Evaluation of porcine gastric mucin assay for detection and quantification of human norovirus in fresh herbs and leafy vegetables.

Leafy vegetables and fresh herbs are important parts of a healthy diet, however, they can be common vehicles of norovirus (NoV) infection and lead to serious health and economic concerns globally. NoV is highly infectious and persistent in the food and the environment, while being resistant to conventional food decontamination practices. Herbs and leafy greens are often consumed raw, and if contaminated with NoV, they may cause illness. Consequently, for outbreak prevention and surveillance purposes, sensitive and rapid methods are required to detect the presence of infectious NoV in naturally contaminated produce during its shelf life. Herein, we compared the extraction efficiency of the ISO/TS 15216-1:2017 method with the porcine gastric mucin coated magnetic beads (PGM-MB) assay, combined with heat-denaturation for RNA extraction, for detection of human NoV in artificially contaminated fresh green seaweed, basil, mint, and baby spinach. Droplet-digital RT-PCR was used to quantify the extracted genome by both methods. Our data demonstrated that while the PGM-MB assay takes considerably less time, it yields significantly higher recovery rates compared with the ISO/TS 15216-1:2017. Furthermore, since this method has the ability to be adapted in high-throughput and automated systems, it can be further modified to be employed by the food industry to reduce the number of NoV illnesses and outbreaks at the source of distribution.

Commercial Porcine Gastric Mucin Preparations, also Used as Artificial Saliva, are a Rich Source for the Lectin TFF2: In Vitro Binding Studies.

Mucous gels (mucus) cover internal body surfaces. The secretory mucins MUC5AC and MUC6 and the protective peptide TFF2 are characteristic constituents of gastric mucus; TFF2 is co-secreted with MUC6. Herein, we investigated two commercial mucin preparations by FPLC and proteomics, because they are model systems for studying the rheology of gastric mucins. One preparation is also used as a saliva substitute, for example, after radiation therapy. We show that both preparations contain TFF2 (≈0.6 to 1.1 %, w/w). The majority of TFF2 is strongly bound noncovalently to mucin in a manner that is resistant to boiling in SDS. First overlay assays with 125 I-labeled porcine TFF2 revealed that mucin binding is modulated by Ca2+ and can be blocked by the lectin GSA-II and the antibody HIK1083, both recognizing the peripheral GlcNAcα1→4Galß1→R moiety of MUC6. TFF2 binding was also inhibited in the presence of Me-ß-Gal but less so by the α anomer. TFF2 may play a role in the oligomerization and secretion of MUC6, the rheology of gastric mucus, and the adherence of gastric microbiota. TFF2 in artificial saliva may be of benefit. TFF2 might also interact with the sugar moiety of various receptors.

Gastric gland mucin-specific O-glycan expression decreases as tumor cells progress from lobular endocervical gland hyperplasia to cervical mucinous carcinoma, gastric type.

Gastric gland mucin-specific O-glycans are unique in having α1,4-linked N-acetylglucosamine (αGlcNAc) attached to MUC6. We previously reported decreased expression of αGlcNAc relative to MUC6 in gastric and pancreatic neoplasms, but its significance in cervical glandular lesions remained unclear. Here, we analyzed MUC5AC, MUC6, αGlcNAc, and p16 expression in 9 lesions of mucinous carcinoma, gastric type with minimal deviation adenocarcinoma (GAS-MDA), 5 of GAS with nonMDA (GAS-nonMDA), 14 of typical lobular endocervical gland hyperplasia (LEGH), and 5 of atypical LEGH (33 total lesions). All 33 were MUC5AC-positive. Moreover, all 14 typical LEGH, 5 atypical LEGH, 8 of 9 GAS-MDA, and 3 of 5 GAS-nonMDA were MUC6-positive. All 14 typical LEGH, 2 of 5 atypical LEGH, 3 of 9 GAS-MDA, and 1 of 5 GAS-nonMDA were αGlcNAc-positive. The proportion of αGlcNAc-positive atypical LEGH or GAS-MDA or GAS-nonMDA lesions was significantly smaller than that seen in typical LEGH lesions (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively). Of 33 lesions, 32 were p16-negative. Furthermore, when we evaluated MUC6 and αGlcNAc immunoreactivity semi-quantitatively in all 33 lesions, in typical LEGH and GAS-MDA, the immunohistochemical score for αGlcNAc was significantly lower than that for MUC6 (P < 0.01). We did not observe significantly decreased αGlcNAc expression relative to MUC6 in typical LEGH lesions. These studies suggest that αGlcNAc expression decreases as typical LEGH progresses to GAS. Given the difficulty in distinguishing MDA and atypical LEGH from typical LEGH in H.E. staining, we propose that immunohistochemical analysis of αGlcNAc and MUC6 could be useful.

