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Background: We compared short-term clinical outcomes between robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) and video-assisted thoracic esophagectomy (VATS-E) using propensity score-matched analysis. Methods: We enrolled 114 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy at our institution from January 2013 to January 2022. Propensity score matching was performed to minimize selection bias between the RAMIE and VATS-E groups. Results: After propensity score matching, 72 patients (RAMIE group, n = 36; VATS-E group, n = 36) were selected for analysis. No significant differences in clinical variables were observed between the two groups. The RAMIE group had a significantly longer thoracic operation time (313 ± 40 vs. 295 ± 35 min, P = 0.048), a higher number of right recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph nodes (4.2 ± 2.7 vs. 2.9 ± 1.9, P = 0.039), and a shorter postoperative hospital stay (23.2 ± 12.8 vs. 30.4 ± 18.6 days, P = 0.018) than the VATS-E group. The RAMIE group tended to have a lower rate of anastomotic leakage (13.9% vs. 30.6%) than the VATS-E group, although the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.089). No significant differences were found in recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis (11.1% vs. 13.9%, P = 0.722) or pneumonia (13.9% vs. 13.9%, P = 1.000) between the RAMIE group and the VATS-E group. Conclusion: Although RAMIE for esophageal cancer requires a longer thoracic surgery time, it might be a feasible and safe alternative to VATS-E for treating esophageal cancer. Further analysis is needed to clarify the advantages of RAMIE over VATS-E, especially in terms of long-term surgical outcomes.

Pyloric gland metaplasia in the biliary epithelium is a precancerous lesion and has been confirmed in patients with congenital biliary dilatation presenting with overt biliary tract cancer. A patient was found to have an intra-abdominal cyst on fetal ultrasonography and was born at 37 weeks of gestation with a body weight of 2,636 g. Abdominal distension and repeated vomiting appeared 2 days after birth. Congenital biliary dilatation was diagnosed by imaging, wherein the common bile duct was enlarged to 9–10 cm in size, and the surrounding organs were extensively compressed; however, there was no sign of pancreatitis or cholangitis. Biliary drainage was performed through the gallbladder at 6 days of age, but it was insufficient because of the narrow and twisted cystic duct and changed to common bile duct at 18 days to relieve the compression. Because the body weight gain was poor due to loss of large amount of bile, the dilated bile duct and gallbladder were resected and hepatic duct Roux-Y jejunostomy was performed at 115 days of age with 4,500 g of body weight. Intraoperative imaging showed a pancreaticobiliary maljunction, and the pancreatic enzyme activities of the bile in the biliary system were remarkably elevated. Histopathological examination revealed pyloric gland metaplasia in the gallbladder epithelium and cystic duct. The patient is now over 2 years old and has been doing well without any complications. Based on our experience, precancerous pyloric gland metaplasia of the biliary epithelium may already occur even in a 3-month-old infant presenting with congenital biliary dilatation.

Purpose This study was performed to investigate the predictive value of the perioperative D-dimer concentration for the development of postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after hepatobiliary-pancreatic (HBP) surgery. Methods The subjects of this retrospective study were 178 patients who underwent HBP surgery in our hospital between January, 2017 and December, 2021. The D-dimer concentration was measured preoperatively and on postoperative days (POD) 1, 3, and 5. Postoperative DVT was diagnosed based on compression ultrasonography in both lower limbs on POD 6 or 7. Results Postoperative DVT developed in 21 (11.8%) of the 178 patients. The D-dimer concentration was significantly higher in the patients with than in those without postoperative DVT before surgery and on PODs 1, 3, and 5. The highest area under the curve of the D-dimer concentration for predicting DVT was 0.762 on POD 3. Multivariate analysis revealed that the D-dimer concentration on POD 3 was an independent predictive risk factor for postoperative DVT, along with the preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate. Preoperative albumin and D-dimer concentrations were also identified as independent predictive factors of an increase in D-dimer concentration on POD 3. Conclusions The D-dimer concentration on POD 3 is a useful predictor of DVT after HBP surgery.

