BACKGROUND Epstein-Barr virus(EBV)-associated carcinoma is a gastric cancer subtype with a morphology characterized by gastric carcinoma with lymphoid stroma(GCLS).Clinicopathological studies have indicated a better p...BACKGROUND Epstein-Barr virus(EBV)-associated carcinoma is a gastric cancer subtype with a morphology characterized by gastric carcinoma with lymphoid stroma(GCLS).Clinicopathological studies have indicated a better prognosis for GCLS than for common gastric carcinomas.Some previous cases of early gastric cancer associated with EBV had been diagnosed by endoscopic resection.CASE SUMMARY We present two GCLS cases subjected to endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)for a definitive diagnosis.A protruded gastric lesion was identified by routine endoscopic examination,but forceps biopsy showed no atypical cells before ESD.The resected specimen showed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with lymphoid cells involving the mucosa and submucosa.The final diagnosis was submucosa-invasive poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma.Accordingly,additional gastrectomy was recommended to obtain a complete cure.One patient underwent additional distal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection,but the other was refused because of cardiovascular complications.Both patients remained in remission for more than half a year.EBV positivity was determined by EBV-encoded RNA in situ hybridization.We also conducted a literature review of cases of early gastric cancer associated with EBV that had been diagnosed by ESD.CONCLUSION Submucosa-invasive GCLS could be dissected using ESD,and EBV positivity should be subsequently assessed to determine whether or not any additional curative surgery is required.Further prospective investigations on the prevalence of lymph node metastasis in EBV-associated carcinoma should be performed to expand the indications for endoscopic resection.展开更多
Anti-microbial peptides are essential for the intestinal innate immunity that protects the intestinal epithelia from attacks by foreign pathogens. Human β-defensin (HBD) is one of the pivotal anti-microbial peptides ...Anti-microbial peptides are essential for the intestinal innate immunity that protects the intestinal epithelia from attacks by foreign pathogens. Human β-defensin (HBD) is one of the pivotal anti-microbial peptides that are expressed in the colonic epithelia. This study investigated the effect and the signaling mechanism of inducible β-defensin HBD2 by an essential amino acid, isoleucine (Ile) in colonic epithelial cells. Here we examined the expression level of HBD2 on induction of Ile in epithelial cells, and checked this pathway. HBD2 mRNA was induced by co-incubation with IL-1α and Ile in Caco2 cells, but not by Ile alone. An inhibitor of either ERK or Gi, a subunit of G-proteins, reduced the induction of HBD2 mRNA by Ile. The treatment with Ile also increased the intracellular calcium ion concentration, thus suggesting that the GPCR and ERK signaling pathway mediate the effects of Ile. These results indicate that an essential amino acid, Ile, enhances the expression of an inducible β-defensin, namely HBD2, by IL-1α through the activation of GPCRs and ERK signaling pathway. The administration of Ile may therefore represent a possible option to safely treat intestinal inflammation.展开更多
Tegafur-uracil has been reported to have only minor adverse effects and is associated with liver injury in 1.79% of Japanese patients. The development of tegafur-uracil-induced hepatic fibrosis with portal hypertensio...Tegafur-uracil has been reported to have only minor adverse effects and is associated with liver injury in 1.79% of Japanese patients. The development of tegafur-uracil-induced hepatic fibrosis with portal hypertension is rare. Here, we report a case of a 74-year-old woman with rapidly developing tegafururacil-induced hepatic fibrosis. The patient had no history of liver disease and had been treated with tegafur-uracil for 8 mo after breast cancer surgery. The patient was admitted to our hospital for abdominal distension and leg edema associated with liver dysfunction. Computed tomography imaging revealed massive ascites and splenomegaly, and a non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis indicated advanced fibrosis. The histopathological findings revealed periportal fibrosis and bridging fibrosis with septation. The massive ascites resolved after discontinuing tegafururacil. These findings suggest that advanced hepatic fibrosis can develop from a relatively short-term administration of tegafur-uracil and that non-invasive assessment is useful for predicting hepatic fibrosis.展开更多
