Ion-production efficiency of a singly charged ion source developed toward a 11C irradiation facility for cancer therapy.

The ion-production efficiency of a newly developed singly charged ion source (SCIS) has been investigated to discuss the possibility of it being used in an isotope separation on-line system that provides 11C ions for heavy-ion cancer therapy with simultaneous verification of the irradiation field using positron emission tomography. The SCIS uses a low-energy hollow electron beam to produce singly charged carbon ions efficiently. To deliver sufficient 11C ions to the treatment room from a limited amount of 11C molecules, which are produced from a boron compound target and proton-beam irradiation via the 11B(p,n)11C reaction, the SCIS must have high ion-production efficiency. To realize this high efficiency, the SCIS was designed using a three-dimensional particle-in-cell code in previous work. With the fabricated SCIS, we performed experiments to measure the efficiency of producing CO2 + ions from nonradioactive 12CO2 molecules and C+ ions from nonradioactive 12CH4 molecules. We found that the SCIS achieved efficiencies of εC+ =4×10-3 (0.4%) for C+ production and εCO2 + =0.107 (10.7%) for CO2 + production.

Singly charged ion source designed using three-dimensional particle-in-cell method.

A singly charged ion source (SCIS) has been designed using a newly developed three-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) code. The SCIS is to be used in an isotope separation on-line (ISOL) system that provides 11C ions for heavy-ion cancer therapy with simultaneous verification of the dose distribution using positron emission tomography. The SCIS uses low-energy electron beams to produce singly charged carbon ions efficiently and maintain a high vacuum in the ISOL system. Because the SCIS has to realize a production efficiency of 1% if its carbon ions are to be used in the ISOL system, a suitable design for the SCIS was investigated by using the developed PIC code to study the beam trajectories of the electrons and extracted ions. The simulation results show that hollow electron beams are produced in the designed SCIS resulting in a high effective electron current. The results also predict that the designed SCIS would realize ion-production efficiencies (IPEs) of ε SCIS ≃ 6.7% for C O 2 + production from CO2 gas and ε SCIS ≃ 0.1% for C+ production from CH4 gas. Moreover, to examine the validity of the developed code and confirm that the SCIS was able to be designed appropriately, the space-charge-limited current of the electron gun and the total IPE obtained by adding the IPEs of each ion were compared between the experiment and the simulation.

A singly charged ion source for radioactive ¹¹C ion acceleration.

A new singly charged ion source using electron impact ionization has been developed to realize an isotope separation on-line system for simultaneous positron emission tomography imaging and heavy-ion cancer therapy using radioactive (11)C ion beams. Low-energy electron beams are used in the electron impact ion source to produce singly charged ions. Ionization efficiency was calculated in order to decide the geometric parameters of the ion source and to determine the required electron emission current for obtaining high ionization efficiency. Based on these considerations, the singly charged ion source was designed and fabricated. In testing, the fabricated ion source was found to have favorable performance as a singly charged ion source.

Development of a compact ECR ion source for various ion production.

There is a desire that a carbon-ion radiotherapy facility will produce various ion species for fundamental research. Although the present Kei2-type ion sources are dedicated for the carbon-ion production, a future ion source is expected that could provide: (1) carbon-ion production for medical use, (2) various ions with a charge-to-mass ratio of 1/3 for the existing Linac injector, and (3) low cost for modification. A prototype compact electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source, named Kei3, based on the Kei series has been developed to correspond to the Kei2 type and to produce these various ions at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS). The Kei3 has an outer diameter of 280 mm and a length of 1120 mm. The magnetic field is formed by the same permanent magnet as Kei2. The movable extraction electrode has been installed in order to optimize the beam extraction with various current densities. The gas-injection side of the vacuum chamber has enough space for an oven system. We measured dependence of microwave frequency, extraction voltage, and puller position. Charge state distributions of helium, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and neon were also measured.

Cryogenic molecular separation system for radioactive (11)C ion acceleration.

