Site‐specific methylation patterns of the GAL and GALR1/2 genes in head and neck cancer: Potential utility as biomarkers for prognosis

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136246/1/mc22577.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136246/2/mc22577_am.pd

Anti-cytokine autoantibodies are ubiquitous in healthy individuals

AbstractAnti-cytokine autoantibodies in healthy individuals have been widely reported but the occurrence is variable and inconstant. We hypothesized that cytokine-binding in vivo may explain their variable and infrequent detection. Therefore, we focused on the detection of the cytokine-autoantibody complexes and found that anti-cytokine autoantibody to IL-2, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, vascular endothelial growth factor and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor were present in all 15 individuals evaluated, while those to IL-3, osteopontin and macrophage-colony stimulating factor were not detected in anyone. Autoantibodies against IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and interferon-gamma were variously detected. Thus, we discovered that anti-cytokine autoantibodies to multiple cytokines are ubiquitous in healthy individuals

Morphological and Adaptational Evolution Caused by Interaction between Marine Invertebrates, and the Effect of Human Activity on It : Mollusks and Bottom Environment in the Shallow Water of Sagami Bay off Hiratsuka

Mollusks and bottom sediment were collected by dredging Sagami Bay off Hiratsuka at depths of 6 to 43m. Five hundred forty specimens belonging to 51 species were obtained. All were warm water species, 45 of which are known only around Japan and 6 of which are distributed from Japan to equatorial regions. Two tropical species, Barbarca tenella (Reeve) and Melanella cf. carchedon (Iredale), have not hitherto been reported in Sagami Bay ; all specimens were juvenile and they are presumably unable to survive the low water temperature in winter. The seafloor at 6 to 13m deep appears to be often turbulent and active burrowing mollusks such as Umbonium costatum (Valenciennes), Glossaulax didyma (Roding) and Olivella japonica Pilsbry live there. The bottom sediment at depths of around 20m is mainly composed of very fine- to fine-grained sand, in which Glycymeris imperialis Kuroda, Nitidotellina hokkaidoensis (Habe) and Lyonsia ventricosa Gould are dominant. The sediment also includes pebbles, on which sessile bivalves like Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamark and Barbarca tenella (Reeve) are attached, indicating a low sedimentation rate. The substrate around 40m deep is very fine-grained sand with 24% mud content, in which Episiphon subroctum Joffreys and Cardiomya gouldiana (Hinds) are dominant

下肢静脈瘤治療後に発生する下腿浮腫に対する歩行訓練 : 静脈瘤に対する硬化療法後の下腿浮腫および手術後に発生した下腿浮腫

一次性下肢静脈瘤の治療法として硬化療法と伏在静脈高位結紮術を併用した場合,しばしば頑固な下肢浮腫を認める.そこで,我々は下腿浮腫の予防的アプローチとして弾力包帯による圧迫療法,歩行訓練の有効性を検討した.当院で行った一次性下肢静脈瘤,956人1417肢の内,特に頑固な下肢浮腫を来す可能性のある症例,すなわち手術療法として大および小伏在静脈結紮術,不全交通枝結紮術さらに広範囲な静脈瘤切除術を施行した症例24例を対象とし,下肢静脈瘤治療後に発生する下肢浮腫について歩行訓練の有効性を検討した.歩行訓練としては,手術翌日より,1)足底静脈のフットポンプ機能を活性化させる目的で床歩行を20分間,1日3回,2)下腿膝部から足関節部までの静脈-筋肉ポンプを活性化する目的で階段昇降(100step)を1日3回行わせた.さらに併用療法として,3)足背から大腿中央部まで弾力包帯および弾力ストッキングで圧迫した.術後早期の圧迫療法と歩行訓練の併用は足底部の静脈によるフットポンプおよび静脈(静脈弁)-筋ポンプ作用を有効に働かせるのに有効で下腿浮腫の軽減に効果的であると考えられた.It is well known that lower leg edema occurs in patients who have undergone sclerotherapy and operative procedure or such operative procedures as high ligataion of the long and short saphenous veins of ligation of the perforator branch for varicose veins of the legs. To date, there have been no reports regarding rehavilitation approaches for patients who have undergone the above mentioned procedures. We evaluated the efficacy of gait training to improve such lower leg edema. Group I : sclerotherapy only, group II : operative procedure, group III : both sclerotheraphy and operative procedure, group IV : as controls inpatients with no led varicose vein who had undergone a tonsillectomy. As rehabilitation therapy, the subjects were required to do 1) 20 minutes walking on the floor to activate the venous foot pump function, 2) to go up and down steps to activate the venous muscle pump function, and 3) to undergo added compression therapy using an elastic bandage and elastic stocking. In group I , the leg edema improved within several days due to the use of an elastic bandage or elastic stocking and no recurrence was encountered. Regarding operation therapy, in group I, strong leg edema occurred on the first postoperative day. In group II, it occurred again on the seventh postoperative day after compression therapy. In group III, no leg edema occurred again. Our results have led us to conclude that walking and goig up and down steps as gait training soon after surgical procedures are very effective for decerasing lower leg edema

