[Clinical Analysis of Pulmonary Pleomorphic Carcinoma:Report of Four Cases]

Of 243 resected cases of primary non-small cell lung cancer for ten years in our hospital, we experienced 4 patients (1.6%) of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma. All patients were males and heavy smokers. Histologically, the vascular invasion was showed in 3 of 4 patients. In only one patient, recurrence was recognized, and he died 18 months after surgery. The other 3 patients were alive without recurrence for 86, 92, and 60 months after surgery. In general, prognosis of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma is very poor. But in my study, 3 of 4 patients of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma survive from this disease. As the planning of an appropriate treatment strategy of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma,further detailed assessment of adjuvant chemotherapy, such as immune check point inhibitors, will be considered to be necessary.

Preoperative Hemoglobin Level as Predictor of the Development of High-output Stoma in Rectal Cancer Surgery

Background/Aim

High-output stomas (HOSs) are a complication that can cause dehydration or renal dysfunction and affect the quality of life of patients, causing water, sodium, and magnesium depletion with malnutrition. Preoperative factors that are useful for predicting HOS are not well defined.

Patients and Methods

A total of nine patients developed HOS among 31 patients who underwent rectal cancer surgery with ileostomies during 2014-2021. Clinicopathological and surgical parameters were also analyzed. HOS was defined as maximum output of ≥2,000 ml/day.

Results

The clinicopathological features did not differ between the HOS and non-HOS groups. Lower Hemoglobin (Hb) levels (<12 mg/dl) and longer operation times (≥300 min) were shown to be risk factors in the development of HOS.

Conclusion

Low Hb levels on preoperative blood tests were predictors of HOS development in patients who underwent rectal cancer surgery and ileostomies simultaneously in our data set. Further studies are required to improve the robustness of these findings.

Successful conversion surgery following chemotherapy with an immune checkpoint inhibitor in an older adult patient with stage IVB esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case report

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy are common treatments for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with distant metastasis; however, the prognosis remains poor, and complete remission is difficult to achieve. Here, we report a case of an older adult patient with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent surgery following combined treatment of immunotherapy and chemotherapy and achieved pathological complete response.

CASE PRESENTATION

An 80-year-old woman presenting with difficulty swallowing was referred to our hospital. She was diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with distant metastasis of the lymph node at the dorsal side of the IVC and the left supraclavicular lymph node. She was treated with pembrolizumab, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil. After four pharmacotherapy courses, primary tumor and metastatic lymph node shrinkage was observed. The patient underwent thoracoscopic subtotal esophagectomy and regional lymph node dissection. The lymph node at the dorsal side of the IVC was not resected, and the left supraclavicular lymph node was removed. Histological examination revealed complete response with no residual tumor or lymph node metastasis. The patient had no recurrence 10 months postoperatively without adjuvant chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Conversion surgery following preoperative therapy, including immunotherapy, may be an effective treatment strategy for improving survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma even among older adult patients.

Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer poses few limitations for selected elderly patients: a single-center experience

Background

The safety and efficacy of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) for early gastric cancer have been demonstrated in clinical studies. The aim of this study was to clarify the safety and efficacy of LADG in patients ≥80 years of age with early gastric cancer, an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification of 1–2, and a performance status (PS) of 0–1.

Case presentation

From April 2009 to July 2011, 12 elderly patients aged ≥80 years and 43 younger patients underwent LADG for early gastric cancer. Seven of the 55 patients underwent LADG and simultaneous surgery including surgery for colorectal cancer, cholecystectomy, or other conditions. Forty-eight of the 55 patients who underwent only LADG were studied. Demographics and postoperative outcomes were compared.

Results

The postoperative complication rate, time to first ambulation, time to first flatus, time to first fluid intake, and postoperative hospital stay were similar in these two groups. Nutritional status as assessed by body weight, serum albumin, and total protein at 1 and 3 months after surgery was also similar in these two groups.

Conclusions

Postoperative outcomes were acceptable in the elderly patients included in the study. LADG for early gastric cancer is a safe and effective treatment in elderly patients aged ≥80 years with an ASA status of 1–2 and PS of 0–1.

Laparoscopic and Open Resection of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors of the Stomach

INTRODUCTION

Laparoscopic resection has been reported as reasonable for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). In this study, we report the feasibility of the laparoscopic approach for GIST of the stomach. We also discuss the laparoscopic approach for GIST larger than 5 cm, which is reported to be difficult to treat by laparoscopic surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 22 patients with GIST of the stomach resected by laparoscopic or open procedures between January 2006 and February 2014.

