OBJECTIVE: We report a retrospective investigation of the prognostic value of bcl-2 and bax expression, and Ki-67 proliferative index in 42 astrocytic tumors. METHODS: We classified the astrocytic tumors and reviewed the clinical information and survival time. The sections were taken from surgically resected paraffin-embedded tissue and performed immunohistochemical stains for bcl-2, bax and Ki-67. RESULTS: The immunohistochemical stain for bcl-2 revealed a positivity in only two(4.76%) among forty-two cases. The immunostain for bax was positive in 35 cases(83.3%). However, the correlation between bcl-2 & bax expression and age, sex, tumor location, size, and histologic grade was not found. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, bcl-2 & bax expression and survival time in astrocytic tumors was no significance in log rank test(p>0.05). There were prognostic values between Ki-67 LI and histologic grade and between Ki-67 LI and survival time, respectively(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Bcl-2 and bax are not significant, whereas Ki-67 LI is suggested as a significant prognostic factor, associated with histologic grade and survival time of astrocytic tumors.
Coloring Agents ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and gene function of methyltransferase-like protein 27 (METTL27) in colon cancer, its association with immune infiltration and its prognostic significance. METHODS: We analyzed the expression levels of METTL27 in 33 cancers using R language and identified METTL27 as a differential gene in colon cancer. The related signaling pathways of METTL27 were analyzed by gene functional annotation and enrichment. SsGSEA algorithm was used to analyze immune infiltration, and logistic analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between METTL27 expression and clinicopathological features of the patients. Kaplan-meier analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed to construct a nomogram for evaluating the correlation between METTL27 expression and clinical prognosis. The expression level of METTL27 was further verified in colorectal cancer cell lines and 16 clinical specimens of colorectal cancer tissues using qPCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: METTL27 was highly expressed in 21 cancers, and its expression was significantly higher in colon cancer than in adjacent tissues (P < 0.001). METTL27-related genes were identified by differential analysis, and functional annotation revealed that METTL27 was significantly enriched in transmembrane transport and lipid metabolism, and 5 related signaling pathways were identified by GSEA. METTL27 expression was negatively correlated with different T helper cells and central memory T cells (P < 0.001). The patients with a high METTL27 mRNA expression had a poor survival outcome. Cox regression analysis showed that METTL27 expression was an independent prognostic factor of the overall survival. The expression level of METTL27 was significantly higher in the colorectal cancer cell line than in normal cells (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION METTL27 is overexpressed in colon cancer and is associated with a poor prognosis of the patients. A high expression of METTL27 showed is associated less T cell immune infiltration, suggesting the potential of METTL27 as a prognostic marker of colon cancer.
Colonic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Prognosis ; RNA, Messenger

Since the introduction of the concept of osseointegration, the success rate of dental implant has increased dramatically. So, the uses of dental implant in the treatment of partially or fully edentulous patients have played an important role in dental rehabilitation. Regardless of high success rate of dental implant, some amounts of fixtures cannot help failing. We can classify dental implant failure according to timing, causative factor, etc. This study is focused on dental implant fixture failure, occurring during preprosthetic stage. There are various reasons that cause implant failure on this periods, such as improper patient selection, poor bone quality, and periimplantitis, etc. We investigate the survival rate of 1058 fixtures, which installed in 306 patients in our clinic from January 1997 to December 1999, according to type, sex, location, fixture length and width, using Kaplan-Meier product-limit method and to compare each other with log-rank test. Overall survival rate was 96.80%, and 33 implants failed over the preprosthetic stage. Our survey data identified posterior location of mandible as being associated with implant failure(P<0.05).
Dental Implants* ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Mandible ; Osseointegration ; Patient Selection ; Peri-Implantitis ; Rehabilitation ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) in unresectable cholangiocarcinoma has been associated with improved survival. We report a single tertiary care center experience over the past 6 years. METHODS: Fifty-five patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma received PDT between 2004 and 2010. Plastic stents were placed after PDT to prevent cholangitis. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients (49%) showed Bismuth type IV, 22 (41%) showed Bismuth type III, and six (10%) showed Bismuth type I and II. Twenty patients (37%) received chemotherapy and radiation therapy, five (9%) received chemotherapy only; and one (2%) received radiation therapy only. Mean number of PDT sessions was 1.9+/-1.5 sessions (range, 1 to 9). Mean survival duration was 293+/-266 days (median, 190; range, 25 to 1,332). PDT related complications included three (5%) facial burn, three (5%) photosensitivity, and two (3%) rash. Kaplan-Meier analysis comparing the survival means of patients who received PDT and chemotherapy/radiation therapy (median survival 257 days; 95% confidence interval [CI], 166 to 528) versus who received PDT only (median survival 183 days; 95% CI, 129 to 224) showed no significant difference (log-rank p=0.20). CONCLUSIONS: PDT has a measurable impact on survival in unresectable cholangiocarcinoma but requires aggressive stenting posttherapy.
Bismuth ; Burns ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Photochemotherapy ; Plastics ; Stents ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Triazenes

OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy of porcine and rabbit antithymocyte globulins (ATG) in the treatment of severe aplastic anemia (SAA).

METHODSWe reviewed the clinical data of 43 SAA patients receiving porcine ALG treatment and 32 patients receiving rabbit ATG treatment between 2004 and 2013 in our hospital. The overall response rates of the patients at 6 month were compared, and the patients' survival in the two groups was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves.

RESULTSThe overall response rates at 6 months was significantly higher in porcine ALG group than in rabbit ATG group (79.07% vs 56.25%, P=0.034). The 5-year overall survival was also higher in porcine ALG group than in rabbit ATG group, but this difference was not statistically significant (86.047% vs 72.878%, P=0.190).

CONCLUSIONSPorcine ALG is superior over rabbit ATG in terms of hematological response but is comparable with rabbit ATG in view of the patients' survival and safety.

Anemia, Aplastic ; therapy ; Animals ; Antilymphocyte Serum ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Rabbits ; Retrospective Studies ; Swine

BACKGROUND: CD9, a member of the tetraspanin superfamily, is a tumor suppressor in many malignancies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of CD9 in colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) and determine clinicopathological and prognostic significance of its expression. METHODS: The CD9 expression status of 305 CRCs was evaluated using a semi-quantitative scoring system in tumor cells (T-CD9) and immune cells (I-CD9) by classifying the results as high and low expression. RESULTS: High T-CD9 (T-CD9 [+]) expression was detected in 175 samples (57.6%) and high I-CD9 (I-CD9 [+]) expression was detected in 265 samples (86.9%). Using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the T-CD9 (+) group showed a tendency for better disease-free survival (DFS) (p = .057). In left-sided tumors, DFS was significantly longer in the T-CD9 (+) group (p = .021) but no statistical significance was observed with right-sided tumors (p = .453). I-CD9 (+) CRCs significantly correlated with well/moderately differentiation (p = .014). In Kaplan-Meier analysis, the I-CD9 (+) group had a tendency towards worse DFS compared to the I-CD9 (–) group (p = .156). In combined survival analysis of T-CD9 and I-CD9, we found that the longest DFS was among patients in the T-CD9 (+)/I-CD9 (–) group, whereas the T-CD9 (–)/I-CD9 (+) group showed the shortest DFS (p = .054). CONCLUSIONS: High expression of T-CD9 was associated with a favorable DFS, especially in left-sided CRCs. Combined evaluation of T-CD9 and I-CD9 is required to determine the comprehensive prognostic effect of CD9 in CRCs.
Antigens, CD9 ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Prognosis

PURPOSE: To determine the malignant potential in clinically localised small renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (≤4cm) in patients using postoperative pathologic outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 2,085 patients in 7 urology centres with clinical T1a RCC who underwent nephrectomy. The pathologic upstaging group (PUG) was defined by pathologic T3a after the operation. Multivariate analyses were used to examine predicting factors for the risk of PUG. Next, Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to examine the PUG for worse recurrence-free survival during the follow-up period. RESULTS: The PUG had 73 patients (3.5%); they were older and had a larger tumour size than the other patients (all p<0.001). After adjusting for clinical characteristics, age (odds ratio [OR], 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.06) and tumour size greater than 3 cm (OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.21–3.11) were found to be independent predictors for the PUG after nephrectomy. Furthermore, the PUG had worse recurrence-free survival during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: In this multi-institution analysis, RCC 3 cm or greater in older patients had a high malignant potential compared to relatively small tumours in younger patients. These results may be helpful for stratifying patients to manage small renal masses.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nephrectomy ; Retrospective Studies ; Urology

