[A case of breast meningeal carcinomatosis caused by trastuzumab treatment as adjuvant chemotherapy]

A 52-year-old woman underwent modified radical mastectomy and axillary lymph node resection for right breast cancer (stage IIB). Afterwards FEC therapy (5-FU 500 mg/m/2, epirubicin 75 mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2) x 4, docetaxel therapy (60 mg/m2) x 4 and radiation of the illness side collarbone, upper and lower lymph nodes were enforced for adjuvant therapy after the operation. Furthermore, administration of aromatase inhibitor (anastrozole) and trastuzumab was started due to the postoperative pathological diagnosis of hormone receptor-positive and HER2 (score 3+). This became an urgent hospital admission because of the sudden escape power from impaired consciousness due to the articulation disorders and limb weakness when trastuzumab was administered nine times. It was diagnosed by MRI examination and the cerebrospinal fluid cytology as meningeal carcinomatosis of breast cancer, and she died on the 31st recurrence of disease. A serious relapse may be caused in a case of fast-progressing breast cancer like this while being administered trastuzumab as an adjuvant treatment.

[A case of triple negative chest wall recurrent breast cancer treated with capecitabine and docetaxel combination therapy (XT therapy)]

A 59-year-old woman underwent modified radical mastectomy for left breast cancer 9 years earlier. This time, a chest wall recurrence was found. A chest CT showed a chest wall tumor and lymph node metastases. PET images showed increased uptake in chest wall tumor and lymph nodes. The serum tumor markers have also elevated. Open biopsy of chest wall tumor was performed, and the tumor was diagnosed as invasive ductal carcinoma[ER(-), Pg R (-), HER2 score(0)]. Combination chemotherapy with capecitabine and docetaxel was initiated. After 7 courses of treatment, a marked response has been seen. Capecitabine and docetaxel combination therapy are considered useful for treatment of triple negative recurrent breast cancer.

Case report of pseudoaneurysm caused by core needle biopsy of the breast

We treated a patient with a pseudoaneurysm caused by core needle biopsy (CNB), in which both the cancer and the aneurysm were excised by breast conservation therapy. A 51-year-old woman attended a local hospital because of a 25-mm mass in the upper outer quadrant of the right breast. CNB was performed, and brisk bleeding occurred at the biopsy site. Immediate hemostasis was achieved with direct manual compression. CNB detected fatty tissue, and a diagnosis could not be made. When she presented at our hospital 6 weeks later, there was a 25-mm pulsating mass at the biopsy site. Color-flow Doppler US and dynamic MRI showed a breast tumor and pseudoaneurysm formation. For the purpose of diagnosis and treatment of the breast tumor and pseudoaneurysm, lumpectomy of the right breast was performed. Histological diagnosis was papillotubular carcinoma and pseudoaneurysm. Although this condition is relatively rare, it is important to be aware of the possibility of complications, such as pseudoaneurysms, which require treatment.

[A case of recurrent breast cancer with bone marrow metastasis treated with weekly paclitaxel therapy]

A 44-year-old woman with bone marrow metastasis from breast cancer was treated with weekly paclitaxel therapy. She underwent radical mastectomy for right breast cancer (T2N1M0, Stage II B) in April 2003, and was then treated with hormonal therapy (leuprorelin). In November 2005, she received radiation for bone metastasis in thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and bisphosphonate therapy was performed. Additional hormonal therapy (tamoxifen) was administered for progressive bone metastasis. However, in September 2006, pancytopenia was recognized and bone marrow metastasis was diagnosed by bone biopsy. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) developed, so she was given weekly paclitaxel therapy with blood transfusion and G-CSF injection. Improvement of pancytopenia and tumor markers was recognized temporarily, and but 3 months later the tumor markers increased again. Four months after introduction of chemotherapy, she died of gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

Preclinical and clinical studies of novel breast cancer drugs targeting molecules involved in protein kinase C signaling, the putative metastasis-suppressor gene Cap43 and the Y-box binding protein-1

