Age-dependent sex difference of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in TSOD and db/db mice.

According to previous clinical studies, the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is higher in men than women only during the reproductive age. Animal models of NAFLD that reflect sex differences in humans have not been established. In this study, we examined sex differences in the hepatic lesions of Tsumura Suzuki obese diabetes (TSOD) and db/db mice, which are representative genetic models of NAFLD. Male and female TSOD and db/db mice were fed with a normal diet and tap water ad libitum. Six male and female mice of each strain were sacrificed at the ages of 3 and 9 months, respectively, and serum biochemical, pathological, and molecular analyses were performed. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were significantly higher in male than female mice of both strains at the age of 3 months; however, at 9 months, significant sex differences were not observed. Similarly, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were significantly higher in male mice than in female TSOD mice at the age of 3 months; however, at 9 months, significant sex differences were not observed. Image analysis of histological slides revealed that the frequency of the steatotic area was significantly higher in male than female db/db mice at the age of 3 months; however, significant sex differences were not observed at 9 months. The frequency of Sirius red-positive fibrotic area was significantly higher in male than female mice in both strains at the age of 3 months; however, significant sex differences were not observed at 9 months. Serum AST and ALT levels and hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in TSOD and db/db mice showed age-dependent sex differences consistent with those observed in human NAFLD. These mice may be suitable for studying sex differences of the disease.

[Issues of Equalization of Cancer Genomic Medicine-Focusing on the Current Status in Nagasaki Prefecture].

Nagasaki University Hospital, which was designated as a"Designated Core Hospital for Cancer Genomic Medicine"by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2019, started an initiative for cancer genomic medicine in collaboration with 2 "Cooperative Hospital for Cancer Genomic Medicine"in Nagasaki prefecture. However, there are various issues such as 1 . eligibility criteria and strategies for inspections, 2 . training of specialized medical personnel, 3 . information dissemination and dissemination and enlightenment, etc. in the"equalization"of cancer genomic medicine in the prefecture, and we believe that measures against these issues are urgently needed.

A newly established monoclonal antibody against ERCC1 detects major isoforms of ERCC1 in gastric cancer.

Identifying patients resistant to cisplatin treatment is expected to improve cisplatin-based chemotherapy for various types of cancers. Excision repair cross-complementing group 1 (ERCC1) is involved in several repair processes of cisplatin-induced DNA crosslinks. ERCC1 overexpression is reported as a candidate prognostic factor and considered to cause cisplatin resistance in major solid cancers. However, anti-ERCC1 antibodies capable of evaluating expression levels of ERCC1 in clinical specimens were not fully optimized. A mouse monoclonal antibody against human ERCC1 was generated in this study. The developed antibody 9D11 specifically detected isoforms of 201, 202, 203 but not 204, which lacks the exon 3 coding region. To evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of this antibody, we have focused on gastric cancer because it is one of the major cancers in Japan. When ERCC1 expression was analyzed in seventeen kinds of human gastric cancer cell lines, all the cell lines were found to express either 201, 202, and/or 203 as major isoforms of ERCC1, but not 204 by Western blotting analysis. Immunohistochemical staining showed that ERCC1 protein was exclusively detected in nuclei of the cells and a moderate level of constant positivity was observed in nuclei of vascular endothelial cells. It showed a clear staining pattern in clinical specimens of gastric cancers. Antibody 9D11 may thus be useful for estimating expression levels of ERCC1 in clinical specimens.