Background/aim M1 macrophages have antitumour effects, while M2 macrophages promote tumour proliferation and invasion. The clinical significance of the M2-specific marker CD204 has not been elucidated in colorectal cancer (CRC). We investigated the prognostic significance of CD204- and CD68-positivity in specimens from patients with CRC and examined the effects of M2 polarized-macrophages on the proliferative and invasive potentials of CRC cell lines in vitro. Materials and methods Surgical tumour specimens from 206 patients with Stage II and III CRC were examined by immunohistochemistry. Proliferation and invasion assays and flow cytometry were used to investigate CD204 expression in macrophages co-cultured with three CRC cell lines. Results Infiltration of CD204-positive cells was significantly associated with shorter overall survival and relapse-free survival; no association was observed for CD68. M2-polarized macrophages significantly promoted proliferation and invasion of CRC cells. Conclusion Higher infiltration of CD204-positive macrophages into the tumour-microenvironment might be prognostically important in CRC.

[Background] As antithrombin III (AT-III) is produced in the hepatocytes, its serum activity decreases at the time of liver failure, in addition to ischemia reperfusion injury, vascular endothelial dysfunction, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Here, we examined whether the serum AT-III value after hepatectomy could be a prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). [Methods] Of 141 patients who underwent hepatectomy for HCC, data for 101 patients in whom serum AT-III activity was measured on the first postoperative day were extracted. Patients with serum AT-III activity > 50% and ? 50% were assigned to high value (72 cases) and low value (29 cases) groups, respectively. We examined the clinical and prognostic differences between these two groups. [Results] The average age of enrolled patients (83 men and 18 women) was 68.0 years. The 5-year overall survival rate was 88% and 60% in the high and low value groups, respectively (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the 2-year relapse-free survival rate was 71% and 54% in the high and low value groups, respectively (P = 0.03). [Conclusion] This is the first study to demonstrate that serum AT-III levels on the first postoperative day may serve as a prognostic factor in HCC patients.

Background This study was conducted to assess the long-term outcomes of elderly patients among propensity-score-matched gastric cancer patients after curative gastrectomy and to propose the proper management of elderly gastric cancer patients. Methods We enrolled 626 patients with gastric cancer who underwent curative gastrectomy at our institution between January 2004 and December 2015. To minimize selection bias among 2 groups, propensity score matching was performed. Results Patients were divided into an elderly group over 75 years old (EP group; n = 186) and a non-elderly group (NEP group; n = 440). After propensity score matching, patients were divided into EP group (n = 178) and NEP group (n = 175). Five-year overall survival was significantly lower in the EP group than in the NEP group, consistent with a subgroup analysis of each stage. However, the 5-year disease-specific survival among all enrolled patients and those with stage I and II disease did not differ significantly. Moreover, in the subgroup of stage III patients, 5 year disease-specific survival was significantly lower in the EP group (23.0%) than in the NEP group (59.4%; P = 0.004). Because elderly patients with stage III disease had an extremely poor prognosis, we decided to compare the two groups with stage III. The EP group contained significantly fewer patients with D2 lymphadectomy (P = 0.002) and adjuvant chemotherapy (P P = 0.046), and the prognostic nutritional index was significantly lower in patients in the EP group than in the NEP group (P = 0.045). Multivariate analysis revealed that the prognostic nutritional index and lymphatic invasion were independent prognostic factors. Conclusions Elderly gastric cancer patients with stage III disease showed poorer disease-specific survival compared with non-elderly patients, which may be due to a poorer nutritional and inflammatory background, fewer D2 lymphadenectomies, and a lack of adjuvant chemotherapy. The safe induction of standard lymphadenectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy with perioperative aggressive nutritional support may improve the prognosis of elderly gastric cancer patients with stage III disease.

