cervical lymph nodes in head and neck cancers].

This study evaluates the use of ultrasonography (USG) to diagnose metastatic cervical lymph nodes. Three-hundred and one lymph nodes were removed from 58 patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. None of the patients had received any preoperative treatments for cancer. The lymph nodes were then histopathologically examined: 139 metastatic lymph nodes and 162 non-metastatic nodes were found. USG was then used to evaluate the size, internal echo, and margin of each lymph node. Size was found to be the best criteria for distinguishing metastatic lymph nodes from non-metastatic lymph nodes in all cervical regions (78% accuracy). Superior internal jugular lymph nodes and submandibular lymph nodes larger than 7 mm and mid and inferior internal jugular lymph nodes larger than 6 mm were regarded as metastatic. Internal echoes were classified into five patterns: homogeneous hypoechoic, homogeneous hyperechoic, heterogeneous, eccentric hyperechoic, and centric hyperechoic. Homogeneous hyperechoic and heterogeneous patterns were characteristic of metastatic nodes, while eccentric hyperechoic patterns were characteristic of non-metastatic nodes. Homogeneous hypoechoic patterns were observed in both metastatic and non-metastatic nodes. Regular margins were found in 81% of the metastatic nodes. Of the 22 lymph nodes with irregular margins, however, 91% were metastatic. Evaluations using a combination of USG and clinical feature criteria were compared with evaluations using only thickness as a criterium. Although thickness is the single most important factor in diagnosing metastatic nodes, the combination of USG and clinical feature criteria improved the accuracy of diagnosis to 83%. Thus, diagnostic methods involving a combination of several criteria are more accurate than methods involving only a single criterium.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

[A case of intrasellar pure germinoma].

A 19-year-old male presented with progressive loss of vision and diabetes insipidus due to an intra- and suprasellar tumor. Transsphenoidal exploration revealed a pure germinoma. Seven days after the operation, bleeding from the residual tumor caused headache and right occulomotor palsy. The residual tumor and hematoma were removed using pterional approach. The residual tumor disappeared after postoperative irradiation. After 5 months of radiation, multiple lesions due to dissemination of the germinoma were discovered in the suprasellar region. Adjuvant chemotherapy and whole supratentorial irradiation were performed. All lesions regressed completely. Mid-sagittal magnetic resonance image was useful in our patient for differential diagnosis between intrasellar germinoma and pituitary adenoma. Before initiating an operation for intrasellar germinoma, awareness is needed for the fact of postoperative bleeding. We notice that transsphenoidal surgery should be selected for treatment of postoperative bleeding from intrasellar germinoma.

Adenoma↗

[A case of superomedial cerebellar astrocytoma completely removed, using the occipital transtentorial approach].

The occipital transtentorial approach (OTT) is showed to be effective not only for pineal body tumors, but also for superomedial cerebellar tumors. We satisfactorily removed a superomedial cerebellar astrocytoma in a 3-year-old infant using OTT. The magnetic resonance images showed a tumor located in the left superomedial cerebellum, and the distance between the midline and the outer margin of the tumor was 2.5 cm. OTT was performed on the left side, and the tumor was removed completely. Herein, relying on own experiments and some reports, we discussed some helpful techniques and the indications for OTT for superomedial cerebellar tumors. In brief, an arch shift of the superior sagittal sinus to the contralateral side by tracting the dura, a long incision of tentorium, and aspiration of CSF were very useful measures for avoiding occipital lobe injury. We emphasized that a preoperative estimation of possibilities for these techniques is very important.

Astrocytoma↗

The significance of p53 mutations as an indicator of the biological behavior of recurrent hepatocellular carcinomas.