Pancreatic cancer currently has no subtypes that inform clinical decisions;hence,there exists an opportunity to rearrange the morphological and molecular taxonomy that guides a better understanding of tumor characteri...Pancreatic cancer currently has no subtypes that inform clinical decisions;hence,there exists an opportunity to rearrange the morphological and molecular taxonomy that guides a better understanding of tumor characteristics.Nonetheless,accumulating studies to date have revealed the large-duct type variant,a unique subtype of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDA)with cystic features.This subtype often radiographically mimics intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms(IPMNs)and involves multiple small cysts occasionally associated with solid masses.The“bunch-of-grapes”sign,an imaging characteristic of IPMNs,is absent in large-duct PDA.Large-duct PDA defines the mucin profile,and genetic alterations are useful in distinguishing large-duct PDA from IPMNs.Histologically,neoplastic ducts measure over 0.5 mm,forming large ductal elements.Similar to classic PDAs,this subtype is frequently accompanied by perineural invasion and abundant desmoplastic reactions,and KRAS mutations in codon 12 are nearly ubiquitous.Despite such morphological similarities with IPMNs,the prognosis of large-duct PDA is equivalent to that of classic PDA.Differential diagnosis is therefore essential.展开更多
BACKGROUND Fecal impaction is defined as a large mass of compacted feces in the colon and has the potential to induce a serious medical condition in elderly individuals.Fecal impaction is generally preventable,and ear...BACKGROUND Fecal impaction is defined as a large mass of compacted feces in the colon and has the potential to induce a serious medical condition in elderly individuals.Fecal impaction is generally preventable,and early recognition of the typical radiological findings is important for making an early diagnosis.The factors that lead to fecal impaction are usually similar to those causing constipation.Few cases with fecal impaction associated with a diverticulum have been reported.CASE SUMMARY We present the case of a 62-year-old woman who suffered from abdominal pain and vomiting,had a medical history of repeated acute abdomen and was diagnosed with fecal impaction in the descending colon based on X-ray and computed tomography(CT)imaging.After examination by gastrografinenhanced colonography following colonoscopy and CT colonography,the fecalith was suspected to have been produced at the site of a large diverticulum in the transverse colon.The fecalith was surgically resected,and a histological diagnosis of pseudodiverticulum was made.There was no recurrence during 33 mo of follow-up.CONCLUSION This case highlights the importance of accurate identification and treatment of a fecal impaction.This case indicated that the endoscopic evacuation and subsequent colonography were effective for identifying a diverticulum that might have caused fecal impaction.A fecal impaction was associated with the diverticulum.Consequently,the planned diverticulectomy was performed.Appropriate emergency medical treatment and maintenance treatments should be selected in such cases to prevent recurrence.展开更多
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in Japanese habitual drinkers was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Lactobacillus brevis SBC8803 to alleviate adverse effect of alcohol. Subjects who d...A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in Japanese habitual drinkers was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Lactobacillus brevis SBC8803 to alleviate adverse effect of alcohol. Subjects who drank habitually and had moderately higher levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (50 - 100 IU/L) were enrolled. The levels of transaminases in these subjects were almost within normal levels (aspartate transaminase (AST) <30 IU/L and alanine transaminase (ALT) <40 IU/L). Either the capsules containing placebo (n = 23) or 130 mg (4.0 × 1010 colony-forming units) of live L. brevis SBC8803 (n = 22) per day were administered for the continuous eight weeks (56 days). During the period, the subjects both in test group and placebo groups have kept each drinking behavior as usual. Regarding lipid metabolism, triacylglycerol (TG) levels in the male test group significantly decreased at week 4 as compared with week 0. Biomarkers of hepatocytes-damage;AST and ALT levels showed no significant differences between the pla- cebo and test groups at both weeks 4 and 8. Oxidative stress marker;GGT at weeks 4 was significantly lower in the test group than that in the placebo group (p = 0.017), but not at weeks 8. However, taking a reduced rate of GGT at weeks 8 comparing with that at week 0, that in the test group showed larger value comparing with that in the placebo group. These data about TG and GGT suggest that, although efficacy of L. brevis SBC8803 is limited in this study, intake of the probiotic may alleviate alcoholic influence in lipid metabolism and oxidative stress.