Differential expression of topoisomerase IIα protein in salivary gland carcinomas: histogenetic and prognostic implications

BACKGROUND: Salivary gland carcinomas are relatively uncommon heterogeneous malignancies characterized by locoregional invasion and distant metastasis. Topoisomerase IIα (topoIIα), located at chromosome 17q21-22, is considered a major mediator of cell proliferation and DNA replication. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of topoIIα in various types of salivary gland tumors and its biological significance. METHODS: The protein expression of topoIIα was evaluated immunohistochemically in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from 54 salivary gland carcinomas and 20 benign tumors (10 pleomorphic adenomas and 10 Warthin's tumors). The primary salivary gland carcinoma specimens consisted of 17 adenoid cystic carcinomas, 7 adenocarcinomas not otherwise specified, 7 mucoepidermoid carcinomas, 6 salivary duct carcinomas, 3 acinic cell carcinomas, 3 carcinomas ex pleomorphic adenomas, 3 epithelial-myoepithelial carcinomas, 2 carcinosarcomas, 2 lymphoepithelial carcinomas, 2 myoepithelial carcinomas, 1 oncocytic carcinoma, and 1 squamous cell carcinoma. The associations between clinicopathological factors and outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 54 primary salivary gland carcinomas, 38 (70%) showed positive expression (≥10%) of topoIIα protein, and 16 carcinomas (30%) and all benign tumors were negative (p < 0.001). Expression of topoIIα was more frequently observed in salivary duct carcinoma, carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma, adenocarcinoma, and adenoid cystic carcinoma, solid type, and it was associated with advanced stage and shortened survival. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggest that topoIIα expression is associated with histologically aggressive subtypes and shortened survival. Furthermore, it may provide useful prognostic information and suggests the potential efficacy of topoIIα-targeting therapy in patients with salivary gland carcinoma

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s public-health monitoring and analysis platform: A satellite-derived environmental information system supporting epidemiological study

Since the 1970s, Earth-observing satellites collect increasingly detailed environmental information on land cover, meteorological conditions, environmental variables and air pollutants. This information spans the entire globe and its acquisition plays an important role in epidemiological analysis when in situ data are unavailable or spatially and/or temporally sparse. In this paper, we present the development of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Public-health Monitoring and Analysis Platform available from JAXA, a user-friendly, web-based system providing environmental data on shortwave radiation, rainfall, soil moisture, the normalized difference vegetation index, aerosol optical thickness, land surface temperature and altitude. This system has been designed so that users should be able to download and utilize data without the need for additional data processing. The website allows interactive exchange and users can request data for a specific geographic location and time using the information gained for epidemiological analysis

A Case of Intestinal Obstruction Secondary to a Strangulated Obturator Hernia in an Elderly Woman

In this report, we present a case of intestinal obstruction secondary to a strangulated obturator hernia in an elderly woman. An 88-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because she had been experiencing abdominal pain and vomiting for 24h. Her abdomen was distended, and bowel sounds indicating obstruction were heard on auscultation. Diffuse abdominal tenderness was present, but no palpable masses were apparent. The diagnosis of an obturator hernia was confirmed preoperatively by computed tomography. During the emergency laparotomy, the incarcerated intestine was reduced and removed. The obturator foramen was repaired using a simple suture. The patient recovered completely and was discharged seven days after the surgical procedure because no postoperative complications occurred. An early diagnosis and prompt surgical treatment are important to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with an obturator hernia

A Case of Ischemic Ileal Obstruction Secondary to Seat Belt Trauma

We report a case of seat belt trauma with delayed ischemic ileal obstruction. A 62-year-old woman presented with symptoms and signs of bowel obstruction three weeks after an automobile traffic accident. A plain radiograph of the abdomen showed dilated small bowel loops with air fluid levels that were consistent with intestinal obstruction. Enhanced computed tomography clearly demonstrated a stenotic ileal loop with mural thickening that was associated with a mesenteric hematoma. Upper endoscopy revealed an ulcer of the ischemic ileal obstruction. The patient underwent resection of the stenotic ileal loop by single-incision laparoscopic surgery. The stenotic ileal loop was located 120 cm oral side from the terminal ileum. In gross finding, the wall of stenotic ileal loop was thickened and the adjacent mesentery was shortened with a hematoma. The mucosa of the ischemic ileal obstruction showed ulcerative changes. The abnormal ileal loop, which was 15 cm in length, was resected. Postoperative recovery was uneventful

Chemoradiotherapy for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anal Canal: A Case Report

A 79-year-old woman presented to our hospital with frequent episodes of hematochezia. Colonoscopy revealed an apparent tumor with central ulceration, and analysis of biopsy specimens confirmed the presence of non-invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal. No distant metastases were identified on enhanced computed tomography (CT). The cancer was classified as stage II (T2N0M0), and chemoradiotherapy (CRT) was selected as the first-line treatment. A continuous intravenous infusion of 5-fluorouracil with daily cisplatin was planned on days 1 to 5 of a 4-week cycle. After the first course, the drug administration was discontinued because the patient experienced diarrhea as an adverse event, and treatment with daily oral titanium silicate-1 (TS-1) was initiated. In addition, a total of 65Gy of radiation was applied to the primary lesion, pelvis, and bilateral groin area. Four weeks after the completion of CRT, colonoscopy showed the disappearance of the tumor and analysis of biopsy specimens confirmed the absence of any viable cancer cells. CT showed no evidence of lymph node metastasis or distant metastases. At 10 months after the completion of CRT, the patient showed no recurrence and with complete response

