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Purpose: A clinical feature of myxofibrosarcoma is local recurrence, but knowledge about distant metastasis is sparse. We evaluated the tendency of clinical and histological features of metastasis in myxofibrosarcoma patients. Methods: Fifty-eight patients with myxofibrosarcoma were treated in our hospitals, and a total of 16 consecutive patients with distant metastases were included in this retrospective study (9 males and 7 females, with a mean age of 77 years). Because there was no patient complicated by both lung and lymph node metastases, we compared the age, sex, tumor size and location, French Federation of Cancer Centers Sarcoma Group (FNCLCC) grade, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, and times of the first metastasis from the initial examination between the lung and lymph node groups. In addition, we examined factors affecting the prognosis. Results: The median follow-up period was 42.9 months (range 8–142). Eleven of 16 patients developed pulmonary metastases. The sites of extra pulmonary metastases were the lymph nodes in 5 patients, bone in 1, subcutaneous in 1, intramuscular in 1, and peritoneum in 1. The median time for patients to develop distant metastases was 17.4 months (range 0–59). The time until the onset of the first metastasis in the lung metastasis group was significantly shorter than in the lymph node group (p

Groin pain is a common problem that is known to be a complex issue. The wide variety of possible pathologies in numerous anatomical structures contributes to this complexity. For patients who have anterior hip pain in Patrick's test and tenderness at Scarpa's triangle, we perform periarticular debridement based on the hypothesis that rectus femoris tendinosis, subacute/chronic fibrosis of the anterior inferior iliac spine fat pad, and gluteal muscle adhesion are responsible for such anterior hip pain. This Technical note illustrates the surgical procedure of periarticular debridement for extra-articular pathology-associated anterior hip pain. Repair of the injured labrum and correction of femoroacetabular impingement deformity have never been performed in this cohort. Arthroscopic periarticular debridement is a reliable surgical technique that can relieve anterior hip pain and provide a rapid to return to normal activities.

For patients who have anterior hip pain evaluated by Patrick's test and tenderness at Scarpa's triangle, we perform periarticular debridement based on the hypothesis that extra-articular pathologies are responsible for the hip pain. The purpose of this study was to categorize the endoscopic extra-articular findings and to evaluate the clinical significance of periarticular pathologies in anterior hip pain.Arthroscopic findings of 77 patients who underwent periarthritic debridement were evaluated. As extra-articular pathologies, injuries of the direct head and reflective head of the rectus femoris muscle were evaluated. A thin layer of fat tissue normally exists on the anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS), the attachment site of the direct head of the rectus femoris muscle. The macroscopic appearance of the fat pad on the AIIS was categorized as normal, blood vessel-rich adipose tissue or adipose tissue with fibrosis or scar formation and histologically confirmed. Adhesion of gluteal muscles to the joint capsule was also evaluated.Of the 77 patients, 75 had rupture of the direct head of the rectus femoris. In contrast, rupture of the reflective head was extremely rare. Seven patients had a normal fat pad on the AIIS, 11 had blood vessel-rich adipose tissue and 55 had adipose tissue with fibrosis. Fat tissue was completely replaced by fibrous scar tissue in another 4 patients. In 64 patients, adhesion between the anterior joint capsule and gluteus muscles was marked. Groin pain disappeared soon after the operation even when labral tears were not repaired and all patients returned to daily life and sports activities within 2 weeks after operation.Rectus femoris tendinosis, fibrosis of the AIIS fat pad, and adhesion of gluteal and rectus femoris muscles are common extra-articular pathologies in patients with anterior hip pain. Management of only these lesions induces rapid relief of anterior hip pain even in the absence of labral tear repair. My observations suggest that it is desirable to be aware of the presence of periarticular pathologies as a cause of groin pain.