BACKGROUND: The standard treatment for resectable advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Japan is surgery followed by neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and it is important to predict the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy before treatment. Therefore, this study aims to extract conventional blood examination data, such as tumor markers and/or inflammatory/nutritional index levels, that can predict the pathological response of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 66 patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, followed by curative esophagectomy at Tottori University Hospital between June 2009 and December 2019. RESULTS: We demonstrated that the product of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) multiplied by the cytokeratin-19 fragment (CYFRA) level, which was termed “PLR-CYFRA,” is the most accurate indicator that predicts the pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with the highest area under the curve [0.795 (95% confidence interval: 0.665–0.925), P < 0.001] in receiver operating characteristic analyses. Therefore, we divided patients into the PLR-CYFRA(Low) (< 237.6, n = 21) and PLR-CYFRA(High) (≥ 237.6, n = 45) groups and found that the percentage of PLR-CYFRA(Low) was significantly higher in patients with a better pathological response (P < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with good pathological response had significantly better prognoses in terms of disease-specific survival (P = 0.014), recurrence-free survival (P = 0.014), and overall survival (P = 0.032). In the multivariate analysis, PLR-CYFRA was an independent predictor of the pathological response of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Pretreatment PLR-CYFRA might be a useful and simple tool that predicts the pathological effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Due to its tumor-specific metabolic pathway characteristics, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is a natural amino acid widely used in cancer treatment. The current study, demonstrated that 5-ALA induced ferroptosis via glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) and had an antitumor effect in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Expression of GPX4 and HMOX1 in pathologic specimens of 97 ESCC patients was examined, and prognostic analyses were performed. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), RNA microarray, and Western blotting analyses were used to evaluate the role of 5-ALA in ferroptosis in vitro. In addition, this study used ferrostatin-1, a ferroptosis inhibitor, and a lipid peroxidation reagent against cell lines treated with 5-ALA. Finally, the role of 5-ALA was confirmed by its effect on an ESCC subcutaneous xenograft mouse model. The study showed that upregulation of GPX4 and downregulation of HMOX1 were poor prognostic factors in ESCC. In an RNA microarray analysis of KYSE30, ferroptosis was one of the most frequently induced pathways, with GPX4 suppressed and HMOX1 overexpressed by 5-ALA treatment. These findings were verified by RT-PCR and Western blotting. Furthermore, 5-ALA led to an increase in lipid peroxidation and exerted an antitumor effect in various cancer cell lines, which was inhibited by ferrostatin-1. In vivo, 5-ALA suppressed GPX4 and overexpressed HMOX1 in tumor tissues and led to a reduction in tumor size. Modulation of GPX4 and HMOX1 by 5-ALA induced ferroptosis in ESCC. Thus, 5-ALA could be a promising new therapeutic agent for ESCC.

By administering ICG test immediately before laparoscopic liver cyst fenestration, the biliary tract can be easily identified and intraoperative bile duct damage and postoperative bile fistula formation can be avoided, as demonstrated in this case.

Background We compared short- and long-term clinical outcomes including inflammatory marker levels between robotic gastrectomy (RG) and laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) to define the advantages of RG over LG. Methods We enrolled 209 patients with gastric cancer who underwent curative distal gastrectomy. We compared short- and long-term clinical outcomes including inflammatory marker levels between RG and LG to define the advantages of RG over LG. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels; the CRP-to-albumin, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios; and the prognostic nutritional index were compared as systemic inflammatory markers. Results RG was associated with a longer operative time. The incidence of postoperative infectious complications of grade II or higher according to the Clavien-Dindo classification was not significantly different between the two groups. Amylase levels in drainage fluid on postoperative days 1 and 3 were significantly lower in the RG group than in the LG group. The incidence of pancreatic fistula in the RG group (4.3%) was lower than that in the LG group (7.5%), albeit without significance. There were no significant differences in inflammatory marker levels either before or after surgery between the two groups. The 3-year overall survival rate did not significantly differ between the RG and LG groups (91.1% vs. 91.1%). Similar results were observed regarding the 3-year disease-specific survival rate (100% vs. 97.1%). Conclusion RG might be feasible and safe for treating gastric cancer from both surgical and oncological perspectives. The use of robotic assistance is associated with decreased amylase levels in drainage fluid, which may reduce the risk of pancreatic fistula and prevent pancreatic injury.