The significance of p53 mutations in the primary lesion for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was evaluated. Mutations of p53 were examined using nonradioisotopic (nonRI)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) in 98 resected HCCs. Of the 98 cases, 25 (26%) had a p53 mutation. In 83 patients who survived surgery, the presence of a p53 mutation was associated with a shortened overall survival (P < 0.001) and a shortened cancer-free survival (P < 0.05). In 43 patients who developed recurrence, there was no statistically significant correlation between the status of p53 in the primary lesion and the clinical features of recurrent HCCs examined, i.e., extrahepatic metastasis, the number of recurrent tumors, extent of recurrent tumors, and treatment for recurrent tumors. However, postrecurrence survival was significantly lower in patients in whom a p53 mutation had been detected in the primary lesion (P < 0.01). A multivariate analysis for prognostic value after recurrence revealed that the p53 mutation was a useful independent prognostic factor affecting survival after recurrence (P < 0.01). In conclusion, our findings suggest that HCCs with p53 mutations have a high malignant potential based on their poor prognosis. Therefore, a p53 mutation in the primary lesion is useful as an indicator of the biological behavior of recurrent HCCs.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

Evaluation of the malignancy of glioma using 11C-methionine positron emission tomography and proliferating cell nuclear antigen staining.

11C-methionine positron emission tomography (PET) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) staining were performed in 13 cases of glioma to investigate the relationship between the uptake of L-[methyl]-11C-methionine and the degree of malignancy and proliferative potential. The 11C-methionine uptake was significantly greater in high-grade gliomas compared to low-grade gliomas (P<0.05). The PCNA indexes were also significantly higher in the high-grade cases (P<0.05). Moreover, a strong positive correlation was found between the 11C-methionine values and the PCNA indexes (P<0.005), demonstrating that higher 11C-methionine uptake was associated with greater proliferative potential and greater malignancy. 11C-methionine PET is a potentially useful preoperative method to discriminate the malignancy of glioma.

Adult↗

Successful coil embolization in an infant with congenital intrahepatic portosystemic shunts.

The authors report the case of a 7-month-old Japanese infant with congenital intrahepatic portosystemic shunts. He had hypergalactosaemia and hyperammonemia at age 1 month. The diagnosis was made by ultrasonography and angiography. Coil embolization was performed successfully, and then hyperammonemia and hypergalactosaemia improved soon after surgery.

Embolization, Therapeutic↗

Induction of haem oxygenase-1 nitric oxide and ischaemia in experimental solid tumours and implications for tumour growth.

Induction of haem oxygenase-1 (HO-1) as well as nitric oxide (NO) biosynthesis during tumour growth was investigated in an experimental solid tumour model (AH136B hepatoma) in rats. An immunohistochemical study showed that the inducible isoform of NO synthase (iNOS) was localized in monocyte-derived macrophages, which infiltrated interstitial spaces of solid tumour, but not in the tumour cells. Excessive production of NO in the tumour tissue was unequivocally verified by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Tumour growth was moderately suppressed by treatment with either Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or S-methylisothiourea sulphate (SMT). In contrast, HO-1 was found only in tumour cells, not in macrophages, by in situ hybridization for HO-1 mRNA. HO-1 expression in AH136B cells in culture was strongly enhanced by an NO (NO+) donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine. HO-1 mRNA expression in the solid tumour in vivo decreased significantly after treatment with low doses of NOS inhibitors such as L-NAME and SMT (6-20 mg kg(-1)). However, the level of HO-1 mRNA in the solid tumour treated with higher doses of NOS inhibitor was similar to that of the solid tumour without NOS inhibitor treatment. Strong induction of HO-1 was also observed in solid tumours after occlusion or embolization of the tumour-feeding artery, indicating that ischaemic stress which may involve oxidative stress triggers HO-1 induction in the solid tumour. Lastly, it is of great importance that an HO inhibitor, zinc protoporphyrin IX injected intra-arterially to the solid tumour suppressed the tumour growth to a great extent. In conclusion, HO-1 expression in the solid tumour may confer resistance of tumour cells to hypoxic stress as well as to NO-mediated cytotoxicity.