RESULTS

Laparoscopic resections were performed in 9 patients and open resections in 13 patients. Curative resections with negative resection margins were successfully completed for all patients. Although the size of the tumors was greater in open surgery cases than in laparoscopic patients (P = 0.03), the loss of blood was lower and the hospital stay was shorter in laparoscopic cases (P = 0.01 and 0.003, respectively). Laparoscopic resection was performed for 2 patients with GISTs larger than 5 cm. Both were located at greater curvature, and curatively resected without any complications or recurrence.

DISCUSSION

Our experience suggests that laparoscopic surgery for GISTs of the stomach, including those larger than 5 cm, may be feasible after careful deliberation of its indications. Laparoscopic resection for GIST was associated with lower loss of blood and shorter hospital stay in comparison with open resection.

Successful surgical management for duodenum obstruction in a 66 year-old woman previously undiagnosed intestinal malrotation

Intestinal malrotation is a congenital abnormality and is rarely seen in the adulthood. Most adult cases would be classified to the non-rotation type with Ladd's band and Ladd procedure is the treatment of choice. A 66 year-old woman admitted to our hospital due to duodenum obstruction. Several tests revealed that she had intestinal malrotation previously undiagnosed. Operative findings showed the fusion of duodenum with jejunum by the incomplete Treitz ligament. There was no Ladd's band and the right colon was unfixed. Dissection of the fusion completely released her symptom and she discharged without any complication. This is the first report of untypically intestinal malrotation in the adulthood without Ladd's band.

FANCJ expression predicts the response to 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy in MLH1-proficient colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

Fanconi anemia protein, FANCJ, directly interacts with MLH1, a key protein involved in DNA mismatch repair. Deficient mismatch repair, or microsatellite instability, is a potent marker for the ineffectiveness of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in colorectal cancer (CRC). We investigated the significance of FANCJ expression in CRC, focusing on the effects of 5-FU-based adjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS

Clinicopathologic features and immunohistochemical expression of FANCJ and MLH1 were studied in 219 patients with CRC. We also analyzed 5-FU sensitivity in CRC cell lines with varying levels of FANCJ expression.

RESULTS

FANCJ expression was elevated in tumor tissues compared with normal epithelial tissue. High expression of FANCJ was significantly associated with 5-FU resistance measured by the SDI test (P < 0.05) and poor recurrence-free survival (RFS) (P < 0.05). Among patients with stage II/III tumors who received 5-FU, patients with tumors exhibiting high FANCJ expression had significantly worse RFS than did patients with tumors exhibiting low FANCJ expression (P < 0.01). Among patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy, FANCJ expression was not correlated with RFS (P = 0.76). High FANCJ expression was correlated with 5-FU resistance in tumors with normal MLH1 expression (P < 0.05) but not in tumors not expressing MLH1 (P = 0.9). In vitro, FANCJ overexpression was correlated with 5-FU resistance in MLH1-proficient HCT116 3-6 cells but not in MLH1-deficient HCT116 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

FANCJ could be a useful biomarker to predict the response to 5-FU and prognosis of CRC, particularly in tumors with normal MLH1 expression.

ATR-Chk1 signaling pathway and homologous recombinational repair protect cells from 5-fluorouracil cytotoxicity

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) has long been a mainstay antimetabolite chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of major solid tumors, particularly colorectal cancer. 5-FU is processed intracellularly to yield active metabolites that compromise RNA and DNA metabolism. However, the mechanisms responsible for its cytotoxicity are not fully understood. From the phenotypic analysis of mutant chicken B lymphoma DT40 cells, we found that homologous recombinational repair (HRR), involving Rad54 and BRCA2, and the ATR-Chk1 signaling pathway, involving Rad9 and Rad17, significantly contribute to 5-FU tolerance. 5-FU induced γH2AX nuclear foci, which were colocalized with the key HRR factor Rad51, but not with DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), in a dose-dependent manner as cells accumulated in the S phase. Inhibition of Chk1 kinase by UCN-01 increased 5-FU-induced γH2AX and enhanced 5-FU cytotoxicity not only in wild-type cells but also in Rad54- or BRCA2-deficient cells, suggesting that HRR and Chk1 kinase have non-overlapping roles in 5-FU tolerance. 5-FU-induced Chk1 phosphorylation was significantly impaired in Rad9- or Rad17-deficient cells, and severe γH2AX nuclear foci and DSBs were formed, which was followed by apoptosis. Finally, inhibition of Chk1 kinase by UCN-01 increased 5-FU-induced γH2AX nuclear foci and enhanced 5-FU cytotoxicity in Rad9- or Rad17-deficient cells. These results suggest that Rad9- and Rad17-independent activation of the ATR-Chk1 signaling pathway also significantly contributes to 5-FU tolerance.