Pulmonary interstitial emphysema is a risk factor for poor prognosis and a cause of air leaks.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary interstitial emphysema is a rare, abnormal condition in which air pressure from the alveolar airspace tears the adjacent interstitial tissues of the lung and causes the formation of cystic spaces. Pulmonary interstitial emphysema is a known indication for mechanical ventilation in premature infants with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, and it can be observed in various types of interstitial lung disease. Nevertheless, its pathogenesis and clinical impact remain unknown. METHODS: We reviewed data from 433 cases of interstitial lung disease from an external consultation archive. Multidisciplinary diagnosis along with clinical and follow-up data, including events of air leaks such as pneumothorax and mediastinal emphysema, were obtained and compared to those of 150 control cases of interstitial lung disease without pulmonary interstitial emphysema. RESULTS: We found 22 (5.1%) cases of interstitial lung disease with pulmonary interstitial emphysema. The diagnoses included idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (5/22 [22.7%]), pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (4/22 [18.2%]), chronic hypersensitivity pneumonia (4/22 [18.2%]), and others (9/22 [40.9%]). Cases involving pulmonary interstitial emphysema demonstrated a significantly higher frequency of air leaks than did those without pulmonary interstitial emphysema (12/22 [54.5%] versus 23/150 [15.3%]; P < 0.001; odds ratio, 6.63) and were associated with worse prognosis (P = 0.009 [log-rank]) and a lower median percent forced vital capacity (73.2% versus 84.0%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We found that pulmonary interstitial emphysema is an independent factor for poor prognosis, which also shows a trend to cause air leaks, including pneumothorax and mediastinal emphysema.

Expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog and programmed cell death ligand 1 in adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung.

BACKGROUND: Lung adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) is a rare variant of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with poor prognosis. Certain biological differences may exist between these tumors and other common histological types of NSCLC, including adenocarcinoma (ADC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, which links oncogenes and multiple receptor classes to essential cellular functions, is activated by phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) loss. The PTEN loss has been suggested to induce programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in various cancer types. OBJECTIVE: Here, we sought to determine the relationships between the expression of PTEN and PD-L1 in each component of ASC with ADC and SCC, and clinical parameters. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Tissue microarrays of 148 cases of surgically resected lung ADC and 102 cases of SCC, as well as full sections from 28 ASC cases, were analyzed immunohistochemically for the expression of PTEN and PD-L1. RESULTS: PD-L1 expression was similar between the adenocarcinoma component of ASC vs. lung ADC and between the squamous component of ASC vs. lung SCC. PTEN loss was higher in lung ADC than in the adenocarcinoma component of ASC and significantly higher in lung SCC than in the squamous component of ASC. PD-L1 expression was higher in the squamous component than in the glandular component of the 28 ASC cases, but PTEN loss was similar. Overall, PTEN loss was higher in lung SCC than in lung ADC and both components of ASC. In lung SCC and glandular portions of ASC, PD-L1 expression levels were significantly associated with those of PTEN. The loss of PTEN correlated with smoking status in patients with lung ADC. CONCLUSIONS: Our results implied that both squamous and glandular components of ASC may share the same oncogenic driver pathway for carcinogenesis. However, the squamous cell components of ASC likely escape the immune surveillance better than the glandular components due to higher PD-L1 expression.

Ciliated muconodular papillary tumors of the lung with KRAS/BRAF/AKT1 mutation.

BACKGROUND: Ciliated muconodular papillary tumors (CMPTs) are newly recognized rare peripheral lung nodules that are histologically characterized by ciliated columnar, goblet, and basal cells. Although recent studies have shown that CMPTs constitute a neoplastic disease, the complete histogenesis of CMPTs is not fully understood and molecular data are limited. METHODS: We reviewed four cases of CMPT and performed immunohistochemical and genomic analyses to establish CMPT profiles. RESULTS: All cases were positive for hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α and mucin 5B and negative for programmed death ligand 1 expression, as determined by immunohistochemistry. The genetic analysis revealed three pathogenic mutations (BRAF V600E, AKT1 E17K, and KRAS G12D), with the KRAS mutation reported here for the first time. CONCLUSION: Histological and genetic profiles indicate that CMPTs are likely neoplastic and exhibit features similar to mucinous adenocarcinoma. This suggests that some CMPTs may be a precursor lesion of mucinous adenocarcinoma.