Search

BACKGROUND/AIM: Since January 2020, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases have been confirmed in Japan, and the number of patients with COVID-19 has been increasing. Two emergency declarations have been made previously and one is currently in effect. Based on our experience of a situation that could affect cancer treatment, this study retrospectively examined the correlation between perioperative anticancer therapy and COVID-19 incidence in patients with breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent perioperative anticancer therapy for breast cancer at our hospital from February 2020 to February 2021 were included in this study. The presence or absence of COVID-19, timing of anticancer drug initiation, and clinical data were collected. RESULTS: No cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in patients receiving perioperative anticancer therapy at our hospital. CONCLUSION: Regimen modification, active use of supportive care, and patient lifestyle were factors reducing the incidence of COVID-19.

In the twentieth century, a substantial decline in Pinus thunbergii populations in Japan occurred due to the outbreak of pine wood nematode (PWN), Burshaphelencus xylophilus. A PWN-P. thunbergii resistant trees-breeding project was developed in the 1980s to provide reforestation materials to minimalize the pest damage within the population. Since climate change can also contribute to PWN outbreaks, an intensive reforestation plan instated without much consideration can impact on the genetic diversity of P. thunbergii populations. The usage and deployment of PWN-P. thunbergii resistant trees to a given site without genetic management can lead to a genetic disturbance. The Iki-no-Matsubara population was used as a model to design an approach for the deployment management. This research aimed to preserve local genetic diversity, genetic structure, and relatedness by developing a method for deploying Kyushu PWN-P. thunbergii resistant trees as reforestation-material plants into Iki-no-Matsubara. The local genotypes of the Iki-no-Matsubara population and the Kyushu PWN-P. thunbergii resistant trees were analyzed using six microsatellite markers. Genotype origins, relatedness, diversity, and structure of both were investigated and compared with the genetic results previously obtained for old populations of P. thunbergii throughout Japan. A sufficient number of Kyushu PWN-P. thunbergii resistant trees, as mother trees, within seed orchards and sufficient status number of the seedlings to deploy are needed when deploying the Kyushu PWN-P. thunbergii resistant trees as reforestation material planting into Iki-no-Matsubara population. This approach not only be used to preserve Iki-no-Matsubara population (genetic diversity, genetic structure, relatedness, and resilience of the forests) but can also be applied to minimize PWN damage. These results provide a baseline for further seed sourcing as well as develop genetic management strategies within P. thunbergii populations, including Kyushu PWN-P. thunbergii resistant trees.

In the present study, a set of ten Expressed Sequence Tag-Simple Sequence Repeats (EST-SSR) markers have been developed to contribute to the genetic studies of Pinus thunbergii. The number of alleles in the developed EST-SSR markers ranged from one to six. Observed heterozygosity was 0.000 to 0.707; the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.000 to 0.720. Polymorphism information content (PIC) was ranged from 0.000 to 0.669. The mean of the probability of identity between two unrelated individuals (PI) and two siblings (PI-Sib) were 0.540 and 0.719, respectively. The EST-SSR markers developed in the present study, in combining with the previously developed markers, can help in understanding the genetic diversity and genetic structure of P. thunbergii populations.