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to assess the association between the pre-operative plasma fibrinogen level and the adjacent organ involvement in advanced gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 923 pre-operative plasma samples were obtained from 923 patients diagnosed clinically as having advanced gastric cancer, and fibrinogen levels were measured by immunoassay. Associations between fibrinogen levels and clinicopathologic findings (depth of tumor, adjacent organ involvement, and lymph node metastasis), along with survival were examined by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Tumor size, tumor depth, and the presence of lymph node metastasis were found to be positively correlated with the preoperative plasma fibrinogen levels (P<0.001). Fifty (5.4%) patients had adjacent organ involvement. Lymphatic invasion (P<0.001), tumor size (P<0.001), clinical T (depth of invasion) stage (P<0.001), and clinical nodal stage (P=0.018) were found to be associated with adjacent organ involvement. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses showed that a preoperatively elevated plasma fibrinogen level was associated with adjacent organ involvement (P<0.001, 0.028), and Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that it was associated with poorer survival (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma fibrinogen was found to be a clinically useful marker of adjacent organ involvement and overall survival. When a high fibrinogen level is encountered, preoperatively, adjacent organ involvement should be suspected in clinically advanced gastric cancer.
Fibrinogen ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Plasma ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: We analyzed outcomes of patients with prostate cancer undergoing either radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) +/- salvage radiation or definitive radiation therapy (RT) +/- androgen deprivation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2003-2010 there were 251 patients who underwent RRP and 469 patients who received RT (> or =7,560 cGy) for prostate cancer. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed with the log-rank test to compare biochemical control (bCR), distant metastatic-free survival (DMPFS), and prostate cancer-specific survival (PCSS) between the two groups. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 70 months and 61.3% of the men were African American. For low risk disease the 6-year bCR were 90.3% for RT and 85.6% for RRP (p = 0.23) and the 6-year post-salvage bCR were 90.3% vs. 90.9%, respectively (p = 0.84). For intermediate risk disease the 6-year bCR were 82.6% for RT and 59.7% for RRP (p < 0.001) and 82.6% vs. 74.0%, respectively, after including those salvaged with RT (p = 0.06). For high risk disease, the 6-year bCR were 67.4% for RT and 41.3% for RRP (p < 0.001) and after including those salvaged with RT was 67.4% vs. 43.1%, respectively (p < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in regards to DMPFS or PCSS. CONCLUSION: Treatment approaches utilizing RRP +/- salvage radiation or RT +/- androgen deprivation yielded equivalent DMPFS and PCSS outcomes. Biochemical control rates, using their respective definitions, appeared equivalent or better in those who received treatment with RT.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Prostate ; Prostatectomy* ; Prostatic Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mucosal healing (MH) is a proposed therapeutic goal for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Whether MH is the final goal for UC, however, remains under debate. Therefore, to elucidate clinical variables predicting relapse after MH in UC could be useful for establishing further therapeutic strategy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the predictive variables for relapse in UC-patients after achieving MH. METHODS: From April 2010 to February 2015, 298 UC-patients treated at Kitano Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. MH was defined as Mayo endoscopic subscore of 0 or 1. The cumulative relapse free rate after achieving MH was evaluated. Predictive variables for relapse in UC-patients were assessed by Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Of 298 UC-patients, 88 (29.5%) achieved MH. Of the 88 UC patients who achieved MH, 21 (23.9%) experienced UC-relapse. Based on Kaplan-Meier analysis, the cumulative relapse free rate at 1, 3, and 5 years after achieving MH was 87.9%, 70.2%, and 63.8%, respectively. The cumulative relapse free rate tended to be higher in the Mayo-0 group (76.9%) than in the Mayo-1 group (54.1%) at 5 years, although the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.313). Cox regression analysis indicated that the use of an immunomodulator was a predictive variable for relapse in UC-patients after achieving MH (P=0.035). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrated that the prognosis of UC patients after achieving endoscopic MH could be based on UC refractoriness requiring an immunomodulator.
Colitis, Ulcerative* ; Endoscopy ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Prognosis ; Recurrence* ; Retrospective Studies ; Ulcer*