Animals↗

Establishing the independent culture of a strictly symbiotic bacterium Symbiobacterium thermophilum from its supporting Bacillus strain.

Symbiobacterium thermophilum is a strictly symbiotic thermophile, the growth of which is dependent on the coexistence of an associating thermophilic Bacillus sp., strain S. S. thermophilum grows only in mixed culture with the Bacillus strain in liquid media, and does not form visible colonies on solid media. To measure the growth of this symbiotic bacterium and to analyze its growth requirements, we developed a quantitative PCR method by using its specific sequences in a putative membrane translocator gene tnaT as primers. According to this method, independent growth of S. thermophilum was first confirmed in a dialyzing culture physically separated from Bacillus strain S with a cellulose membrane. Independent growth of S. thermophilum was also managed by adding conditioned medium prepared from the culture filtrate of the Bacillus strain, but the growth in the conditioned medium stopped at a very limited extent with appearance of filamentous cells, suggesting the uncoupling of cellular growth and cell division. Formation of micro-colonies of S. thermophilum was observed on the conditioned agar medium under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, but the colony-forming efficiencies remained below 1%. Several other bacterial species, such as Bacillus stearothermophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Thermus thermophilus, and even Escherichia coli, were also found to support the growth of S. thermophilum. These results indicate that S. thermophilum essentially requires some ubiquitous metabolite(s) of low molecular weight produced by various bacterial species as growth factor(s) but coexistence of the living partner cells is still required, probably to maintain an effective level of the putative factor(s) in the medium.

Bacillus↗

[Experimental study on direct toxicity of combined cisplatin and methotrexate for normal and neoplastic cell lines].

The combination effect of cisplatin (CDDP) and methotrexate (MTX) on the cytotoxicity against normal fibroblast and malignant cell line were investigated utilizing MTT assay. In case of normal fibroblast, the optical density (OD) value in CDDP + MTX was significantly higher and remained at a consistently higher value in various mixture rates than that in CDDP alone. Such low cytotoxicity may be due to MTX because the addition of Leucovorin resulted in an apparent decrease in the OD value. The combination of the two drugs was thought to alleviate the toxicity of CDDP on fibroblast, in contrast to its increase on cancer cells.

Animals↗

[A case of unresectable advanced gall bladder cancer successfully treated by hepatic arterial chemotherapy with reservoir (HACR) using CDDP and 5-FU].

A 64-year-old female was admitted for treatment of a huge tumor (10 cm in diameter) in segment S4-S5 of the liver. The lymph node (2 cm in diameter) was located posterior to the pancreas head. The patient was diagnosed with an unresectable advanced gall bladder cancer with direct invasion of the liver bed and lymph node metastasis. At first, hepatic arterial infusion of CDDP, MMC and ADM through the hepatic artery was performed. Then, hepatic arterial chemotherapy with reservoir (HACR) using CDDP and 5-FU (CDDP 20 mg/body/day, 5-FU 750 mg/body/day) was started. As a result, the primary tumor and enlarged lymph node almost disappeared in two years. Mild bone marrow suppression, nausea and vomiting were encountered, but no severe side effects were noted. We conclude that this strategy is effective for unresectable advanced cancer of the gall bladder with lymph node metastasis.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

[A long-term surviving case of multiple metastatic liver tumors from rectal cancer treated with microwave coagulation therapy (MCT)].

We experienced a long-term surviving case from excellent control of a multiple metastatic liver tumor from rectal cancer. The patient was a 38-year-old male, and his chief complaint was pain at defecation. The primary lesion was diagnosed as rectal cancer (Rb), and it was histologically found to be well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. The preoperative enhanced CT demonstrated 8 metastatic lesions in bilateral lobes of the liver. Low anterior resection for rectum and open microwave coagulation therapy (MCT) for liver metastasis were synchronously performed. The coagulated areas after MCT revealed no enhancement. The serum CEA levels returned to normal for 9 months. Nine months after the first operation, we detected 6 recurrent lesions in the other sites of the remnant liver. We used second open MCT because the hepatic arterial chemotherapy was ineffective. We performed percutaneous MCT for the next new lesions. The patient was diagnosed with lung metastasis 2 years after the first operation, and died of cancer growth 2 years and 9 months after the first operation. This long-term surviving case of nine metastatic liver tumors achieved adequate quality of life by a combination therapy mainly consisting of MCT.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Application of nitrite reductase from Alcaligenes faecalis S-6 for nitrite measurement.