A (11)C molecular production/separation system (CMPS) has been developed as part of an isotope separation on line system for simultaneous positron emission tomography imaging and heavy-ion cancer therapy using radioactive (11)C ion beams. In the ISOL system, (11)CH4 molecules will be produced by proton irradiation and separated from residual air impurities and impurities produced during the irradiation. The CMPS includes two cryogenic traps to separate specific molecules selectively from impurities by using vapor pressure differences among the molecular species. To investigate the fundamental performance of the CMPS, we performed separation experiments with non-radioactive (12)CH4 gases, which can simulate the chemical characteristics of (11)CH4 gases. We investigated the separation of CH4 molecules from impurities, which will be present as residual gases and are expected to be difficult to separate because the vapor pressure of air molecules is close to that of CH4. We determined the collection/separation efficiencies of the CMPS for various amounts of air impurities and found desirable operating conditions for the CMPS to be used as a molecular separation device in our ISOL system.

Status of a compact electron cyclotron resonance ion source for National Institute of Radiological Sciences-930 cyclotron.

The Kei-source is a compact electron cyclotron resonance ion source using only permanent magnets and a frequency of 10 GHz. It was developed at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) for producing C(4+) ions oriented for high-energy carbon therapy. It has also been used as an ion source for the NIRS-930 cyclotron. Its microwave band region for the traveling-wave-tube amplifier and maximum output power are 8-10 GHz and 350 W, respectively. Since 2006, it has provided various ion beams such as proton, deuteron, carbon, oxygen, and neon with sufficient intensity (200 µA for proton and deuteron, 50 µA for C(4+), for example) and good stability for radioisotope production, tests of radiation damage, and basic research experiments. Its horizontal and vertical emittances were measured using a screen monitor and waist-scan. The present paper reports the current status of the Kei-source.

Role of aquaporin-5 in gallbladder carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Aquaporins (AQPs) are important in controlling bile formation. However, the exact role in human gallbladder carcinogenesis has not yet been defined. METHODS: AQP-5-expressing gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) cell lines (NOZ) were transfected with anti-AQP-5 small interfering RNA (siRNA). Growth, migration, invasion assay, and drug susceptibility tests were performed. Next, microRNA (miRNA) expression was analyzed by miRNA oligo chip (3D-Gene®). AQP-5 and AQP-5-related miRNA target gene expressions were also analyzed using tissue microarray (TMA) in 44 GBC samples. RESULTS: Treatment with AQP-5 siRNA decreased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. On the other hand, those cells increased IC50 of gemcitabine. By performing miRNA assays, miR-29b, -200a, and -21 were shown to be highly overexpressed in cells treated with AQP-5 siRNA NOZ. When focusing on miR-21, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) was found to be a target of miR-21. In the TMA, AQP-5/PTEN coexpression was significantly associated with the depth of invasion and MIB-1 index (p = 0.003, 0.010). Survival of patients with a high AQP-5/PTEN coexpression was longer than that of patients with a low coexpression (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Our result suggested that miR-21 and PTEN may contribute to the role of AQP-5 in GBC. AQP-5 and PTEN cascades are favorable biomarkers of GBC.

Status of ion sources at National Institute of Radiological Sciences.

The National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) maintains various ion accelerators in order to study the effects of radiation of the human body and medical uses of radiation. Two electrostatic tandem accelerators and three cyclotrons delivered by commercial companies have offered various life science tools; these include proton-induced x-ray emission analysis (PIXE), micro beam irradiation, neutron exposure, and radioisotope tracers and probes. A duoplasmatron, a multicusp ion source, a penning ion source (PIG), and an electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) are in operation for these purposes. The Heavy-Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) is an accelerator complex for heavy-ion radiotherapy, fully developed by NIRS. HIMAC is utilized not only for daily treatment with the carbon beam but also for fundamental experiments. Several ECRISs and a PIG at HIMAC satisfy various research and clinical requirements.

The compact electron cyclotron resonance ion source KeiGM for the carbon ion therapy facility at Gunma University.