Re-evaluation of Phenotypic Expression in Differentiated-type Early Adenocarcinoma of the Stomach.

A total of 313 cases of differentiated-type early gastric adenocarcinomas, including 113 cases of small-sized carcinoma (5< × ≤10 mm) and 121 cases of microcarcinoma (0< × ≤5 mm), were examined immunohistochemically to clarify the phenotypic expressions. They were classified into four categories (gastric phenotype (G-type), intestinal phenotype, gastrointestinal phenotype, and null phenotype) by a two-step process: the phenotype based on an immunoprofile of mucin core proteins (MUCs) with CDX2 (w/.CDX2-assessment); and the phenotype of MUCs only (w/o.CDX2-assessment). CDX2 expression was observed in 89.1% (279/313); it was highly expressed in 87.6% (106/121) of microcarcinomas. MUC2 expression increased as tumor size increased (P < 0.05). Compared with w/o.CDX2-assessment, w/.CDX2-assessment showed significantly fewer G-type carcinomas (P < 0.05). Each phenotype marker was less expressed in the submucosal part than in the mucosal part. In conclusion, CDX2 was a sensitive marker for assessing intestinal phenotype. A large portion of the early differentiated-type adenocarcinomas expressed CDX2 from the very early stage of carcinogenesis, and the proportion of G-type was unexpectedly low. Lower expression of each phenotype marker was considered the cause of phenotype alteration during submucosal invasion.

Discrimination of rat Brunner's gland carbohydrate antigens by site-specific monoclonal antibodies.

Mucus produced and secreted by gastrointestinal mucosa contains various types of mucins equipped with unique sugar chains considered to play critical roles in protecting mucous membranes; therefore, the identification and verification of mucin sugar chains is important for understanding the underlying mechanisms. In our previous work, we generated three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), RGM22, RGM26, and RGM42, which recognize sugar chains in rat gastric mucin. Here, we immunohistochemically analyzed the rat gastrointestinal mucosa and found that the antigens recognized by RGM22 and RGM42 were expressed in the rat antrum and Brunner's glands, whereas that recognized by RGM26 was detected in the antrum, but rarely in Brunner's glands. We found that these antibodies reacted with porcine gastric mucin-derived oligosaccharides bearing a common structure: GalNAcα1-3(Fucα1-2)Galß1-4GlcNAcß1-6GalNAc-ol. Moreover, epitope analysis revealed that RGM42 and RGM22 recognized α-linked GalNAc and GalNAcα1-3Gal, respectively, on the GalNAcα1-3(Fucα1-2)Gal structure, whereas RGM26 was specific for GalNAcα1-3(Fucα1-2)Gal. These results indicate that rat Brunner's glands express specific antigens bearing GalNAcα1-3Gal that are recognized by RGM22 and RGM42. Thus, RGM22, RGM26, and RGM42 with their unique antigen specificities could be useful tools for investigation of oligosaccharide diversity among mucins.

