Clinical Significance of Adjuvant Surgical Resection for Initially Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer Responsive to Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We have reported a clinically meaningful local-control effect and a hepatic metastatic tumor-regression effect of transcatheter peripancreatic arterial embolization-hepatic and splenic arterial infusion chemotherapy (TPPAE-HSAIC) for unresectable advanced pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance, of adjuvant surgical resection after TPPAE-HSAIC. METHODOLOGY: We assessed histopathological findings and outcomes of 6 patients who underwent surgical resection of tumors judged to be radically resectable after attaining tumor down-staging or long-term tumor control following TPPAE-HSAIC for pancreatic cancer initially diagnosed as unresectable. RESULTS: Clinical stage at the initial diagnosis was T4N0M0 Stage III in 4 patients and T4N0M1 Stage IV in 2 patients. The durations of TPPAE-HSAIC ranged from 5 to 46 months with a median of 19 months. An R0 resection was performed in 5 of the 6 patients (83%) and pathological down-staging, from the viewpoint of clinical stage, was observed in 4 patients. Of the 5 patients with R0 resection, one died from a postoperative complication at 7 months and another from pulmonary metastasis at 30 months post-operatively, while the other 3 patients have survived for 45 to 83 months to date. CONCLUSIONS: If surgical resection of pancreatic cancer initially diagnosed as unresectable can be carried out in patients responding favorably to TPPAE-HSAIC, the likelihood of long-term survival might be increased.

Interleukin-2 gene transfer potentiates the alpha-galactosylceramide-stimulated antitumor effect by the induction of TRAIL in NKT and NK cells in mouse models of subcutaneous and metastatic carcinoma.

Alpha-Galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer) is a potent CD1d ligand that activates natural killer like T-cells (NKT), leading to the production of helper T (Th) 1 and Th2 cytokines that mediate various immunemodulatory and antitumor effects. Here, we determined whether the administration of adenovirus-vector-encoding mouse interleukin-2 (AdmIL-2) can augment the antitumor effect of alpha-GalCer on subcutaneous and metastatic tumors in mice. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with alpha-GalCer on days 7, 10 and 13 after tumor inoculation, with or without intratumoral injection of AdmIL-2 on day 7. alpha-GalCer treatment increased the serum levels of interferon-gamma, while intratumoral injection of AdmIL-2 elevated serum IL-2 levels. A combination of alpha-GalCer and AdmIL-2 (alpha-GalCer/AdmIL-2) inhibited the in vivo tumor growth and improved the survival of tumor-bearing mice, as compared to the use of a single agent. Experiments on spontaneous metastasis models revealed that alpha-GalCer/AdmIL-2 reduced lung metastasis and prolonged survival, as compared to control groups. In addition, the splenic and liver mononuclear cells from mice treated with alpha-GalCer/AdmIL-2 showed enhanced cytolytic activity against NK-sensitive YAC-1 and NK-resistant 3LL tumors. Moreover, alpha-GalCer/AdmIL-2 treatment expanded the absolute numbers of lung and liver NK, NKT and T-cells as well as the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) expression of these cells. This study shows the efficacy of alpha-GalCer/AdmIL-2 immunomodulatory therapy, and provides a cellular mechanism on how it exerts the antitumor effects.

[A case of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with internal pancreatic fistula causing left ureteral obstruction].

A 75-year-old man had been admitted to another hospital because of left abdominal pain, and was given a diagnosis of left hydronephrosis and acute pancreatitis. After a JJ stent insertion and medication, he was transferred to our hospital for further examinations. US and EUS revealed a chronic pancreatitis-like pattern and multicystic lesion in the pancreas head and body. At that time enhanced CT findings showed an extrapancreatic low density area to be inflammatory change, extending from the pancreas body to the left crus of the diaphragm and posteriorly the spreading from the left crus of the diaphragm via the left urinary duct into the left iliopsoas muscle, in which MRI revealed partial high intensity. ERCP and MRCP showed focal irregular narrowing of the pancreatic duct of unknown cause, and we decided that an internal pancreatic fistula due to pancreatitis had induced left ureteral obstruction, caused by a protein plug or alcohol. Follow-up 6 months later showed that extrapancreatic spreading of the low density area had markedly regressed without any change in the ureteral obstruction.

[Reappearance of t(12;17)-positive primary myelofibrosis following Ph+ CML cell reduction by imatinib].