A high-energy carbon-ion radiotherapy facility is under construction at Gunma University Heavy Ion Medical Centre (GHMC). Its design was based on a study of the heavy ion radiotherapy at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) in order to reduce the size and construction cost of the facility. A compact electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) for Gunma University, called KeiGM, was installed in 2008. It is almost a copy of the prototype ECRIS Kei2 which was developed by NIRS; meanwhile this prototype produced over 1 e mA of C(4+) using C(2)H(2) gas (660 W and 40 kV). The beam intensity of C(4+) was 600 e microA with CH(4) gas (250 W and 30 kV). The beam intensity satisfies the required value of 300 e microA.

Development of gas pulsing system for electron cyclotron resonance ion source.

A gas-pulsing system for an electron cyclotron resonance ion source with all permanent magnets (Kei2 source) at NIRS has been developed and tested. The system consists of a small vessel (30 ml) to reserve CH(4) gas and two fast solenoid valves that are installed at both sides of the vessel. They are connected to each other and to the Kei2 source by using a stainless-steel pipe (4 mm inner diameter), where the length of the pipe from the valve to the source is 60 cm and the conductance is 1.2 l/s. From the results of the test, almost 300 e microA for a pulsed (12)C(4+) beam was obtained at a Faraday cup in an extraction-beam channel with a pressure range of 4000 Pa in the vessel. At this time, the valve has an open time of 10 ms and the delay time between the valve open time and the application of microwave power is 100 ms. In experiments, the conversion efficiency for input CH(4) molecules to the quantity of extracted (12)C(4+) ions in one beam pulse was found to be around 3% and the ratio of the total amount of the gas requirement was only 10% compared with the case of continuous gas provided in 3.3 s of repetition in HIMAC.

Application of compact electron cyclotron resonance ion source.

The compact electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source with a permanent magnet configuration (Kei2 source) has been developed at National Institute of Radiological Sciences for a new carbon therapy facility. The Kei2 source was designed for production of C(4+) ions; its performance such as beam intensity and stability has already reached the medical requirements. Therefore, the prototype development of the source for medical use is essentially finished. Recently, we have started a few studies on other applications of the source. One is the production of fullerenes in the ECR plasma and modified fullerenes with various atoms for new materials. A second application is the production of multiply charged ions (not only carbon) for ion implantation. In this paper, some basic experiments for these applications are reported.

Spontaneous rupture of sacrococcygeal teratoma associated with acute fetal anemia.

Sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) is the most common congenital tumor, with affected fetuses having a high risk of perinatal complications and death. We report a case of a fetus with an SCT that developed acute anemia due to spontaneous rupture of the tumor in utero. The fetus was referred at 25 weeks' gestation for evaluation of a large solid and cystic mass in the sacral region. There were no signs of hydrops or placentomegaly. At 33 weeks' gestation, loss of variability in the fetal heart rate pattern was recorded. Doppler ultrasonography showed increased middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity, suggesting fetal anemia. Markedly bloody amniotic fluid, with 82% hemoglobin F, was observed on amniocentesis, suggesting rupture of the SCT with active fetal bleeding. An emergency Cesarean section was performed. At delivery, the tumor was bleeding actively and the neonatal hemoglobin concentration was 3.1 g/dL. There were no findings of hemorrhage or necrosis within the tumor. The neonate received a blood transfusion, and surgical resection of the tumor was carried out on the first day after delivery. Postoperatively, the baby did well. We suggest that fetal SCTs run the risk of inducing acute fetal anemia due to intrauterine hemorrhage of the tumor, a finding which could lead to an earlier and more appropriate management of this condition.

Primary undifferentiated carcinoma arising from the retroperitoneum: a case report.

