Purpose: This study aimed to compare treatment options and outcomes based on peritoneal cancer index (PCI) among patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) of advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Methods: Between January 2016 and July 2019, clinicopathological data of patients with AGC diagnosed with PM were reviewed. Different treatment methods were performed according to the PCI score: (1) group A (PCI ≤ 13) received cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) with postoperative intraperitoneal (IP) and systemic chemotherapy (n = 29), while (2) group B (PCI > 13) received IP chemotherapy with systemic chemotherapy (n = 22). Results: Clinical outcomes of 51 patients at the Dankook University Hospital were reviewed. Group A had a significantly lower mean PCI score (9.8 ± 6.9 vs. 32.6 ± 7.1, P < 0.01) than group B, with 25 patients (86.2%) achieving complete cytoreduction. Complications occurred in 16 patients (31.4%), none of who suffered mortality (group A: 11 patients, 37.9% vs. group B: 5 patients, 22.7%; P = 0.25). Among the morbidity, 5 cases (17.2%) and 2 cases (9.1%) exhibited a Clavien-Dindo grade greater than III in groups A and B, respectively (P = 0.04). Groups A and B had an overall median survival time of 34.0 and 16.0 months, respectively (P = 0.03). Conclusion Patients with PM of AGC received different treatments according to their PCI score. When accompanied with careful patient selection, our approach may be considered an acceptable option for the treatment of PM of AGC.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare treatment options and outcomes based on peritoneal cancer index (PCI) among patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) of advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Methods: Between January 2016 and July 2019, clinicopathological data of patients with AGC diagnosed with PM were reviewed. Different treatment methods were performed according to the PCI score: (1) group A (PCI ≤ 13) received cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) with postoperative intraperitoneal (IP) and systemic chemotherapy (n = 29), while (2) group B (PCI > 13) received IP chemotherapy with systemic chemotherapy (n = 22). Results: Clinical outcomes of 51 patients at the Dankook University Hospital were reviewed. Group A had a significantly lower mean PCI score (9.8 ± 6.9 vs. 32.6 ± 7.1, P < 0.01) than group B, with 25 patients (86.2%) achieving complete cytoreduction. Complications occurred in 16 patients (31.4%), none of who suffered mortality (group A: 11 patients, 37.9% vs. group B: 5 patients, 22.7%; P = 0.25). Among the morbidity, 5 cases (17.2%) and 2 cases (9.1%) exhibited a Clavien-Dindo grade greater than III in groups A and B, respectively (P = 0.04). Groups A and B had an overall median survival time of 34.0 and 16.0 months, respectively (P = 0.03). Conclusion Patients with PM of AGC received different treatments according to their PCI score. When accompanied with careful patient selection, our approach may be considered an acceptable option for the treatment of PM of AGC.

The Bis protein is known to be involved in a variety of cellular processes including apoptosis, migration, autophagy as well as protein quality control. Bis expression is induced in response to a number of types of stress, such as heat shock or a proteasome inhibitor via the activation of heat shock factor (HSF)1. We report herein that Bis expression is increased at the transcriptional level in HK-2 kidney tubular cells and A172 glioma cells by exposure to oxidative stress such as H2O2 treatment and oxygen-glucose deprivation, respectively. The pretreatment of HK-2 cells with N-acetyl cysteine, suppressed Bis induction. Furthermore, HSF1 silencing attenuated Bis expression that was induced by H2O2, accompaniedby increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Using a series of deletion constructs of the bis gene promoter, two putative heat shock elements located in the proximal region of the bis gene promoter were found to be essential for the constitutive expression is as well as the inducible expression of Bis. Taken together, our results indicate that oxidative stress induces Bis expression at the transcriptional levels via activation of HSF1, which might confer an expansion of antioxidant capacity against pro-oxidant milieu. However, the possible role of the other cis-element in the induction of Bis remains to be determined.
Apoptosis ; Autophagy ; Cysteine ; Glioma ; Hot Temperature ; Kidney ; Oxidative Stress* ; Proteasome Inhibitors ; Quality Control ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Shock

No abstract available.
Angioedema ; Eosinophilia

It has been shown that CA repeats in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of bcl-2 mRNA contribute the constitutive decay of bcl-2 mRNA and that hnRNP L (heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L) interacts with CA repeats in the 3'-UTR of bcl-2 mRNA, both in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this study was to determine whether the alteration of hnRNP L affects the stability of bcl-2 mRNA in vivo. Human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells were transfected with hnRNP L-specific shRNA or hnRNP L-expressing vector to decrease or increase hnRNP L levels, respectively, followed by an actinomycin D chase. An RT-PCR analysis showed that the rate of degradation of endogenous bcl-2 mRNA was not affected by the decrease or increase in the hnRNP L levels. Furthermore, during apoptosis or autophagy, in which bcl-2 expression has been reported to decrease, no difference in the degradation of bcl-2 mRNA was observed between control and hnRNP L-knock down MCF-7 Cells. On the other hand, the levels of AUF-1 and nucleolin, transacting factors for ARE in the 3'UTR of bcl-2 mRNA, were not significantly affected by the decrease in hnRNP L, suggesting that a disturbance in the quantitative balance between these transacting factors is not likely to interfere with the effect of hnRNP L. Collectively, the findings indicate that the decay of bcl-2 mRNA does not appear to be directly controlled by hnRNP L in vivo.
3' Untranslated Regions ; Apoptosis ; Autophagy ; Breast ; Dactinomycin ; Hand ; Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein L ; Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; Phosphoproteins ; Ribonucleoproteins ; RNA, Messenger ; RNA, Small Interfering ; RNA-Binding Proteins