In-hospital mortality after a surgical resection for esophageal cancer: analyses of the associated factors and historical changes

BACKGROUND

Resections for esophageal cancer are invasive, with high mortality and morbidity rates. The object of this study was to clarify the factors associated with in-hospital death while also evaluating any associated historical changes in the characteristics of such deaths.

METHODS

The factors associated with mortality were examined by logistic regression analysis in 1106 patients who underwent an esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. The historical changes in the characteristics of in-hospital deaths were also evaluated.

RESULTS

A multivariate analysis revealed that not only undergoing an esophagectomy before 1979, but also a patient's age (odds ratio 1.070 for every increase in age by year) and an incomplete resection (odds ratio 2.265) were independent factors associated with in-hospital death. The in-hospital mortality rates were 16.1%, 5.8%, 2.5%, and 3.1%, while the 30-day mortality rates were 9.2%, 2.2%, 0.8%, and 0.3% during 1964-1979, the 1980s, the 1990s, and the 2000s, respectively. Eight patients had preoperative comorbidities among 11 patients who died in the hospital after 1997. The mortality rate was 5.5% in patients with any comorbidities, while it was 1.3% in patients without any comorbidities (P = 0.026). The most common direct cause of in-hospital death was previous pulmonary complications; however, cancer progression has recently become the most common cause.

CONCLUSIONS

To prevent in-hospital mortality after an esophagectomy, strict indications for surgery and careful perioperative management are important, especially in high-risk patients with advanced esophageal cancer.

[Two radically resected colorectal carcinoma cases with unresectable liver metastasis after adjuvant chemotherapy with bevacizumab]

Nowadays, the advancements of systemic chemotherapy for colorectal carcinoma improve a clinical response rate, and expand the possibility of resection which couldn't operable at the initial visit. In addition, the prognoses of the patients, who had a radical operation for metastasis, are clearly longer than the non-operable patients. Bevacizumab, anti-human VEGF monoclonal antibody, is significantly effective when used in combination with one of the systemic multi-agent chemotherapy such as FOLFOX regimen or FOLFIRI regimen. We report here two cases with colon carcinoma, which had initially unresectable liver metastases, were respond to the treatment of systemic multi-agent chemotherapy with bevacizumab. Then, both cases were able to undergo radical resections of primary tumor and liver metastases safely.

Interleukin-1 beta enhances and interferon-gamma suppresses activin A actions by reciprocally regulating activin A and follistatin secretion from bone marrow stromal fibroblasts

Activin A is a multi-functional cytokine with a potent stimulation on erythroid cell differentiation in the bone marrow. The actions of activin A are determined by a balance of the levels of activin A and its inhibitor, follistatin (FS). However, the regulation of its actions in the bone marrow has been unclear. Here we show that bone marrow-derived stromal fibroblasts are the major source of activin A and FS in the bone marrow, and that the production of activin A is enhanced by interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), whereas interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) inhibits the secretion of activin A by stromal fibroblasts. Concomitantly, IL-1beta as well as LPS inhibits and IFN-gamma stimulates FS secretion from stromal fibroblasts. Thus, these cytokines potently regulate activin A actions by reciprocal modulation of activin A and FS secretion from stromal fibroblasts. Because activin A exhibits anti-inflammatory effects in various tissues, up-regulation of activin A actions by IL-1beta and endotoxin in the bone marrow may play a protective role against inflammatory processes as well as anaemia. The present results also suggest that the inhibitory effect of IFN-gamma on erythropoiesis is mediated at least in part by a suppression of activin A actions in bone marrow.

Tissue-specific molecular heterogeneity of human growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor protein

A site-directed anti-peptide antibody (anti-hGHRHRc18) was generated against the cytoplasmic tail of human GHRH receptor. The dissociation constant (Kd) and the antibody binding site (AbT) of anti-hGHRHRc18 were 2.5 nmol/l and 0.54 nmol/l, respectively. In an immunoblotting experiment, affinity-purified anti-hGHRHRc18 specifically recognized a single 50-kDa protein in human pituitary. In a screening of the expression of GHRH receptor protein in extra-pituitary tissues, only human kidney showed a single 52-kDa protein. Our results suggest that the GHRH receptor protein exhibits tissue-specific molecular heterogeneity.