Useful condition of chromoendoscopy with indigo carmine and acetic acid for identifying a demarcation line prior to endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Identifying a precise demarcation line (DL) is indispensable for pathological complete en bloc endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC). We evaluated the useful condition of chromoendoscopy with indigo carmine and acetic acid for marking dots around lesions before ESD for EGC. METHODS: We examined 98 consecutive patients with 109 intramucosal EGCs (mean diameter, 17.8 ± 12.4 mm; main histologic type, 96 intestinal and 13 diffuse) resected by en bloc ESD after chromoendoscopy with indigo carmine and acetic acid between December 2012 and February 2014. The DL was identified by this technique just before ESD (mean chromoendoscopy observation time, 71.6 s); subsequently, marking dots were placed around the EGC. EGCs were classified into two groups: useful for identifying the DL or useless. Clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes were evaluated in each group. RESULTS: Forty-two of the 109 cases (38.5 %) were determined useful for chromoendoscopy with indigo carmine and acetic acid. Multivariate analysis with logistic regression showed that macroscopic type (protruded or flat elevated-type) and atrophic border (the oral side of tumor) were independently associated with the usefulness of chromoendoscopy using indigo carmine and acetic acid for identifying the DL of EGCs (P < 0.05). The histologically positive horizontal margin after ESD was 0 % (0/42) in useful cases, and 7.5 % (5/67) in useless cases. CONCLUSIONS: Before ESD, chromoendoscopy with indigo carmine and acetic acid can be used for creating precise markings in protruded or flat elevated-type EGC or at the atrophic border on the oral side of EGCs.

Helicobacter pylori and gastric mucin expression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To investigate the relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and mucin expression in gastric mucosa. METHODS: English Medical literature searches were conducted for gastric mucin expression in H. pylori infected people vs uninfected people. Searches were performed up to December 31(th) 2014, using MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and CENTRAL. Studies comparing mucin expression in the gastric mucosa in patients positive and negative for H. pylori infection, were included. Meta-analysis was performed by using Comprehensive meta-analysis software (Version 3, Biostat Inc., Englewood, NJ, United States). Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated compared mucin expression in individual studies by using the random effects model. Heterogeneity between studies was evaluated using the Cochran Q-test, and it was considered to be present if the Q-test P value was less than 0.10. I(2) statistic was used to measure the proportion of inconsistency in individual studies, with I(2) > 50% representing substantial heterogeneity. We also calculated a potential publication bias. RESULTS: Eleven studies, which represent 53 sub-studies of 15 different kinds of mucin expression, were selected according to the inclusion criteria. Every kind of mucin has been considered as one study. When a specific mucin has been studied in more than one paper, we combined the results in a nested meta-analysis of this particular mucin: MUC2, MUC6, STn, Paradoxical con A, Tn, T, Type 1 chain mucin, LeA, SLeA, LeB, AB-PAS, MUC1, and MUC5AC. The odds ratio of mucin expression in random analysis was 2.33, 95%CI: 1.230-4.411, P = 0.009, higher expression in H. pylori infected patients. Odds ratio for mucin expression in H. pylori positive patients was higher for MUC6 (9.244, 95%CI: 1.567-54.515, P = 0.014), and significantly lower for MUC5AC (0.447, 95%CI: 0.211-0.949, P = 0.036). Thus, H. pylori infection may increase MUC6 expression and decrease MUC5AC expression by 924% and 52%, respectively. CONCLUSION: H. pylori inhibits MUC5AC expression in the gastric epithelium, and facilitates colonization. In contrast, increased MUC6 expression may help inhibiting colonization, using MUC6 antibiotics properties.

Pyloric gland adenoma in Lynch syndrome.

The prevalence of gastric cancer associated with Lynch syndrome (LS) is highly variable, and the underlying histologic pathway or molecular mechanisms remain unclear. From 1995 to 2012, 15 patients had been treated for both gastric and colonic adenocarcinomas and diagnosed as LS. In all cases, pathologic review, immunohistochemical analysis for mismatch-repair proteins, and microsatellite instability (MSI) tests were performed. To confirm LS, germline mutation tests and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification were performed. All gastric and colonic carcinomas were MSI-high and lost expressions of MLH1/PMS2 in 11 (73%) cases and MSH2/MSH6 in 4 (27%) cases. Remarkably, in a patient with LS and germline mutation of MLH1 gene, pyloric gland adenoma (PGA) transformed to adenocarcinoma during follow-up. In 2 additional cases, PGA was found adjacent to advanced gastric cancers. All PGAs in LS patients were MSI-high and lost expression of mismatch-repair proteins (MLH1/PMS2 in 2 cases and MSH2/MSH6 in 1 case), whereas none of the 14 sporadic PGAs was MSI-high or had lost expression of mismatch-repair proteins. On the basis of these observations, although very rare, we suggest the possibility that PGA may be a precursor lesion to gastric adenocarcinoma in LS and that the mismatch-repair deficient pathway of carcinogenesis is involved early in the gastric carcinogenesis pathway.

