Shuichi Kino

Expression of NGF in hepatocellular carcinoma cells with its receptors in non-tumor cell components

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is suggested to have a role in tumor progression in addition to its role in differentiation and survival of neuronal cells. We investigated expression of NGF and its receptors, TrkA and p75NTR, in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Although hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) showed respectively weak and intense NGF immunostaining in the background livers of patients suffering from liver cirrhosis (LC) or chronic hepatitis (CH), intense staining was demonstrated in HCC cells of 33 of 54 (61.1%) tumors. RT‐PCR detected NGF mRNA in 7 freshly‐isolated HCC samples, and in 2 of 4 cases, in which both background livers and tumors could be analyzed, NGF mRNA was more abundant in the tumors than the background livers. TrkA was detected in the smooth muscle cells of hepatic arteries, but it was negative in tumor cells as well as non‐neoplastic hepatocytes. p75NTR and α‐smooth muscle actin (αSMA) was expressed in HSCs in the background liver and fibroblast‐like cells in stromal septa, whereas HSCs within the HCC tissues were mostly negative for p75NTR but positive for αSMA. This suggests that HSCs in HCC have a different property from those in background livers. Furthermore, the stromal septa contained abundant nerve fibers, which may be related to the increased NGF expression in HCC cells. NGF and its receptors are then thought to have a role in cellular interactions involving HCC cells, HSCs, arterial cells and nerve cells in HCC tissues.

Metastatic seeding of bile duct carcinoma in the transhepatic catheter tract: Report of a case

We describe herein the case of a 51-year-old woman in whom metastatic tumor seeding of the percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage tract occurred following a pancreatoduodenectomy for carcinoma of the distal common bile, duct. An abdominal computed tomography scan done 6 months after the initial operation detected a hepatic lesion located at the site of the previous percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage tract. Implantation of bile duct carcinoma in the drainage tract was diagnosed, and the recurrent tumor was successfully resected by performing a subsegmentectomy of segment 3 and removal of the adjacent abdominal wall. At present, 5 years and 4 months after the second resection, the patient is in good health without any signs of recurrence. This case report demonstrates that an aggressive surgical approach should be performed for tumor seeding of a transhepatic biliary catheter tract.

Collaborative study of irregular erythrocyte antibodies in Japan: Results from the Japanese study group of allo-immunity and antigen diversity in Asian populations

As a national study, we evaluated the frequencies of irregular erythrocyte antibodies (Abs) by gender and history of transfusion or pregnancy. In total, data from 248,785 patients were analyzed, from whom 4222 irregular erythrocyte Abs were detected in 3554 cases (1.43%). Abs frequencies in these 4222 cases were as follows: anti-E, 26%; anti-Le(a), 26%; anti-P(1), 11%; anti-M, 6%; anti-E+c, 4%; anti-Fy(b), 4%; anti-Di(a), 3%; anti-Le(b), 3%; and anti-D, 2%. In pregnancy, anti-D (5%), anti-Jr(a) (3%) and anti-E+c (6%) Abs were, with statistical significance, more frequent. Among transfused patients, anti-E (38%), anti-E+c (8%), anti-Jk(a) (4%), anti-e+C (2%) and anti-E+Jk(a) (1%) Abs were, with statistical significance, more frequent.

Papillary adenoma of the distal common bile duct.

Abstract: A 73-year-old man with a papillary adenoma located in the distal common bile duct is reported. He underwent pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy. The lesion in the common bile duct featured papillary proliferation of the epithelium and fibrous elements with diffuse infiltration by inflammatory cells. Positive staining for MIB-1 (Ki-67) and p53 was identified in the nuclei of the proliferative epithelium. These findings suggested the malignant potential of this lesion. Further progress in imaging diagnostic techniques should increase the frequency with which such lesions are discovered. Even now, if mural irregularities and defects are found in the extrahepatic biliary system, especially the distal common bile duct, the possibility of such borderline biliary adenoma should be taken into consideration when making a diagnosis.

Focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver: scintigraphic demonstration using three hepatic imaging agents.

