Transabdominal Preperitoneal Repair for a Recurrent Inguinal Hernia After Kugel Hernioplasty Using the Pseudosac of Direct Inguinal Hernia: A Case Report.

Here, we report a case of laparoscopic trans-inguinal hernia repair (transabdominal preperitoneal repair or TAPP) for a recurrent inguinal hernia following direct Kugel surgery. A 71-year-old man underwent direct Kugel hernioplasty for a right inguinal hernia at another hospital 4 years prior to presentation. The patient subsequently underwent laparoscopic surgery using the TAPP technique, during which the abdominal cavity was visualized with a laparoscope, revealing a tubular mesh protruding towards the abdominal cavity with a direct and indirect hernia ring. Three months post-surgery, no recurrence was observed.

Coexisting Sacrococcygeal Teratoma With Mild Encephalitis/Encephalopathy With a Reversible Splenial Lesion: A Case Report.

Mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) is a rare disease characterized by a reversible lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum (SCC) observed on MRI. The exact etiology of MERS is unknown, although infections and antiepileptic drugs have been reported as potential causes. Herein, we present the case of a 56-year-old male patient who experienced fever and headache for 3 days. He was referred to our hospital after symptomatic treatment by his primary care physician failed to improve his symptoms. The patient had no psychiatric symptoms or significant neurological findings. Head MRI revealed a high signal on SCC on diffusion-weighted imaging, raising the suspicion of MERS. All examinations to determine the cause of MERS were negative. The patient's symptoms improved with antibiotics and B complex vitamins. Upon admission, abdominal CT incidentally revealed a well-defined mass on the dorsal surface of the rectum suspected to be a tailgut cyst, warranting surgical resection. The cranial margin of the tumor was caudal to the third sacrum, and a trans-sacral approach was used for resection. The fifth sacrum and the coccyx were resected, and the tumor was resected without damaging the rectum. A histopathological examination revealed a mature teratoma without any malignancy. A follow-up CT at four months postoperatively showed no evidence of clinical recurrence of MERS. Adult-onset MERS is relatively rare, and no association with tumors has been reported. The association between encephalitis and teratomas includes ovarian teratomas, which cause anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis and paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis. Although the cause of MERS was unknown in this case, we report the coexistence of a sacral teratoma and MERS to contribute to the knowledge of the association between them.

Genomic analysis of bladder urothelial carcinoma with osteoclast­like giant cells: A case report.

Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder with osteoclast-like giant cells (UCOGCs) is rare among the subtypes of poorly differentiated urothelial carcinoma. Its clinical significance and optimal treatment are unknown, and few reports on genomic analysis of UCOGCs have been reported. Detailed analysis including genetic analysis for rare type variants of cancer could be a foothold for further research. The present case describes the case of a 75-year-old man who presented with a non-papillary bladder tumor 56 mm in diameter showing gross hematuria and pain on voiding. Following transurethral resection of the bladder tumor, the pathological diagnosis was invasive UCOGCs. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical cystectomy were performed with the resected tumor pathologically diagnosed as invasive UCOGCs, high grade, pT3b, pN1. The present study also analyzed the genomic features using a cancer panel test. The panel test noted six gene alterations (PIK3CA p.E542K, HRAS p.G13R, ARAF copy number amplification, CDKN2A copy number loss, TP53 p.E285V, ARID1A p.S90Pfs*11) and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter variant. Accumulation of knowledge from molecular-based testing is anticipated to determine precise treatment for rare cancer.

Transabdominal Preperitoneal Repair for an External Supravesical Hernia With an Incarcerated Ovary: A Case Report.

External supravesical hernias with ovarian incarceration have not been reported previously. Here, we describe transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair of an external supravesical hernia with ovarian incarceration. A 68-year-old woman presented to our outpatient clinic with the chief complaint of right inguinal swelling and pain. A 3-cm-diameter mass in the right inguinal region that was difficult to reduce was palpable, and computed tomography (CT) revealed a suspicious lesion of the right hydrocele of the canal of Nuck. Hydrocelectomy was performed through an inguinal incision, and the external inguinal ring was repaired using the Marcy method. The histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of the canal of Nuck. Three months postoperatively, the patient again presented with right inguinal pain, and CT revealed a right femoral hernia requiring surgical repair. Intraoperative findings revealed a right external supravesical hernia with an incarcerated ovary, which was laparoscopically reduced and repaired with a mesh. At the three-month follow-up, there were no postoperative complications or recurrences. Incarcerated ovaries with inguinal hernias have been reported in girls; however, incarcerated ovaries with external supravesical hernias have not been reported in women. Although the preoperative diagnosis was difficult to make in this case, the laparoscopic approach led to the diagnosis and successful mesh repair. Although optimal mesh repair of external supravesical hernias using TAPP has not been established, we believe that 2-5 cm around the hernial orifice, the Hesselbach triangle, and the lateral triangle should be covered with mesh.