Molecular weight distribution analysis by ultracentrifugation: adaptation of a new approach for mucins.

Mucins are the key macromolecular component of mucus, nature's natural lubricant, and one of the most important physical properties is their molecular weight distribution. A new approach for polydisperse polymers was recently published based on sedimentation velocity in the analytical ultracentrifuge and converts a distribution of sedimentation coefficient g(s) vs. s plot into a distribution of molecular weight utilising the power-law or scaling relationship between the sedimentation coefficient and molecular weight, s=κsMw(b) where s is the sedimentation coefficient, Mw is the weight average molecular weight and κs and b are characteristic coefficients related to conformation. We investigate the possibility of using a large database of previously published values of s an M to define κs and b for both aqueous solution and aqueous solution supplemented by 6M guanidine hydrochloride (a solvent which helps to minimise sample degradation). These values are then applied to a study of the molecular weight distributions of preparations of human gastric mucin in the different solvents and at different stages of purification.

Endogenous proteins in terminal ileal digesta of adult subjects fed a casein-based diet.

BACKGROUND: Although there are several published estimates of the endogenous amino acid composition of ileal digesta in humans, to our knowledge, there are no systematic studies of ileal digesta endogenous proteins. OBJECTIVES: We determined the nature and composition of endogenous nitrogen-containing substances lost from the upper digestive tract of humans. DESIGN: Digesta were collected from the terminal ileum for a period of 8 h by using a nasoileal tube in 6 adult subjects fed a single meal that contained 22% of casein as the only source of nitrogen. RESULTS: The total nitrogen that passed the terminal ileum was 39.3 mg/g native digesta dry matter. Of this amount, 86% was proteinaceous, ~60% was bacterial protein, ~7% was soluble-free protein, ~15% was mucin protein, and ~5% was protein from intact mucosal cells. For nonprotein nitrogen, ~5% of the total nitrogen was ammonia, and ~4% of the total nitrogen was urea. Bacterial and human mucosal cellular DNA nitrogen were collectively ~0.5% of the total nitrogen. Approximately 30% of the nonprotein nitrogen (4% of the total nitrogen) remained unidentified. This amount was assumed to include free amino acids, RNAs, amines, and the tetrapyrroles bilirubin and biliverdin. Bacterial nitrogen, combined with ammonia and urea nitrogen, represented >68% of total ileal nitrogenous losses. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are presented on the endogenous nitrogen-containing compounds that left the terminal ileum. Of particular significance is the observation that mucin was the most abundant truly endogenous component within the terminal ileal digesta. Bacterial protein, which was strictly nondietary rather than endogenous, contributed the highest proportion, by far, of nondietary protein, the result of which makes a significant contribution to published estimates of ileal endogenous amino acids and protein. The high concentration of bacterial protein and the presence of ammonia and urea nitrogen indicate potentially substantial microbial activity within the human distal small intestine.

Mucin phenotypes and macroscopic shape of multiple hyperplastic polyps together with two carcinomas in the stomach.

The patient was a 57-year-old Japanese woman who had been identified as having anemia and hypoproteinemia by a local group medical check-up. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed an elevated lesion of 35mm in diameter on the posterior wall of the gastric antrum, surrounded by multiple polyps. The elevated lesion was diagnosed as an adenocarcinoma on the basis of biopsy, and total gastrectomy was performed. Histological examination of entire resected stomach revealed two lesions of intramucosal carcinoma together with multiple hyperplastic polyps. To investigate the mucin phenotypes and carcinogenesis of these lesions, immunohistochemical analyses of MUC2, MUC5AC, MUC6, CD10, Ki-67 and p53 protein expressions were performed in 17 hyperplastic polyps and two cancerous lesions. Expression of the MUC6 positive glands beneath the surface foveolar epithelium of hyperplastic polyps caused a morphological change from sessile to pedunculated, suggesting that this was also involved with cancerous changes. The case reported herein seems to be extremely interesting in terms of elucidating the process whereby gastric cancer arises from hyperplastic polyps.