The transport of monolignols from the cytosol to the cell wall is essential for lignin synthesis. The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters may be involved in the transport of lignin precursors. ABC transporter genes subjected to expression analysis were chosen based on two criteria for screening candidate transporter genes related to lignification. The expression levels of 15 target genes in five plant organs were analyzed by real-time PCR. Five transporter genes (ABCG29, ABCG30, ABCG33, ABCG34, and ABCG37), which were simultaneously expressed with the reference genes, were selected as candidates. The candidate gene expression levels in root tissues of T-DNA insertion mutants were determined by semi-quantitative reverse transcription PCR. ABCG30 was more highly expressed in the abcg34 mutant than in the wild-type plants, while the expression of ABCG34 was twofold higher in the abcg30 mutant plants than in the wild-type plants. Thus, the expression of ABCG30 and ABCG34 may affect each other. There was no significant change in lignin content and composition in the single-gene knockout mutants of the candidate transporter genes, which suggested that each candidate gene did not solely contribute to lignin synthesis.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing gastric cancer (AFPGC) is a relatively rare type of gastric cancer characterized by a high incidence of liver and lymph node metastases, and a poor prognosis. Few advanced AFPGC cases treated successfully with conventional chemotherapy have been reported thus far. Although the development of molecular-targeted therapy has improved the prognosis of various types of cancer, there are currently no tailored therapies for AFPGC. In the present report, the case of a chemotherapy-resistant recurrent AFPGC patient who exhibited a significant response to ramucirumab monotherapy is presented. Following six doses of ramucirumab, a metastatic lymph node displayed central necrosis, and the patient's serum AFP levels decreased from 12,800 to 225 ng/ml. AFPGC is known to have increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and rich neovascularization. Furthermore, in the present case, tumor cells were positive for VEGF. Ramucirumab is a monoclonal antibody for VEGF receptor-2 and the first anti-angiogenic drug approved for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. However, the clinical efficacy of ramucirumab in patients with AFPGC has not been reported previously. The present report suggests that AFP production in gastric cancer can be a predictor for the response to anti-angiogenic drugs such as ramucirumab.

Seasonal phenomena in plants are primarily affected by day length and temperature. The shoot transcriptomes of trees grown in the field and a controlled-environment chamber were compared to characterize genes that control annual rhythms and the effects of day length- and temperature-regulated genes in the gymnosperm Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don), which exhibits seasonally indeterminate growth. Annual transcriptome dynamics were clearly demonstrated by principal component analysis using microarray data obtained under field-grown conditions. Analysis of microarray data from trees grown in a controlled chamber identified 2,314 targets exhibiting significantly different expression patterns under short-day (SD) and long-day conditions, and 2,045 targets exhibited significantly different expression patterns at 15°C (LT; low temperature) versus 25°C. Interestingly, although growth was suppressed under both SD and LT conditions, approximately 80% of the SD- and LT-regulated targets differed, suggesting that each factor plays a unique role in the annual cycle. The top 1,000 up-regulated targets in the growth/dormant period in the field coincided with more than 50% of the SD- and LT-regulated targets, and gene co-expression network analysis of the annual transcriptome indicated a close relationship between the SD- and LT-regulated targets. These results indicate that the respective effects of day length and temperature interact to control annual transcriptome dynamics. Well-known upstream genes of signaling pathways responsive to environmental conditions, such as the core clock (LHY/CjLHYb and CCA1/CjLHYa) and PEBP family (MFT) genes, exhibited unique expression patterns in Japanese cedar compared with previous reports in other species, suggesting that these genes control differences in seasonal regulation mechanisms between species. The results of this study provide new insights into seasonal regulation of transcription in Japanese cedar.

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted on more than 30,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in unrelated first-generation plus tree genotypes from three populations of Japanese cedar Cryptomeria japonica D. Don with genomic prediction for traits of growth, wood properties and male fecundity. Among the assessed populations, genetic characteristics including the extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) and genetic structure differed and these differences are considered to be due to differences in genetic background. Through population-independent GWAS, several significant SNPs found close to the regions associated with each of these traits and shared in common across the populations were identified. The accuracies of genomic predictions were dependent on the traits and populations and reflected the genetic architecture of traits and genetic characteristics. Prediction accuracies using SNPs selected based on GWAS results were similar to those using all SNPs for several combinations of traits and populations. We discussed the application of genome-wide studies for C. japonica improvement.

