CD44 expression in HCC

Background: CD44 is well known to be one of the cancer stem cell markers and is a cell-surface glycoproteininvolved in cell-cell interactions, cell adhesion, and cell migration. We investigated the role of CD44 expression in both tumor and non-tumor tissues on recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Forty-eight patients with HCC who underwent hepatic resection at our institution were enrolled in this study. CD44 expressions in both tumor and non-tumor tissues were examined using real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The patients were divided into two groups: high and low gene-expression group, based on the CD44 expression level. We compared the clinicopathological factors between the high expression and low expression groups in both tumor and non-tumor tissues. Results: In the tumor tissues, the gene-expression levels of CD44 did not correlate with any clinicopathological parameters. The disease-free survival rate showed no significant difference between the two gourps. In non-tumor tissues, although there was no significant relationship between the CD44 expression levels and clinicopathological factors, disease-free survival rate in the CD44 low expression group was significantly better than that in the CD44 high expression group (p<0.05). In multivariate analysis, the risk factors in tumor recurrence were presence of microscopic portal invasion and high expression level of CD44. Conclusion: The CD44 expressions in the non-tumor tissues may predict HCC recurrence

Nationwide surveillance of bacterial respiratory pathogens conducted by the surveillance committee of Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases, and the Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology in 2010: General view of the pathogens\u27 antibacterial susceptibility

The nationwide surveillance on antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial respiratory pathogens from patients in Japan, was conducted by Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases and Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology in 2010.The isolates were collected from clinical specimens obtained from well-diagnosed adult patients with respiratory tract infections during the period from January and April 2010 by three societies. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted at the central reference laboratory according to the method recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institutes using maximum 45 antibacterial agents.Susceptibility testing was evaluable with 954 strains (206 Staphylococcus aureus, 189 Streptococcus pneumoniae, 4 Streptococcus pyogenes, 182 Haemophilus influenzae, 74 Moraxella catarrhalis, 139 Klebsiella pneumoniae and 160 Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Ratio of methicillin-resistant S.aureus was as high as 50.5%, and those of penicillin-intermediate and -resistant S.pneumoniae were 1.1% and 0.0%, respectively. Among H.influenzae, 17.6% of them were found to be β-lactamase-non-producing ampicillin (ABPC)-intermediately resistant, 33.5% to be β-lactamase-non-producing ABPC-resistant and 11.0% to be β-lactamase-producing ABPC-resistant strains. Extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing K.pneumoniae and multi-drug resistant P.aeruginosa with metallo β-lactamase were 2.9% and 0.6%, respectively.Continuous national surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility of respiratory pathogens is crucial in order to monitor changing patterns of susceptibility and to be able to update treatment recommendations on a regular basis