The performance of a Fully Automated Urine Particle Analyzer, Sysmex UF-5000, in detecting fastidious bacteria in urine samples.

Several types of fastidious bacteria can cause tract infections. We evaluated the performance of counting fastidious bacteria using a Fully Automated Urine Particle Analyzer UF-5000. The results showed that UF-5000 counts fastidious bacteria in urine without the need for culture using measurement principles based on flow cytometry.

Impact of Tumor Grade Distribution on Genetic Alterations in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma and Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: A genomic analysis based on next-generation sequencing is important for deciding cancer treatment strategies. Cancer tissue sometimes displays intratumor heterogeneity and a pathologic specimen may contain more than two tumor grades. Although tumor grades are very important for the cancer prognosis, the impact of higher tumor grade distribution in a specimen used for a genomic analysis is unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 61 clear cell carcinoma and 46 prostate cancer patients that were diagnosed between December 2018 and August 2022 using the GeneRead Human Comprehensive Cancer Panel or SureSelect PrePool custom Tier2. Genome annotation and curation were performed using the GenomeJack software. RESULTS: Tumor mutation burden (TMB) was increased in proportion to the higher tumor grade distribution in grade 2 clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). In PC, Grade Group 3/4 specimens that included an increased distribution of Gleason pattern 4 had more frequent gene mutations. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest the importance of selecting the maximum distribution of higher tumor grade areas to obtain results on the precise gene alterations for genomics-focused treatments.

Laparoscopic sigmoidectomy postopen aortic replacement for abdominal aortic aneurysm: a case report.

Colectomy for colorectal cancer after an open aortic replacement (OAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysms has high perioperative complication and mortality rates. Case presentation: The authors report the case of an 87-year-old man who underwent laparoscopic sigmoidectomy. The patient presented with edema of the lower legs and face, and blood test results indicated anemia. The patient had a history of OAR for an abdominal aortic aneurysm 9 years prior, a left common iliac artery aneurysm, and a jump bypass graft. A colonoscopy revealed a type 2 lesion in the sigmoid colon; he was diagnosed with moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. Preoperative computed tomography did not show any obvious lymph node or distant metastases. Laparoscopic sigmoidectomy with D3 lymphadenectomy was planned. During surgery, the use of the lateral approach allowed sigmoid mesocolon mobilization while confirming the presence of the artificial arteries. As the approach to the root of the inferior mesenteric artery was difficult, D1 lymphadenectomy was performed. No evidence of anastomotic leakage or artificial artery infection was observed postoperatively. Clinical discussion: Intra-abdominal adhesions due to the prior OAR makes sigmoid mesocolon mobilization difficult. In cases where laminar structure cannot be recognized, other landmarks are needed. Conclusions: After OAR, artificial arteries can be used as landmarks during colectomy. Although laparoscopic surgery is technically challenging, the magnified view provides an advantage in identifying these landmarks. Patients' surgical records for the previous OAR should be checked, and the positions of the vessels and ureters should be elucidated preoperatively using computed tomography.

Evaluation of physical and psychological status of health care workers infected with COVID-19 during a hospital outbreak in Japan.

