[Two cases of colorectal cancer presenting with periodic, transient elevation of serum iron after chemotherapy including irinotecan].

It is known that the serum iron level shows a transient elevation after chemotherapy in some cases; however, the cause of this phenomenon has not been clearly described. We report two cases of colorectal cancer whose serum iron level demonstrated recurrent elevation after administration of irinotecan as a second-line chemotherapy. The transferrin saturation rate showed marked elevation together with serum iron. This fact indicates that the release of non-transferrin bound iron (NTBI) occurs and then, NTBI binds with transferrin immediately thereafter. Additionally, elevation of indirect bilirubin in case 1, and mild anemia in case 2 were observed after every course of chemotherapy. All these phenomena were synchronized with the fluctuation of the serum iron level. These observations suggest that the transient elevation of the serum iron was related with the release of the NTBI from red blood cells after chemotherapy including irinotecan.

[A case of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma with penicillin allergy successfully treated with levofloxacin, minomycin and rabeprazole].

A 52-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our Institute because of Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori)-positive gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue(MALT)lymphoma. Since she had a penicillin allergy, we could not eradicate H. pylori using the standard triple therapy including amoxicillin. Additionally, H. pylori was resistant to both clarithromycin and metronidazole. So she was treated with minomycin (MINO), levofloxacin (LVFX), and rabeprazole (RPZ) based on a drug sensitivity test. MINO+LVFX+RPZ appear to be a promising, appropriate, and well-tolerated eradication regimen for H. pylori demonstrating resistance to both clarithromycin and metronidazole, and for patients who are allergic to penicillin.

[Two cases of colorectal cancer presenting with periodic, transient elevation of serum iron due to hemolysis after chemotherapy including 5-FU].

The serum iron level reportedly shows transient elevation after chemotherapy in some cases. However, the cause of this phenomenon has not been clearly described. We report two cases of colorectal cancer whose serum iron level demonstrated recurrent elevation after chemotherapy. Both were advanced colorectal cancer cases with liver metastases, so we started chemotherapy with modified FOLFOX6+bevacizumab. After several courses, we changed the regimen to simplified LV5FU2+ bevacizumab in both cases. The serum iron level showed transient, periodical elevation irrespective of the therapeutic regimen. Additionally, indirect bilirubin also showed transient elevation, which was completely synchronized with the fluctuation of the serum iron level. These observations suggest that hemolysis is the main cause of periodic, transient elevation of serum iron level after chemotherapy including 5-FU.

[A case of retroperitoneal tumor successfully resected thanks to effective chemotherapy].

We reported a case of retroperitoneal immature teratoma with embryonal carcinoma. First, pathological diagnosis of sarcoma was made by fine needle aspiration, then secondary pathological diagnosis of suspected malignant schwannoma was made by a partial resection. The final pathological diagnosis by operation was immature teratoma with embryonal carcinoma. The preoperative diagnosis was difficult in this case, and the tumor had grown too large after partial resection to surgically resect. The effective chemotherapy reduced this tumor enough to allow successful resection. Although the prognosis of immature retroperitoneal teratoma is poor, this case has survived 10 years after operation without metastasis and recurrence.

Development- and age-associated expression pattern of peroxiredoxin 6, and its regulation in murine ocular lens.

Peroxiredoxin (PRDX) 6 is a unique member of the PRDX family. Its antioxidant and signaling properties are related to its expression level in cells. We studied development- and age-associated changes in PRDX6 expression in the murine lens. We also investigated the effects of dexamethasone (Dex), transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-alpha) on PRDX6 expression. Expression levels of PRDX6 mRNA in whole lenses isolated from postnatal day (PD) 1- to 18-month-old mice, and the effects of Dex, TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha on the expression of PRDX6 in lens epithelial cells (LECs), were monitored using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or Western blot. Localization of PRDX6 was studied using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. PRDX6 expression gradually increased in the lenses of 4-week- to 6-month-old mice and declined thereafter. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry revealed that PRDX6 was localized in the cytoplasm of LECs and in lens fibers. Intense PRDX6 staining was present in the whole lens on gestational days 14 and 18. The lenses of PD1 mice showed diminished nuclear fiber staining, while those of 4-week-old mice revealed lack of nuclear fiber staining but intense staining of the germinative zone. LECs treated with TNF-alpha or Dex showed higher PRDX6 expression, while TGF-beta1 down regulated expression. Thus, our results provide a topographic basis for understanding the role of PRDX6 in the lens.