Breast cancer is a common cause of tumors in women. The development of effective adjuvant therapies using drugs such as anthracyclines, taxanes, and aromatase inhibitors has improved the survival of breast cancer patients. Molecular cancer therapeutics are also attracting attention, and targeted molecular therapies, such as trastuzumab, have already contributed to effective new treatments for breast cancer. Other candidate targeted molecular therapies for breast cancer, including erlotinib, gefitinib, lapatinib, bevacizumab, and celecoxib, are currently undergoing clinical evaluation, and promising results are expected. The current review provides an up-to-date summary of the preclinical and clinical development of these drugs for breast cancer. In particular, we focus on therapies targeting protein kinase C (PKC) signaling, the putative metastasis-suppressor gene Cap43/N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1)/differentiation-related gene-1 (Drg-1), and the Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1). The PKC signaling pathway is widely considered to be a promising target for the development of novel therapeutics. Cap43 expression is significantly modulated by estrogen and/or anti-estrogens in breast cancer cells that are positive for estrogen receptor-alpha (ER-alpha). Cap43 is therefore of particular interest as a molecular indicator of the therapeutic efficacy of anti-estrogenic agents in breast cancer. The nuclear expression of YB-1 plays an essential role in the acquisition of malignant characteristics by breast cancer cells, through epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-Akt-dependent pathways. Basic research investigating the key selective molecular changes that sustain breast cancer growth and progression, as demonstrated for PKC, Cap43, and YB-1, is allowing the development of specific targeted molecular diagnostics and therapeutics.

Activation of protein kinase C delta induces growth arrest in NPA thyroid cancer cells through extracellular signal-regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase

Protein kinase C (PKC) is a family of serine-threonine kinases that regulate many cell processes. To study the role of PKCdelta in thyroid cancer cells, we used a replication-deficient adenovirus (PKCdeltaAdV), to tightly control PKCdelta expression. In NPA cells, activation of wild-type (WT) PKCdelta with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) induced an arrest in cell growth at G(1) phase, which was itself inhibited by the PKCdelta inhibitor rottlerin. Furthermore, overexpression of a dominant negative PKCdelta did not induce G(1) arrest. These findings strongly suggested that PKCdelta induced cell growth arrest in NPA cells. We investigated the mechanism of G1 arrest by examining G(1)-related proteins and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) by Western blotting. After activation of WTPKCdelta with PMA, cyclin E expression and retinoblastoma protein (Rb) phosphorylation decreased; the expression of p27(Kip1) increased and the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) MAPK decreased. These results indicated that the activation of PKCdelta induced cell growth arrest in NPA cells, through an ERK MAPK-p27(Kip1)-cyclin E-pRb pathway. PKCdelta may therefore be an effective molecular target for novel therapy in thyroid cancer.

[Combination immunotherapy using autologous tumor-stimulated lymphocytes and trastuzumab (Herceptin) for the patients with recurrent breast cancer]

PURPOSE

We report two patients with refractory recurrent breast cancer (HER2/neu: +) postoperatively, who had failed response to the available conventional chemotherapy of CAF (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, 5-fluorouracil) and docetaxel, etc. They markedly responded to the combination immunotherapy using intraperitumoral injections of autologous tumor cell-stimulated T lymphocyte (AuTL) and trastuzumab (Herceptin), an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody.

METHODS

AuTLs were administrated directly into the recurrent tumor by intraperitumoral injections biweekly and trastuzumab was infused systemically every week. The treatments were repeated for 6 and 11 injections in the patients, respectively. The total administered T cells had reached to 3.8 x 10(9) and 6.4 x 10(9), respectively. The dosage of trastuzumab was 2 mg/kg in each patient.

RESULTS

The carcinomatous pleural effusion had disappeared and was well controlled in patient 1 and a marked regression in injected fields in comparison to the size of the recurrent tumor before treatment was observed in patient 2. The tumor marker proteins (CEA, CA15-3, TPA) had also decreased significantly. The adverse effects of the immunotherapy were tolerable with grades 1-2 infusion reaction of fever, tachycardia and hypotension, but no cardiac dysfunction was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical responses of recurrent breast cancer were observed in two patients after receiving the intra-peritumoral AuTL injection plus trastuzumab immunotherapy. These results showed that refractory recurrent breast cancer may be controlled effectively and safely by repeating the cellular immunotherapy combined with trastuzumab and suggested utility of combining these agents in clinical trial.

Antineoplaston induces G(1) arrest by PKCalpha and MAPK pathway in SKBR-3 breast cancer cells

Antineoplastons such as A10 include naturally occurring peptides and amino acid derivatives that control the neoplastic growth of cells. The mechanism underlying this antitumor effect was investigated using the breast cancer cell line, SKRB-3. Cells treated with A10 were monitored for any changes in cell cycle, expression of protein kinase C (PKC), or intracellular signal transduction, particularly phos-phorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). The A10 markedly inhibited SKBR-3 proliferation due to arrest in the G(1) phase. A10 down-regulated the expression of PKCalpha protein, resulting in inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) MAPK phosphorylation. This increased the expression of p16 and p21 protein, with resultant inhibition of Rb phosphorylation, leading to G(1) arrest. This study has defined a pathway in which A10 arrested SKBR-3 cells in the G(1) phase via PKCalpha and MAPK. Our findings indicate that the antineoplaston A10 antitumor effect could be utilized as an effective therapy for breast cancer patients.