Preoperative differential diagnosis of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma and lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia of the uterine cervix: a multicenter study of clinicopathology and magnetic resonance imaging findings.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the preoperative differential diagnosis and management of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma (MDA) and lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia (LEGH), a multicenter study was performed. METHODS: A total of 112 patients who underwent conization or a hysterectomy for suspected MDA were collected from 24 hospitals. The pathological diagnosis in each case was determined by a central pathological review board. The diagnostic significance of clinicopathologic findings including results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Papanicolaou (Pap) smears, and testing for gastric mucin was analyzed. RESULTS: The central pathological review identified 37 cases of Nabothian cyst or tunnel cluster, 54 cases of LEGH, 6 cases of MDA, 11 cases of adenocarcinoma, and 4 cases of benign disease. Lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia was often associated with adenocarcinoma in situ, MDA, and mucinous adenocarcinoma. Three MDA patients had a recurrence, whereas none of LEGH patients had a recurrence irrespective of the type of surgery. On MRI, LEGH appeared as a characteristic multicystic lesion with an inner solid component, whereas MDA showed a predominantly solid pattern. A Pap smear or gastric mucin alone had limited diagnostic power. However, a combination of these findings is useful; that is, a cystic structure with inner solid components on MRI associated with mild glandular atypia and gastric mucin strongly suggested LEGH (24/26, 92%). A solid structure with atypical glandular cells was indicative of MDA or adenocarcinoma (5/5, 100%). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of MRI, Pap smears, and gastric mucin will improve the accuracy of the preoperative diagnosis of MDA and LEGH. Patients suspected of having LEGH may need to be treated with less aggressive methods.

Plaunotol induces a comparative increase of acidic mucin fraction in gastric juice.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastric mucus protects the gastric mucosa. Plaunotol, a gastroprotective agent, has been shown to increase mucus production in animal models. However, it is unclear whether plaunotol benefits human gastric mucus secretion. METHODOLOGY: Twenty-five patients with atrophic gastritis were studied. All patients underwent gastroendoscopy and gastric juice was collected before and after plaunotol treatment for 3 months. Gastric juice mucin was examined by gel filtration as well as anion-exchange chromatography. The identification of each fraction was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with the use of HGM75 and HIK1083, antibodies against mucin from surface mucus cells and from gastric glandular mucus cells, respectively. RESULTS: Plaunotol significantly increased the total gastric juice volume (7.8mL before vs. 10.7mL, after administration; p=0.03). By anion exchange chromatography, we detected three mucin fractions (Fr I-III). Fr I strongly reacted with HGM75 but did not react with HIK1083. The other fractions (Fr II, III) reacted with HIK1083 but weakly reacted with HGM75. After administration of plaunotol, a significant increase in Fr III (acidic mucin) was observed (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term administration of plaunotol changes the composition of gastric juice mucin, including a significant increase in the proportion of acidic mucin fraction.

Improved method for immunostaining of mucin separated by supported molecular matrix electrophoresis by optimizing the matrix composition and fixation procedure.

Mucins are a family of heavily glycosylated high molecular mass proteins that have great potential as novel clinical biomarkers for the diagnosis of various malignant tumors. Supported molecular matrix electrophoresis (SMME) is a new type of membrane electrophoresis that can be used to characterize mucins. In SMME, mucins migrate in a molecular matrix supported by membrane materials. Here, we have developed an immunostaining method for the identification of SMME-separated mucins. The novel method involves stably fixing the mucins onto the SMME membrane and optimizing the molecular matrix for the fixation process. We applied this technique for the detection of MUC1 produced from three cancer cell lines (T47D, HPAF-II and BxPC3) and also analyzed their O-linked glycans by mass spectrometry. Our results revealed that properties of the MUC1 molecules from the three cell lines are different in terms of migrating position in SMME and glycan profile. The present method allows simple and rapid characterization of mucins in terms of both glycans and core proteins. The method will be a useful tool for the exploration of mucin alterations associated with various diseases such as cancer.

Micropapillary carcinoma of stomach: a clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of 11 cases.