A 67-years old woman was referred to our hospital in October 1992 with thrombocytopenia and splenomegaly. A bone marrow biopsy revealed decreased cellularity, with moderately increased reticulin fibrosis and discrete dysmorphic megakaryocytes but no signs of dysplasia in the erythroid or the myeloid lineages. The karyotype of the bone marrow cells was t(12;17) (q24;q11). She was diagnosed as having agnogenic myeloid metaplasia. The patient received only blood transfusions until November 1998 when leukocytosis with immature cells started to appear. The bone marrow aspiration analysis showed increased cellularity and chromosomal analysis demonstrated the presence of t(9;22) (q34;q11) without any t(12;17) (q24;q11) abnormality. Because IFN therapy and oral administration of hydroxyurea did not show any cytological effect, administration of imatinib mesylate was started from December 2001. The Ph-positive cells as demonstrated by the FISH method had decreased to 7% by April 2003. But the t(12;17)(q24;q11) positive clones, which were observed on the first admission, again appeared in the peripheral blood, whereas Ph clones were detected in only one out of 24 cells examined. During the course of treatment with imatinib mesylate for chronic myelogenous leukemia which developed from agnogenic myeloid metaplasia accompanied with t(12;17)(q24;q11) translocation, the co-existence of two clones derived from, possibly, stem cells was identified.

[A case of primary carcinoma of the cystic duct with limy bile].

A 78-year-old man had been admitted to a previous hospital because of epigastralgia and a diagnosis of cholecystolithiasis had been made. He had been transferred to our institution for further examination. CT scan and US revealed chronic cholecystitis and gallstone, however, ERC revealed severe obstruction of the cystic duct and EUS revealed dilation of that duct and a solitary mass there. Carcinoma of the cystic duct was diagnosed, and we performed cholecystectomy and resection of the extrahepatic duct with two-field lymphadenectomy. The pathological specimen showed a round flat elevated mass localized in the cystic duct. Histopathologically, the diagnosis was well differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma of the cystic duct with limy bile and tiny gallstone.

Essential role of protein kinase C zeta in transducing a motility signal induced by superoxide and a chemotactic peptide, fMLP.

Under various pathological conditions, including infection, malignancy, and autoimmune diseases, tissues are incessantly exposed to reactive oxygen species produced by infiltrating inflammatory cells. We show augmentation of motility associated with morphological changes of human squamous carcinoma SASH1 cells, human peripheral monocytes (hPMs), and murine macrophage-like cell line J774.1 by superoxide stimulation. We also disclose that motility of hPMs and J774.1 induced by a chemotactic peptide (N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine [fMLP]) was inhibited by superoxide dismutase or N-acetylcystein, indicating stimulation of motility by superoxide generated by fMLP stimulation. In these cells, protein kinase C (PKC) zeta was activated to phosphorylate RhoGDI-1, which liberated RhoGTPases, leading to their activation. These events were inhibited by dominant-negative PKCzeta in SASH1 cells, myristoylated PKCzeta peptides in hPMs and J774.1, or a specific inhibitor of RhoGTPase in SASH1, hPMs, and J774.1. These results suggest a new approach for manipulation of inflammation as well as tumor cell invasion by targeting this novel signaling pathway.

[Evaluation of the endoprosthesis by metallic stent and tube stent for malignant biliary stenosis].

We evaluated the effect of biliary endoprotheses for 20 malignant stenosis patients by an expandable metallic stent and hydrophilic heparinized tube (H-PSD) connected to an implantable port (IP), which reduces bacterial adherence. Group A consisted of 6 patients of cholangiocarcinoma who underwent hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy associated with radiotherapy. Groups B and C consisted of 8 and 6 patients of stage IVa and IVb pancreatic carcinoma, respectively, who underwent hepatic and splenic arterial infusion chemotherapy following transcatheter peripancreatic arterial embolization. The 50% patent time was 12 months, 6 months and 7 months in groups A, B and C and the 50% overall survival time was 16 months, 23 months and 13 months, respectively. There were two complications, 1 case of infection around the IP in which the IP was withdrawn, and 3 cases of cholangitis in which we had easy access to the bile duct via IP. This technique appears to offer significant benefit in selecting patients with this type of biliary obstruction.

[Intraperitoneal and intrapleural gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer].

We performed intraperitoneal and intrapleural dosing gemcitabine (GEM) to eight patients with advanced pancreatic cancer having peritoneal or pleural carcinomatosis and evaluated its actions and safety. GEM (500 mg/m2) was infused into the abdominal cavity or thoracic cavity after drainage of peritoneal or pleural effusion. We checked the change of serum GEM concentration and the side effects after the GEM administration. Then, we repeated the GEM administration observing their systematic symptoms and evaluated the alteration of peritoneal or pleural effusion and cytology. Plasma concentration of GEM by infusing into the abdominal cavity or thoracic cavity was lower than by intravenous injection. In three of the five cases of peritoneal carcinomatosis, intraperitoneal administration revealed a decrease of peritoneal effusion. In two of the three cases of pleural carcinomatosis, intrapleural administration revealed a decrease of pleural effusion. Four cases had leukocytopenia of grade 1/2, three cases had thrombocytopenia, and two cases had alopecia as side effects, although all of them were minor side effects. Intraperitoneal and intrapleural dosing GEM had minor side effects and could improve QOL for the patients with advanced pancreatic cancer associated with peritoneal or pleural carcinomatosis.