Cam impingement is caused by jamming of an abnormal femoral head with an increased radius into the acetabulum during motion. Therefore, the elevation of the contact pressure during the motion is suspected to be an essential pathology of femoroacetabular impingement. However, there is no method to quantify the hip contact pressure during motion. The purpose of this Technical Note is to introduce a technique to measure the hip contact pressure during arthroscopic surgery. The author believes that the current technique will be a useful tool for the detailed investigation of the pathophysiology femoroacetabular impingement and thorough evaluation of its therapeutic significance.

Acetabular chondral carpet delamination is a frequent finding at hip arthroscopy. The cartilage is macroscopically normal but deboned from the subchondral bone, without a disruption at the chondrolabral junction. Arthroscopic anatomic repair of delaminated cartilage is challenging. We propose that a combination of microfracture and use of stitches to press the delaminated cartilage against the subchondral bone using a suture limb offers an effective method to provide an environment for cartilage repair. This article describes the technique of bridging suture repair for carpet delamination in detail; the technique enables the surgeon to stabilize the delaminated acetabular cartilage. Intra-articular soft anchors and an acetabular rim knotless anchor footprint provide a stable repair for delaminated cartilage. This technique is especially helpful in cases with acetabular cartilage carpet delamination.

Angiogenesis inhibitors are a novel class of promising therapeutic agents for treating cancer. TNP-470, a systemic analogue of fumagillin, is an angiogenesis inhibitor capable of suppressing the tumorigenicity in several animal models even though the mechanisms of action have not been completely clarified. In the current study, we investigated the effects of TNP-470 on human fibrosarcoma cells in vivo and in vitro. The administration of TNP-470 could suppress the tumorigenicity of HT1080 fibrosarcoma tumor. The conditioned medium from HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells treated with TNP-470 inhibited the proliferation and migration of human endothelial cell line, HUVEC and ECV304. The concentration of VEGF in the conditioned medium from HT1080 cells treated with TNP-470 was lower than that of the cells without TNP-470 treatment, indicating that TNP-470 downregulates the secretion of VEGF from HT1080 cells. These findings strongly suggest that the direct action of TNP-470 on sarcoma cells inhibits angiogenesis through the downregulation of VEGF secretion and this angiogenesis suppression resulted in the inhibition of tumorigenicity of HT1080 fibrosarcoma tumo.

Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) is a relatively rare, highly malignant soft tissue sarcoma. The mainstay of treatment is resection or amputation. Currently other therapeutic options available for this disease are limited. Therefore, a novel therapeutic option needs to be developed. In the present study, we established a new human ES cell line (ESX) and analyzed the characteristics of its cancer stem-like cells/cancer-initiating cells (CSCs/CICs) based on ALDH1 activity. We demonstrated that a subpopulation of ESX cells with high ALDH1 activity (ALDH(high) cells) correlated with enhanced clonogenic ability, sphere-formation ability, and invasiveness in vitro and showed higher tumorigenicity in vivo. Next, using gene expression profiling, we identified CD109, a GPI-anchored protein upregulated in the ALDH(high) cells. CD109 mRNA was highly expressed in various sarcoma cell lines, but weakly expressed in normal adult tissues. CD109-positive cells in ESX predominantly formed spheres in culture, whereas siCD109 reduced ALDH1 expression and inhibited the cell proliferation in vitro. Subsequently, we evaluated the expression of CD109 protein in 80 clinical specimens of soft tissue sarcoma. We found a strong correlation between CD109 protein expression and the prognosis (P = 0.009). In conclusion, CD109 might be a CSC/CIC marker in epithelioid sarcoma. Moreover, CD109 is a promising prognostic biomarker and a molecular target of cancer therapy for sarcomas including ES.

Myxofibrosarcoma is one of the most common sarcomas in the extremities of elderly people. It is characterized by a high frequency of local recurrence due to an infiltrative growth property. In contrast, the overall risk of distant metastases is generally low. This makes the prognosis for the patients with myxofibrosarcoma definitely good. In this paper, we will report the case of a 79-year-old female with very aggressive metastatic low-grade myxofibrosarcoma. The disease progression was really unexpected and misled every possible medical interpretation, leading to rapid worsening of the patient's clinical conditions and no chance for therapy. The tumor developed diffuse infiltration in lung, spine, skeletal bone, abdomen, paravertebral muscles, and liver. The patient died 8 months after the diagnosis of remote metastases due to rapid tumor progression.