PURPOSE: COVID-19 causes physical and psychological impacts on health care workers (HCWs), especially when it occurs during an outbreak. As there are few reports on outcomes of HCWs infected with COVID-19 during a hospital outbreak, we investigated the physical and psychological impacts on HCWs infected with COVID-19 during an outbreak in our hospital. METHODS: During the outbreak in our hospital, 231 people were infected with COVID-19 including patients, HCWs and their families. Among them, 83 HCWs were enrolled in this study. Current quality of life (QOL) was assessed with the EuroQol-visual analogue scales (EQ-VAS), and motivation to keep on working was evaluated by a 10-point analogue scale. Physiological recovery rates including return to work (RTW) period were also analyzed. RESULTS: One nurse quit work due to anxiety regarding re-infection with COVID-19. The median period to RTW from the diagnosis was 14.0 (12.0-17.0) days. Motivation to keep on working was slightly reduced, and the EQ-VAS was 75.0 (65.0-83.6). There were no significant differences in QOL and motivation between male and female HCWs, nurses and other HCWs, treatment and non-treatment group, and supplemental and non-supplemental oxygen group. The most frequent persistent symptoms at 1,3 and 6 months after infection were anosmia followed by fatigue. CONCLUSION: Although QOL and motivation to keep on working were slightly reduced, only one HCW quit work. No severe persistent symptoms were observed, and the RTW period was relatively short.

Derivative Chromosome 3 Loss from t(3;6)(q12;q14) Followed by Differential VHL Mutations Underlie Multifocal ccRCC.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene encodes a protein (pVHL) that plays an important role in proteasome degradation of hypoxia inducible factor α (HIFα) through E3 activation. Accumulation of HIFα by loss of functional pVHL promotes tumorigenesis, thus, VHL has tumor suppressor gene capability in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). VHL is the most frequently mutated gene in ccRCC. The complete loss of VHL is mainly achieved by loss of chromosome 3p, which has a VHL coding region in combination with mutation or hypermethylation of the remaining copy of VHL. Given the risk of constitutional chromosome 3 translocation for RCC, it is important to detect the translocation and understand the mechanism underlying the development of multifocal ccRCC. CASE REPORT: A 67-year-old female patient diagnosed with multifocal RCC underwent robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) for three kidney tumors. A cancer gene panel test using next generation sequencing (NGS) detected differential VHL mutations (c.533T>G; p.L178R, c.465_466insTA; p.T157Ifs*3, c.343C>A; p.H115N), while VHL mutation was not detected in peripheral blood DNA. A tendency toward copy number loss of genes on der(3) was also detected in all tumors, but not in the germline one. A karyotype analysis revealed a germline translocation between 3 and 6, t(3;6)(q12;q14). CONCLUSION: Chromosome 3 translocation and loss of derivative chromosome containing 3p and subsequent somatic differential VHL mutations in this case strongly support the previously proposed three-step model to explain the development of familial conventional ccRCC.

[A Case of Metastasis of Gastric Cancer to the Bladder].

A 62-year-old woman was diagnosed with peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer and was treated with anticancer drugs. Eleven months after the start of the treatment, follow-up computed tomography newly showed thickening of the bladder wall and left hydronephrosis even though the chemotherapy reduced peritoneal dissemination. Therefore, she was referred to our hospital for further evaluation. Cystoscopy and magnetic resonance imaging showed the tumor arising from the bladder neck to trigone. A few days later, she was admitted to our hospital because of bladder tamponade. Transurethral coagulation was carried out, and we resected part of the bladder tumor for pathological examination at the same time. As the pathological features of the bladder tumor were similar to those of the primary stomach cancer and peritoneal dissemination, the diagnosis of the bladder tumor was metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma. She died three months after visiting our hospital.

Impact of subdivision of pathological stage I colorectal cancer.

AIM: Stage II-IV colorectal cancers are subdivided according to TNM categories. However, stage I cases are a single category, despite the inclusion of both T1 and T2 cases, which may have different outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of subdividing stage I colorectal cancers by T category. METHODS: From 1984 to 2015, 844 patients with stage I colorectal cancer (T1: 446, T2: 398) underwent colorectal resection with lymph node dissection at three hospitals. The long-term survival and recurrence rates were compared between T1 and T2. A Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors associated with cancer recurrence. RESULTS: A comparison of the T1 and T2 groups revealed significant differences in 5-year overall (95.9% vs 91.4%, P = .008), recurrence-free (94.8% vs 87.1%, P = .0007), and cancer-specific survival (97.6% vs 93.6%, P = .004), and in the overall (2.5% vs 6.8%, P = .003), local (0.2% vs 1.5%, P = .04), and lymph node recurrence rates (0.2% vs 1.5%, P = .04). All local and lymph node recurrences were associated with lower rectal cancer, and this difference was significant. The Cox multivariate analysis identified male sex (P = .01, hazard ratio: 4.00, 95% confidence interval: 1.38-11.55), T2 (P = .02, hazard ratio: 2.98, 95% confidence interval: 1.17-7.60), and venous invasion (P = .03, hazard ratio: 2.38, 95% confidence interval: 1.12-5.10) as risk factors for recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The subdivision of stage I colorectal cancer according to T category clearly reflected the long-term outcomes.

