Junkou Furukawa

Detection of microsatellite alterations in nipple discharge accompanied by breast cancer.

Nipple discharge in breast cancer cases was examined loss of heterozygosity (LOH). DNA samples were extracted from both supernatant and cell pellet components of the discharge, and examined for LOH at microsatellite markers, D11S1818, D11S2000, D16S402, D16S504, D16S518, D17S520, and D17S786. At least one LOH was found in either the supernatant or cell pellet in seven out of 10 patients (70%). Five of seven samples, which were cytologically negative, were LOH positive, and only one case, which was cytologically positive, showed no LOH on the markers examined. All three samples, which were judged ‘negative’ by CEA measurement (<400 ng/ml), were LOH positive. This method could be a useful novel diagnostic modality for nonpalpable breast cancer with nipple discharge.

Efficacy of combination treatment — (TAE with adriamycin and ethanol) — for hepatocellular carcinoma

SummaryAmong 44 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), combination treatment with both transhepatic arterial embolization (TAE) and ethanol injection therapy (EIT) was performed in 10 patients. Only two had tumors measuring less than 3 cm in diameter. In all, eight patients had solitary tumors and two had multiple tumors. The tumor was classified as stage I in one patient, stage II in six subjects, stage III in two patients, and stage IV in one subject prior to TAE, but one stage II case was changed to stage III after laparotomy. The clinical stage was I in two patients, II in six subjects and III in two patients. Five patients with tumors of stages I and II achieved either a complete response (CR) or partial response (PR). However, three patients with tumors of stages III and IV showed progressive disease (PD). Thus, the response rate (CR+PR) was 50%. For tumor stages I and II, the 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival values were 100%, 100%, and 83%, respectively. For tumor stages III and IV, the 1- and 2-year survival values were 75% and 25%, respectively. Combination treatment of HCC appears to be efficacious for tumor stages I and II.

Follow-up study of combination treatment (TAE and PEIT) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

The subjects were 35 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. The patients were divided into a transcatheter arterial embolization group (TAE group, 18 cases) and a combination therapy group receiving both TAE and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (TAE+PEIT group, 17 cases). The 50% survival period was 21.1 months for the TAE group and 37.8 months for the TAE+PEIT group (P<0.05). The longest survival period in the TAE group was 89 months. In the TAE+PEIT group, one patient has survived for 59 months. The actuarial 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates for the TAE group were 82%, 45%, and 22%, respectively. For the TAE+PEIT group the rates were 83%, 64%, and 64%, respectively. The TAE+PEIT group showed a significantly higher survival rate in the 895-to 1.074-day period as compared with the TAE groupP<0.05). Overall, the survival rate tended to be higher in the TAE-PEIT group (P<0.1). The therapeutic responses of tumors were measured by the maximal reduction rate within 6 months of TAE and PEIT. In the TAE group, a PR was seen in only four cases. In the TAE+PEIT group, CRs and PRs were achieved significantly more frequently than in the TAE group. When the patients were divided into a responder group (CR, PR, and MR) and a nonresponder group (NC and PD), survival was significantly longer in the responder group. The findings of the present study suggest that the combination therapy was useful for improving the survival of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purification and characterization of a pancreas cancer-related antigen

A pancreatic cancer-related antigen (PCRA) has been identified, isolated and characterized from liver metastases of pancreatic carcinoma. The purified PCRA was homogeneous by polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis, had an Mr of about 500,000, consisted of 30% carbohydrate and 70% protein, and migrated in the alpha 2-beta region in electrophoresis. In gel immunoprecipitation the antiserum against PCRA reacted with extracts of pancreatic cancer and spleen, but neither with normal human serum nor with normal pancreas, liver, lung, large and small intestine extracts. It clearly differed from other known pancreatic tumor-associated antigens.

A CASE OF LINEA ALBA HERNIA AND FEMORAL HERNIA CAUSING ILEUS

症例は70歳の女性,嘔吐を主訴に来院した.上腹部に巨大な腫瘤と,右鼠径部に腫瘤を認めた. CT検査にて腹壁正中より,胃前庭部,横行結腸の脱出を認め,鼠径部は小腸の脱出を認めた.白線ヘルニア,大腿ヘルニアによる腸閉塞の診断にて手術を施行した.便汁様内容物の嘔吐と両ヘルニアの手術所見より大腿ヘルニアの嵌頓による腸閉塞症と診断した. 稀な疾患であるが,白線ヘルニアを診察するときは他のヘルニアの合併についても注意する必要があると考えられた.

A CASE OF LINEA ALBA HERNIA SUCCESSFULLY DIAGNOSED WITH ULTRASONOGRAPHY

症例は54歳の男性,上腹部腫瘤を主訴に来院した.上腹部に環納しない直径3cmの腫瘤を認め,腹部CT検査では腹壁正中皮下に腫瘤を認めるのみであった.腹部超音波検査にて腹直筋の離解,白線腱膜の欠損と,間隙から脱出する腫瘤を認め,白線ヘルニアの嵌頓と診断可能であった.手術にて腫瘤直下に白線を貫く腹壁前脂肪の増殖を認め,この脂肪組織の増殖が白線ヘルニアの原因であると考えられた. 本邦では稀な白線ヘルニアの診断に超音波検査が有用であった1例を経験したので,報告する.

Purification and Characterization of Gastric Mucus Antigen (GMA) from Mucinous Ovarian Cyst Fluid

Abstract Gastric mucus antigen (GMA) has been isolated by affinity chromatography from mucinous ovarian cyst fluid. Purified GMA produced a single band on Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and migrated to α 2 -β region on Immunoelectrophoresis. Chemically, GMA consisted of 55% carbohydrate and 45% peptides. GMA is apparently distinct from other gastrointestinal mucus antigens (IMA, PCAA etc.) and CEA either in chemical or antigenic properties.