Abstract Background Salmonella enterica in cattle has long been problematic and suspected to be transmitted by wildlife in Tokachi, Hokkaido, a major cattle farming area in Japan. Understanding the role of wildlife in S. enterica transmission would be helpful for developing control strategies of bovine salmonellosis. Objectives We aimed to elucidate the possibility of S. enterica transmission between sympatric wildlife, including raccoons and crows and cattle, in Tokachi from 2008 to 2018 by analysing S. enterica detection records, and the genetic relatedness of serotypes shared between wildlife and cattle. Methods S. enterica detection records were based on the results of a field survey and existing cattle records at relevant organisations, including clinical reports, a monitoring survey and quarantine for introduced calves at growing farms and public calving farms. S. enterica was identified by polymerase chain reaction assay and serotyped by agglutination assay. The detection records were organised chronologically to investigate whether common serotypes in wildlife and cattle were detected in the same year. The isolates corresponding to detection records were assessed for their genetic patterns by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis. Results The prevalence of S. enterica in raccoons and crows was 10.7% (17/159) and 5.7% (55/967), respectively. The following serotypes were detected from both wildlife and cattle: Braenderup, Dublin, Infantis, Mbandaka, Montevideo, 4,[5],12:i:‐ and Typhimurium. Genetically similar isolates for S. Braenderup, S. Dublin, S. Montevideo and S. 4,[5],12:i:‐ were detected from both species in the same year. Conclusions Our long‐term retrospective observations supported that S. enterica was shared between wildlife and cattle. Wildlife invasions should be controlled at farms to prevent inter‐species transmission of S. enterica from livestock farms.

Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) spp. are isolated from domestic and wild ruminants, including deer, worldwide. The prevalence of trypanosomes in mammals is influenced by a number of factors such as host age and vector abundance. However, the seasonal variation of and factors affecting trypanosome infection in the wild deer population remain elusive. In this study, we analyzed the seasonal variation in trypanosome prevalence and the factors that affect Trypanosoma theileri Laveran, 1902, infection in wild sika deer (Ezo sika deer) Cervus nippon yesoensis (Heude, 1884) in Eastern Hokkaido through a two-year survey. Seasonal variation in the prevalence of trypanosome infection in the deer population ranged from 0 to 41% as per hematocrit concentration and 17 to 89% as per PCR results. In general, the prevalence of T. theileri by PCR in 2020 was higher than that in 2019. Moreover, the prevalence was significantly higher in the aged population than among the younger population. These findings may explain why individual conditions and sampling season were associated with trypanosome prevalence. This is the first study to investigate the seasonal variation in and risk factors affecting trypanosome infection in wild deer.

Intrauterine inflammation can cause infertility by disrupting reproductive function. The pathogenesis underlying this process may primarily involve endotoxins from lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which are produced by Gram-negative bacteria. However, the long-term effects of endotoxins in mammalian pregnancy following LPS exposure during fertilization have not been clarified. In this study, we performed experiments to analyze the influence of LPS on early embryonic development and fetal development in mice. Mice uteruses were examined for the expression of genes related to the inflammatory response. The expression of Il-1β and Il-6 increased following the administration of 200 and 1000 µg/kg LPS. Exposure to LPS using in vitro fertilization (IVF) significantly decreased the embryonic developmental rate. A concentration of 100 µg/kg LPS significantly increased the placental weight and fetal crown –rump length (CRL), whereas a concentration of 200 µg/kg LPS significantly decreased the placenta weight and fetal weight in vivo. These findings indicate that maternal LPS during fertilization affects fetal development until the late stage of pregnancy. Thus, maternal endotoxins may affect epigenetic inheritance during embryonic development from the early to late stages of pregnancy.