Donor cell derived acute myeloid leukemia after allogeneic cord blood transplantation in a patient with adult T-cell lymphoma.

We report a patient with adult T-cell lymphoma who developed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after allogeneic cord blood transplantation (CBT). Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) studies and molecular analysis using short tandem repeat (STR) sequences proved the AML to be of donor origin. Although 25 cases of donor cell leukemia (DCL) occurring after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation have previously been reported, there have been no reports of DCL after CBT. This case is the first-reported DCL patient after CBT.

Analysis of local control in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma according to the WHO classification.

PURPOSE: To analyze the influence of radiotherapy doses, chemotherapy doses, and clinical parameters on in-field disease control to assess the optimal radiation doses for treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma according to the newly proposed WHO classification. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Subjects consisted of 35 extranodal marginal-zone B-cell lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type, 75 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL), 14 follicular lymphomas, 17 extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphomas, nasal type, eight unclassified peripheral T-cell lymphomas, four anaplastic large-cell lymphomas, T/null cell type, and five others. 59 patients received radiotherapy alone. 98 patients received CHOP, modified CHOP, or more intensive chemotherapy, and six patients were treated with other combination. RESULTS: No patients with MALT lymphoma had in-field local recurrence. There were no recurrences in DLBCL patients who received chemotherapy in which the doses of adriamycin were > 200 mg/m(2), nor in DLBCL patients who were treated with > 45 Gy. Only nine of 15 patients with T-cell lymphoma treated with < or = 50 Gy and three of five patients treated with > 50 Gy had local control. The dose of adriamycin had no influence on local control of T-cell lymphoma. CONCLUSION: T/NK-cell lymphomas were more radioresistant than B-cell lymphomas. The prognosis for peripheral T/NK-cell lymphomas is poor even when treated by irradiation combined with chemotherapy.

Selective embolization of the splenic vein in patients with hepatic encephalopathy and splenorenal shunt.

Obliteration of portal-systemic shunts is effective for portosystemic encephalopathy but is often associated with complications such as retention of ascites and worsening of esophageal varices. Selective embolization of the splenic vein was performed on six patients with hepatic encephalopathy and splenorenal shunts. Hepatic encephalopathy was not observed in four patients after the procedure. Neither retention of ascites nor rupture of esophageal varices was observed because postoperative elevation of portal venous pressure was not as great as that seen when shunt obliteration is performed. This procedure can be an effective and safe treatment option for hepatic encephalopathy with a splenorenal shunt.

[A devised method of hepatic and splenic arterial infusion chemotherapy after transcatheter peripancreatic arterial embolization for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer].

We previously reported the clinical efficacy based on hepatic and splenic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HSAIC) for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer after transcatheter peripancreatic arterial embolization (TPPAE). However, this medical treatment pointed out a few problems in which the method had its complexity and a limited use of embolus micro-coil numbers. Then, we tried to improve the method in solving those problems. In order to reduce the embolus micro-coil numbers for TPPAE, we divided the micro-coil into several parts. We also devised the method of HSAIC. We used one catheter with a side hole, so that the catheter was able to supply a therapeutic drug for arterial infusion chemotherapy, both to the common hepatic artery and splenic artery. The effective rate for eleven cases was 72.7%, and there were no significant differences from the cases treated with the conventional method of TPPAE-HSAIC. Therefore, the devised treatment was considered to be an easy and useful method for TPPAE and HSAIC.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 is a prognostic factor in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) represents a heterogeneous group of tumors that vary with regard to their biologic aggressiveness and clinical course. In in vitro studies, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) was reportedly expressed by human NHL cells and elevated levels of MMP9 have been observed in a subset of patients with high-grade NHL. METHODS: The expression of MMP2 and MMP9 was evaluated in 158 patients with NHL and the relation between the expression of these proteins and clinicopathologic factors was analyzed. All but 1 patient had received radiation therapy and 92 patients also were treated with intensive combination chemotherapy. RESULTS: Nearly all the patients with extranodal natural killer NK/T-cell lymphoma nasal type and anaplastic large cell lymphoma, T-cell/null cell type expressed MMP9. In contrast, only a small fraction of the patients with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas and follicular lymphomas expressed MMP9. Approximately 50% of the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cases expressed MMP9. The expression of MMP2 was noted in some of the patients with DLBCL and nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma. The overall survival rates of patients who expressed MMP9 were significantly lower than that of those who did not. Such a correlation was not demonstrated in MMP2 expression. When MMP9 expression was analyzed in DLBLC patients, the overall survival rates of patients who expressed MMP9 were significantly lower than those who did not express MMP9. Chemotherapy was associated with better overall survival in DLBCL patients who expressed MMP9. Overall survival rates of T-cell/NK-cell lymphoma patients who expressed MMP9 appeared to be lower than that in those who did not express MMP9. However, chemotherapy was not found to improve overall survival in patients who expressed MMP9. CONCLUSIONS: MMP9 expression was observed in patients with aggressive NHL and was characterized by poor overall survival.