Multicenter safety study of mFOLFOX6 for unresectable advanced/recurrent colorectal cancer in elderly patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Combination chemotherapy with oxaliplatin plus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (FOLFOX) has become a standard regimen for colorectal cancer. An increase of adverse events with combination chemotherapy is predicted in elderly patients, and it remains controversial whether they should receive the same chemotherapy as younger patients. Accordingly, this study of modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6) therapy was performed to compare its safety between elderly and non-elderly patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We prospectively studies 14 non-elderly patients aged <70 years old and 8 elderly patients aged ≥ 70 years with unresectable advanced/recurrent colorectal cancer who received mFOLFOX6 therapy during the period from March 2006 to March 2007. Adverse events and the response to treatment were compared between the elderly and non-elderly groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The main adverse events were neutropenia and peripheral neuropathy, which occurred in 62.5% (≥ grade 3) and 87.5% (≥ grade 1) of elderly patients. The grade and frequency of adverse events were similar in the elderly and non-elderly groups. In some patients with neutropenia, treatment could be continued without reducing the dose of oxaliplatin by deleting bolus 5-fluorouracil. A correlation was found between the cumulative dose of oxaliplatin and the severity of neuropathy, and there were 2 elderly and 3 younger patients in whom discontinuation of treatment was necessary due to peripheral neuropathy. The median number of treatment cycles was 10.0 and 9.5 in the non-elderly and elderly groups, respectively. The response rate was 60.0% in the non-elderly and 50.0% in the elderly group, while the disease control rate was 100% and 83.3% respectively, showing no age-related difference.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>mFOLFOX6 therapy was well-tolerated and effective in both non-elderly and elderly patients. However, discontinuation of treatment was sometimes necessary due to peripheral neuropathy, which is dose-limiting toxicity of this therapy.</p

Microglia and Monocytes/Macrophages Polarization Reveal Novel Therapeutic Mechanism against Stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and consists of two types, ischemic and hemorrhagic. Currently, there is no effective treatment to increase the survival rate or improve the quality of life after ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke in the subacute to chronic phases. Therefore, it is necessary to establish therapeutic strategies to facilitate functional recovery in patients with stroke during both phases. Cell-based therapies, using microglia and monocytes/macrophages preconditioned by optimal stimuli and/or any therapies targeting these cells, might be an ideal therapeutic strategy for managing stroke. Microglia and monocytes/macrophages polarize to the classic pro-inflammatory type (M1-like) or alternative protective type (M2-like) by optimal condition. Cell-based therapies using M2-like microglia and monocytes/macrophages might be protective therapeutic strategies against stroke for three reasons. First, M2-like microglia and monocytes/monocytes secrete protective remodeling factors, thus prompting neuronal network recovery via tissue (including neuronal) and vascular remodeling. Second, these cells could migrate to the injured hemisphere through the blood–brain barrier or choroid–plexus. Third, these cells could mitigate the extent of inflammation-induced injuries by suitable timing of therapeutic intervention. Although future translational studies are required, M2-like microglia and monocytes/macrophages therapies are attractive for managing stroke based on their protective functions