Background: Bone and soft tissue sarcomas (BSTS) are rare malignant tumors. Recently, the combination of gemcitabine and docetaxel (GD) was shown to have activity as second-line setting in BSTS. However, the efficacy as first-line and adjuvant settings and precise profiles of adverse events in Japanese patients are not known yet. In the present study, the feasibility and efficacy of GD in patients with BSTS were investigated. Methods: Patients with BSTS treated with GD in our institutions were retrospectively analyzed. Information regarding clinical features, adverse events, and outcome was collected and statistically studied. Factors related to survival were analyzed using log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard regression method. Results: A total of 134 patients were analyzed. GD was carried out as adjuvant setting in 9, first-line in 23, second-line in 56, and third-or-greater line in 46 patients. The response rate (RR) for all patients was 9.7%. RR for the patients treated as adjuvant or first-line setting was 18.8%, whereas that as second-or-greater line was 6.9%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of all patients were 4.8 (95% CI 3.5-6.1) and 16.4 (95% CI 9.8-22.9) months, respectively. Survival tended to be better in the patients treated as first-line than in those treated as second-or-greater line. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that history of prior chemotherapy (p = 0.046) and response to GD (p = 0.009) was significantly associated with PFS and OS, respectively. The leucopenia and neutropenia were the most frequent adverse events, and grade 3 or 4 leucopenia and neutropenia were observed in 69.4 and 72.4% of the patients. Grade 2 or 3 pneumonitis was observed in one (0.7%) and four (3.0%) patients, respectively. All the patients with pneumonitis had experienced prior chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Conclusions: GD used as both first- and second/later line is effective chemotherapy for a proportion of patients with advanced BSTS. Higher response rate and better outcome was achieved in chemotherapy-naïve patients. This regimen is associated with high incidence of severe hematological toxicity, as well as the risk of severe pneumonitis, especially in pre-treated patients. GD is promising for further analysis by phase III study for the patients with BSTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were 1) to summarize the current status of Japanese Black (JB) embryo transfer into Holstein heifers, which is carried out on a commercial basis in Japan, and 2) to reveal fertility risk factors, including those from the environment (year and season of transfer), recipient (age, number of transfers, clinical status of the ovaries) and embryo (quality, stage, state, genetic background). We used data from 4467 JB fresh or frozen embryo transfers into Holstein heifers conducted by Zen-noh Embryo Transfer Center during 2016–2018, and the differences in fertility risk due to factors related to the environment, recipient, and embryo were statistically evaluated. Differences in fertility risk due to each variable were observed, leading to significant differences in fertility with respect to year of transfer, embryo quality, embryo state, and embryo breed. These results suggest that the fertility of JB embryos might depend on differences in genetic background. There have been no previous reports of differences in embryo fertility due to the differences among JB's bloodline combinations. In the future, overall reproductive efficiency must be monitored, including the effects of different bloodline combinations on the success of embryo recovery and transfer.