A 35-year-old woman, gravida 1, para 1, underwent cesarean section in her 39th week of pregnancy. At the time of operation, multiple retroperitoneal tumors were found. Postoperative computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple solid tumors, each approximately 3-5 cm, in the right pelvic retroperitoneal space. Total resection of the tumors was performed without any macroscopic residual. A systematic workup for the primary tumor from which the retroperitoneal tumors may have metastasized failed to demonstrate any responsible tumor. We therefore assumed it to be a primary retroperitoneal tumor. The histopathologic features of the tumors were consistent with small-cell carcinoma. Two months postoperatively, recurrent tumors in the right inguinal and common iliac regions were detected. Since chemotherapy with irinotecan hydrochloride or paclitaxel did not produce any beneficial effect, a second tumor reduction surgery was performed 8 months after the initial operation. Four months after the second operation, a third operation including total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and tumor resection in the contralateral iliac region were done. Afterward, a new recurrent tumor appeared along the aorta up to the left supraclavicular node. The patient died 19 months after the first operation.

Retention of maxillary implant overdenture bars of different designs.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The specific degree of retention for overdenture attachments is unknown in relation to design, location, and alignment to supporting dental implants. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the initial retention characteristics of 5 implant maxillary overdenture designs under in vitro dislodging forces. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A simulated edentulous maxilla was fabricated with 4 screw-type 3.75 x 13-mm implants anteriorly. Five overdenture designs with the following attachments were evaluated: 4 plastic Hader clips with an EDS bar; 2 plastic anterior Hader clips with an identical EDS bar; 2 Hader clips with 2 posterior ERA attachments; 3 Zaag attachments on a bar; and 4 Zaag attachments with no bar. Overdentures were fabricated with full palatal coverage. Each design was subjected to 10 consecutive retention pulls on a universal testing machine. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and t tests to determine differences. RESULTS: The highest average value after 10 pulls was 19.8 lb for the combination ERA and Hader clip design. The lowest retentive values were recorded for the 2 and 4 Hader clip designs (5.08 +/- 0.89 lb and 5.06 +/- 0.67 lb, respectively). Retention decreased over the course of consecutive pulls for all designs, especially for the most retentive designs. The smallest retention decrease occurred with the least retentive designs. CONCLUSION: The results of this in vitro study suggest that the precise selection and placement of attachments may affect the clinical success of maxillary implant-retained overdentures.

[A case of malignant pericardial effusion due to breast cancer successfully controlled by intrapericardial chemotherapy using pirarubicin].

We report a case of malignant pericardial effusion due to breast cancer that was successfully controlled by intrapericardial chemotherapy using pirarubicin. A 53-year-old woman underwent breast conserving therapy for left breast cancer in 1996. She was given CAF therapy and UFT as adjuvant therapy. Three years and 10 months after operation, she had malignant pericardial and pleural effusion. Pericardiocentesis and pleurocentesis were performed immediately. Pericardial effusion relapsed after some time and she was treated with intrapericardial chemotherapy using pirarubicin. After this treatment she has not suffered from pericardial effusion for 1 year and 4 months to date. This case suggests that intrapericardial chemotherapy is effective for malignant pericardial effusion.

The point mutation in the promoter region and the single nucleotide polymorphism in exon 1 of the cytokeratin 19 gene in human lung cancer cell lines.

The CYFRA 21-1 assay which detects the cytokeratin 19 (CK19) fragment is widely used as a tumor marker for lung cancer. We previously suggested that the failure of PCR amplification of exon 1 is closely related to the inability of the expression of mRNA for CK19, and hypothesized that point mutations might exist within exon 1. In order to prove this, sequence analysis of the promoter region and exon 1 was performed in 14 human lung cancer cell lines. Among the 14 lung cancer cell lines evaluated, point mutations within the promoter region (at -99, G-->C) of the CK19 gene were demonstrated in two cell lines (Lu135 and HI1017). In addition, point mutations within exon 1 (at 90, T-->C, Ala-->Ala and at 179, G-->C, Gly-->Ala) were also demonstrated in three cell lines (LU135, HI1017, and LC2/AD). Point mutations within the promoter region of CK19 (at -99) and within exon 1 (at 179) were confirmed by analysis of digestion by specific restriction enzymes. Since the same point mutation within exon 1 (at 179) was observed in genomes of normal volunteers, this mutation was considered as a single nucleotide polymorphism. In contrast, there were no mutations within the promoter region of exon 1 in genomes of normal volunteers. After a computer search, it was demonstrated that several transcription factors bind to the sense primer sequence which was designed for amplification of exon 1. In addition, after point mutations within the promoter region occurred (at -99), new sequences appeared to which known transcription factors (AP2) bind. In conclusion, analysis of genomic DNA for CK19 suggested that expression of mRNA for CK19 was regulated by several transcription factors which bound to the specific sequence with the promoter region of the CK19 gene. It was also suggested that the mutation in the promoter region of the CK19 gene down-regulated the expression of mRNA for CK19.