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Epstein-Barr virus(EBV)-associated carcinoma is a gastric cancer subtype with a morphology characterized by gastric carcinoma with lymphoid stroma(GCLS).Clinicopathological studies have indicated a better prognosis for GCLS than for common gastric carcinomas.Some previous cases of early gastric cancer associated with EBV had been diagnosed by endoscopic resection.CASE SUMMARY We present two GCLS cases subjected to endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)for a definitive diagnosis.A protruded gastric lesion was identified by routine endoscopic examination,but forceps biopsy showed no atypical cells before ESD.The resected specimen showed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with lymphoid cells involving the mucosa and submucosa.The final diagnosis was submucosa-invasive poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma.Accordingly,additional gastrectomy was recommended to obtain a complete cure.One patient underwent additional distal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection,but the other was refused because of cardiovascular complications.Both patients remained in remission for more than half a year.EBV positivity was determined by EBV-encoded RNA in situ hybridization.We also conducted a literature review of cases of early gastric cancer associated with EBV that had been diagnosed by ESD.CONCLUSION Submucosa-invasive GCLS could be dissected using ESD,and EBV positivity should be subsequently assessed to determine whether or not any additional curative surgery is required.Further prospective investigations on the prevalence of lymph node metastasis in EBV-associated carcinoma should be performed to expand the indications for endoscopic resection.
文摘Anti-microbial peptides are essential for the intestinal innate immunity that protects the intestinal epithelia from attacks by foreign pathogens. Human β-defensin (HBD) is one of the pivotal anti-microbial peptides that are expressed in the colonic epithelia. This study investigated the effect and the signaling mechanism of inducible β-defensin HBD2 by an essential amino acid, isoleucine (Ile) in colonic epithelial cells. Here we examined the expression level of HBD2 on induction of Ile in epithelial cells, and checked this pathway. HBD2 mRNA was induced by co-incubation with IL-1α and Ile in Caco2 cells, but not by Ile alone. An inhibitor of either ERK or Gi, a subunit of G-proteins, reduced the induction of HBD2 mRNA by Ile. The treatment with Ile also increased the intracellular calcium ion concentration, thus suggesting that the GPCR and ERK signaling pathway mediate the effects of Ile. These results indicate that an essential amino acid, Ile, enhances the expression of an inducible β-defensin, namely HBD2, by IL-1α through the activation of GPCRs and ERK signaling pathway. The administration of Ile may therefore represent a possible option to safely treat intestinal inflammation.
文摘Tegafur-uracil has been reported to have only minor adverse effects and is associated with liver injury in 1.79% of Japanese patients. The development of tegafur-uracil-induced hepatic fibrosis with portal hypertension is rare. Here, we report a case of a 74-year-old woman with rapidly developing tegafururacil-induced hepatic fibrosis. The patient had no history of liver disease and had been treated with tegafur-uracil for 8 mo after breast cancer surgery. The patient was admitted to our hospital for abdominal distension and leg edema associated with liver dysfunction. Computed tomography imaging revealed massive ascites and splenomegaly, and a non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis indicated advanced fibrosis. The histopathological findings revealed periportal fibrosis and bridging fibrosis with septation. The massive ascites resolved after discontinuing tegafururacil. These findings suggest that advanced hepatic fibrosis can develop from a relatively short-term administration of tegafur-uracil and that non-invasive assessment is useful for predicting hepatic fibrosis.