Background This study aimed to investigate the expression profile of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in desmoid tumor specimens and to evaluate the correlation of intratumoral COX-2 expression with pain status. Methods Sixteen patients with histologically proven desmoid tumors who attended our institution between 2003 and 2010 were enrolled in this study. COX-2 protein expression in desmoid tumors was determined by immunohistochemistry. COX-2 - positive cells had similar morphology to that of mast cells, and therefore, immunohistochemical staining for tryptase was performed in co-localized sections. The number of COX-2 -positive cells in 10 consecutive fields was counted at 400× magnification. Patients were stratified into 2 groups according to the number of COX-2- positive cells, the COX-2 -positive group ( ≧10 COX-2 - positive cells) and the COX-2 -negative group (<10 COX-2 -positive cells). The prevalence of painful tumors was compared between the 2 groups. Results COX-2 was expressed in 9 patients (56%). COX-2 proteins were expressed not in tumor cells but in tryptase-positive mast cells in the stroma of desmoid tumors. 6 of 9 patients in COX-2 -positive group had painful tumors. This difference was statistically significant according to the chi-squared test (p =0 .036), suggesting a positive correlation between COX-2 expression and tumor-associated pain. Conclusions Our results indicated that COX-2 secretion from mast cells modulates desmoid tumorassociated pain. In addition, mast cells may at least in part contribute to the pathogenesis of desmoid tumors. Virtual slide The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1490389349103056. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The most common extranodal sites of anaplastic large cell lymphoma are skin, subcutaneous tissue, bone, lung, and gastrointestinal organs. The involvement of the skeletal muscle has been described rarely in extranodal anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Case presentation An 89-year-old Japanese man visited our hospital with a three-month history of swelling of his left thigh and slight fever. The swelling had rapidly enlarged and become painful within the previous three days. Magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed two soft-tissue tumors in the intramuscular layer between the vastus medialis muscle and the adductor muscle. Extensive peritumoral inflammatory edema was obvious. As the results of physical and radiological examinations were highly suggestive of abscess formation, we prescribed antibiotics for two weeks. However, our patient's symptoms did not improve. Therefore, we suspected a soft-tissue sarcoma, and our patient underwent an incision biopsy. Histological analysis revealed that the atypical cells were positive for CD3 and CD30 but negative for anaplastic lymphoma kinase. A computed tomography scan of the thorax revealed mediastinal lymphadenopathy and bilateral pleural effusions, suggestive of extranodal involvement of skeletal muscle in anaplastic lymphoma kinase-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma. We planned to give our patient systemic chemotherapy. However, rapid systemic dissemination occurred and our patient died of multiple organ failure five weeks after his first visit to our hospital. Conclusions Here, we present a case of anaplastic lymphoma kinase-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma with extranodal involvement in the thigh muscle. The involvement of such a rare organ may lead to initial misdiagnosis and a delay in the onset of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Mongolia, horses play important roles, not only in livestock production, but also in terms of culture, tradition, and Mongolian beliefs. Although the presence of non-tsetse-transmitted horse trypanosomoses, which are caused by infections with Trypanosoma evansi (surra) and T. equiperdum (dourine), has been reported in the country, whether there is a nationwide epidemic of these infectious diseases is unknown. In the present study, a nationwide surveillance of horse trypanosomoses was performed. The sample sizes for each province, the whole country, and male and female horses were, respectively, 96, 2,400, and 316 and 306. In total, 3,641 samples of horse sera were collected by simple random sampling. The rTeGM6-4r-based ELISA, which was applied for surra against cattle and water buffalo and dourine against horse, revealed that the overall sero-prevalence of the diseases in Mongolia was 4.8%. Among them, high sero-prevalences were observed in the central provinces (5.2–11.0%, p < 0.05) of the country. The sero-prevalence was significantly higher in females than in males (6.0% and 4.0%, p < 0.05, respectively) and in non-castrated males (8.4%, p < 0.01) compared with castrated males (3.0%). These results suggested that currently, horse trypanosomoses are a nationwide endemic problem in Mongolia. Knowledge of the nationwide endemic status of non-tsetse-transmitted horse trypanosomoses in Mongolia will be useful to prevent these diseases.

Abstract Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a most common dementia in elderly people. Since AD symptoms resemble those of other neurodegenerative diseases, including idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), it is difficult to distinguish AD from iNPH for a precise and early diagnosis. iNPH is caused by the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and involves gait disturbance, urinary incontinence, and dementia. iNPH is treatable with shunt operation which removes accumulated CSF from the brain ventricles. Methods We performed metabolomic analysis in the CSF of patients with AD and iNPH with capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. We assessed metabolites to discriminate between AD and iNPH with Welch’s t-test, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results We found significant increased levels of glycerate and N-acetylneuraminate and significant decreased levels of serine and 2-hydroxybutyrate in the CSF of patients with AD compared to the CSF of patients with iNPH. The ROC curve analysis with these four metabolites showed that the area under the ROC curve was 0.90, indicating good discrimination between AD and iNPH. Conclusions This study identified four metabolites that could possibly discriminate between AD and iNPH, which previous research has shown are closely related to the risk factors, pathogenesis, and symptoms of AD. Analyzing pathway-specific metabolites in the CSF of patients with AD may further elucidate the mechanism and pathogenesis of AD.