Emergence and evolution of antimicrobial resistance genes and mutations in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a global health concern. Strains from two internationally circulating sequence types, ST-7363 and ST-1901, have acquired resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, mainly due to mosaic penA alleles. These two STs were first detected in Japan; however, the timeline, mechanism, and process of emergence and spread of these mosaic penA alleles to other countries remain unknown. METHODS: We studied the evolution of penA alleles by obtaining the complete genomes from three Japanese ST-1901 clinical isolates harboring mosaic penA allele 34 (penA-34) dating from 2005 and generating a phylogenetic representation of 1075 strains sampled from 35 countries. We also sequenced the genomes of 103 Japanese ST-7363 N. gonorrhoeae isolates from 1996 to 2005 and reconstructed a phylogeny including 88 previously sequenced genomes. RESULTS: Based on an estimate of the time-of-emergence of ST-1901 (harboring mosaic penA-34) and ST-7363 (harboring mosaic penA-10), and > 300 additional genome sequences of Japanese strains representing multiple STs isolated in 1996-2015, we suggest that penA-34 in ST-1901 was generated from penA-10 via recombination with another Neisseria species, followed by recombination with a gonococcal strain harboring wildtype penA-1. Following the acquisition of penA-10 in ST-7363, a dominant sub-lineage rapidly acquired fluoroquinolone resistance mutations at GyrA 95 and ParC 87-88, by independent mutations rather than horizontal gene transfer. Data in the literature suggest that the emergence of these resistance determinants may reflect selection from the standard treatment regimens in Japan at that time. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight how antibiotic use and recombination across and within Neisseria species intersect in driving the emergence and spread of drug-resistant gonorrhea.

Human Adenovirus B7d-Associated Urethritis after Suspected Sexual Transmission, Japan.

Outbreaks of acute respiratory disease associated with human adenovirus (HAdV) B7d have been reported, including fatal cases in the United States. In 2018, we detected HAdV-B7d in a patient with urethritis, probably transmitted through sexual contact. Infectious HAdV-B7d was excreted in urine and gargle for >10 days after the disappearance of symptoms.

Enzalutamide versus flutamide for castration-resistant prostate cancer after combined androgen blockade therapy with bicalutamide: the OCUU-CRPC study.

BACKGROUND: Before the androgen target therapy era, flutamide was widely used for castration-resistant prostate cancer in Japan. Enzalutamide is currently the recommended treatment; however, the efficacy and safety of enzalutamide and flutamide after combined androgen blockade therapy with bicalutamide, has not been compared. METHODS: Patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer who received combined androgen blockade therapy with bicalutamide were randomly assigned to receive either enzalutamide or flutamide. The primary endpoint for efficacy was the 3-month prostate-specific antigen response rate. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02346578) and the University hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN000016301). RESULTS: Overall, 103 patients were enrolled. The 3- (80.8% vs. 35.3%; p < 0.001) and 6-month (73.1% vs. 31.4%; p < 0.001) prostate-specific antigen response rates were higher in the enzalutamide than in the flutamide group. The 3-month disease progression rates (radiographic or prostate-specific antigen progression) were 6.4% and 38.8% in the enzalutamide and flutamide groups, respectively [hazard ratio (HR): 0.16; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.05-0.47; p < 0.001]; the 6-month rates were 11.4% and 51.1%, respectively (HR 0.22; 95% CI 0.09-0.50; p < 0.001). Enzalutamide provided superior prostate-specific antigen progression-free survival compared with flutamide (HR 0.29; 95% CI 0.15-0.54; p < 0.001). Median time to prostate-specific antigen progression-free survival was not reached and was 6.6 months in the enzalutamide and flutamide groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: As an alternative anti-androgen therapy in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer who fail bicalutamide-combined androgen blockade therapy, enzalutamide provides superior clinical outcomes compared with flutamide. Enzalutamide should be preferred over flutamide in these patients.

