A Second Look or, Not to Mention the Occasional Capsizing of a Windsurfer

Of all of the epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC), clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA) has the worst clinical prognosis. Furthermore, the conventional EOC biomarker CA125 is more often negative in CCA than in other subtypes of EOC. This study sought to discover a new diagnostic biomarker that would allow more reliable detection of CCA. Using mass spectrometry, we compared proteins in conditioned media from cell lines derived from CCA and other types of EOC. We identified 30 extracellular or released proteins specifically present in CCA-derived cell lines. Bioinformatics analyses identified a serine protease inhibitor, tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 (TFPI2), as a potential biomarker for CCA. Real time RT-PCR and Western blot analyses revealed that TFPI2 was exclusively expressed in CCA-derived cell lines and tissues. For clinical validation, we measured levels of TFPI2 and CA125 in a set of sera from 30 healthy women, 30 patients with endometriosis, and 50 patients with CCA, using an automated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay systems. Serum levels of TFPI2 were significantly elevated in CCA patients, even those with normal CA125 levels. In terms of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), TFPI2 was superior to CA125 in discriminating CCA patients from healthy women (AUC 0.97 for TFPI2 versus AUC 0.80 for CA125), or from patients with endometriosis (AUC 0.93 for TFPI2 versus 0.80 for CA125). This is the first evidence for TFPI2 as a serum biomarker of CCA. We propose that this biomarker may be useful for detection of CCA and for monitoring the transformation from endometriosis into CCA

Nuclear Pore Complex Protein Mediated Nuclear Localization of Dicer Protein in Human Cells

Human DICER1 protein cleaves double-stranded RNA into small sizes, a crucial step in production of single-stranded RNAs which are mediating factors of cytoplasmic RNA interference. Here, we clearly demonstrate that human DICER1 protein localizes not only to the cytoplasm but also to the nucleoplasm. We also find that human DICER1 protein associates with the NUP153 protein, one component of the nuclear pore complex. This association is detected predominantly in the cytoplasm but is also clearly distinguishable at the nuclear periphery. Additional characterization of the NUP153-DICER1 association suggests NUP153 plays a crucial role in the nuclear localization of the DICER1 protein

A Third Surgically Managed Ectopic Pregnancy after Two Salpingectomies Involving the Opposite Tube

Recurrent ectopic pregnancy in a remnant fallopian tube after ipsilateral salpingectomy is clinically rare. We report the extremely rare case of a third recurrent ectopic pregnancy after two previous salpingectomy procedures involving the opposite tube. A 26-year-old woman, gravida 3 para 0, experienced three ectopic pregnancies brought about by natural conception, all of which were treated surgically (right partial salpingectomy, right remnant tube resection, and left total salpingectomy). During the two salpingectomy procedures involving the right tube, the patency of the intact left tube was intraoperatively confirmed with indigo carmine. The most appropriate surgical intervention should be discussed when managing recurrent ectopic pregnancies. It might be necessary to perform total salpingectomy to reduce the risk of future recurrence on the remaining tube

Long-term stability of the WISC-Ⅳ in children with autism spectrum disorder

The present study aimed to investigate the test-retest reliability of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth edition (WISC-IV) in a sample of 138 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from a child psychiatric clinic in Tokyo, Japan. The stability coefficient of the Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ), which is composed of four indices, was very high at .83, while those of the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI), Working Memory Index (WMI), and Processing Speed Index (PSI) individually were moderate to high, ranging from .62 to .79. Comparisons among three age groups revealed that the coefficients for children aged 5 to 7 years tended to be lower than those for children aged 11 years and older. With respect to relative strengths and weaknesses between index scores, approximately half of children did not exhibit the same trend in the second test. These results revealed that the FSIQ and index scores are stable in the long term in children with ASD aged 11 years and older, and that the PSI and discrepancies in index scores are less stable. Thus, practitioners should take into account ecological information and the test-taking behaviors of children when interpreting WISC-IV results for children with ASD

Postpartum Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Toxic Shock Syndrome Caused by a Perineal Infection

Although toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is rare, multiorgan failure can occur without early identification and appropriate therapy. In particular, a few cases of postpartum TSS due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been reported. Here, we describe a rare case in which a 32-year-old Japanese woman had TSS due to MRSA that was caused by a perineal infection after a normal vaginal delivery. Twelve days after giving birth to a healthy child, she was readmitted to our hospital due to a 2-day fever and perineal pain without uterine tenderness. She developed emesis and watery diarrhea on the night of admission. On the second day, a diffuse cutaneous macular rash appeared over her trunk. Laboratory data revealed deteriorated renal function and thrombocytopenia. Her history and clinical results were compatible with a typical course of TSS. Administration of ceftriaxone and clindamycin was started immediately after admission and was effective. The patient recuperated steadily over the next week with desquamation of the skin. MRSA was isolated from her vaginal discharge and was found to produce TSS toxin 1 (TSST-1). Furthermore, since MRSA was not detected in the nasal and vaginal cavity during pregnancy, it suggests that vaginal colonization can also occur postpartum and be the disease source in mothers. Therefore, MRSA infections should be considered when treating for postpartum TSS

Review of cognitive characteristics of autism spectrum disorder using performance on six subtests on four versions of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

This study was a systematic review of research using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to examine cognitive characteristics of children with ASD beyond the impact of revisions based on WISC and diagnostic criteria changes. The classic “islets of ability” was found in individuals with full-scale IQs < 100. The “right-descending profiles” were observed among high IQ score individuals. High levels on the Block Design and low Coding levels were consistently found regardless of the variation in intellectual functioning or diagnosis. This review identified patterns of cognitive characteristics in ASD individuals using empirical data that researchers may have previously been aware of, based on their experiences, owing to the increased prevalence of ASD