Background: Whereas we can use several human epithelioid sarcoma (ES) cell lines for basic and preclinical research, an angiomatoid ES cell line has not been reported to date. We have treated a case of an angiomatoid ES developing in the right upper extremity of a 67-year-old man. Methods: An angiomatoid ES cell line, Asra-EPS was newly established and characterized for its morphology, growth rate and chromosomal analysis. Tumorigenicity of Asra-EPS cells was also analyzed in athymic nude mice. Results: Asra-EPS cells were round, polygonal or spindle-shaped with an abundant cytoplasm and have been maintained continuously in vitro for over 150 passages during more than 15 months. These cells secreted cancer antigen 125 (CA 125), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) into the culture medium. Asra-EPS cells were tumorigenic when implanted in nude mice with tumors reaching a volume of 1000 mm3 at around 50 days. Histological features of tumors formed in mice were essentially the same as those of the original tumor, exhibiting a multinodular proliferation of eosinophilic epithelioid and spindle-shaped cells with prominent areas of hemorrhage and blood-filled cystic spaces strikingly corresponding to the potential of hemorrhagic cyst formation in the original tumor. They showed immunopositive staining for cytokeratins (AE1/AE3 and CAM5.2), epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), vimentin, CD31, CD34 and CA 125, but negative for integrase interactor 1 (INI-1) and factor VIII-related antigen. Conclusions: The established cell line represents a biologically relevant new tool to investigate the molecular pathology of human angiomatoid ES and to evaluate the efficacy of novel therapeutics both in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective   Myxofibrosarcoma often shows abnormal signal infiltration along the fascial plane on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The objective was to describe this MRI characteristic of myxofibrosarcoma with pathologic findings for comparison. Materials and methods  Clinical, histological, and imaging data for 21 patients with myxofibrosarcoma were reviewed retrospectively. Results  Seventeen tumors showed a diffuse infiltrative pattern on MRI. All tumors with diffuse infiltrative growth pattern showed borderless extension of atypical cells with moderate nuclear atypia to the muscle fascia. Notably, the remaining four patients with focal growth pattern on MRI also demonstrated infiltrative growth pattern histologically suggesting that myxofibrosarcoma shows an infiltrative growth property even in the lack of infiltrative growth pattern on MRI. Conclusion  Most myxofibrosarcoma show an infiltrative growth pattern histologically. Orthopedic oncologist should pay careful attention to accurately assess tumor extension. It seems prudent to resect the entire area of abnormal signal extension seen on MRI whenever possible to obtain an adequate surgical margin of myxofibrosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background  We retrospectively reviewed 137 consecutive total hip arthroplasties performed with AML-A stems and Tri-Lock cups to see whether design modifications made to these components would achieve durable biological fixation in the Japanese population in whom developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is relatively common. Patients from our initial clinical series using these components are available for more than 10 years’ follow-up. Methods  Between April 1988 and June 1994, we performed 137 total hip arthroplasties using the AML-A prosthesis for the patients with osteoarthritis of the hip joint. We excluded 26 hips with less than 10 years’ follow-up and five hips from patients who died before the 10-year follow-up. The mean follow-up for the 105 remaining THAs is 155.2 months (range 120–237 months). The average age of these patients at the time of surgery was 53.1 years (range 22–81 years). Results  In total, 17 THAs required component revisions. In seven cases, the first revision was limited to a liner exchange for polyethylene wear or osteolysis. Another seven hips underwent revision surgery for recurrent dislocation. Three cups have been revised owing to aseptic loosening. Because of the high incidence of wear-related revisions, Kaplan-Meier survivorship at the 15-year follow-up, using acetabular component revision for any reason as an endpoint, was 75.0% (95% CI 69.4%–83.8%). In contrast, no revision of the femoral stem was performed. Severe stress shielding occurred in 12 hips. Thigh pain was mild, however, and all of the femoral stems remained stable. Conclusions  Despite revisions for wear-related complications, the fixation achieved with these