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) solutions were evaluated for their virucidal ability against a low pathogenic avian influenza virus (AIV), H7N1. HOCl solutions containing 50, 100 and 200 ppm chlorine (pH 6) or their sprayed solutions (harvested in dishes placed at 1 or 30 cm distance between the spray nozzle and dish) were mixed with the virus with or without organic materials (5% fetal bovine serum: FBS). Under plain diluent conditions (without FBS), harvested solutions of HOCl after spraying could decrease the AIV titer by more than 1,000 times, to an undetectable level (< 2.5 log10TCID50/ml) within 5 sec, with the exception of the 50 ppm solution harvested after spraying at the distance of 30 cm. Under the dirty conditions (in the presence of 5% FBS), they lost their virucidal activity. When HOCl solutions were sprayed directly on the virus on rayon sheets for 10 sec, the solutions of 100 and 200 ppm could inactivate AIV immediately after spraying, while 50 ppm solution required at least 3 min of contact time. In the indirect spray form, after 10 sec of spraying, the lids of the dishes were opened to expose the virus on rayon sheets to HOCl. In this form, the 200 ppm solution inactivated AIV within 10 min of contact, while 50 and 100 ppm could not inactivate it. These data suggest that HOCl can be used in spray form to inactivate AIV at the farm level.

Nutritional control has been proposed as a potential therapy for slowing the senescence of immune function and decreasing mortality. This study investigated whether sesamin could modify host defense systems and extend the lifespan of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.Nematodes were fed standard food (the bacterium Escherichia coli strain OP50) supplemented with various doses of sesamin/γ-cyclodextrin inclusion compounds starting from young adulthood. The mean lifespan, muscle function, lipofuscin accumulation, protein carbonyl content, and stress resistance of the worms were examined. Then, C. elegans mutants harboring loss-of-function lesions in longevity- and host defense-related signaling pathways were supplemented with sesamin to identify the genes involved in the longevity effects.Worms supplemented with sesamin displayed higher locomotion and prolongevity and produced offspring at levels similar to unsupplemented control animals. The growth curves of nematodes were similar to those of controls, suggesting that sesamin did not induce prolongevity effects through dietary restriction. Notably, sesamin made the worms more resistant to infection by Legionella pneumophila and more resistant to oxidative stressors such as paraquat and hydrogen peroxide and prolonged the lifespan of a mev-1 mutant that produces abundant superoxide anions. However, the accumulation of protein carbonyls and lipofuscin was similar in sesamin-exposed and control worms, suggesting that sesamin is unlikely to work simply as an antioxidant. Sesamin supplementation failed to extend the lifespan of loss-of-function mutants of daf-2, daf-16, pmk-1, and skn-1.Sesamin enhances the host defense of C. elegans and increases the average lifespan via activation of both skn-1 (encoding a component of the p38 MAPK pathway) and daf-16 (encoding a component of the IGF-1 pathway).

2例2組の母親と子どもが入院中に一週間に一度, 合計4回, 面接者と病について回想した.患児は, CMAS (子ども顕在性不安テスト) とCAT (子ども用絵画統覚検査) を, 母親はPOMS (気分プロフィール尺度) とTAT (絵画統覚検査) を受けた.その結果, 患児は, 退院が近く, 運動制限が自由であったため, 精神的健康は高かった.患児らは, 良好な人間関係であったが, CATの結果から問題が示唆された.2組の母親の一人は, 家族について多大な困難を抱えていることがTATから明らかになり, これらの問題は入院の早期に生じていたと回想した.2組の親子の関係は, 母親は心理的に煩っていたが, 子どもはそうでない, あるいはその逆であった.回想の一貫した効果はみられなかった.これらの結果から次のことが明らかになった.患児の心理に及ぼす要因は, 退院の見通し, 運動制限, 患児同士あるいは患児と親との人間関係であり, 患児同士の人間関係を調整することが必要である.母親には入院早期に援助が必要である.病の回想による一貫した効果はみられなかったが, 心理テストを用いて回想することは心理に影響する要因を検討するには有効である.