Background/Aim: Indocyanine green (ICG) clearance test is one of the most popular dynamic methods for evaluating preoperative liver function to avoid posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). Tc-99m-diethylenetriamine-penta-acetic acid-galactosyl human serum albumin scintigraphy (GSA) also facilitates the direct estimation of functional hepatocytes and can estimate the ICG retention rate (R15); however, in some cases, there is a discrepancy between results of a preoperative examination of ICG-R15 and the estimated ICG-R15 obtained by 99mTc-GSA (GSA-R15). This study evaluated the gap between ICG-R15 and GSA-R15 (ΔICG) for predicting background liver fibrosis in patients who underwent hepatectomy. Patients and Methods: Sixty-four consecutive patients who underwent hepatectomy and preoperative ICG-R15 and GSA-R15 examinations from 2016 to 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. The gap between GSA-R15 and ICG-R15 was defined as ΔICG and the factors predicting liver fibrosis were investigated. Results: In the pathologically-proven cirrhotic group, platelet counts were significantly lower and ΔICG values were significantly larger than those in the non-/early-cirrhotic group. A multivariate analysis identified a higher total bilirubin level, a higher AST level, and a larger ΔICG level as significant predictive factors for liver cirrhosis. Conclusion: Larger ΔICG was found to be an independent preoperative predictor of liver fibrosis and may positively contribute to decision-making before hepatectomy to avoid PHLF.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) originate from mesenchymal cells throughout the gastrointestinal tract. A common symptom is gastrointestinal hemorrhage; intra-abdominal hemorrhage is relatively rare. There are few reports of GIST presenting with both types of hemorrhage concurrently. A 77-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of melena and anemia (Hb: 4.7 g/dL). Computed tomography revealed a small bowel tumor and high-density fluid in both the small intestine and the pelvic floor. We diagnosed a small intestinal tumor with concurrent gastrointestinal and intra-abdominal hemorrhage, and performed emergency surgery. The tumor arose from the small intestine and was ruptured. We found hemorrhage in the pelvic cavity and performed partial small intestine resection. Pathological findings revealed that the tumor was positive for c-Kit protein and was diagnosed as GIST. The patient was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 9 and received imatinib 1 month postoperatively. We experienced a very rare case of ruptured GIST originating from the small intestine associated with both gastrointestinal and intra-abdominal hemorrhage. We also reviewed the relevant literature.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage II colorectal cancer (CRC) patients has not been clearly demonstrated. Therefore, identification of robust prognostic factors is crucial for the assessment of recurrence risk in stage II CRC and appropriate adjuvant treatment, in clinical practice. METHODS: We enrolled 135 colorectal adenocarcinoma patients who underwent proctocolectomies and had histologically diagnosed stage II CRC. RESULTS: Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, to evaluate the predictive ability of certain serum factors for CRC recurrence, indicated that the prognostic nutritional indicator (PNI), followed by serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, were the strongest predictive metrics. Based on cutoff values from ROC analyses, patients were divided as follows; CEA(High) (≥ 4.55 ng/mL), CEA(Low) (< 4.55 ng/mL), PNI(High) (≥ 47.72), and PNI(Low) (< 47.72). The recurrence rates of patients with CEA(High) and PNI(Low), CEA(High) and PNI(High), CEA(Low) and PNI(Low), and CEA(Low) and PNI(High) were 34.3%, 0%, 6.8%, and 2.6%, respectively (a significant difference at P < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the combination of serum CEA level and PNI was an independent predictive indicator of tumor recurrence after operation in stage II CRC patients. The 5-year disease specific survival rates of patients with CEA(Low)PNI(High), CEA(High)PNI(High), CEA(Low)PNI(Low), CEA(High)PNI(Low) were 100%, 100%, 97.4%, and 77.5%, respectively (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The combination of CEA and PNI was useful in predicting postoperative recurrence in stage II CRC patients.

