Radiosensitization effect of an mTOR inhibitor, temsirolimus, on lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions

学位記番号：医博甲1547

SCC antigen and ApoC-II as serum biomarkers of cervical cancer

There are currently no reliable, established serum biomarkers to predict the prognosis of radiotherapy for advanced cervical cancer. We aimed to identify serum biomarkers for survival after radiotherapy for cervical cancer. In this multicenter prospective cohort study, the usefulness of pre- and posttreatment serum protein levels of potential biomarkers, including squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag), apolipoprotein C-II (ApoC-II), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)1, and MMP2, were evaluated together with clinical factors in 145 cervical cancer patients in order to determine their suitability to predict survival. Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary endpoint, and overall survival (OS), pelvic PFS (PPFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were the secondary endpoints. Blood samples were collected before and 1 month after radiotherapy to measure serum biomarker levels. ApoC-II was measured using a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which was developed for this purpose. Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used for statistical analyses. In multivariate analysis, larger tumor size was independently associated with shorter PFS, OS, PPFS, and DMFS, while longer overall treatment time was independently associated with shorter PPFS. Higher pretreatment SCC-Ag (P 25.8 μg/ml (P = 0.023, log-rank test). Pre- and posttreatment serum SCC-Ag and pretreatment serum ApoC-II levels may be important biomarkers to predict survival outcomes of patients with cervical cancer after radiotherapy. Pre- and posttreatment SCC-Ag and pretreatment ApoC-II might be useful in clinical settings for screening patients to improve treatment strategies in cervical cancer

QOL after RT or OP for uterine cervix cancer

This study aimed to research the post-treatment quality of life (QOL) between radiotherapy (RT)- and operation (OP)-treated early cervical cancer survivors, using separate questionnaires for physicians and patients. We administered an observational questionnaire to patients aged 20–70 years old with Stages IB1–IIB cervical cancer who had undergone RT or OP and without recurrence as outpatients for ≥6 months after treatment. We divided 100 registered patients equally into two treatment groups (n = 50 each). The average age was 53 and 44 years in the RT and OP groups, respectively. The RT group included 34 and 66% Stage I and II patients, respectively, whereas the OP group included 66 and 34% Stage I and II patients, respectively. The OP group included 58% of patients with postoperative RT. Combination chemotherapy was performed in 84 and 48% of patients in the RT and OP groups, respectively. On the physicians’ questionnaire, we observed significant differences in bone marrow suppression (RT) and leg edema (OP). On the patients’ questionnaire, significantly more patients had dysuria and leg edema in the OP group than in the RT group, and severe (Score 4–5) leg edema was significantly higher in the post-operative RT group than in the OP only group. The frequency of sexual intercourse decreased after treatment in both groups. On the patients’ questionnaire, there were no significant differences between the two groups regarding sexual activity. These findings are useful to patients and physicians for shared decision-making in treatment choices. The guidance of everyday life and health information including sexual life after treatment is important

Survival outcomes of esophageal cancer patients with recurrence after curative treatments

Abstract Background Little is known about predictive factors for survival outcomes of esophageal carcinoma (EC) patients who developed recurrence after undergoing multimodal therapies. We aimed to investigate long-term outcomes and identify prognostic factors in patients with relapsed EC, focusing especially on those with oligometastasis (OM). Methods EC patients who developed recurrence after curative treatments (radical esophagectomy or definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT)) between 2010 and 2017 were reviewed. Multivariate Cox hazards models were applied to determine independent predictors of poor post-recurrence survival (PRS). Results In total, 178 patients were included. The median PRS was 12.9 months. Of the 178 patients, 98 had OM and 80 non-OM (NOM) disease. The survival outcomes of patients with OM were significantly better than those of patients with NOM (P < 0.01). Surgical treatments provided significantly better survival outcomes than CRT or chemo-/radiotherapy alone (3-year overall survival (OS); 78.1% vs. 42.5% vs. 28.9%, P < 0.01), mainly due to prolonging survival after the recurrence (3-year PRS 62.9% vs. 16.7% vs. 16.2%, P < 0.01). Multivariable analysis focusing on patients with OM revealed cStage III-IV disease (P < 0.01), high GPS at the time of recurrence (P = 0.02) and non-curative treatments (P < 0.01), to be independently associated with poor PRS. In contrast, in patients with NOM, no independent predictors for poor PRS were identified. Conclusions The survival outcomes of patients with relapsed EC remain poor. Surgical treatments could provide survival benefits for patients with recurrent EC, especially for patients with OM

Extracted tissue-specific atelocollagens have distinctive textural properties

Food texture is a very important factor for elderly persons, children, and patients who have difficulty swallowing. Collagen and its hydrolysis product, gelatin, are used as ingredients in foods, dietary supplements, and medical materials. In this study, we extracted atelocollagen from nonedible porcine tissues, including ear, nose, and skin, and analyzed the biophysical properties of each tissue. Extracted whole auricle collagen (AEC) showed superior springiness, while only the skin region of auricle collagen (ASC) showed superior hardness, springiness, and brittleness. Body skin collagen showed high hardness but low springiness. In a shear stress test, ASC gels showed high shear strength, and their strains coincided with hardness in a textural examination, while nose and AEC showed low maximum strains. In viscosity, the auricular collagens showed higher viscosity regardless of the region of the ear. Fibril formation in collagen from each tissue and organ varied a great deal in width and morphology. We found that the same type of collagen had a unique texture and viscosity under physiological conditions depending on the tissue or organ of extraction. The results show that the collagen extracted from each organ has a unique texture and unique possibilities to serve as an ingredient in food or supplements