前立腺導管癌の1例 : 通常型腺癌とは区別する臨床的意義に関する考察

根治的前立腺全摘除術を施行した前立腺導管癌の1例を報告する。病理学的病期(pT3bN1)は術前の臨床パラメータ(cT1cN0, PSA7.64ng/ml)に基づく予測よりも進行していた。主病変の導管型腺癌は移行領域を占拠し, その周囲に通常型腺癌の小病変が散在していた。また導管型腺癌細胞と通常型腺癌細胞とが隣接して同一腺管の中に共存する部位も認められた。リンパ節転移部位には導管型腺癌細胞のみが認められた。さらに両型の腺癌細胞においてPSA蛋白の強発現とp63蛋白の消失がみられることを免疫組織化学的に確認した。前立腺導管癌を通常型腺癌と区別する臨床的意義について考察した。(著者抄録)We report a case of prostatic duct adenocarcinoma treated with radical prostatectomy. Advanced pathological stage (pT3bpN1) was beyond the prediction of the favorable preoperative parameters (cT1cN0, PSA 7.64 ng/ml). The main tumor of ductal adenocarcinoma was occupying the transitional zone and surrounded by scattered micro-foci of acinar adenocarcinoma. We identified coexistence of ductal and acinar adenocarcinoma cells side by side in the same gland. Pure ductal cancer cells were detected in the metastasized lymph node without acinar cancer cells. Strong staining of PSA and loss of p63 expression by both types of adenocarcinoma cells were confirmed immunohistochemically. We discuss the clinical significance of prostatic duct adenocarcinoma in comparision with typical acinar adenocarcinoma

In vivo two-photon microscopic observation and ablation in deeper brain regions realized by modifications of excitation beam diameter and immersion liquid.

In vivo two-photon microscopy utilizing a nonlinear optical process enables, in living mouse brains, not only the visualization of morphologies and functions of neural networks in deep regions but also their optical manipulation at targeted sites with high spatial precision. Because the two-photon excitation efficiency is proportional to the square of the photon density of the excitation laser light at the focal position, optical aberrations induced by specimens mainly limit the maximum depth of observations or that of manipulations in the microscopy. To increase the two-photon excitation efficiency, we developed a method for evaluating the focal volume in living mouse brains. With this method, we modified the beam diameter of the excitation laser light and the value of the refractive index in the immersion liquid to maximize the excitation photon density at the focal position. These two modifications allowed the successful visualization of the finer structures of hippocampal CA1 neurons, as well as the intracellular calcium dynamics in cortical layer V astrocytes, even with our conventional two-photon microscopy system. Furthermore, it enabled focal laser ablation dissection of both single apical and single basal dendrites of cortical layer V pyramidal neurons. These simple modifications would enable us to investigate the contributions of single cells or single dendrites to the functions of local cortical networks

A Case of Inflammatory Generalized Type of Peeling Skin Syndrome Possibly Caused by a Homozygous Missense Mutation of CDSN

A 54-year-old Japanese woman had repetitive superficial skin peeling and ensuing erythematous changes in the sites since infancy. Her parents had a consanguineous marriage, and she was the only individual affected in her family tree. The erythematous changes seemed to worsen in the summer. Histologically, hyperkeratosis and splitting of the epidermis within the stratum corneum was noted, and electron microscopy revealed shedding of corneal cells in the horny layer and normal-looking corneodesmosomes. Gene analysis revealed a homozygous missense mutation at c.1358G>A in CDSN. Electron microscopic examination of the length and number of corneodesmosomes revealed statistically significant shortness and sparsity in the affected individual (mean ± SD 386.2 ± 149.5 nm) compared with that of an age- and site-matched control (406.6 ± 182.3 nm). We speculate that this size shrinkage of corneodesmosomes might be the result of a missense mutation of CDSN and that this could be one of the factors contributing to the pathological process of skin peeling

Brazilian green propolis promotes TNFR2 expression on regulatory T cells

Abstract FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are needed to suppress inflammatory diseases and maintain immune homeostasis. The suppressive function of Tregs can be used to control autoimmune or inflammatory diseases; therefore, it is well studied how Tregs can be artificially up‐ or downregulated in vitro and in vivo, by using antibodies, chemical compounds, foods, and natural resources. Propolis is a famous functional food that has an anti‐inflammatory effect. However, the influences of propolis on Treg function have not been fully evaluated so far. Here, we demonstrated that Brazilian green propolis increases TNFR2 expression in Tregs via the IRF4/cMyc axis, and artepillin C was a major effective component of propolis on Tregs. These results indicate that propolis and artepillin C have the potential as Treg activators via TNFR2 expression and may be useful for the prevention and/or therapy of autoimmune or inflammatory diseases

Corrective surgery for kyphosis in a case of Gaucher's disease without history of vertebral compression fractures

Introduction: Gaucher's disease is a congenital metabolic disorder characterized by the accumulation of glucocerebroside in the reticuloendothelial system. Its clinical manifestations include splenomegaly, osteopenia, and pathological fractures. Cases of patients with kyphotic deformities caused by pathological vertebral compression fractures associated with Gaucher's disease are well reported. However, there has been no report regarding surgical treatment of kyphotic deformity caused by Gaucher's disease without compression fractures. In the present report, we describe surgical treatment for kyphotic deformity caused by Gaucher's disease without a past history of vertebral compression fractures. Case Report: The patient was diagnosed with Gaucher's disease at the age of 15 months. The patient was a 10-year-old girl with progressive kyphosis (84° between T6 and L3, with T12 as the apical vertebra) without compression fractures. Although the patient had been treated using a brace since the age of 3 years, the kyphosis progressed to the point where corrective surgery was required. We initially performed T3-L3 posterior spinal fusion, followed by anterior fusion 3 months later, which corrected the kyphosis to 35°. Postoperatively, the patient suffered fractures of the upper and lower extremities but did not have spinal fractures. Conclusions: Two-stage anterior/posterior combined correction and fusion was performed in a patient with kyphotic deformity caused by Gaucher's disease without compression fractures. Because of bone fragility in Gaucher's disease, careful selection of the fusion range and postoperative therapy was necessary

Structural and electronic transformations in quadruple iron perovskite Ca1−xSrxCu3Fe4O12

Crystal structures and electronic transformations of quadruple iron perovskite solid solution Ca1−xSrxCu3Fe4O12 (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8) have been investigated by synchrotrons X-ray powder diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and magnetization measurements. For x = 0.2, a charge disproportionation transition (2Fe4+ → Fe3+ + Fe5+) occur simultaneously with electron charge transfers from Fe to Cu below ∼200 K, as well as CaCu3Fe4O12. In contrast, negative thermal expansions derived from continuous electron charge transfers from Cu and Fe are observed for x = 0.6 and 0.8 at low temperatures below room temperature, as in SrCu3Fe4O12, followed by charge disproportionation transitions. A two-phase coexistence is observed at low temperature below ∼200 K for x = 0.4, indicating that the phase boundary locates in the vicinity of this composition. We have discovered that the FeO bond lengths are closely related to their covalency which were estimated from Mössbauer isomer shift parameters. The FeO bond covalency plays a crucial role in the types of electronic phase transitions for the Ca1−xSrxCu3Fe4O12 and R3+Cu3Fe4O12 (R: trivalent rare earth metal ions, Y, La–Lu) systems, where the two different low-temperature electronic phases are separated by a common isomer shift value of ∼0.17 mm s−1