A descriptive epidemiology in syphilis in Tokyo, 2019-2022.

The number of syphilis cases in Tokyo has been found to increase in recent years. We conducted a descriptive epidemiology to elucidate the actual status of syphilis. Data on age, sex, disease stage, and presumed sexual partner of syphilis cases reported in Tokyo were tabulated and analyzed. A total of 9,419 syphilis cases have been reported between 2019 and 2022. There was a particularly sharp rise in the number of reported cases from 2021 to 2022. Comparing 2020 to 2022, the number of syphilis cases among women in their 20s, rapidly increased, more than triple. Furthermore, the number of pregnant women among syphilis cases increased in 2022. Despite the rapid increase in the number of young women with syphilis, there has been no increase in cases of congenital syphilis. One of the reasons may be that syphilis was detected early in pregnancy due to the high antenatal checkup rate in Tokyo. However, the continued incidence of syphilis among young women may increase congenital syphilis in the future. Public health strategy should include educational activities targeting high-risk populations or adolescents, early and appropriate testing, and treatment for preventing progression of syphilis.

[The public system for dealing with incidental accidental report in Tokyo Metropolitan Government].

How to prevent medical adverse events and augment the public's confidence in healthcare has become an urgent one of the highest-priority medical policy issues in Japan. Accident reports for administrative organs are very usefully for patient safety, but are not concerned with the legal duty required under the Medical Act Law. Extending previous work, we established the public system following. First, we gave notice all hospital in Tokyo Metropolitan how incidental range should be reported. Second, we established "neutral center for collect incidental reports". Third, we established "Tokyo Metropolitan Patients' Advisory Service" that collects patient's complaints. We convince that cooperative actions with administrative organ, hospital and patients are very usefully for patient safety and should be extending in Japan.

[Screening of novel biomarkers for the detection of intraperitoneally disseminated cancer cells using human cDNA microarray].

In this study, we performed a global analysis of the differential gene expression of a gastric cancer cell line established from a primary main tumor (SNU-1) and that of other cell lines established from the metastasis to the peritoneal cavity (KATO-III, SNU-5, SNU-719, MKN45P, HS39). The application of a high-density cDNA microarray method made it possible to analyze the expression of approximately 21,168 genes. Our examinations of KATO-III, SNU-5, SNU-719, MKN45P, and HS39 showed that several genes were up-regulated in addition to expression of sequence tags (ESTs). The analysis revealed altered up-regulation of CD44 (cell adhesion), CEA, 14-3-3, Ubiquitin A and several kinds of ESTs in gastric cancer cells from malignant ascites. We then analyzed these gastric cancer cell lines with Northern blots and observed preferential up-regulation of these selected genes in cells prone to peritoneal dissemination. RT-PCR confirmed that several genes selected by DNA microarray were also overexpressed in clinical samples of malignant ascites. It is therefore considered that these genes may be related to the peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancers. The results of this global gene expression analysis of gastric cancer cells with peritoneal dissemination promise to provide new insights into the study of human gastric cancer peritoneal dissemination.

Mechanism of postoperative liver failure after excessive hepatectomy investigated using a cDNA microarray.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Excessive hepatectomy often causes fatal liver failure. We have reported that this is mainly mediated by apoptosis, characterized pathologically by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay-positive hepatocytes and a ladder pattern in DNA fragmentation assays. METHODS: To investigate the mechanism, we used cDNA microarray analysis to compare clearly differentiated rat partial hepatectomy (PHx) models (90% PHx, and 95% PHx). All 90% PHx rats survived, but the 95% PHx animals died of hepatic failure within 96 h. Remnant liver was obtained at four time points (1, 3, 12, and 24 h after PHx). After RNA extraction, two samples were labeled with different fluorescent dyes and hybridized to the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) set of 18 816 full-length enriched mouse cDNA arrays. Scanning for fluorescent dye signals was performed, and the mRNA expression ratio of the two models was examined. RESULTS: Genes of the p21 cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor, Fas, interleukin (IL)-18, and many caspases were upregulated at 1 h after PHx in the 95% PHx group. On the other hand, genes of Bcl-2, heat shock proteins, and glutathione-S-transferase were downregulated. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that fatal hepatic failure after excessive hepatectomy was characterized by increased apoptosis and diminished liver regeneration.

Identification of genes regulating colorectal carcinogenesis by using the algorithm for diagnosing malignant state method.

We studied the expression profiles of various stages of colorectal tumors (adenoma (AD), seven samples; carcinoma (CA), 16 samples) by using cDNA microarrays and developed ADMS (algorithm for diagnosing malignant state) method, selecting 335 clones characteristic of CA state. We, then, applied ADMS to 12 additional samples (five from primary lesions with metastasis and seven metastases); all 16 CAs and 12 metastatic tumors were diagnosed correctly as cancerous states. Although three of the seven ADs were diagnosed as "cancerous," the large size of two of these tumors suggested their potential malignancy. Our strategy for selecting clones characteristic of the malignant state is widely applicable to diagnosis and for predicting the stage of progression during multistep carcinogenesis. Of the 335 clones we selected, 135 were known genes. Included in the 135 genes were tumor suppressor and growth factor-related genes and were consistent with the literature. ADMS is a reliable means for identifying genes useful for the diagnosis of cancer.

Analysis of gene expression involved in brain metastasis from breast cancer using cDNA microarray.

BACKGROUND: Brain metastases occur in 15% to 30% of breast cancer patients, usually as a late event. The patterns of metastases to different organs are determined by the tumor cell phenotype and interactions between the tumor cells and the organ environment. METHODS: We investigated the gene expression profile occurring in brain metastases from a breast cancer cell line. We used cDNA microarrays to compare patterns of gene expression between the mouse breast cancer cell line Jyg MC (A) and a subline that often metastasis to brain, (B). RESULTS: By Microarray analysis about 350 of 21,000 genes were significantly up-regulated in Jyg MC (B). Many candidate genes that may be associated with the establishment of brain metastasis from breast cancer were included. Interestingly, we found that the expression of astrocyte derived cytokine receptors (IL-6 receptor, TGF-beta receptor and IGF receptor) were significantly increased in Jyg MC (B) cells. These results were confirmed by RT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that cytokines produced by glial cells in vivo may contribute, in a paracrine manner, to the development of brain metastases from breast cancer cells.