Diversity of phototrophic bacteria in Russell Glacier, Greenland

第2回極域科学シンポジウム/第33回極域生物シンポジウム 11月18日（金） 統計数理研究所 3階リフレッシュフロ

Efficacy of laser capture microdissection plus RT-PCR technique in analyzing gene expression levels in human gastric cancer and colon cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, thymidine phosphorylase, and orotate phosphoribosyltransferase gene expressions are reported to be valid predictive markers for 5-fluorouracil sensitivity to gastrointestinal cancer. For more reliable predictability, their expressions in cancer cells and stromal cells in the cancerous tissue (cancerous stroma) have been separately investigated using laser capture microdissection.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, thymidine phosphorylase, and orotate phosphoribosyltransferase mRNA in cancer cells and cancerous stroma from samples of 47 gastric and 43 colon cancers were separately quantified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction after laser capture microdissection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In both gastric and colon cancers, thymidylate synthase and orotate phosphoribosyltransferase mRNA expressions were higher (p < 0.0001, p <0.0001 respectively in gastric cancer and P = 0.0002, p < 0.0001 respectively in colon cancer) and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase mRNA expressions were lower in cancer cells than in cancerous stroma (P = 0.0136 in gastric cancer and p < 0.0001 in colon cancer). In contrast, thymidine phosphorylase mRNA was higher in cancer cells than in cancerous stroma in gastric cancer (p < 0.0001) and lower in cancer cells than in cancerous stroma in colon cancer (P = 0.0055).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>By using this method, we could estimate gene expressions separately in cancer cells and stromal cells from colon and gastric cancers, in spite of the amount of stromal tissue. Our method is thought to be useful for accurately evaluating intratumoral gene expressions.</p

The use of DNA analysis in sectional identification of a Pinus pollen grain found in Belukha Glacier, Altain Mountains, Russia

第2回極域科学シンポジウム　氷床コアセッション 11月16日（水） 国立極地研究所 2階大会議室前フロ

Japanese glaciological activities at NEEM, Greenland

第2回極域科学シンポジウム　氷床コアセッション 11月16日（水） 国立極地研究所 2階大会議室前フロ

A Case of 10-Year Survival after Adrenalectomy for Isolated Adrenal Metastasis of Breast Cancer

Isolated adrenal metastasis of breast cancer is very rare, so adrenalectomy for breast cancer metastasis is rarely performed. The case of a breast cancer patient with five-year survival after resection of a left isolated adrenal metastasis is presented. A 70-year-old woman underwent left modified radical mastectomy and axillary lymphadenectomy for invasive ductal carcinoma (T2N1M0) 9 years earlier. At regular follow-up, a left adrenal mass, 4 cm in diameter, was seen on ultrasound examination and computed tomography (CT). Endoscopic adrenalectomy was performed. Pathological examination confirmed isolated adrenal metastasis of breast cancer. After surgery, hormone therapy was given for 5 years. Ten years after adrenalectomy, no metastatic lesions in other organs have been found on CT. Adrenalectomy for a metastatic adrenal tumor of breast cancer may provide survival benefits when combined with systemic hormone therapy and chemotherapy, particularly in patients with disease confined to the adrenal glands

Nuclear Expression of p-STAT3 Is Associated with Poor Prognosis in ER(−) Breast Cancer

The activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) has been reported in several types of cancer, where it acts as an oncogene. However, in breast cancer, the clinical role of STAT3 remains unclear. In the present study, the association between phosphorylated-STAT3 (p-STAT3) expression and clinicopathological/biological factors was examined in each subtype. p-STAT3 expression was examined in 135 cases of breast cancer by immunohistochemistry. p-STAT3 expression was not associated with clinicopathological/biological factors and prognosis in a complete cohort of breast cancer cases. However, in patients with estrogen receptor-negative (ER(−)) breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), multivariate analysis showed that higher p-STAT3 expression was significantly associated with a short relapse-free survival (p = 0.029, HR 5.37, 95%CI 1.19–24.29). TNBC patients with p-STAT3 overexpression were found to have a poor prognosis (p = 0.029, HR 5.37, 95%CI 1.19–24.29). On the other hand, in ER(+) breast cancer, p-STAT3 overexpression was associated with a favorable prognosis (p = 0.034, HR 9.48, 95%CI 1.18–76.21). The present results suggested that STAT3 expression may play a different role in ER(−) and ER(+) breast cancer. In the future, the pharmacological inhibition of STAT3 expression may serve as an effective therapeutic strategy for ER(−) breast cancer, particularly TNBC