Multiple assessment methods of prenatal exposure to radio frequency radiation from telecommunication in the Mothers and Children’s Environmental Health (MOCEH) study

Objectives: To evaluate prenatal exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) from telecommunication using a mobile phone questionnaire, operator data logs of mobile phone use and a personal exposure meter (PEM). Material and Methods: The study included 1228 mother–infants pairs from the Mothers and Children’s Environmental Health (MOCEH) study – a multicenter prospective cohort study ongoing since 2006, in which participants were enrolled at ≤ 20 weeks of pregnancy, with a follow-up of a child birth and growth to assess the association between prenatal environmental exposure and children’s health. The questionnaire included the average calling frequency per day and the average calling time per day. An EME Spy 100 PEM was used to measure RFR among 269 pregnant women from November 2007 to August 2010. The operators’ log data were obtained from 21 participants. The Spearman’s correlation test was performed to evaluate correlation coefficient and 95% confidence intervals between the mobile phone use information from the questionnaire, operators’ log data, and data recorded by the PEM. Results: The operators’ log data and information from the self-reported questionnaire showed significantly high correlations in the average calling frequency per day (ρ = 0.6, p = 0.004) and average calling time per day (ρ = 0.5, p = 0.02). The correlation between information on the mobile phone use in the self-reported questionnaire and exposure index recorded by the PEM was poor. But correlation between the information of the operators’ log data and exposure index for transmission of mobile communication was significantly high: correlation coefficient (p-value) was 0.44 (0.07) for calling frequency per day, and it was 0.49 (0.04) for calling time per day. Conclusions: The questionnaire information on the mobile phone use showed moderate to high quality. Using multiple methods for exposure assessment might be better than using only one method. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):959–97

Polyp Clearance via Operative and Endoscopic Polypectomy in Patients With Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome After Multiple Small Bowel Resections

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome is an autosomal dominant inherited disease that manifests as a combination of mucocutaneous pigmentation and gastrointestinal hamartomatous polyps that usually cause intussusception and intestinal hemorrhage. We report the case of a 40-year-old male patient who was diagnosed 20 years ago and had previously undergone 3 intestinal resection surgeries. This time, with the use of combined operative and endoscopic polypectomy, more than 100 polyps were removed. This technique is useful for providing a "clean" small intestine that allows the patient a long interval between laparotomies and reduces the complications associated with multiple laparotomies and resections

Bacterial Uracil Modulates Drosophila DUOX-Dependent Gut Immunity via Hedgehog-Induced Signaling Endosomes

SummaryGenetic studies in Drosophila have demonstrated that generation of microbicidal reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the NADPH dual oxidase (DUOX) is a first line of defense in the gut epithelia. Bacterial uracil acts as DUOX-activating ligand through poorly understood mechanisms. Here, we show that the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway modulates uracil-induced DUOX activation. Uracil-induced Hh signaling is required for intestinal expression of the calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule Cadherin 99C (Cad99C) and subsequent Cad99C-dependent formation of endosomes. These endosomes play essential roles in uracil-induced ROS production by acting as signaling platforms for PLCβ/PKC/Ca2+-dependent DUOX activation. Animals with impaired Hh signaling exhibit abolished Cad99C-dependent endosome formation and reduced DUOX activity, resulting in high mortality during enteric infection. Importantly, endosome formation, DUOX activation, and normal host survival are restored by genetic reintroduction of Cad99C into enterocytes, demonstrating the important role for Hh signaling in host resistance to enteric infection

MYC quantitation in cell-free plasma DNA by real-time PCR for gastric cancer diagnosis