porous-coated components remained durable throughout the 15-year follow-up. Acetabular osteolysis has been associated with cup reoperation, but femoral stress shielding has never resulted in stem loosening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background  We have previously offered data suggesting a positive linkage of postoperative up-regulation of systemic angiogenic activity and postoperative progression of pulmonary metastasis in osteosarcoma. The finding that the significant down-regulation of endostatin was critical in angiogenic elevation after primary tumor removal suggests that endostatin is a candidate for antiangiogenic therapy for osteosarcoma. Methods  In the current study, we evaluated the effect of antiangiogenic therapy using endostatin on postoperative progression of pulmonary metastasis from osteosarcoma. Mouse osteosarcoma cell line LM 8 cells were inoculated in subcutaneous layer of nude mice. Two weeks after tumor inoculation, the primary tumor was removed surgically, and antiangiogenic therapy using adenovirus encoding endostatin expression vector (Ad5CMV-mEnd) was performed. Two weeks after the antiangiogenic treatment, pulmonary metastasis was evaluated by counting the number of metastatic nodules. The evaluation of systemic angiogenic activity was performed using Matrigel plug assay. Results  Two weeks after the viral injection, mice were sacrificed, and the macroscopic pulmonary metastases were counted. Notably, the number of pulmonary metastases was smaller in the mice injected with Ad5CMV-mEnd than in controls, accompanied by significant suppression of systemic angiogenic activity. In addition, the sizes of the pulmonary metastases of the mice injected with Ad5CMV-mEnd were smaller than in the control group. Conclusions  Our results indicate that antiangiogenic therapy using endostatin has the potential to prevent postoperative progression of pulmonary metastasis from osteosarcoma. Although this therapeutic strategy cannot provide a cure for osteosarcoma, it should enable osteosarcoma patients to coexist with dormant pulmonary metastasis and lead to improvement of their prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Molecular pathways involved in ligamentum flavum (LF) hypertrophy are still unclarified. The purpose of this study was to characterize LF hypertrophy by microRNA (miRNA) profiling according to the classification of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Methods: Classification of patients with LSS into ligamentous and non-ligamentous cases was conducted by clinical observation and the morphometric parameter adopting the LF/spinal canal area ratio (LSAR) from measurements of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2 weighed images. LF from patients with ligamentous stenosis (n=10) were considered as the degenerative hypertrophied samples, and those from patients with non-ligamentous LSS (n=7) and lumbar disc herniation (LDH, n=3) were used as non-hypertrophied controls. Profiling of miRNA from all samples was conducted by Agilent microarray. Microarray data analysis was performed with GeneSpring GX, and pathway analysis was performed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Results: The mean LSAR in the ligamentous group was significantly higher than that in the control group (0.662±0.154 vs 0.301±0.068, p=0.0000171). Ten significantly differentially expressed miRNA were identified and taken as a signature of LF hypertrophy: nine miRNA showed down-regulated expression, and one showed up-regulated expression in the ligamentous LF. Among those, miR-423-5p (rs=-0.473, p

This paper proposes Bayesian methods for the shape estimation of Chinese yam (Dioscorea opposita) using a few key diameters of yam. Shape prediction of yam is applicable to determining optimal cutoff positions of a yam for producing seed yams. Our Bayesian method, which is a combination of Bayesian estimation model and predictive model, enables automatic, rapid, and low-cost processing of yam. After the construction of the proposed models using a sample data set in Japan, the models provide whole shape prediction of yam based on only a few key diameters. The Bayesian method performed well on the shape prediction in terms of minimizing the mean squared error between measured shape and the prediction. In particular, a multiple regression method with key diameters at two fixed positions attained the highest performance for shape prediction. We have developed automatic, rapid, and low-cost yam-processing machines based on the Bayesian estimation model and predictive model. Development of such shape prediction approaches, including our Bayesian method, can be a valuable aid in reducing the cost and time in food processing.