PKCdelta and MAPK mediate G(1) arrest induced by PMA in SKBR-3 breast cancer cells

The effects of activating endogenous protein kinase C (PKC) on cell proliferation and the cell cycle were investigated by treating the breast cancer cell line SKBR-3 with phorbol 12-myristate 13 acetate (PMA). This inhibited cell growth in a concentration-dependent manner, causing a marked arrest of cells in G(1). Pre-treatment with GF109203X completely blocked the antiproliferative effect of PMA, and pre-treatment with the PKCdelta inhibitor rottlerin partially blocked it. Infecting SKBR-3 cells with an adenovirus vector containing wild-type PKCdelta, WTPKCdeltaAdV, had similar effects on PMA. Infecting the cells with a dominant-negative PKCdeltaAdV construct blocked the growth inhibition induced by PMA. Downstream of PKC, PMA treatment inhibited extracellular signal-regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation, up-regulated c-jun NH(2)-terminal kinase phosphorylation, and inhibited retinoblastoma (Rb) phosphorylation. These results strongly implicated PKC (mainly PKCdelta) in the G(1) arrest induced by PMA and suggested PKC as a target for breast cancer treatment.

[The repetitive immune cell transfer therapy combining non-myelosuppressive chemotherapy for patients with advanced and refractory cancer]

Autologous tumor cells stimulated with T lymphocytes (AuTL) were generated ex vivo from peripheral blood lymphocytes over a two-week co-culturing process with autologous tumor cells. These AuTLs were capable of lysing established tumor cell lines and may have a potential for efficacy as an adoptive immunotherapy (IT) in advanced and metastatic refractory cancer patients (pts). We investigated the feasibility of a combination of AuTL transfer and chemotherapy (ChT) based on the conventional conditioning regimen in order to take advantage by both the anticancer effects and reconstruction of antitumor immunity. Nineteen patients were enrolled in a pilot clinical trial. The two administrations of AuTL were given prior to chemotherapy (ChT) for one treatment cycle. The treatment was repeated at least for three cycles over a one-week interval. The conventional ChT regimen was based on the standard dosage. The pts consisted of 3 of gastric cancer, colon cancer, lung adenocarcinoma, respectively, 6 of esophageal cancer, and 2 of breast and pancreas carcinoma, respectively. AuTLs were administered 1x/2 weeks using direct injection or intraarterial infusion. The median duration of the treatment was over 11.5 months, and the median survival time was 14.8 months. Adverse events related to both the ChT and AuTL transfers at all dosages were minimal. Four of the 13 pts achieved major tumor responses (2 CR: complete regression and 2 PR: partial regression) in this study. Three pts showed progressive disease, and 6 pts had stable disease for over 90 days. PBMC were evaluated for cytokine production prior to the treatment and after 3 treatments. Two and one of 4 CR/PR pts had increased IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production with no TGF-beta1 responses by their PBMC after 3 treatments, respectively. Two out of 6 pts who experienced stable disease after the treatment had high IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha responses and no TGF-beta1 or IL-4 response. TGF-beta1 and IL-4 secretion increased in parallel in 3 out of 3 pts that experienced progressive disease after the treatment. These data show that combination therapy of AuTL transfer and non-myeloablative ChT is a feasible option for patients with refractory advanced cancers without serious adverse events and without reducing Th1 cytokine responses in peripheral blood for most of the pts that responded to the treatment. According to each mechanism of IT and ChT, a more stringent evaluation of AuTL transfer combined with non-myeloablative ChT for various kinds of cancers should be performed to manage the immunodeficiency in the pts with advanced cancer and to improve the effect of antitumor AuTLs.

Axillary Lymph Node Recurrence of Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma: Report of a Case

We report a case of axillary lymph node recurrence of thyroid papillary microcarcinoma (PMC) in a 51-year-old woman who had undergone thyroidectomy with lymph node dissection 5 years earlier. We performed residual thyroid resection with cervical and bilateral axillary lymph node dissection, and pathological examination revealed well-differentiated papillary carcinoma, with partial poor differentiation. Postoperative radioiodine therapy was ineffective, and the patient died of systemic dissemination of the recurrence 8 months after her second operation. The positive cell rates of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Ki-67 were clearly higher in the recurrent lymph nodes than in the primary thyroid tumor, suggesting increased cell proliferation in the recurrent lymph nodes. Thyroid papillary carcinoma rarely recurs in the axillary lymph nodes, but its possibility must be kept in mind, especially in patients with remarkable cervical lymph node metastasis and those who undergo extensive lymph node dissection.

