Publications by authors named "Ikuko Torii"

Background: Complete endoscopic resection of superficial non-ampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (SNADETs) is technically difficult, especially with an extremely high risk of adverse event (AE), although various endoscopic resection methods including endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), underwater EMR (UEMR), and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) have been tried for SNADETs. Accordingly, a novel simple resection method that can completely resect tumors with a low risk of AEs should be developed.

Aims: A resection method of Noninjecting Resection using Bipolar Soft coagulation mode (NIRBS) which has been reported to be effective and safe for colorectal lesions is adapted for SNADETs.

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We report a case of epidermoid metaplasia of the esophageal mucosa that developed in a patient with a long history of esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis (EIPD) complicated by candidiasis. The patient, a 69-year-old man, had been treated for about 3 years for EIPD with candidiasis. After candidiasis improved, the development of epidermoid metaplasia of the esophageal mucosa was observed.

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Treatment involving the insertion of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices has markedly improved the prognosis of cardiac sarcoidosis. However, the prognosis remains poor in patients with advanced cardiac dysfunction or heart failure. We herein report the clinical course and histopathological findings of the autopsied heart of a patient with cardiac sarcoidosis with long-term refractory heart failure.

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Severe ventricular arrhythmias such as high-grade atrioventricular block and ventricular tachycardia may cause lethal conditions or sudden death in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). Physicians should examine patients carefully for these conditions and treat them appropriately. As arrhythmias are being better diagnosed and treated, physicians are increasingly aware of atrial arrhythmias, which have not been focused upon as CS-related conditions, in patients with CS.

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A 70-year-old man was referred to our department for further examination and treatment of a painless penile mass of about 2cm. The patient first noticed the mass onlya few weeks before presentation. Diagnostic biopsy was interpreted as leiomyosarcoma.

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Introduction: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a highly aggressive malignancy in which the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway plays a critical role in the regulation of tumorigenesis. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a major component of the extracellular matrix, and elevated HA levels with a concurrent increase in malignant properties are associated with MPM.

Methods: We evaluated the effects of trametinib, a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitor, and 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU), an HA synthesis inhibitor, alone and in combination on MPM cells in vitro and in vivo.

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Food allergies are driven by aberrant T helper (Th) 2 cells. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) influences the development of Th2-mediated diseases, but its role in food allergy and tolerance remains unclear. To address this issue, we established mouse models presenting allergic or tolerant responses to ovalbumin (OVA).

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Abstract A 78-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with right upper abdominal pain and fever. His general condition was poor. The laboratory data showed severe inflammatory reactions.

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IgM exists as both a monomer on the surface of B cells and a pentamer secreted by plasma cells. Both pre-immune "natural" and antigen-induced "immune" IgM antibodies are important for protective immunity and for immune regulation of autoimmune processes by recognizing pathogens and self-antigens. Effector proteins interacting with the Fc portion of IgM, such as complement and complement receptors, have thus far been proposed but fail to fully account for the IgM-mediated protection and regulation.

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Malignant mesothelioma is an asbestos-related malignancy that arises primarily from mesothelial cells on the serosal surfaces of the pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial cavities. Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is most common, and its incidence is dramatically increasing worldwide as a result of widespread use of asbestos. Morphological discrimination between MPM and reactive mesothelial hyperplasia is difficult, and the most reliable pathological criterion for malignancy is mesothelial proliferation invading deeply into subpleural adipose tissues.

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Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) remains suffering poor prognosis in spite of recent diagnostic and therapeutic progress. Although there is currently no established evidence, early diagnosis and early intervention may play a key role to improve prognosis of MPM, similarly to other malignancies. As pleural effusion is usually the first clinical sign of MPM, pleural effusion cytology is often the first diagnostic examination to be carried out.

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Alveolar adenoma is a rare pulmonary neoplasm. This report describes a case of alveolar adenoma of the lung in a 61-year-old woman. A chest X-ray demonstrated a solitary round pulmonary nodule.

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Aims: Perianal fistulae are often observed in patients with Crohn's disease (CD), although the development of associated adenocarcinomas is very rare. The origin of adenocarcinomas in perianal fistulae associated with CD remains controversial and includes adjacent anal glands or rectal mucosa. Here, we attempted to determine the origin.

