Immunoglobulin G1 antibody response to Helicobacter pylori heat shock protein 60 is closely associated with low-grade gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma

Gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is related to Helicobacter pylori infection. Specifically, it has been pointed out that pathogenesis of MALT lymphoma involves the 60-kDa heat shock protein (hsp60). To investigate humoral immune responses to the H. pylori hsp60 in patients with gastroduodenal diseases and patients with MALT lymphoma, the hsp60 of H. pylori was expressed with a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein and was purified (recombinant hsp60). Sera were obtained from H. pylori-positive patients with gastroduodenal diseases (MALT lymphoma, n = 13; gastric ulcer, n = 20; duodenal ulcer, n = 20; gastritis, n = 20) and from H. pylori-negative healthy volunteers (n = 9). Sera from patients with MALT lymphoma were also obtained at two times: before and after eradication therapy. Antibodies to hsp60 and H. pylori were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to the hsp60 of H. pylori-positive patients with gastroduodenal diseases were significantly elevated compared to those in the controls. The levels of IgG1 antibodies to hsp60 were elevated and correlated with the levels of anti-H. pylori antibodies in patients with MALT lymphoma. Humarol immunity against hsp60 may be important and relevant to gastroduodenal diseases induced by H. pylori infection.

Surgical treatment of carcinoma of the esophagogastric junction

Forty-seven patients with carcinomas of the esophagogastric junction were operated. In acquiring complete dissection of lymph nodes located at the splenic hilus and along the splenic artery, splenectomy with or without caudal hemipancreatectomy was performed in 29 of 47 patients. To avoid leaving carcinoma cells behind in the remaining esophagus margin of resection, 20 patients underwent left thoracophrenicolaparotomy and 14 patients received blunt dissection of the intrathoracic esophagus. Five-year survival of 55.6% was observed in curative groups of the present study. No operative mortality was present.

[Extracranial metastases of brain tumors--a case report and survey of patients with extracranial metastasis sampled from a report on pathological autopsy cases in Japan]

A 36-year-old man who suffered from recurrence of hemangiopericytoma originating in the cerebellar tentorium and multiple extracranial metastasis over 14 years was reported. Analysis of the 104 cases of extracranial metastasis sampled from the Annual of the Pathological Autopsy Cases in Japan revealed that the frequency of extracranial metastasis is 3.8% of all brain tumors. Extracranial metastasis was frequently found in medulloblastoma, glioblastoma multiforme, malignant meningioma and ependymoma. Organs of frequent metastasis were the lung, bone, liver, pleura, and kidney. Bone metastasis was especially frequent in the vertebra.