Anti-cytokeratin antibodies in sera of the patients with autoimmune hepatitis.

Antibodies to cytokeratin (CK) are found in some patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). We hypothesized that serum antibodies to CK8, CK18 and CK19 may be formed in patients with AIH. We established an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to quantify anti-CK8, anti-CK18 and anti-CK19 antibodies in sera of patients with AIH. In addition, we quantified circulating CK8:anti-CK8 antibody as well as CK18:anti-CK18 antibody immune complexes in patients' sera, by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, to evaluate the expression of CK8, CK18 and CK19 in liver tissue, immunohistochemical stainings were performed. Significantly high levels of anti-CK8, anti-CK18 and anti-CK19 antibodies were demonstrated in patients with AIH compared with normal volunteers and patients with chronic active hepatitis C (CH-C). In addition, these antibodies were significantly decreased after steroid treatment. Levels of CK8:anti-CK8 and CK18:anti-CK18 immune complexes in sera of patients with AIH were significantly high compared with those of patients with CH-C and normal volunteers. Immunohistochemically, CK8 or CK18 were absent from some hepatocytes of AIH. CK19 was aberrantly expressed in periportal hepatocytes in patients with AIH, but not CH-C. This is the first study to quantify anti-CK8, anti-CK18, anti-CK19 antibodies and immune complexes in patients with AIH. The clinical significance of anti-CK antibodies and their immune complexes of AIH is also discussed.

Expression of carcinoembryonic antigen in peripheral- or central-located small cell lung cancer: its clinical significance.

BACKGROUND: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has a higher percentage of hilar masses than other histological types of lung cancer. The primary site is usually adjacent to the hilum, but we often observe primary sites in the peripheral lung field. In this study, our objectives were to elucidate whether peripheral-located small cell lung cancer (PSCLC) is an independent entity and whether it differs clinically from central-located small cell lung cancer (CSCLC). METHODS: We reviewed the clinical and pathological features of 52 patients treated at Kagawa Medical University Hospital between 1987 and 1996 with a diagnosis of SCLC. We defined CSCLC as a tumor whose primary site is located in the segmental bronchi or more proximally and PSCLC as a tumor located distal to the subsegmental bronchi. Twenty-one PSCLC patients and 31 CSCLC patients were identified. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed and comparisons were made between PSCLC and CSCLC by the log-rank test. The carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level was also evaluated in each group. RESULTS: Although the percentage of limited disease (LD) in the patients with PSCLC was higher than that in the patients with CSCLC, the 3-year survival rate of PSCLC tended to be worse than that of CSCLC (9% for patients with PSCLC and 29% for those with CSCLC). Survival curves of patients with PSCLC also tended to be worse than those of patients with CSCLC, not only in the limited disease group but also in the extensive disease (ED) group. In addition, the mean CEA value in patients with PSCLC was higher than that in patients with CSCLC (p < 0.001), whereas the neuron specific enolase (NSE) level was not significantly different between PSCLC and CSCLC. The median survival of patients with pretherapeutic CEA titers of > or =5 ng/ml was significantly shorter than that in patients with CEA levels <5 ng/ml. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the survival of SCLC patients with a high CEA level was significantly shorter than that of patients with a low CEA level. In addition, CEA levels in PSCLC patients were significantly higher than those in CSCLC patients. However, the survivals of LD or ED patients with PSCLC and CSCLC were not statistically different.