Micropapillary carcinoma (MPC) of the stomach is a rare, newly recognized entity, and only 2 patients with this histology have been reported. We investigated clinicopathologic features, expression of mucin (MUC2, MUC5AC, MUC6, CD10) and cytokeratin profiles (CK7 and CK20), epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR and HER2), prognostic markers (p53 and Ki-67), and outcomes in 11 MPCs of the stomach. The proportion of MPC component ranged from 5% to 70%. Micropapillary features were often found at the deep advancing edge of the tumor. Endolymphatic tumor emboli were found in 10 cases (91%) and lymph node metastases were found in 4 cases (36%). In MPCs, positive expression was observed for Ki-67 (82%), CK7 (73%), EGFR (64%), p53 (64%), MUC5AC (45%), MUC6 (36%), and CK20 (27%). However, MUC2, CD10, and HER2 expression was negative in all cases. In 9 conventional adenocarcinomas and 11 papillary adenocarcinomas with multiple endolymphatic tumor emboli, used as control, positive expression was observed for Ki-67 (100%), CK7 (90%), EGFR (80%), CK20 (70%), p53 (70%), MUC5AC (70%), MUC6 (60%), MUC2 (40%), CD10 (25%), and HER2 (15%). Expression of MUC2, CK20, and the Ki-67 labeling index was significantly higher in control adenocarcinomas as compared with MPCs (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in other clinicopathologic features and overall patient survival. Subclassification of MPCs into 2 subgroups according to the proportion of micropapillary component (cut-off value was 20%) failed to find any significant clinicopathologic differences (P>0.05). Although MPCs in other organs show a poor prognosis, this does not seem to be true for gastric MPCs. Further larger studies are necessary to confirm our initial findings.

Confocal endomicroscopy for phenotypic diagnosis of gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Relationships between mucin phenotype and malignant potential in gastric cancers have attracted attention. We attempted to assess the possibility of obtaining phenotypic diagnoses by confocal endomicroscopy. METHODS: Confocal images of target lesions were obtained in 29 of 40 patients with gastric cancer. Appearances of the brush border, goblet cells, and gastric foveolar epithelium were investigated with immunohistochemical staining using CD10, MUC2, and human gastric mucin to evaluate phenotypic expression in gastric carcinomas. Confocal images were compared with immunohistochemical findings for goblet cells and brush borders. RESULTS: Both the endoscopists and the pathologist obtained high accuracy rates for differential diagnosis. Sensitivity and specificity for goblet cells were 85.7% and 92.3% (Endoscopist A), and 85.7% and 88.5% (Endoscopist B). The kappa-value for correspondence between two endoscopists for the diagnosis of goblet cells in confocal images was 0.73. Sensitivity and specificity for the brush border were 93.8% and 91.7% (Endoscopist A), and 81.3% and 91.7% (Endoscopist B). The kappa-value for correspondence between two endoscopists for diagnosis of the brush border in confocal images was 0.79. Intestinal phenotypic gastric cancers show a brush border, goblet cells, or both. Sensitivity and specificity for the intestinal phenotype in confocal endomicroscopy were 90.9% and 77.8% (Endoscopist A), and 86.4% and 83.3% (Endoscopist B). CONCLUSION: The confocal endomicroscopic diagnosis of the mucin phenotype in gastric cancers was limited to intestinal and mixed phenotypes, but may be useful for the diagnosis of mucin phenotype and differential diagnosis.

Re-evaluation of histogenesis of gastric carcinomas: a comparative histopathological study between Helicobacter pylori-negative and H. pylori-positive cases.

We histopathologically re-evaluated the histogenesis of gastric carcinomas from comparative studies between Helicobacter pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative cases using the gastritis score from the Updated Sydney System. The incidence of H. pylori-negative gastric carcinomas was 3.11% (12/386); they are likely to develop in the fundic gland mucosa, and show a gastric phenotype by mucin immunohistochemistry. Even in cases of completely gastric and predominantly gastric phenotypes, CDX2 protein was expressed in most cases (90.9% of pT1 and 100% of pT2-3), indicating a possibility that intestinalization of carcinoma cells occurs independently of the background mucosa. Regarding the degree of gastritis of background mucosa surrounding 143 H. pylori-positive differentiated-type adenocarcinomas, the mean score ranged from 1.497 to 1.713. Our data support the hypothesis that intestinal metaplasia is not a precancerous but a paracancerous lesion, and most gastric adenocarcinomas develop in mildly to moderately atrophic mucosa with H. pylori-infection, i.e., ongoing atrophy.