A 26-year-old woman, who had occasionally received an estrogen preparation for dysmenorrhea, was hospital; ized for closer evaluation of a large hepatic mass de/ tected incidentally by abdominal ultrasonography. To characterize the mass, liver imaging was performed using three imaging agents: Tc-99m phytate as a radiocolloid, Tc-99m pyridoxyl-5-methyl tryptophan (PMT) as a hepatobiliary agent, and Tc-99m DTPA galactosyl human serum albumin (GSA) as a radiolabeled neogly-coalbumin for the asialoglycoprotein receptor. Tc-99m PMT and Tc-99m GSA accumulated in the mass in a manner similar to the uptake in the normal liver parenchyma. On the other hand, Tc-99m phytate showed less accumulation than the other two agents did. Based on these findings, the diagnosis of focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver was strongly suggested. The mass was resected, and pathologic analysis confirmed the diagnosis of focal nodular hyperplasia.

Recommendations for the electronic pre-transfusion check at the bedside

The current risk of acquiring viral transmission through blood components is very small1. Thus, serious non-infectious hazards of transfusion have emerged as the most common complications2. The risk of non-infectious complications, including risks related to hospital-based steps in transfusion care, is at least 100 times greater than the risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus infection through blood components3. One of the most frequent causes of transfusion-associated morbidity or mortality is mistransfusion, when the wrong blood is transfused to the wrong patient. Mistransfusion is the final outcome of one or more procedural errors or technical failures in the transfusion process, starting with the decision to transfuse a patient and ending with the actual administration of blood components3. In particular, ABO-incompatible transfusions attributable to incorrect identification of the patient or the blood unit are among the most serious transfusion hazards3–5. The Japan Society of Transfusion Medicine and Cell Therapy (JSTMCT) conducted nationwide surveys in Japan regarding ABO-incompatible blood transfusions (1st survey: January 1995–December 1999; 2nd survey: January 2000–December 2004). They found that the main cause of ABO-incompatible transfusion was identification error between the patient and blood unit6. These two surveys reported 9 and 8 “preventable” fatalities, respectively. Mislabelled and wrongly collected patient samples (wrong blood in tube [WBIT]) can also initiate a chain of events leading to mistransfusion3. Thus, correct patient identification at the time of sample collection and administration of blood components is critical. The Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) scheme in England showed that approximately 70% of incorrect blood component transfused (IBCT) errors take place in clinical areas, with the most frequent error being failure of the final patient identification checking procedure at the bedside; the frequency of IBCT events was calculated as 7 per 100,000 components7. However, the true incidence of mistransfusion seems to be even higher due to a failure to recognise many of the errors, and because complete data on transfusion episodes are not available. Thus, the pre-transfusion checking procedure at the bedside is the most critical step to prevent mistransfusion, and represents the final opportunity to prevent blood component misuse. However, a large observational audit revealed a failure to perform the final bedside checking procedure8, in which the practice compliance of healthcare workers for identification and vital sign monitoring of patients receiving blood transfusions were substandard in many hospitals. Machine-readable identification technology, especially a bar code-based electronic identification system (EIS), is ideally suited for pre-transfusion checking procedures and has been reported to significantly improve transfusion practice9–15. The British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH) Guidelines for the Use of Information Technology (IT) in blood transfusion laboratories were recently up-dated16, providing mainly guidance on the operational use of laboratory information management systems (LIMS). Thus, to our knowledge, there are no available recommendations addressing the issues regarding the pre-transfusion check procedures at the bedside employing an EIS. The JSTMCT Task Force proposed the original draft of recommendations for the electronic pre-transfusion check procedures at the bedside and raised public awareness regarding the draft of recommendations on the home page of the JSTMCT17. The draft of the current recommendations developed by the Task Force adopted the opinions were submitted without major changes to the description. The objective of this study was to establish recommendations for the electronic pre-transfusion checking procedures at the bedside, appropriate for clinical situations, where a bar code-based EIS is used.

Strategies for blood transfusion in critical bleeding

The Subcommittee on Surveillance of AnaesthesiaRelated Critical Incidents of the JSA analysed the data. Contributing factors include far greater rate and amount of bleeding than anticipated (Fig. 2), delay in decision to start blood transfusion and to order additional blood products, hesitation to use ABO-compatible blood including group O Blood without cross-matching, delayed transportation of the blood products from the blood banks, and lack of man power. In patients with critical bleeding, blood loss was >12 l ⁄60 kg(body weight) in 35AE2% of the patients, and the maximal estimated bleeding rate was >240 ml ⁄60 kg(body weight) ⁄min in 44AE9% of the patients. Despite critical bleeding and shortage of blood products due to delayed transportation of the blood products, cross-matching test was waived in 13AE4% of the patients, and ABO-compatible blood products including group O blood was used only in 1AE3% of the patients. It suggests that using uncross-matched blood might be a major concern in the physicians in Japan even in the