The inactivation effect of a novel photocatalyst on polyethylene terephthalate film on goose parvovirus (GPV), avian influenza virus (AIV) and Qβ phage was evaluated. Under a light emitting diode (LED) light (range 410-750 nm), GPV was inactivated by irradiation at 1,000 lux for 6 hr, while AIV and Qβ phage were inactivated by irradiation at 150 lux for 2 hr. These data suggest that this new photocatalyst can potentially be used as one of the materials to inactivate viruses in the indoor environment and help us to prevent viral infectious diseases through indirect contact.

A 61-year-old woman, who was diagnosed in 1982 as having polycythemia vera, was admitted to our hospital in July 1998 because of a splenic tumor in an enlarged spleen due to myelofibrosis. As it was difficult to identify the etiology of the splenic tumor, partial splenectomy was carried out. The resected tumor proved to be an extremely proliferative lesion as the result of extramedullary hematopoiesis. Since it is difficult to diagnose the etiology of splenic tumor, the collection and analysis of reports of relevant cases may well facilitate diagnosis.

Background: Although cisplatin is a widely used anticancer drug to treat various types of cancers, its clinical application is limited by severe systemic toxicities, such as nephrotoxicity, hematological toxicity, and gastrointestinal toxicity. There is no reliable and validated biomarker to predict toxicity caused by cisplatin. Methods: Sixty-six patients who underwent cisplatin-based first line chemotherapy between June 2010 and November 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients who had received adjuvant oral chemotherapy can be included. Urinary N-Acetyl- β-Glucosaminidase (uNAG) levels measured 2 or 3 days after administration of cisplatin were collected, and adverse events for 2 cycles of chemotherapy were graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0. Results: Patients characteristics were as follows: male/female 59/7, median age 65 (range 36 to 78), esophageal/gastric/ other cancer 59/5/2, chemotherapy regimen docetaxel-cisplatin-fluorouracil/fluorouracil-cisplatin/S-1-cisplatin 54/4/8, cisplatin dose (mg/m2) 80/70/60 7/43/2. A significant increase of the uNAG (>30 U/gCr) was observed in 4 patients (6.1%). Grade 3/4 toxicity was observed in leukopenia (50%), neutropenia (61%), hyponatremia (29%), increased creatinine (1.5%). All 4 patients with increased uNAG developed grade 3/4 hyponatremia. Patients with 30 U/gCr or higher uNAG developed statistically lower minimum serum sodium level (median 121.0 vs. 133.5 mEq/L, p = 0.0024, Mann-Whitney U test), while patients with severe hyponatremia (19 patients) did not necessarily showed high uNAG. There was no apparent correlation between uNAG and other toxicities. Conclusion: The early significant increase in uNAG may predict the occurrence of subsequent sever hyponatremia in cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Background Forest trees have ecological and economic importance, and Japanese cedar has highly valued wood attributes. Thus, studies of molecular aspects of wood formation offer practical information that may be used for screening and forward genetics approaches to improving wood quality. Results After identifying expressed sequence tags in Japanese cedar tissue undergoing xylogenesis, we designed a custom cDNA microarray to compare expression of highly regulated genes throughout a growing season. This led to identification of candidate genes involved both in wood formation and later cessation of growth and dormancy. Based on homology to orthologous protein groups, the genes were assigned to functional classes. A high proportion of sequences fell into functional classes related to posttranscriptional modification and signal transduction, while transcription factors and genes involved in the metabolism of sugars, cell-wall synthesis and lignification, and cold hardiness were among other classes of genes identified as having a potential role in xylem formation and seasonal wood formation. Conclusions We obtained 55,051 unique sequences by next-generation sequencing of a cDNA library prepared from cambial meristem and derivative cells. Previous studies on conifers have identified unique sequences expressed in developing xylem, but this is the first comprehensive study utilizing a collection of expressed sequence tags for expression studies related to xylem formation in Japanese cedar, which belongs to a different lineage than the Pinaceae. Our characterization of these sequences should allow comparative studies of genome evolution and functional genetics of wood species.