Clinical impact of preoperative screening for gastric mucin secretion in cervical discharge by HIK1083-labeled latex agglutination test.

The present study evaluated the clinical impact of preoperative screening for gastric mucin in cervical discharge, using a latex agglutination test with HIK1083, a monoclonal antibody against gastric mucin. HIK1083-labeled latex agglutination tests were performed preoperatively using cervical secretions from 44 patients (group 1) with profuse watery vaginal discharge, multiple cervical cysts on vaginal ultrasonography, or yellowish mucin on a Papanicolaou smear and from 31 patients (group 2) with none of these clinical signs. The results were positive in 26 patients in group 1 and in no patients in group 2. Glandular lesions with a gastric phenotype were identified histologically in all 26 cases positive for the HIK1083 latex test, such as minimal deviation adenocarcinoma, lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia (LEGH), and pyloric gland metaplasia, but not in negative cases. In 2 cases of LEGH, adenocarcinoma in situ was identified. Screening of gastric mucin in cervical discharge may facilitate preoperative detection of some early cervical adenocarcinoma.

Predictors for squamous re-epithelialization of Barrett's esophagus after endoscopic biopsy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Acid suppressive therapy has been reported to regress Barrett's esophagus. However, it is still controversial as to whether all Barrett's esophagus patients respond to this therapy. The factors that might facilitate newly developed squamous re-epithelialization after biopsy excision of Barrett's mucosa were evaluated to identity individuals who may favorably respond to the regression therapy. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-seven biopsy sites from 185 patients with Barrett's esophagus were examined by endoscopy to investigate possible squamous re-epithelialization of Barrett's mucosa after endoscopic biopsy. Before endoscopic examination, all participants were requested to answer questionnaires concerning sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle habits and drugs usage. The mucin phenotype, Cdx2 expression, cyclooxygenase-2 expression, cellular proliferation and apoptosis of Barrett's mucosa were immunohistochemically investigated in the biopsy samples taken from Barrett's esophagus. The influence of these factors on the newly developed squamous re-epithelialization of Barrett's mucosa after endoscopic biopsy excision was evaluated. RESULTS: By multivariate analysis, the independent factors that favored squamous re-epithelialization were the gastric mucin predominant phenotype of Barrett's mucosa and the absence of Cdx2 protein expression. In Barrett's mucosa with the gastric predominant mucin phenotype, proton pump inhibitor administration, the absence of reflux esophagitis and a low proliferating cell nuclear antigen index were found to be independent predictors for squamous re-epithelialization. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of the intestinal predominant mucin phenotype was a positive predictor for newly developed squamous re-epithelialization at the site of biopsy of Barrett's mucosa. Only Barrett's esophagus with the gastric predominant mucin phenotype may predict a favorable response to acid suppressive therapy.

Gastroprotective effect of swallow root (Decalepis hamiltonii) extract: possible involvement of H(+)-K(+)-ATPase inhibition and antioxidative mechanism.

The present study reports the antiulcer potentials of aqueous extract of swallow root (Decalepis hamiltonii Wight & Arn, SRAE) belonging to the family Asclepiadaceae. Swim stress-induced ulcers with an ulcer index (UI) of 6.0+/-0.01 was protected up to 43% and 72% at 100 and 200mg/kg b.w. of SRAE, respectively, similar to protection offered by ranitidine (79%) at 30mg/kg b.w. Depletion in antioxidant enzymes and increased Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) were observed in ulcer-induced rats while SRAE fed rats showed normal levels. SRAE also normalized approximately 3.1 and 2.4 folds of increased H(+)-K(+)-ATPase and gastric mucin, respectively, in ulcerous animals, similar to the levels found in healthy controls. SRAE also possessed reducing power, free radical scavenging ability with an IC(50) of 0.17microg/mL gallic acid equivalent (GAE), comparable to that of BHA (IC(50)-0.08microg/mL). DNA protection up to 80% at 0.2microg was also observed. Toxicity studies indicated no lethal effects in rats fed up to 5g/kg b.w. Antioxidant, proton pump inhibition as well as boosting of gastric mucin effects of SRAE have been implicated to be responsible for antiulcer property of SRAE.