[Background] The purpose of this study was to compare postoperative complications and nutritional status between esophagogastrostomy and double-tract reconstruction in patients who underwent laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy, and assess the advantages of both surgical procedures. [Methods] Between 2010 and 2018, 47 cases underwent proximal gastrectomy with esophagogastrostomy (n = 23) or double-tract reconstruction (n = 24) at our institution for the treatment of clinical T1N0 adenocarcinoma located in the upper third of the stomach. Patient clinical characteristics, short-term outcomes, nutrition status, and skeletal muscle index were compared among the two groups. [Results] There was no significant difference between esophagogastrostomy and double-tract reconstruction in terms of operation time, blood loss, and length of postoperative hospital stay. Reflux symptoms and anastomotic stenosis were significantly higher in the esophagogastrostomy group compared with the double-tract reconstruction group (P < 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively). There was no significant difference in anastomotic leakage, surgical site infection, and pancreatic fistula. For the nutritional status, the decrease rate of cholinesterase was significantly higher in the esophagogastrostomy group compared with the double-tract reconstruction group at 6 months (P = 0.008) There was no significant difference in the decrease rate of skeletal muscle mass index at 1 year after surgery. [Conclusion] Compared with esophagogastrostomy, double-tract reconstruction tends to have better short-term nutritional status and postoperative outcomes in terms of preventing the occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux and anastomosis stenosis. These findings suggest that double-tract reconstruction may be a useful method in laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy.

Olanexidine gluconate is a newly developed solution for skin disinfection that was recently approved in Japan. We aimed to compare single and double application of the solution in preventing surgical site infection (SSI) in patients undergoing general surgery. This randomized study was conducted at the Tottori University Hospital. Patients scheduled to undergo gastrointestinal or hernia surgery were randomly assigned to one of two groups using either one or two Olanedine applicators for skin disinfection. The primary endpoint was the difference in SSI incidence between the two groups. The secondary endpoint was all adverse events related to olanexidine gluconate. A total of 393 patients qualified for the study protocol: 193 received a single application, and 200 received a double application of Olanedine. SSI occurred in 10 patients (2.5%) overall; nine were superficial incisional SSIs, and one patient had a deep incisional SSI. Of the 10 patients who developed SSI, six (3.1%) were in the group receiving a single application, and four (2.0%) were in the group receiving a double application; there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.537). Allergic reactions or skin disorders related to olanexidine gluconate were not observed. There was no difference in the SSI incidence between the use of one or two Olanedine applicators for skin preparation in elective general surgery. Therefore, a single application of Olanedine is sufficient and is recommended for general surgery as a standard disinfection precaution. UMIN000027319; 5/12/2017.

Background Despite recent advances in systemic chemotherapy, the prognosis of patients with peritoneal metastases from gastric cancer still remains poor. Nonetheless, several efficacious intraperitoneal chemotherapy regimens have recently been developed for patients with peritoneal metastases. However, no study has investigated the effectiveness of intraperitoneal chemotherapy for metachronous peritoneal metastases from gastric cancer after curative surgery. Case presentation We herein report a case of a 65-year-old man who had metachronous peritoneal metastases from gastric cancer after curative total gastrectomy who had been successfully treated with intraperitoneal chemotherapy. One month after surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 was initiated given a final pathological stage of IIIB (pT4aN2M0). However, during adjuvant chemotherapy 12 months after surgery, tumor marker levels, which had been within normal range before surgery, increased with abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealing pelvic ascites. Thereafter, staging laparoscopy was performed, and the patient was diagnosed with peritoneal recurrence of gastric cancer. Following staging laparoscopy, an intraperitoneal access port was subcutaneously implanted for subsequent intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Combined chemotherapy with intraperitoneal and intravenous administration of paclitaxel and oral S-1 was then provided. After one course of combined chemotherapy, peritoneal lavage cytology was negative for malignancy. CT showed gradually decreasing ascites, whereas tumor marker levels returned to normal. The patient continued chemotherapy without major side effects and remained progression-free for 33 months with 36 chemotherapy cycles. Conclusions A combination regimen including intraperitoneal chemotherapy could be a promising option for patients with peritoneal recurrence after gastric cancer surgery.

