Cancer gene expression database (CGED): a database for gene expression profiling with accompanying clinical information of human cancer tissues

Gene expression profiling of cancer tissues is expected to contribute to our understanding of cancer biology as well as developments of new methods of diagnosis and therapy. Our collaborative efforts in Japan have been mainly focused on solid tumors such as breast, colorectal and hepatocellular cancers. The expression data are obtained by a high-throughput RT–PCR technique, and patients are recruited mainly from a single hospital. In the cancer gene expression database (CGED), the expression and clinical data are presented in a way useful for scientists interested in specific genes or biological functions. The data can be retrieved either by gene identifiers or by functional categories defined by Gene Ontology terms or the Swiss-Prot annotation. Expression patterns of multiple genes, selected by names or similarity search of the patterns, can be compared. Visual presentation of the data with sorting function enables users to easily recognize of relationships between gene expression and clinical parameters. Data for other cancers such as lung and thyroid cancers will be added in the near future. The URL of CGED is http://cged.hgc.jp

Efficacy and safety of single-dose ivermectin in mild-to-moderate COVID-19: the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled CORVETTE-01 trial

BackgroundTo investigate whether ivermectin inhibits SARS-CoV-2 proliferation in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 using time to a negative COVID-19 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.MethodsCORVETTE-01 was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study (August 2020–October 2021) conducted in Japan. Overall, 248 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 using RT-PCR were assessed for eligibility. A single oral dose of ivermectin (200  μg/kg) or placebo was administered under fasting. The primary outcome was time to a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid, assessed using stratified log-rank test and Cox regression models.ResultsOverall, 112 and 109 patients were randomized to ivermectin and placebo, respectively; 106 patients from each group were included in the full analysis set (male [%], mean age: 68.9%, 47.9 years [ivermectin]; 62.3%, 47.5 years [placebo]). No significant difference was observed in the occurrence of negative RT-PCR tests between the groups (hazard ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70–1.32; p = 0.785). Median (95% CI) time to a negative RT-PCR test was 14.0 (13.0–16.0) and 14.0 (12.0–16.0) days for ivermectin and placebo, respectively; 82.1% and 84% of patients achieved negative RT-PCR tests, respectively.ConclusionIn patients with COVID-19, single-dose ivermectin was ineffective in decreasing the time to a negative RT-PCR test.Clinical Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04703205

Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation and Expression of MicroRNAs in Breast Cancer Cells

DNA methylation of promoters is linked to transcriptional silencing of protein-coding genes, and its alteration plays important roles in cancer formation. For example, hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes has been seen in some cancers. Alteration of methylation in the promoters of microRNAs (miRNAs) has also been linked to transcriptional changes in cancers; however, no systematic studies of methylation and transcription of miRNAs have been reported. In the present study, to clarify the relation between DNA methylation and transcription of miRNAs, next-generation sequencing and microarrays were used to analyze the methylation and expression of miRNAs, protein-coding genes, other non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), and pseudogenes in the human breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and the adriamycin (ADR) resistant cell line MCF7/ADR. DNA methylation in the proximal promoter of miRNAs is tightly linked to transcriptional silencing, as it is with protein-coding genes. In protein-coding genes, highly expressed genes have CpG-rich proximal promoters whereas weakly expressed genes do not. This is only rarely observed in other gene categories, including miRNAs. The present study highlights the epigenetic similarities and differences between miRNA and protein-coding genes

Meningitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes in a locally advanced cervical cancer patient with pyometra: A case report

Locally advanced cervical cancer occasionally induces pyometra, but there have been no reports of meningitis where pyometra is the cause of infection. Here, we report a case of Listeria monocytogenes meningitis related to pyometra during concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in a cervical cancer patient. The patient, a 77-year-old woman, was diagnosed with Stage IIB (FIGO 2018) cervical adenocarcinoma, and CCRT was initiated. Pyometra was exacerbated during CCRT, and after her first brachytherapy, she presented at our hospital with fever and decreased consciousness level. After admission to the Intensive Care Unit, the patient lost consciousness and experienced frequent seizures; tracheal intubation was required. Whole-body computed tomography revealed pyometra; therefore, transvaginal removal of the abscess was performed. Laboratory tests and vital signs indicated septic shock, and meropenem was administered. L. monocytogenes was detected in the abscess from the uterine cavity and the blood cultures on the third day of hospitalization. A lumbar puncture was performed on the same day to investigate whether the patient had meningitis. A FilmArray meningitis/encephalitis panel test of the spinal fluid revealed L. monocytogenes. After the diagnosis of meningitis with L. monocytogenes, ampicillin and gentamicin were started, and the blood test results gradually improved. Five months after the initial episode, her consciousness recovered, however she still received mechanical ventilatory support. L. monocytogenes infections can occur in patients undergoing chemotherapy, even without the use of steroids or immunosuppressive agents. In cases with pyometra, intrauterine manipulation can increase the risk of severe infection