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in a patient with T-prolymphocytic leukemia with small-intestinal involvement.

Although T-prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is characterized by organ infiltration, small-intestinal involvement is rare. We performed an unrelated allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in a patient with T-PLL who had multiple lymphomatous polyposis of the small intestine refractory to combination chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisolone [COP] and fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide). The patient developed no graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and remains in complete remission 16 months after the transplantation. T-PLL is usually refractory to chemotherapy and is a T-cell malignancy with poor prognosis. There have been several reports on allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for T-PLL, but none on allo-HSCT for T-PLL patients with intestinal involvement. It is suggested that allo-HSCT may improve the prognosis in patients with T-PLL involving the small intestine.

[A case of gastric carcinoma with multiple skin, bone, and bilateral ovary metastasis; effective treatment by chemotherapy].

A 40-year-old female visited our hospital with general malaise. She was diagnosed with gastric carcinoma with multiple skin, bone, and bilateral ovary metastases. Chemotherapy with 5-FU (1,000 mg/w) and cisplatin (10 mg/w) was performed in the outpatient clinic. Two years after the initial diagnosis, CEA was elevated. She then was given chemotherapy of CPT-11 (40 mg/w) in the outpatient clinic after 1 cycle of combined chemotherapy of CPT-11 and cisplatin. She died 38 months after the initial diagnosis. Weekly 5-FU/CDDP or low-dose CPT-11 appear to be effective for such a gastric carcinoma with systemic metastases without impairing quality of life.

C(H)OP refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients in whom salvage chemotherapy chosen by evaluating multiple chemotherapeutic drug-resistant factors was remarkably effective.

It is well known that the expression of anticancer drug-resistant factors is elevated in patients with primary refractory or relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have been treated with chemotherapy. We report here two C(H)OP refractory patients with CLL in whom salvage chemotherapy chosen by evaluating anticancer drug-resistant factors (glutathione-S-transferase-Pi [GST-Pi], glycoprotein [GP]-170, multidrug resistance-associated protein [MRP], and lung resistance protein [LRP]) was remarkably effective. A 71-year-old male patient was refractory to induction therapy with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (COP), and his leukemic cells at diagnosis displayed overexpression of GST-Pi and GP-170. A 74-year-old female patient's condition had been stable; she had received ten courses of COP over 9 years. However, because systemic lymphadenopathies recurred, she was treated with chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) or dexamethasone, etoposide, ifosphamide, and carboplatin (DeVIC). However, she did not respond at all, and her leukemic cells at recurrence displayed overexpression of GST-Pi. Therefore, we chose for these patients a salvage therapy consisting of dexamethasone and high-dose cytosine arabinoside (Ara C), to which neither GST-Pi nor GP-170 show any drug resistance. In both patients, this salvage therapy proved effective.

Inhibition of type I procollagen production by tRNAVal CTE-HSP47 ribozyme.

BACKGROUND: Fibrosis characteristically occurs in the advanced stages of chronic inflammatory diseases, occasionally as the primary lesion, and frequently determines the disease prognosis. Fibrotic lesions consist mostly of collagen, and therefore it may be possible to prevent or treat fibrosis by inhibiting collagen production. Of the currently available therapeutic approaches, however, none is sufficiently effective and specific for inhibition of collagen. Heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) is a collagen-specific molecular chaperone that has been reported to play a pivotal role in secretion of procollagen molecules. Therefore, we have tried to suppress its function to inhibit these various types of collagen. METHODS: We have developed a novel type of ribozyme by ligating a hammerhead sequence to a tRNA(Val) promoter to facilitate displacing the ribozyme from nucleus to cytoplasm and to constitutive transport element, a binding motif of helicase which unwinds mRNA to render the target sequence on the mRNA accessible to the ribozyme. RESULTS: The ribozyme thus constructed showed strong activity to cleave HSP47 mRNA and suppress the secretion of type I procollagen in the human primary fibroblast. CONCLUSION: We suggest applicability of this ribozyme as a new modality for antifibrosis therapy.

[Treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia with imatinib mesylate resulting in hematological remission and marked regression of myelofibrosis].

We treated two chronic phase chronic myelogenous leukemia patients with imatinib mesylate. Hematological complete remission and significant regression of bone marrow fibrosis were observed in both patients. The large amount of TGF-beta produced by increased bone marrow megakaryocytes might have caused the myelofibrosis, and it was revealed that imatinib mesylate brought about regression of the myelofibrosis by reducing the number of megakaryocytes in both patients.