Advanced chemoresistant breast cancer responding to multidisciplinary treatment with hyperthermia, radiotherapy, and intraarterial infusion

We employed multidisciplinary therapy, consisting of hyperthermia, radiotherapy, and intraarterial infusion, for a patient with progressive advanced breast cancer that was resistant to epirubicin hydrochloride and cyclophosphamide (EC) therapy as well as being resistant to docetaxel hydrate, and obtained a good therapeutic response. Because estrogen and progesterone receptors were both negative and HER2 was 3(+), administration of trastuzumab was started, and this patient has shown no signs of recurrence at 33 months after our treatment. The results suggested that our multidisciplinary therapy can be an effective method for the treatment of progressive breast cancer showing resistance to major chemotherapy agents such as anthracyclines and taxanes.

Cell growth inhibition by all-trans retinoic acid in SKBR-3 breast cancer cells: Involvement of protein kinase C? and extracellular signal-regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), a synthetic derivative of vitamin A, inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells. To elucidate the mechanism by which ATRA causes cell growth inhibition, we examined changes in cell cycle and intracellular signaling pathways, focusing on protein kinase C (PKC) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Using the estrogen receptor-negative, retinoid receptor-positive breast cancer cell line SKRB-3, we found that treatment with ATRA significantly decreased the expression of PKCalpha, as well as reducing ERK MAPK phosphorylation. ATRA treatment leads to dephosphorylation of Rb, and consequently to G(1) arrest. Marked changes in the expression of cyclins (particularly cyclins A and E) were observed in SKBR-3 cells treated with ATRA. Using a series of pharmacological and molecular approaches, we found evidence that ATRA-induced SKBR-3 cell growth inhibition involves the deregulation of the PKCalpha-MAPK pathway. These data suggest that retinoids interfered with signal transduction pathways that are crucial for cell cycle progression, and highlight the complexities of the biological effects of retinoid derivatives.

Remineralization across the resin-dentin interface: in vivo evaluation with nanoindentation measurements, EDS, and SEM

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vivo remineralization of the possible non-resin infiltrated hybridoid layer between the hybrid layer and the subjacent dentin substrate using nanoindentation, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy microanalyses (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technologies.

METHOD AND MATERIALS

Twenty Class V cavities were placed in healthy adult monkey teeth. Each cavity was total etched with 37% phosphoric acid for 60 seconds, rinsed, and air dispersed, and SA-Primer was applied to the collagen layer. Cavities were divided into two groups: In group 1, Protect Liner (low-viscosity resin) and Clearfil AP-X (resin composite) were placed per manufacturer's directions, and no bonding agent was placed on the acid-etched interface. In group 2, Clearfil Photobond (bonding agent) was applied, and Protect Liner and Clearfil AP-X were placed as in group 1. Teeth were observed at 7 days (control) and 6 months by nanoindentation, EDS, and SEM.

RESULTS

Six-month data showed an increased nanohardness in areas 5 pm adjacent to the demineralized or partially demineralized dentin interface. Following treatment with a conventional adhesive system on the acid-etched interface (group 2), there were increased nanohardness and calcium EDS measurements in the substrate just below the resin-dentin impregnated layer.

CONCLUSION

Our 6-month in vivo nanoindentation and EDS data demonstrate that the non-resin infiltrated zone becomes remineralized following adhesive resin treatment.

Isolation, purification, and characterization of fucose-containing sulfated polysaccharides from the brown seaweed Ecklonia kurome and their blood-anticoagulant activities

A sulfated polysaccharide fraction, obtained from the hot-water extract of the brown seaweed, Ecklonia kurome by removing laminaran and the major part of alginic acid, gave sulfated polysaccharides (B-I, B-II, C-I, and C-II) by both anion-exchange chromatography on a column of Ecteola-cellulose and by fractional precipitation with ethanol containing 0.3% calcium acetate, and then by gel-filtration chromatography on a Sepharose 4B column. B-I and B-II are composed of fucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, glucuronic acid, and ester sulfate in the approximate molar ratios of 1.00:0.36:0.48:1.08:1.85:2.35 and 1.00:0.81:0.18:0.45:0.61:2.00, respectively. C-I and C-II are composed of fucose, galactose, glucuronic acid, and ester sulfate in approximate molar ratios of 1.00:0.03:0.03:1.61 and 1.00:0.19:0.07:1.48, respectively. Blood-anticoagulant activities with respect to activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were approximately 24, 19, 81, and 85% of that of heparin for B-I, B-II, C-I, and C-II, respectively. All the polysaccharides showed slight antithrombin activity. No antifactor Xa activity was observed for any of the polysaccharides.