We report the case of a 6-year-old male who developed recurrent erythema nodosum (EN) at the age of 3 years. The patient exhibited hypertelorism, low-set ears, micrognathia, moderate intellectual disability, thin long fingers, loose anagen hair, and prominent palmoplantar wrinkles. A heterozygous single nucleotide variant in the SHOC2 gene (c.4 A > G, p.S2G) was identified. Patients with a SHOC2 mutation exhibit a unique combination of ectodermal abnormalities including darkly pigmented skin and loose anagen hair. This report is the first to describe EN in a patient with SHOC2 mutation, and to examine the patient's hair using scanning electron microscopy. We hypothesize that the RAS/MAPK pathway is associated with the pathogenesis of cutaneous lesions in patients with SHOC2 mutations via autoinflammation and disturbance of epithelial stem cells.

Background Hunter syndrome is an X-linked disorder caused by a deficit of the lysosomal enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase and is associated with many disorders. Patients with Hunter syndrome often develop inguinal hernias in early childhood and undergo Potts’ method, laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (LPEC), or laparoscopic direct suture. Case presentation An 18-year-old male visited our hospital for evaluation of a palpable mass in the right groin hernia. Computed tomography revealed a right indirect inguinal hernia. He had a history of repeated admission to our hospital and pediatric treatments for pneumonia, heart failure, and convulsions after birth. Because he has stopped growing and a wide hernia orifice was present with no apparent hernia on the left side, we performed TAPP repair. During surgery, we noted softness of the abdominal wall, similar to children’s abdominal wall, and laparoscopy revealed well-developed veins around the spermatic cord and testicular artery. The softness of the abdominal wall made insertion of the trocars difficult and well-developed veins needed our special care to avoid hemorrhage. After surgery, the patient developed a convulsion due to Hunter syndrome and subsequent aspiration pneumonia; however, he recovered with medical treatments administered in cooperation with specialists and was discharged on postoperative day 9. Conclusion This is the first reported patient with Hunter syndrome whose inguinal hernia was treated by TAPP repair. TAPP repair might be a useful procedure even for adolescent patients with Hunter syndrome, although adequate care is needed for symptoms due to Hunter syndrome.

Tracheal diverticulum is rarely encountered in a clinical setting since almost all patients are asymptomatic. However, its presence may become a problem during esophageal cancer operations in terms of anesthesia and lymph node dissection of superior mediastinum lymphadenectomy. A 70-year-old man with esophageal cancer was referred to our hospital. During thoracoscopic subtotal esophagectomy, we found a cystic lesion connected to the right posterior wall of the trachea. We evaluated the preoperative computed tomography scan during surgery and made a diagnosis of tracheal diverticulum because of the presence of paratracheal air cysts, which had not been noticed preoperatively. It was resected by a linear stapler and the postoperative course of the patient was uneventful. A careful preoperative evaluation of computed tomography and operation are necessary to avoid injury of tracheal diverticulum during thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer revealing a tracheal diverticulum.

