Malacoplakia of probable retroperitoneal origin.

A case of extravesical malacoplakia, the first case in Japan, is described in detail. The patient was a 61-year-old woman with a right flank mass. Radiologically, the mass was thought to be of the renal origin. Surgically, however, the tumor was found attached not only to the cortical surface but extended to the retroperitoneum and psoas muscle. Pathological examination confirmed the lesion to be malacoplakia characterized by the presence of von Hansemann cells and Michaelis-Gutmann bodies.</p

Differences in Velopharyngeal Structure during Speech among Asians Revealed by 3-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Movie Mode

Objective. Different bony structures can affect the function of the velopharyngeal muscles. Asian populations differ morphologically, including the morphologies of their bony structures. The purpose of this study was to compare the velopharyngeal structures during speech in two Asian populations: Japanese and Thai. Methods. Ten healthy Japanese and Thai females (five each) were evaluated with a 3-Tesla (3 T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner while they produced vowel-consonant-vowel syllable (/asa/). A gradient-echo sequence, fast low-angle shot with segmented cine and parallel imaging technique was used to obtain sagittal images of the velopharyngeal structures. Results. MRI was carried out in real time during speech production, allowing investigations of the time-to-time changes in the velopharyngeal structures. Thai subjects had a significantly longer hard palate and produced shorter consonant than Japanese subjects. The velum of the Thai participants showed significant thickening during consonant production and their retroglossal space was significantly wider at rest, whereas the dimensional change during task performance was similar in the two populations. Conclusions. The 3 T MRI movie method can be used to investigate velopharyngeal function and diagnose velopharyngeal insufficiency. The racial differences may include differences in skeletal patterns and soft-tissue morphology that result in functional differences for the affected structures

Principles of the magnetic resonance imaging movie method for articulatory movement : a review

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a critical tool for dental examination. MRI has many advantages over radiographic examination methods, including the lack of a requirement for patient exposure and the ability to capture high-contrast images of various tissue and organ types. However, MRI also has several limitations, including long examination times and the existence of metallic or motion artifacts. A cardiac imaging method using cine sequences was developed in the 1990s. This technique allows for analysis of heart movement and functional blood flow. Moreover, this method has been applied in dentistry. Recent research involving 3T MRI has led to the achievement of a temporal resolution of <10 ms, surpassing the frame rate of typical video recording. The current review introduces the history and principles of the cine sequence method and its application to the oral and maxillofacial regions

Basement Membrane beneath Serous Mesothelial Cells Contains α1(IV), α2(IV), α5(IV), and α6(IV) Chains of Type IV Collagen Demonstrated by Chain-specific Monoclonal Antibodies

Serous membrane (SM) covers inner surface of abdominal, thoracic and pericardial cavities, aswell as outer surface of organs inside the cavities. It consists of surface mesothelial cells andloose connective tissue. Between them, a thim layer of basement membrane (BM) is located. Type IVcollagen is major constituent of BM, and consists of 6 different a(IV) chains, a1(IV) through a6(IV).Chain-specific functions are assumed by a chain-specific manner of localization. The a(IV) chaincomposition of skin, covering outer surface of the body, is demonstrated to have a1(IV), a2(IV), a5(IV),and a6(IV) chains, whereas that of SM, covering inner surface of the body, is yet to be analyzed. Abdominal wall, small intestine, thoracic wall, lung, pericardium and epicardium of humanmaterials were used in this study. Chain-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) used were H11(for a1), H22 (for a2), H31 (fo a3), H43 (for a4), H53 (for a5) and H63 (for a6). Fresh frozen sectionswere stained with indirect immunofluorescence staining using the mAbs. Four out of six a(IV) chains, a1, a2, a5 and a6, were demonstrated in BM beneath themesothelial cells of all types of SMs, whereas only capillary BM consisted of a1 and a2. Besides,epicardial SM expressed a3 and a4 moderately as extra components. The a(IV) chain composition was same as those of epidermal skin BM. Therefore, these a(IV)chains are designated to be essential for BM covering inside and outside of the body

Molecular-Targeted Therapies for Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Its Resistance Mechanisms

Cancer therapies targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), such as small-molecule kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, have been developed as standard therapies for several cancers, such as non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Although these therapies can significantly prolong progression-free survival, curative effects are not often achieved because of intrinsic and/or acquired resistance. The resistance mechanisms to EGFR-targeted therapies can be categorized as resistant gene mutations, activation of alternative pathways, phenotypic transformation, and resistance to apoptotic cell death. Analysis of the processes that modulate EGFR signal transduction by EGFR-targeted inhibitors, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, has revealed new therapeutic opportunities and has elucidated novel mechanisms contributing to the discovery of more effective anticancer treatments. In this review, we discuss the roles of EGFR in cancer development, therapeutic strategies for targeting EGFR, and resistance mechanisms to EGFR-targeted therapies, with a focus on cancer therapies for individual patients

Up-regulation of Syndecan-4 contributes to TGF-β1-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition in lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells

Syndecan-4 (SDC4) is a cell-surface proteoglycan associated with cell adhesion, motility, and intracellular signaling. Here, we present that SDC4 functions as a positive regulator of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) via Snail in lung adenocarcinoma, A549 cells. TGF-β1 up-regulated the expression of SDC4, accompanied by the induction of EMT. Wound-healing and transwell chemotaxis assay revealed that SDC4 promoted cell migration and invasion. SDC4 knockdown recovered the E-cadherin and decreased vimentin and Snail expression in EMT-induced A549 cells. However, depletion of SDC4 resulted in little change of the Slug protein expression and mesenchymal cell morphology induced by TGF-β1. The double knockdown of SDC-4 and Slug was required for reversal of epithelial morphology; it did not occur from the SDC4 single knockdown. These findings suggest that Snail is a transcriptional factor downstream of SDC4, and SDC4 regulates TGF-β1-induced EMT by cooperating with Slug. Our data provide a novel insight into cellular mechanisms, whereby the cell-surface proteoglycan modulated TGF-β1-induced EMT in lung adenocarcinoma, A549 cells

Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-Targeted Cancer Therapy

In the past two decades, several molecular targeted inhibitors have been developed and evaluated clinically to improve the survival of patients with cancer. Molecular targeted inhibitors inhibit the activities of pathogenic tyrosine kinases. Particularly, aberrant receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) activation is a potential therapeutic target. An increased understanding of genetics, cellular biology and structural biology has led to the development of numerous important therapeutics. Pathogenic RTK mutations, deletions, translocations and amplification/over-expressions have been identified and are currently being examined for their roles in cancers. Therapies targeting RTKs are categorized as small-molecule inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies. Studies are underway to explore abnormalities in 20 types of RTK subfamilies in patients with cancer or other diseases. In this review, we describe representative RTKs important for developing cancer therapeutics and predicting or evaluated resistance mechanisms