基金Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS)KAKENHI,No.19K17480(to Sato H),and No.20H03655(Mizukami Y).
文摘Pancreatic cancer currently has no subtypes that inform clinical decisions;hence,there exists an opportunity to rearrange the morphological and molecular taxonomy that guides a better understanding of tumor characteristics.Nonetheless,accumulating studies to date have revealed the large-duct type variant,a unique subtype of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDA)with cystic features.This subtype often radiographically mimics intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms(IPMNs)and involves multiple small cysts occasionally associated with solid masses.The“bunch-of-grapes”sign,an imaging characteristic of IPMNs,is absent in large-duct PDA.Large-duct PDA defines the mucin profile,and genetic alterations are useful in distinguishing large-duct PDA from IPMNs.Histologically,neoplastic ducts measure over 0.5 mm,forming large ductal elements.Similar to classic PDAs,this subtype is frequently accompanied by perineural invasion and abundant desmoplastic reactions,and KRAS mutations in codon 12 are nearly ubiquitous.Despite such morphological similarities with IPMNs,the prognosis of large-duct PDA is equivalent to that of classic PDA.Differential diagnosis is therefore essential.
文摘BACKGROUND Fecal impaction is defined as a large mass of compacted feces in the colon and has the potential to induce a serious medical condition in elderly individuals.Fecal impaction is generally preventable,and early recognition of the typical radiological findings is important for making an early diagnosis.The factors that lead to fecal impaction are usually similar to those causing constipation.Few cases with fecal impaction associated with a diverticulum have been reported.CASE SUMMARY We present the case of a 62-year-old woman who suffered from abdominal pain and vomiting,had a medical history of repeated acute abdomen and was diagnosed with fecal impaction in the descending colon based on X-ray and computed tomography(CT)imaging.After examination by gastrografinenhanced colonography following colonoscopy and CT colonography,the fecalith was suspected to have been produced at the site of a large diverticulum in the transverse colon.The fecalith was surgically resected,and a histological diagnosis of pseudodiverticulum was made.There was no recurrence during 33 mo of follow-up.CONCLUSION This case highlights the importance of accurate identification and treatment of a fecal impaction.This case indicated that the endoscopic evacuation and subsequent colonography were effective for identifying a diverticulum that might have caused fecal impaction.A fecal impaction was associated with the diverticulum.Consequently,the planned diverticulectomy was performed.Appropriate emergency medical treatment and maintenance treatments should be selected in such cases to prevent recurrence.
文摘A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in Japanese habitual drinkers was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Lactobacillus brevis SBC8803 to alleviate adverse effect of alcohol. Subjects who drank habitually and had moderately higher levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (50 - 100 IU/L) were enrolled. The levels of transaminases in these subjects were almost within normal levels (aspartate transaminase (AST) <30 IU/L and alanine transaminase (ALT) <40 IU/L). Either the capsules containing placebo (n = 23) or 130 mg (4.0 × 1010 colony-forming units) of live L. brevis SBC8803 (n = 22) per day were administered for the continuous eight weeks (56 days). During the period, the subjects both in test group and placebo groups have kept each drinking behavior as usual. Regarding lipid metabolism, triacylglycerol (TG) levels in the male test group significantly decreased at week 4 as compared with week 0. Biomarkers of hepatocytes-damage;AST and ALT levels showed no significant differences between the pla- cebo and test groups at both weeks 4 and 8. Oxidative stress marker;GGT at weeks 4 was significantly lower in the test group than that in the placebo group (p = 0.017), but not at weeks 8. However, taking a reduced rate of GGT at weeks 8 comparing with that at week 0, that in the test group showed larger value comparing with that in the placebo group. These data about TG and GGT suggest that, although efficacy of L. brevis SBC8803 is limited in this study, intake of the probiotic may alleviate alcoholic influence in lipid metabolism and oxidative stress.