Background There is accumulating evidence that shows cell-mediated immunity regulated by T cells is impaired in cancer patients. Unfortunately, the mechanisms by which B cells participate in tumor immunity are only partially understood. Methods The serum concentration of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) was measured by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) in patients with gastric cancer. Immunohistochemistry was also performed using the anti- cluster of differentiation (CD)134 antibody to evaluate the number of plasma cells in the tumor tissue. Results The total serum IgG concentration was significantly lower in patients with lymph node metastasis compared with patients without metastasis. The serum concentration of total IgG at stage III/IV was significantly lower compared with tumors classified as stage I/II. A decreased serum concentration of total IgG and IgG1 was significantly related to a poor prognosis for gastric cancer patients. Furthermore, multivariate analysis indicated that the serum concentration of IgG and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic indicators for poorer survival. The number of plasma cells was significantly lower in gastric cancer tissue compared with non-cancerous gastric mucosa. Conclusion A decreased serum concentration of IgG was closely related to poor prognosis, indicating the possibility that impaired antibody-mediated immunity is associated with tumor progression in patients with gastric cancer.

We report the case of a 6-year-old male who developed recurrent erythema nodosum (EN) at the age of 3 years. The patient exhibited hypertelorism, low-set ears, micrognathia, moderate intellectual disability, thin long fingers, loose anagen hair, and prominent palmoplantar wrinkles. A heterozygous single nucleotide variant in the SHOC2 gene (c.4 A > G, p.S2G) was identified. Patients with a SHOC2 mutation exhibit a unique combination of ectodermal abnormalities including darkly pigmented skin and loose anagen hair. This report is the first to describe EN in a patient with SHOC2 mutation, and to examine the patient’s hair using scanning electron microscopy. We hypothesize that the RAS/MAPK pathway is associated with the pathogenesis of cutaneous lesions in patients with SHOC2 mutations via autoinflammation and disturbance of epithelial stem cells.

[Background]Tunneled central venous catheters (CVC), called Broviac/Hickman catheter, are widely used in the long-term treatment of pediatric patients. Recently, the percutaneous approach for CVC insertion has become dominant as a less invasive intervention. In this study, we reviewed the mechanical and delayed complications according to different procedures of CVC insertion and assessed the risk factors for complications in CVC insertions for pediatric patients. [Methods]A total of 159 pediatric patients (85 males and 74 females) were included in this study. Primary reasons for indication of CVC settlement were hemato-oncologic disorders (66 cases, 42%), malignant solid tumors (30, 19%) and other benign diseases (63, 40%). CVC insertion was performed with surgical venous cutdown (CD) in 51 patients (32%), with real-time ultrasound-guided puncture (RTUS) in 57 (36%), and venography-guided puncture (VG) in 49 (31%). [Results]CD was dominantly selected and the frequency of venipuncture increased respective to the increased age of patients. RTUS was dominantly selected for one to four year old patients and VG was dominant in 5 to 15 year old patients. Some types of mechanical complication were observed in 4 of 159 (2.5%) and some delayed types were observed in 66 of 159 cases (42%). No mechanical complications occurred in cases with CD and RTUS; on the other hand, 3 (6%) of 49 insertions with VG were observed. However, we could not show any significant risk factors for the mechanical complications. In the meantime, delayed complications and premature removal were significantly observed in patients under 5 years old. [Conclusion]RTUS is superior to our conventional VG considering less frequent mechanical complications. High frequent delayed complication and premature removal should be considered, especially for patients under 5 years old.

There is accumulating evidence that shows cell-mediated immunity regulated by T cells is impaired in cancer patients. Unfortunately, the mechanisms by which B cells participate in tumor immunity are only partially understood.The serum concentration of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) was measured by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) in patients with gastric cancer. Immunohistochemistry was also performed using the anti- cluster of differentiation (CD)134 antibody to evaluate the number of plasma cells in the tumor tissue.The total serum IgG concentration was significantly lower in patients with lymph node metastasis compared with patients without metastasis. The serum concentration of total IgG at stage III/IV was significantly lower compared with tumors classified as stage I/II. A decreased serum concentration of total IgG and IgG1 was significantly related to a poor prognosis for gastric cancer patients. Furthermore, multivariate analysis indicated that the serum concentration of IgG and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic indicators for poorer survival. The number of plasma cells was significantly lower in gastric cancer tissue compared with non-cancerous gastric mucosa.A decreased serum concentration of IgG was closely related to poor prognosis, indicating the possibility that impaired antibody-mediated immunity is associated with tumor progression in patients with gastric cancer.