Background: Detection of tumor-associated genetic alterations in plasma of cancer patients has recently been suggested to be an accurate method for detecting early or recurrent cancer. Methods: We performed quantitative real-time PCR for MYC and GAPDH in tissue and plasma samples of 57 patients with gastric cancer and in plasma of 79 cancer-free individuals. We also performed two-color MYC fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in tissue from the 57 patients with gastric cancer. Results: The tissue MYC/GAPDH ratio by real-time PCR was significantly correlated with MYC status by FISH (p<0.001). The mean ratio of plasma MYC/GAPDH was 5.226+/-3.578 (range: 1.25-18.35) in gastric cancer patients, and 2.436+/-0.881 (range: 1.00-5.00) in the healthy volunteers (p<0.001). We used receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis to select two optimal plasma MYC/GAPDH cut-offs of 2.725 and 5.225. The sensitivity and specificity were 75.4% and 76.9% at 2.725, 38.6% and 100% at 5.225, respectively. The plasma MYC/GAPDH ratio from cancer patients was significantly correlated with the tissue MYC/GAPDH ratio (p=0.009), and tissue MYC status by FISH (p=0.024). Conclusions: These findings suggest that the plasma MYC/GAPDH ratio, as determined by real-time PCR, may be an alternative non-invasive approach for detecting gastric cancer. Clin Chem Lab Med 2009; 47:530-6.Kim MA, 2007, HUM PATHOL, V38, P1386, DOI 10.1016/j.humpath.2007.02.005Sai S, 2007, ANTICANCER RES, V27, P2747Mitsui F, 2007, MODERN PATHOL, V20, P622, DOI 10.1038/modpathol.3800777Vita M, 2006, SEMIN CANCER BIOL, V16, P318, DOI 10.1016/j.semcancer.2006.07.015Corzo C, 2006, CANCER GENET CYTOGEN, V165, P151, DOI 10.1016/j.cancergencyto.2005.08.013Crew KD, 2006, WORLD J GASTROENTERO, V12, P354Calcagno DQ, 2005, ANTICANCER RES, V25, P4069Gotoh T, 2005, J CLIN ONCOL, V23, P5205, DOI 10.1200/JCO.2005.02.014Tse C, 2005, CLIN CHEM, V51, P1093, DOI 10.1373/clinchem.2004.044305Kindich R, 2005, CLIN CHEM, V51, P649, DOI 10.1373/clinchem.2004.045013Lee TL, 2002, CLIN CANCER RES, V8, P1761Usadel H, 2002, CANCER RES, V62, P371*AM JOINT COMM CAN, 2002, AJCC CANC STAG MAN, P99Livak KJ, 2001, METHODS, V25, P402, DOI 10.1006/meth.2001.1262Lee HS, 2001, CANCER, V92, P1427Lo YMD, 2001, CLIN CANCER RES, V7, P1856Koo SH, 2000, CANCER GENET CYTOGEN, V117, P97AALTONEN LA, 2000, INT AGENCY RES CANC, P37Castells A, 1999, J CLIN ONCOL, V17, P578Hara T, 1998, LAB INVEST, V78, P1143Landis SH, 1998, CA-CANCER J CLIN, V48, P6Suzuki S, 1997, J SURG ONCOL, V66, P173Nawroz H, 1996, NAT MED, V2, P1035Henriksson M, 1996, ADV CANCER RES, V68, P109PARK JG, 1990, CANCER RES, V50, P2773STROUN M, 1989, ONCOLOGY, V46, P318LAUREN P, 1965, ACTA PATHOL MIC SC, V64, P31

Trib2 regulates the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells and enhances reprogramming efficiency

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cells characterized by self-renewability and differentiation potential. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are ES cell-equivalent cells derived from somatic cells by the introduction of core reprogramming factors. ES and iPS cells are important sources for understanding basic biology and for generating therapeutic cells for clinical applications. Tribbles homolog 2 (Trib2) functions as a scaffold in signaling pathways. However, the relevance of Trib2 to the pluripotency of ES and iPS cells is unknown. In the present study, we elucidated the importance of Trib2 in maintaining pluripotency in mouse ES cells and in generating iPS cells from somatic cells through the reprogramming process. Trib2 expression decreased as ES cells differentiated, and Trib2 knockdown in ES cells changed their colony morphology while reducing the activity of alkaline phosphatase and the expression of the pluripotency marker genes Oct4, Sox2, Nanog and Klf4. Trib2 directly interacted with Oct4 and elevated Oct4 promoter activity. During the generation of iPS cells, Trib2 knockdown decreased the reprogramming efficiency of mouse embryonic fibroblasts, whereas Trib2 overexpression significantly increased their reprogramming efficiency. In summary, our results suggest that Trib2 is important for maintaining self-renewal in ES cells and for pluripotency induction during the reprogramming process

Favorable response to doxorubicin combination chemotherapy does not yield good clinical outcome in patients with metastatic breast cancer with triple-negative phenotype