Optimal dose of sunitinib for long-term treatment in Japanese patients with renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Sunitinib is used for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Asian patients, including Japanese, tend not to tolerate long-term sunitinib therapy of 50 mg p.o. once daily for 4 weeks, followed by 2 week off treatment due to severe adverse events at this dosage level. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the optimal dose of sunitinib for long-term continuation in Asian patients with mRCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study cases were 50 patients with mRCC who were treated with sunitinib between June 2008 and December 2017. Risk analysis for "unacceptable" adverse events (depending on the physician, ranging from grade 2 to ≥ grade 3) leading to discontinuation of sunitinib was determined by time-dependent Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 54 unacceptable adverse events leading to discontinuation occurred. Multivariable analysis indicated that a sunitinib dose of ≤ 37.5 mg/day significantly reduced the risk of discontinuation due to adverse events in comparison with 50 mg/day [hazard ratio (HR) 0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.03-0.21, p < 0.001). The progression-free survival (PFS) with a sunitinib dose ≤ 37.5 mg/day was longer than that associated with a dose of 50 mg/day, albeit not to a statistically significant degree (120 days for ≤ 37.5 mg/day vs 41 days for 50 mg/day, HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.10-1.44, p = 0.157). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the optimal dose of sunitinib for Asian, including Japanese, patients with mRCC is ≤ 37.5 mg/day.

A real-time PCR assay for detecting a penA mutation associated with ceftriaxone resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

OBJECTIVES: Ceftriaxone (CRO) resistance is spreading worldwide, and hindering the effective treatment of gonococcal infections. This study developed a detection system for the genomic DNA of CRO-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) strains, in order to improve the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance. METHODS: A real-time PCR assay targeting the penA gene of recently isolated CRO-resistant N. gonorrhoeae strains was designed. Primer and probe sequence information was obtained from sequence comparisons between penA of Neisseria spp. and penA of CRO-resistant N. gonorrhoeae strains. RESULTS: Using this assay, a positive reaction was observed using the genomic DNA of three strains (GU140106, FC428, and A8806). The assay was evaluated using genomic DNA of 204 N. gonorrhoeae and 95 Neisseria spp. isolates with known minimum inhibitory concentrations of CRO. Following PCR assays for these strains, three FC428-related strains were positively identified, which possessed penA-60.001, whereas the remaining 201 N. gonorrhoeae strains and 95 Neisseria spp. strains were negative. CONCLUSIONS: A real-time PCR-based assay was designed to detect the genomic DNA of strains harbouring mosaic penA-59.001 (GU140106), penA-60.001 (FC428), and penA-64.001 (A8806) alleles and to discriminate them from N. gonorrhoeae and Neisseria spp. strains harbouring other genes.

Urinary exosome as a potential biomarker for urinary tract infection.

Unlike urinary tract infection (UTI), asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) should not be treated, with some exceptions such as pregnant women and patients who will undergo traumatic urologic interventions. However, there has been no clinically available marker for their differential diagnosis. Exosomes or small extracellular vesicles carry proteins contained in cells from which they are derived, thus having the potential as a biomarker of several diseases. On the basis of the hypothesis that the molecular signature of exosomes in urine may differ between UTI and ABU patients, we examined if urinary exosomes could serve as a marker for their differential diagnosis. Exosomes were isolated by ultracentrifugation or affinity-based method from cell culture medium of monocytic THP-1 and uroepithelial SV-HUC-1 cells and human urine. Protein expression was examined by Western blot analysis, ELISA, and CLEIA. The results showed that the levels of intracellular signalling molecules Akt and ERK and transcription factor NF-κB increased in exosomes isolated from THP-1 and SV-HUC-1 cells cocultured with Escherichia coli and/or treated with lipopolysaccharide. In urinary exosomes of UTI patients, Akt significantly diminished, and an exosomal marker CD9 showed a trend to decrease after treatment with antimicrobial agents. More importantly, Akt and CD9 levels in urinary exosomes were higher in UTI patients than in ABU patients, which was also observed after correction by urine creatinine. Collectively, these results suggest that Akt and CD9 in urinary exosomes could be useful markers for differential diagnosis of UTI and ABU.