Postoperative complications have been shown to worsen prognoses of various cancer types.We retrospectively analyzed 265 patients with stage II-III gastric cancer who underwent curative gastrectomies between 1991 and 2010 at Tottori University Hospital to determine the effect of postoperative intra-abdominal complication (IAC) on prognosis.Of the 265 patients, 38 (14.3%) developed postoperative IACs of grade ≥ 2, of whom significantly more patients were male. Patients in the IAC group were significantly older than patients in the non-complication (NC) group. The NC group had significantly better survival than did the IAC group (Postoperative IACs were related to poorer survival for patients with stage II-III gastric cancer.

Accidents involving of large vehicles such as buses and trucks are often caused by rollovers. Roll motions affects dynamics of large vehicles more than that of passenger cars because of their high center-of-gravity heights. In this paper, a 4-ton truck is used as an experiment vehicle in order to determine its plane and roll motion characteristics. Every experiment is conducted for two different load conditions in order to simulate the realistic operating condition of a truck, and the effects of the vehicle's load on its motions are determined. The results from both static and dynamic experiments are compared to see if the vehicle's reaction in actual driving differs from that of a static vehicle. Also, simple mathematical models are used to determine the relationship between the plane and roll motions of the vehicle.

Co-signaling molecules play an important role in T cells. This study was designed to investigate PD-1 and Tim-3 expression on T cells and the relationships between PD-1 and Tim-3 expression and immune evasion in patients with gastric cancer. Using multicolor flow cytometry, we analyzed PD-1 and Tim-3 expression on CD8+ T cells obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and gastric cancer tissue. Significantly more PD-1+ and Tim-3+ CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood were found in gastric cancer patients than in healthy controls. PD-1+ CD8+ T cells were significantly correlated with Tim-3+ CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood from the gastric cancer patients (r = 0.29, p = 0.036). Furthermore, significantly greater numbers of PD-1+ and Tim-3+ CD8+ T cells were seen in the gastric cancer tissue samples than in the PBMCs. CD8+ T cells positive for both PD-1 and Tim-3 produced significantly less IFN-gamma than cells negative for both and cells positive for PD-1 and negative for Tim-3. An increased number of PD-1+ and Tim-3+ CD8+ T cells is closely related to impaired function of CD8+ T cells in gastric cancer patients.

Introduction Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a serious complication following solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Although extranodal involvement of PTLD is common, its isolated involvement in the central nervous system (CNS) is extremely rare. To date, primary CNS-PTLD has been reported in 13 patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT, but no cases have been reported in autologous HSCT recipients. Case Description Herein, we report the first report of a patient with neuroblastoma that progressed to CNS-PTLD after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT). A 27-month-old boy with stage IV neuroblastoma of the left adrenal gland received auto-PBSCT after intensive chemotherapy, tumor resection, and radiation of tumor bed and regional lymph node. An intracranial tumor in his left parietal lobe was detected by magnetic resonance imaging 99 days posttransplantation, and the tumor was completely resected. The histological diagnosis of the intracranial tumor was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with latency type III Epstein-Barr virus infection. The patient has maintained tumor free status 3 years after auto-PBSCT. Discussion and Evaluation Given the rarity of CNS-PTLD, there is no consensus on the optimal treatment. Historically, the outcome of CNS-PTLD has been very poor. However, our patient remains free from PTLD after only total resection. The prognosis for PTLD following auto-HSCT may depend upon the underlying malignancy, immune state, EBV immune status, and treatments. Conclusions The outcome of PTLD following auto-HSCT is not necessarily poor prognosis. Further research is required to establish the optimal treatment strategy for CNS-PTLD.