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We analyzed the responses to first line treatment and clinical outcomes of metastatic breast cancer patients treated with palliative doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (AC) according to molecular cancer subtype.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective analysis was performed for 110 metastatic breast cancer patients selected on the basis of palliative AC treatment and the availability of immunohistochemical data for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2/neu) status.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 110 patients analyzed, 71 (64.5%) were hormone receptor positive (HR+), 14 (12.7%) were HER2+, and 25 (22.7%) were triple negative (TN). There were no differences in age, stage at diagnosis, total number of cycles of palliative chemotherapy, incidence of visceral metastasis, and metastatic sites with the exception of liver among breast cancer subtypes. The overall response rates to AC were 55.9% for the HR+ subgroup, 42.9% for the HER2+ subgroup, and 56.5% for the TN subgroup. The progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with HER2+ and TN were significantly shorter than in the HR+ (median PFS, 9.1 <it>vs </it>8.1 <it>vs </it>11.5 months, respectively; p = 0.0002). The overall survival (OS) was 25.4 months in the TN subgroup and 27.3 months in HER2+ subgroup. The median OS for these two groups was significantly shorter than for patients in the HR+ subgroup (median, 38.5 months; 95% CI, 30.1-46.9 months; p < 0.0001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The response to palliative AC chemotherapy did not differ among breast cancer subtypes. Despite chemosensitivity for palliative AC, the TN subtype has a shorter overall survival than non-TN subtypes. Innovative treatment strategies should be developed to slow the course of disease.</p

The Incidence of New Vertebral Compression Fractures in Women after Kyphoplasty and Factors Involved

PURPOSE: To identify the incidence of new vertebral compression fractures in women after kyphoplasty and to analyze influential factors in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and eleven consecutive female patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) underwent kyphoplasty at 137 levels. These patients were followed for 15.2 months postoperatively. For the survey of new vertebral compression fractures, medical records and x-rays were reviewed, and telephone interviews were conducted with all patients. RESULTS: During that time 20 (18%) patients developed new VCFs. The rate of occurrence of new VCFs in one year was 15.5% using a Kaplan-Meier curve. Body mass index (BMI), symptom duration and kyphoplasty level were the statistically significant factors between the patient groups both with and without new VCFs after kyphoplasty. In the comparison between the adjacent and remote new VCF groups, the adjacent new VCF group showed a larger amount of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) use during kyphoplasty (p<0.05). Before kyphoplasty, 9.9% of the patients had been prescribed medication for osteoporosis, and 93.7% of the patients started or continued medication after kyphoplasty. The development of new VCFs was affected by the number of vertebrae involved in the kyphoplasty. However, the lower incidence rate (15.5%) of new compression fractures might be due to a greater percentage (93.7% in our study) of patients taking anti-osteoporotic medication before and/or after kyphoplasty. CONCLUSION: When kyphoplasty is planned for the management of patients with osteoporotic VCFs, the application of a small amount of PMMA can be considered in order to lower the risk of new fractures in adjacent vertebrae. The postoperative use of anti- osteoporotic medication is recommended for the prevention of new VCFs.ope

Noncutaneous malignant melanoma: a prognostic model from a retrospective multicenter study

Abstract Background We performed multicenter study to define clinical characteristics of noncutaneous melanomas and to establish prognostic factors patients who received curative resection. Methods Of the 141 patients who were diagnosed of non-cutaneous melanoma at 4 institutions in Korea between June 1992 and May 2005, 129 (91.5%) satisfied the selection criteria. Results Of the 129 noncutaneous melanoma patients, 14 patients had ocular melanoma and 115 patients had mucosal melanoma. For mucosal melanoma, anorectum was the most common anatomic site (n = 39, 30.2%) which was followed by nasal cavity (n = 30, 23.3%), genitourinary (n = 21, 16.3%), oral cavity (n = 14, 10.9%), upper gastrointestinal tract (n = 6, 4.7%) and maxillary sinus (n = 5, 3.9%) in the order of frequency. With the median 64.5 (range 4.3-213.0) months follow-up, the median overall survival were 24.4 months (95% CI 13.2-35.5) for all patients, and 34.6 (95% CI 24.5-44.7) months for curatively resected mucosal melanoma patients. Adverse prognostic factors of survival for 87 curatively resected mucosal melanoma patients were complete resection (R1 resection margin), and age > 50 years. For 14 ocular melanoma, Survival outcome was much better than mucosal melanoma with 73.3% of 2 year OS and 51.2 months of median OS (P = .04). Conclusion Prognosis differed according to primary sites of noncutaneous melanoma. Based on our study, noncutaneous melanoma patients should be treated differently to improve survival outcome.Peer Reviewe