A Case of Laparoscopic Ileocecal Resection for Intussusception Secondary to Cecal Cancer

An 83-year-old woman presented with a right lower abdominal mass, lower abdominal pain, and distension. She had no medical or surgical history. Clinical examination revealed a right lower abdominal mass, abdominal distension, and decreased bowel sounds in the lower abdomen. Abdominal computed tomography showed an intussusception involving the ileocecal junction. A Gastrografin enema showed a tumor shadow with an irregular defect caused by the intussusception in the transverse colon. The protruding tumor was also pushed back into the cecum by the enema pressure. Colonoscopy revealed a protruding mass at the leading edge of the intussusception in the ascending colon, and biopsy results of the cecal mass indicated an adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent laparoscopic ileocecal resection of the intussuscepted cecal cancer using reduced port surgery. The resected specimen contained a type 1 tumor measuring 40mm that was histopathologically diagnosed as cecal cancer. The patient remains asymptomatic 8 months after surgery

Effects of small interfering RNA targeting thymidylate synthase on survival of ACC3 cells from salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Thymidylate synthase (TS) is an important target for chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer and high expression of TS has been associated with poor prognosis or refractory disease in several cancers including colorectal and head and neck cancer. Although TS is known to regulate cell cycles and transcription factors, its potency as a therapeutic target has not been fully explored in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An ACC cell line (ACC3) was transfected with siRNA targeting the TS gene and inhibition of cell growth and induction of apoptosis-associated molecules were evaluated <it>in vitro</it>. In addition, the <it>in vivo </it>effect of TS siRNA on tumor progression was assessed using a xenograft model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our results demonstrated that ACC3 cells showed significantly higher TS expression than non-cancer cell lines and the induction of TS siRNA led to inhibition of cell proliferation. The effect was associated with an increase in p53, p21, and active caspase-3 and S-phase accumulation. We also found up-regulation of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT), a polyamine metabolic enzyme. Furthermore, treatment with TS siRNA delivered by atelocollagen showed a significant cytostatic effect through the induction of apoptosis in a xenograft model.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>TS may be an important therapeutic target and siRNA targeting TS may be of potential therapeutic value in ACC.</p

Association between mental health and bone mass among community-dwelling adults: Nagasaki Islands Study on bone health

Osteoporosis and its related fractures are important public health issues. This study examined the association between the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and low bone mass in middle-aged community-dwelling men and women. A crosssectional study was nested in a prospective observational study of 1,101 participants (median age: 57 [49-62] years in men and 58 [50-62] years in women) residing in a rural city in western Japan. Participants were recruited during medical check-ups in 2016 and 2017 from the community-dwelling population. The bone mass of the calcaneus was evaluated using quantitative ultrasound. Of the participants, 56 men (14.9%) and 144 women (19.9%) had a bone mass of less than 70% of the mean of young adults. Univariate analysis revealed that there was a trend toward lower body mass index (BMI) and higher prevalence of low bone mass with an increase in K6 scores in men but not in women. Logistic regression analysis, adjusting for possible confounders(age, BMI, smoking, drinking habits, exercise habits, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension), showed significant associations between the K6 scores and low bone mass (odds ratio (OR) = 2.66 for the men with 5 to 12 points of K6, OR = 7.51 for men with ≥ 13 of K6, not for women). We showed an association between psychological distress and low bone mass independent of cofounders among community-dwelling middle-aged men but not women. This suggests that healthy mental health in middle-aged men may be a possible target for the prevention of consequent osteoporosis or fragile bone fractures

Amelioration of Acute Kidney Injury in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome by an Aldose Reductase Inhibitor, Fidarestat

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome is a fatal disease because of multiple organ failure. Acute kidney injury is a serious complication of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and its genesis is still unclear posing a difficulty for an effective treatment. Aldose reductase (AR) inhibitor is recently found to suppress lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiac failure and its lethality. We studied the effects of AR inhibitor on LPS-induced acute kidney injury and its mechanism.Mice were injected with LPS and the effects of AR inhibitor (Fidarestat 32 mg/kg) before or after LPS injection were examined for the mortality, severity of renal failure and kidney pathology. Serum concentrations of cytokines (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and tumor necrosis factor-α) and their mRNA expressions in the lung, liver, spleen and kidney were measured. We also evaluated polyol metabolites in the kidney.Mortality rate within 72 hours was significantly less in LPS-injected mice treated with AR inhibitor both before (29%) and after LPS injection (40%) than untreated mice (90%). LPS-injected mice showed marked increases in blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and cytokines, and AR inhibitor treatment suppressed the changes. LPS-induced acute kidney injury was associated with vacuolar degeneration and apoptosis of renal tubular cells as well as infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages. With improvement of such pathological findings, AR inhibitor treatment suppressed the elevation of cytokine mRNA levels in multiple organs and renal sorbitol accumulation.AR inhibitor treatment ameliorated LPS-induced acute kidney injury, resulting in the lowered mortality