Infectious human adenoviruses are shed in urine even after disappearance of urethral symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Urethritis is a common sexually transmitted disease, and human adenoviruses (HAdVs) have been found to be associated with nonchlamydial nongonococcal urethritis. However, the level and viability of HAdV in the urine of patients with urethritis remain unclear. METHODS: Male patients with urethritis and an asymptomatic group were screened using their First-void urine (FVU) for urethritis-related pathogens to identify those with HAdV DNA. FVU and gargle fluid were collected from all patients including from those in the asymptomatic group. A swab of eye discharge was also collected from patients with eye symptoms. The pharyngeal and/ or ocular fluid was also screened only in cases in which FVU was positive for HAdV DNA. HAdVs were isolated using A549 cell lines and typed by sequencing, and viral shedding during 2 years was quantified using real-time PCR. The prevalence of HAdV was assessed in the urethritis and asymptomatic groups, and viral load, isolated HAdV types, and urethral symptoms were compared between the groups. RESULTS: The positive detection rate of HAdV DNA was significantly higher in the urethritis group than in the asymptomatic group. Of 398 patients with urethritis, HAdV was isolated in all 32 cases (23 cases in which only HAdV DNA was detected with a mean of 2 × 109 copies/mL in urine samples). Of 124 control cases, one had HAdV monoinfection. The most frequently detected HAdV type was 56, followed by types 37 and 64. Regarding the relationship between symptoms and isolated HAdVs, the virus was isolated for up to 12 days after urethritis symptoms disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: HAdVs were significantly detected and isolated from the FVU of patients with urethritis. Furthermore, high levels of infectious HAdVs are excreted in urine for a long period even after urethritis symptoms disappear.

Decrease of bone mineral density in Japanese patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy.

The aim of this study was to conduct a cross-sectional survey of investigations related to the bone mineral density (BMD) of both non-metastatic prostate cancer (NMPC) patients who have not yet received androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and patients receiving prolonged ADT in Japan. Japanese male patients with NMPC who received continuous ADT or who were planning to receive ADT were enrolled in this study. Lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). To assess patient characteristics, we searched medical records and questionnaires to determine whether they had any factors that could possibly affect BMD. A total of 230 patients with a mean age of 76.6 ± 6.4 years were evaluated. Of these, 151 (65.7%) were receiving ADT, and 79 (34.4%) had not yet received ADT. The mean duration of ADT was 37.4 ± 30.7 months. DEXA showed that as the duration of ADT increased, lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD decreased gradually (p = 0.0005 and p = 0.0014, respectively). Stepwise regression analyses revealed that the duration of ADT was a significant variable of both lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD. Moreover, as the duration of ADT increased, the prevalence of osteoporosis increased statistically (p = 0.0002). This study showed that ADT negatively affected lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD. It also showed a progressive increase in the prevalence of osteoporosis in Japanese NMPC patients with ADT.

Etiological role of human papillomavirus infection in the development of penile cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and penile cancer among Japanese patients. METHODS: Thirty-four patients with penile cancer were enrolled in this study. DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples, and HPV-DNA tests and genotyping were performed. For all of the samples, in situ hybridization (ISH) was performed to locate HPV-DNA in tumor tissue. Furthermore, expression levels of p16-INK4a, mini-chromosome maintenance protein 7(mcm-7), HPV-L1, and Ki-67 were analyzed using immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS: HPV and high-risk (HR)-HPV were detected in 14 (41.1%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 24.6-57.7%) and 12 (35.2%; 95% CI 19.2-51.4%) cases, respectively. HPV16 was the most frequently detected HPV type. Among the HR-HPV-positive cases, a punctate HR-HPV-DNA signal pattern was detected by ISH in tumor cell nuclei. P16-INK4a was expressed in 66.7% (95% CI 42.8-90.1%) of HR-HPV-positive cases and was significantly more frequent and stronger in HR-HPV-positive cases than in HPV-negative cases. There was no significant difference in the occurrence or distribution of mcm-7 or Ki-67 expression between HPV-positive and HPV-negative cases. HPV-L1 expression was not observed in any of the cases examined. CONCLUSIONS: HPV infection may have had an etiological role in 41% of the examined cases of penile cancer in Japan.