Claudin-6 is a single prognostic marker and functions as a tumor-promoting gene in a subgroup of intestinal type gastric cancer

Gastric Cancer - We aimed to identify novel tumor-promoting drivers highly expressed in gastric cancer (GC) that contribute to worsened prognosis in affected patients. Genes whose expression was...     

Crohn's ileocolitis with initially superimposed cytomegalovirus infection, resembling intestinal tuberculosis]

We describe a case of 41-year-old Japanese man with Crohn's ileocolitis and cytomegalovirus infection, confirmed by histology of ileal ulcers. Although his colonoscopic and radiological features resembled those of intestinal tuberculosis, granulomas of typical Crohn's disease were evident on histology of biopsy specimens taken from the duodenum and colon. The lesions remain unchanged even after 1.5 years by oral administration of salazosulphapyridine 3g daily.     

Ryanodine: its possible mechanism of action in the caffeine-sensitive calcium store of smooth muscle

The caffeine-sensitive intracellular Ca store was characterized and the mechanism of action of ryanodine in the store was studied using K-depolarized guinea-pig taenia caecum. (1) After incubation of the preparation with CaCl₂ (Ca loading), caffeine was applied in Ca-deprived medium, to produce a transient contraction and to monitor the amount of the stored Ca. As duration of Ca deprivation was prolonged, the amplitude of the caffeine-induced contraction was decreased. When ryanodine was applied during Ca deprivation, the rate of the decrease was remarkably accelerated. (2) The rate of rise of the contraction induced by external Ca ((Ca)o) was slowed by preceding depletion of the stored Ca by caffeine, compared with that observed in the Ca loaded preparation. However, in the presence of ryanodine, even if stored Ca was depleted by caffeine, the rate of rise of the (Ca)o-induced contraction remained at a higher level. (3) These results suggest that ryanodine stimulates a leak of the stored Ca, and that the contraction induced by the transmembrane influxed Ca could be modulated by the amount of Ca in, or leakiness of, the caffeine-sensitive Ca store.     

Translocation (1;22)(p36;q11.2) with concurrent del(22)(q11.2) resulted in homozygous deletion of <Emphasis Type="Italic">SNF5/INI1</Emphasis> in a newly established cell line derived from extrarenal rhabdoid tumor

Malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT) is a highly malignant pediatric cancer, which arises in various sites such as the kidney, brain, and soft tissues. Cytogenetic studies have revealed alterations of 22q11 in MRT. Recently, deletions and mutations of the SNF5/INI1 locus in 22q11.2 have been reported in MRT, suggesting that SNF5/INI1 is a tumor suppressor gene for MRT. Here we report our molecular cytogenetic study for a newly established cell line from extrarenal MRT with t(1;22)(p36;q11.2). Consequently, the reciprocal translocation was associated with the interstitial deletion of a small segment including SNF5/INI1, and another, chromosome 22, showed terminal deletion, the breakpoint of which was located 70–80 kb centromeric to SNF5/INI1, resulting in homozygous deletion of SNF5/INI1 in this cell line.     

A CASE OF ALPORT'S SYNDROME

A 19-year-old female belonging to a family of Alport's syndrome was autopsied and her kidneys were examined in detail light and electron microscopically. The basement membrane was examined chiefly and the laminated thickening and/or splitting, looseness, irregularity and rail-like appearance of lamina densa were found in the glomerular, Bowman's capsular, tubular and interstitial capillary basement membranes. These findings were strongly suggestive of Alport's syndrome, whether or not the particles are seen in the basement membrane. In addition, Japanese reports on Alport's syndrome (total 48 families) were summarized and renal lesions were examined in comparison. It has been said that the prognosis is worse in the male than in the female, but according to our Investigation on case reports in Japan, the prognosis showed no difference between male and female.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">GPC5</Emphasis> is a possible target for the 13q31-q32 amplification detected in lymphoma cell lines

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) analyses have detected gains of copy number on 13q, especially at 13q31-q32, in cell lines and primary cases of various types of lymphoma. Since amplification of chromosomal DNA is one of the mechanisms that can activate tumor-associated genes, and because 13q amplification had been reported in various other types of tumors as well, we attempted to define by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) a common region at 13q31-q32 in which to explore genes that might be targets for the amplification events. Although the commonly amplified region we defined was relatively large (approximately 4 Mb), only one true gene, GPC5, was found there. GPC5 was over-expressed in lymphoma cell lines that had shown amplification, in comparison with those that had not. Our findings suggest that GPC5 is a likely target for amplification, and that over-expression of this gene may contribute to development and/or progression of lymphomas and other tumors.     

Increased release of glucuronoxylomannan antigen and induced phenotypic changes in Trichosporon asahii by repeated passage in mice

Clinically important fungi such as Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans are known to undergo phenotypic changes after repeated subculture or passages in vivo. However, there are no reports describing this phenomenon in Trichosporon species. This study investigated whether in-vivo passages of environmental isolates of Trichosporon asahii in mice changes their phenotype; three environmental isolates and 14 clinical isolates (from deep-seated infections) were used. The shape of the colony and cell type were observed, and the titre of glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) antigen and concentration of (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan were measured for each isolate. Changes in these features were also examined after three passages of the environmental isolates in mice. The shape of colonies and cell types were clearly different in environmental and clinical isolates. Furthermore, the clinical isolates released significantly higher levels of GXM antigen than environmental isolates (titre: log2 9.4 SD 0.7 versus log2 5.4 SD 1.4). The phenotype of passaged isolates was significantly different from the original environmental isolates with respect to the morphology of colonies and cell type and GXM release (titre: log2 10.0 SD 0.7 versus log2 5.4 SD 1.4). These results suggest that the phenotypic changes in T. asahii occur as a result of in-vivo passages. This process may allow a proportion of the fungal population to escape eradication by the host immune system, as GXM antigen is considered to protect the fungi against phagocytosis by polymorphonuclear leucocytes and monocytes in vivo.