Satoshi Yoshizaki

A patient with early gallbladder cancer derived from a Rokitanski-Aschoff sinus

We present herein a case of a 40-year-old male with early gallbladder cancer derived from a Rokitanski-Aschoff sinus (RAS). The patient originally presented at our hospital with epigastric discomfort, following which a diagnosis of adenomyomatosis (ADM) of the gallbladder was made, and a cholecystectomy performed. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen revealed a 7-mm well-differentiated papillo-tubular adenocarcinoma in the RAS epithelium in the body of the gallbladder. The RAS extended to the “pm” layer but the adenocarcinoma was an in situ lesion localized within the RAS epithelium. Considering the difficulties in making an early diagnosis of gallbladder cancer, active surgery should be performed for patients in whom ADM is seen in the gallbladder.

Re-evaluation of immunological parameters in immunotherapy for advanced carcinoma of the digestive tract

SummaryFifty-one patients with recurrent carcinoma of the digestive tract received immunotherapy consisting of the streptococcal preparation OK-432 in combination with FT207. In these patients, the following tests were carried out, peripheral blood leukocyte count, lymphocyte count and percent T-cell population of lymphocytes, delayed hypersensitivity skin tests with PPD, phytohemagglutinin and polysaccharide extracted from Su strain of Streptococcus pyogenes and serum titer of agglutinin to Strep, pyogenes. The results were statistically analyzed and correlated with the rate and duration of survival in order to re-evaluate the immunological parameters commonly used at present in anticancer immunotherapy. With respect to the peripheral blood leukocyte count, lymphocyte count, delayed hypersensitivity skin tests and serum titer of agglutinin to Strep, pyogenes assessed at 2 months of treatment, patients showing normal values or positive results had a significantly greater survival rate compared with those showing abnormal values or negative results. The peripheral blood lymphocyte count, delayed hypersensitivity skin tests and serum titer of agglutinin to Strep, pyogenes correlated significantly with survival. Particularly, the Su-PS skin test and serum titer of agglutinin to Strep, pyogenes showed remarkable correlation (P<0.01) with the survival rate and period.

Efficacy of streptococcal preparation OK-432 for gastric cancer patients—comparison between intradermal and intramuscular injection

Nonspecific immunotherapy with OK-432, penicillin and heat treated lyophilized powder of Su-strain of streptococcus pyogens A3, was evaluated in patients with recurrent or unresectable stomach cancer to assess the relative benefit of the preparation administered by different routes. Comparative studies were made of the variation in immunological parameters, the survival rate and the incidence of adverse reactions in two groups of patients with uniform background factors: 24 receiving the preparation intradermally and 18 receiving intramuscular doses of the preparation. In the former group, no serious adverse reaction occurred but more marked improvement was achieved in various immunological parameters examined. The survival rate was significantly higher (P=0.005) for patients receiving intradermal than those receiving intramuscular doses of the preparation. The results of the present study showed that the preparation is of greater value when it is administered intradermally than intramuscularly.

The protective effect of anti-inflammatory steroids on rat-paw necrosis following severance of the common iliac vessels.

Paw necrosis in the adrenalectomized rat was induced by severing the common iliac or ligating the femoral blood vessels. Necrosis did not appear in non-adrenalectomized animals. Administration of either hydrocortisone, 6α, 9α-Difluoro-11β, 16α, 17α, 21-tetrahydroxy-pregna-1, 4-diene-3, 20-dione 16, 17-acetonide or 9α, 11β-dichloro-6α-fluoro-16α, 17α, 21-trihydroxy-pregna-1, 4-diene-3, 20-dione 16, 17-acetonide directly into the paw within two hours after vascular impairment prevented the paw necrosis.