Effects of LHRH, FSH and activin A on follistatin secretion from cultured rat anterior pituitary cells

We demonstrated the release of follistatin, an activin-binding protein, from cultured rat anterior pituitary cells by measuring immunoreactive (ir-) follistatin in a specific immunoradiometric assay. Ir-follistatin release gradually increased in cultures over 1-18 days and reached its maximal level at 12-15 days of incubation. The basal ir-follistatin levels in the culture media increased about 3- (P < 0.01) and 5-fold (P < 0.001) in 2 and 10% fetal calf serum for 6 days, respectively. LHRH and activin A caused an approximately 2.0- (P < 0.05) and 1.8-fold (P < 0.05) rise in ir-follistatin release, respectively, in contrast to the lack of significant FSH effects. The culture medium condensed on sulfate-cellulofine gel was resolved by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and blotted with anti-follistatin polyclonal antibody, resulting in at least three protein bands ranging from 35 to 50 kDa under non-reducing conditions. These results indicated that follistatin is produced in anterior pituitary cells and that its secretion is regulated at least in part by LHRH and activin, implying an autocrine/paracrine role of activin and follistatin in the pituitary.

Point mutation of the somatostatin receptor 2 gene in the human small cell lung cancer cell line COR-L103

The effect of somatostatin (SS) on adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) secretion from COR-L103 cells derived from a human small cell lung carcinoma was examined. SS at 1 microM had no effect on ACTH secretion from the cells on either short-term or long-term incubation. Studies by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that mRNA transcripts of the somatostatin receptor (SSTR) 2, SSTR3 and SSTR4 genes were present in COR-L103 cells. Extra bands were obtained by PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the SSTR2 gene Sequence analysis of the SSTR2 gene demonstrated one point mutation in codon 188 of TGG for tryptophan to TGA for a stop codon causing loss of 182 C-terminal amino acid residues of SSTR2. The nucleotide sequences of the SSTR3 and SSTR4 genes in COR-L103 cells were normal. Binding studies using 125I-Tyr11-SS-14 showed specific affinity binding sites on COR-L103 cells and mouse pituitary tumor AtT-20 cells. Octreotide acetate suppressed the binding of 125I-Tyr11-SS-14 to these two cell lines, but the Kd of COR-L103 cells (160 nM) was 60-fold higher than that of AtT-20 cells (2.6 nM). Affinity cross-linking studies using 125I-Tyr11-SS-14 gave three bands of 72 KDa, 55 KDa and 32 KDa from AtT-20 cells, but only two bands of 55KDa and 32kDa from COR-L103 cells. These findings suggest that SSTR2 is not expressed in the plasma membranes of COR-L103 cells due to a point mutation, but that this may have no influence on the effect of SS on ACTH secretion.

Calcium ionophore A23187 inhibits ACTH secretion from a human small cell lung cancer cell line, COR-L103

The mechanism of ectopic adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) secretion was examined by studies on the effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), dexamethasone, interleukin (IL)-1 beta and 2, somatostatin, calcium ionophore A23187, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and 8-bromo-cAMP on pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) expression and ACTH secretion from a human small cell lung cancer cell line COR-L103. None of these agents except TPA and A23187 had any effect on ACTH secretion from the cell line in short (0-8 hrs) or long term (1-4 days) cultures. In long term cultures, 1-100 nM TPA stimulated ACTH secretion dose-dependently, whereas 500nM A23187 inhibited ACTH secretion completely. When the cells were incubated with 10nM TPA plus 500 nM A23187, the inhibitory action of A23187 on ACTH secretion was suppressed by TPA. These results suggest that the mechanisms of ACTH secretion by COR-L103 cells and normal pituitary cells are different.

Molecular cloning and sequencing of porcine somatostatin receptor 2

The porcine somatostatin receptor gene was isolated from a porcine genomic library. Based on the deduced amino acid sequence, this gene encodes a 369 amino acid protein with seven hydrophobic segments, a characteristic of G-protein coupled receptors, and shows only 13 amino acid difference (identity 96.5%, similarity 99.2%) in amino acid sequence from human somatostatin receptor 2. The data indicate that the amino acid sequence is highly conserved in pig, human, rat and mouse somatostatin receptor 2.