The enzymatic reaction of nitrite reductase (NIR) from Alcaligenes faecalis S-6 was applied to the measurement of nitrite. NIR was immobilized on the surface of a gold electrode using filter paper and a dialysis membrane, and used as a working electrode in a three-electrode system. Amperometric methods were applied using NIR and the electron mediator 1-methoxy PMS (1-methoxy-5-methylphenazinium methylsulfate). The decrease in cathodic current showed a correlation to nitrite concentration over the range 0-1 mg/l. Measurements using a batch-flow type system gave a lower detection limit of 0.01 mg/l. This is sufficient for the detection of nitrite in natural waters.

Alcaligenes↗

Investigation of genetic alterations associated with the grade of astrocytic tumor by comparative genomic hybridization.

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) is a technique that allows the detection of losses and gains in DNA copy number across the entire genome. We used CGH to study the genetic alterations that occur in primary astrocytomas, including 14 glioblastomas (GBM), 12 anaplastic astrocytomas (AA), and 7 low-grade astrocytomas (LGA). The average numbers of total aberrations in GBM, AA, and LGA were 9.7, 5.4, and 4.0, respectively. The average number of DNA sequence losses in GBM was significantly higher than that in AA or LGA (P < 0.01). Frequently altered regions (> eight cases) observed in all grades of astrocytoma were 7p13-p12 (gain), 7q31 (gain), 8q24.1-q24.2 (gain), 9p21 (loss), 10p12-p11 (loss), 10q22-qter (loss), 13q21-q22 (loss), and 20q13.1-q13.2 (gain). Loss of 9p, 10p, or 10q, and the gain or amplification of 7p, were observed frequently in GBM (64%, 57%, 64%, and 50% of cases, respectively). Frequent alterations found in AA were losses of 9p, 10q, and 13q, and gains of 1q, chromosome 7, 11q, and Xq. Whereas 7p13-p11 amplification occurred exclusively in cases with the loss of all or part of chromosome 10, this change never occurred in cases having an increase in copy number of 8q, which was the most frequent change observed in LGA (four of seven cases). These results may indicate that an increase in copy number of 8q is an important event in GBM, with a genetic pathway, which is distinct from that in GBM with 7p amplification.

Adult↗

Pathological analyses of early recurrence and malignant transformation in meningiomas.

We investigated factors of the early recurrence and malignant transformation of histologically benign meningiomas using immunohistochemistry for MIB-1 positive indices (PI) and p53 protein expression, a flow cytometric DNA analysis, and the examination of numerical chromosomal aberrations detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization using an alpha-satellite DNA probe and a bcr gene locus-specific probe. Twenty-six meningiomas of 23 patients were classified into two groups: the 3 patients in whom a recurrence was defined within two years after initial surgery and who showed histologically malignant features were classified as the early recurrent group, and the other 20 patients in whom recurrence did not develop during the same period were classified as the nonrecurrent group. DNA aneuploidy was observed in 40% of the nonrecurrent patients and in 67% of the early recurrent patients. Loss of chromosome 22 was the most common numerical aberration, but the aberrations characteristic of early recurrent meningiomas were not detected. The MIB-1 PI values of the early recurrent meningiomas were higher than those of nonrecurrent meningiomas, suggesting that MIB-1 PI is very important for biological and histopathological analyses and prediction of the future recurrence of meningiomas.

Aneuploidy↗