Decreased expression of interferon-stimulated genes in B cells of patients with chronic hepatitis C during interferon-free therapy potentially suggests the eradication of hepatitis C virus in the B cells: A cohort study.

AIMS: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is monitored by the host innate immunity that includes the endogenous interferon (IFN), which up-regulates IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). HCV is both hepatotropic and lymphotropic, but HCV replication in lymphoid cells is a controversial issue. Here, we analyzed the mRNA levels of the ISGs in B cells of HCV-infected patients during antiviral therapy and investigated the effects of viral eradication. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-one patients with chronic hepatitis C and 26 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Levels of HCV RNA and mRNA of ISGs in B cells isolated from the patients were monitored before, during, and after antiviral therapy. RESULTS: HCV RNA was detected in B cells of 133/175 (76.0%) patients who achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) before therapy was started. The positive ratio of HCV RNA in B cells was higher in patients with genotype 1 and the non-major genotype of interleukin 28B. HCV RNA in B cells of most patients disappeared 1 week after antiviral therapy was started. The baseline expression of ISG mRNA was significantly higher in the patients than in the healthy volunteers. Levels of ISG mRNA were increased and remained high throughout the IFN-based therapy. In contrast, levels of ISG mRNA in patients who achieved SVR were significantly decreased 1 week after the IFN-free therapy was started and remained low during the therapy. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that IFN-free therapy potentially eradicated HCV in the B cells, leading to the down-regulation of endogenous ISGs. The level of ISG mRNA could be used as a marker for viral eradication in B cells.

Combination of laparoscopic and endoscopic approaches for neoplasia with non-exposure technique (CLEAN-NET) for gastric submucosal tumors: updated advantages and limitations.

Laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) for gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs) has been developed under the concept of resecting gastric tumors with both complete curability and preserving organ functions. Precise resection is obtained by classical LECS, however, concerns regarding intraoperative bacterial infection and dissemination of the tumor cells into the abdominal cavity by LECS with exposure technique still remain. To prevent these concerns, several LECS-related procedures with non-exposure techniques, such as combination of laparoscopic and endoscopic approaches for neoplasia with non-exposure technique (CLEAN-NET) and non-exposed endoscopic wall-inversion surgery (NEWS), have been reported to be safe and feasible. Classical LECS, CLEAN-NET, and NEWS have the same concept, however, each has its own different characteristic procedures; exposure or non-exposure technique, inversion of the tumor into or outer the lumen, retrieval of tumor per oral or through the abdominal cavity, and dominance in the role of the endoscopist or the laparoscopic surgeon. Familiarization with these procedure details is important to understand their indications, advantages and limitations, resulting in providing a tailored minimally invasive surgery for patients. The main scope of this review article is to introduce readers to the clinical application, procedure, and results of CLEAN-NET, both from previous literatures and from our experience, as well as to offer a closer look at its advantages and limitations while comparing with other LECS procedures from the viewpoint of introducing CLEAN-NET first.

Single-incision cholecystectomy in a patient with situs inversus totalis presenting with cholelithiasis: A case report.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the gold standard for the treatment of cholelithiasis, and many reports of single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy have been published in the past few years. Situs inversus totalis is a very rare condition, but the variant anatomy should not preclude a minimally invasive approach to surgery. We report a case of successful single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a patient with situs inversus totalis, describe the technical advantages, and review the literature.

[A case or resection of synchronous multiple liver metastases from rectal cancer after FOLFOX4 therapy].

A 7 0-year-old man with multiple liver metastases from rectal cancer was admitted to our hospital. From imaging inspection, a resection was determined to be difficult, so he was treated with FOLFOX4 therapy. After ten courses of FOLFOX4, the liver metastases showed 52% reduction in size and were judged to be PR. Therefore low anterior resection of the rectum, left lobectomy of the liver and partial resection of the liver(S7, S8)were performed. He was able to undergo curative surgery after FOLFOX4 therapy.

Natural killer-like T cell lymphoma of the small intestine: report of a case.

We report the case of a 77-year-old Japanese man with natural killer (NK)-like T cell lymphoma of the small intestine diagnosed after an emergency laparotomy for perforated peritonitis. Immunohistochemical staining of the tumor showed that the patient had CD3+ CD8+ CD30- CD56+ CD68- CD79a- UCHL-1+ EMA- LMP-1 NK-like T cell lymphoma. The patient had a history of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and was also diagnosed with T cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with T cell receptor (TCR) reconstruction in the Jgamma chain. Intestinal T cell lymphoma is uncommon and very few cases of CD56+ T cell lymphoma, otherwise known as NK-like T cell lymphoma, have been reported. The patient did not have a history of gluten-sensitive enteropathy (celiac disease). Multiple lesions appeared within months after the initial operation and his condition deteriorated rapidly. We think that this patient probably had NK-type granular lymphocyte-proliferative disorder (NK-GLPD) because the percentage of CD16+ CD56+ cells among peripheral blood mononuclear cells was elevated, at 21%. We report this case to help elucidate the relationship between underlying digestive organ disease and the development of intestinal NK-like T cell lymphoma. An accumulation of other such cases is needed to determine the etiology of this disease.