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Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a refractory tumor with increasing incidence. In the present study, we established six mesothelioma cell lines possessing two allele deletions of the p16(INK4A) gene and one allele deletion of the neurofibromatosis type 2 gene, MM16, MM21, MM26, MM35, MM46 and MM56, from pleural effusion fluids or surgically resected tumors of Japanese patients. MM21, MM26 and MM46 cells failed to develop tumors in BALB/c-nude mice following subcutaneous inoculation.

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Conclusions: CD44 expression in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) is closely associated with poor prognosis for patients. CD44 may serve as a prognostic marker for hypopharyngeal SCCs.

Objectives: CD44, an adhesion molecule binding to extracellular matrix, is believed to participate in the progression of malignancies.

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Ulcerative colitis (UC) complicated by colonic lymphoma is rare, although UC is often accompanied by adenocarcinoma of the colon. A concurrent existence of adenocarcinoma and lymphoma in a patient with UC is extremely rare, and has not yet been analyzed at the molecular level. We report a 64-year-old female patient with concomitant adenocarcinoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in the colon of UC.

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Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a refractory tumor with poor prognosis associated with asbestos exposure. Pleural effusion is frequently observed in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, and cytological analysis is effective to detect malignant pleural mesothelioma. However, cytological discrimination between malignant pleural mesothelioma and reactive mesothelium is often difficult.

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The diagnosis of multiple primary lung cancer is sometimes difficult when multiple lung tumors with the same histologic type are identified. We now present a case of synchronous double primary lung adenocarcinomas (one in the right upper lobe and another in the right middle lobe) diagnosed based on mutational analysis of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, although clinico-pathological findings suggested the diagnosis of intrapulmonary metastasis. After complete resection, pathological sections revealed the similar pathological features of two adenocarcinomas and unexpected subcarinal nodal metastasis.

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Well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma (WDPM) is an uncommon tumor with a papillary architecture, bland cytologic features, a tendency toward superficial spread without invasion, and good prognosis with prolonged survival. WDPM occurs primarily in the peritoneum of women, but also rarely in the pleura. We here report a case of 48-year-old woman who developed WDPM in the pleura with no history of asbestos exposure.

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Although Fc receptors (FcRs) for switched immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes have been extensively characterized, FcR for IgM (FcmuR) has defied identification. By retroviral expression and functional cloning, we have identified a complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding a bona fide FcmuR in human B-lineage cDNA libraries. FcmuR is defined as a transmembrane sialoglycoprotein of approximately 60 kD, which contains an extracellular Ig-like domain homologous to two other IgM-binding receptors (polymeric Ig receptor and Fcalpha/muR) but exhibits an exclusive Fcmu-binding specificity.

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Aim: To explore useful prognostic factors for mucinous adenocarcinoma (MAC) in the colon and rectum.

Methods: MAC was divided into low- and high-grade types based on the degree of structural differentiation; low-grade MAC arisen from well to moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma and papillary carcinoma, and high-grade MAC from poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma and signet ring cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemically, the expression of 2 types of MUC1 (MUC1/DF and MUC1/CORE), MUC2, 2 types of MUC5AC (MUC5AC/CHL2 and HGM), MUC6, CDX2, and CD10 was examined in 16 cases of MAC consisting of 6 low- and 10 high-grade types.

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Objective: Mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the branch duct type (IPMN-BD) differ in biological and clinical behaviors, but MCN is often misdiagnosed as IPMN-BD. The purpose of this study was to find useful markers for the differential diagnosis of MCN and IPMN-BD.

Methods: Immunohistochemically, the expression of the 2 types of mucin (MUC) 1 (MUC1/DF3 and MUC1/CORE), MUC2, MUC5AC, MUC6, human gastric mucin (HGM), caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2), CD10, cytokeratin (CK) 7, and CK20 was examined in 7 cases of MCN and 16 cases of IPMN-BD.

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Paired Ig-like receptors of activating (PIR-A) and inhibitory (PIR-B) isoforms are expressed by many hematopoietic cells, including B lymphocytes and myeloid cells. To determine the functional roles of PIR-A and PIR-B in primary bacterial infection, PIR-B-deficient (PIR-B(-/-)) and wild-type (WT) control mice were injected i.v.

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We present a rare case of perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) in the right 6th rib of a 28-year-old man. A plain computed tomography scan showed a round osteolytic lesion in the right 6th rib. The resected tissue contained a globular-shaped, soft tumor.

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