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the prevalence of asbestos exposure-induced pleural thickening on chest radiograph in repairing shipyard workers. METHODS: A total of 2,114 incumbent and retired workers in a shipyard underwent chest radiograph, questionnaire study, interview, and physical exam from 2005 to 2007. Finally, 1,702 workers were selected and classified into two groups according to asbestos exposure: exposure and non-exposure groups. The characteristics in the exposure group were investigated. RESULTS: The prevalence of pleural thickening on chest radiograph was 5.2 % and 3.1 % in the exposure and non-exposure groups, respectively (p<0.05). In those aged 50 years or above, the prevalence was 17.6 % and 8.7 % in the exposure and non-exposure groups, respectively (p<0.05). The prevalence was 16.5 % and 30.2 % and the odds ratio was 2.34 (95% CI; 1.15-4.77) and 2.95 (95%CI; 1.08-8.07) in the workers with an exposure duration of 20-29 years and more than 30 years, respectively. The prevalence was higher when considering tuberculosis history. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence was increased with increasing exposure duration was more than 20 years. The authors therefore suggest that this group should be followed up periodically by special program and that a longitudinal study with repairing shipyard workers as the cohort should be undertaken.
Aged ; Asbestos ; Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the prevalence of asbestos exposure-induced pleural thickening on chest radiograph in repairing shipyard workers. METHODS: A total of 2,114 incumbent and retired workers in a shipyard underwent chest radiograph, questionnaire study, interview, and physical exam from 2005 to 2007. Finally, 1,702 workers were selected and classified into two groups according to asbestos exposure: exposure and non-exposure groups. The characteristics in the exposure group were investigated. RESULTS: The prevalence of pleural thickening on chest radiograph was 5.2 % and 3.1 % in the exposure and non-exposure groups, respectively (p<0.05). In those aged 50 years or above, the prevalence was 17.6 % and 8.7 % in the exposure and non-exposure groups, respectively (p<0.05). The prevalence was 16.5 % and 30.2 % and the odds ratio was 2.34 (95% CI; 1.15-4.77) and 2.95 (95%CI; 1.08-8.07) in the workers with an exposure duration of 20-29 years and more than 30 years, respectively. The prevalence was higher when considering tuberculosis history. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence was increased with increasing exposure duration was more than 20 years. The authors therefore suggest that this group should be followed up periodically by special program and that a longitudinal study with repairing shipyard workers as the cohort should be undertaken.
Aged ; Asbestos ; Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis

Background: The risk of severe outcomes with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) delta variant remains low in children and adolescents, but less is known about its effect on the SARS-CoV-2-naïve population. This study evaluated clinical manifestations and risk factors for moderate-to-critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in mostly SARS-CoV-2-naïve children and adolescents in 2021. Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included patients aged 0–18 years who were hospitalized with COVID-19 at 8 referring hospitals in South Korea during the predeltapredominant and delta-predominant periods in 2021. Each case was labeled as either hospitalization with medical needs or for isolation. Severity was categorized as mild, moderate, severe, or critical with regard to pneumonia presence and illness severity. Results: Among 753 cases, most (99.5%) had no prior history of COVID-19 or vaccination against COVID-19. The proportions of hospitalization with medical needs (3.5% vs. 19.7%), moderate illness (0.9% vs. 4.0%), and severe/critical illness (0.8% vs. 5.3%) increased during delta predominance. The risk of moderate-to-critical COVID-19 among hospitalizations with medical needs was higher among patients aged 12–18 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5–11.8) and with obesity (aOR, 6.9; 95% CI, 2.4–19.6) but not among patients infected during delta predominance. However, children with obesity experienced more severe COVID-19 during delta predominance (aOR, 6.1; 95% CI, 1.2–29.6). Conclusion Despite its similar severity among most SARS-CoV-2-naïve children and adolescents, the delta variant may affect COVID-19 severity in those with high-risk underlying medical conditions. Underlying conditions, particularly obesity, may cause severe COVID-19 in children and adolescents, warranting strong consideration for vaccinating high-risk children.

Purpose: We designed a new regimen by combining intraperitoneal (IP) paclitaxel (PTX) with systemic S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX) for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis. This dose-escalation study aimed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended dose (RD) of IP PTX administered weekly to patients. Materials and Methods: Eight cycles of IP PTX plus SOX regimen were administered to the patients. S-1 was administered orally twice daily at a dose of 80 mg/m2 /day for 14 consecutive days, followed by 7 days of rest. Intravenous oxaliplatin was administered at a fixed dose of 100 mg/m2 on day 1, while IP PTX was administered on days 1 and 8. The initial dose of IP PTX was 40 mg/m2 , and the dose escalation was set in units of 20 mg/m2 up to 80 mg/m2 . Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were defined as grade 3 non-hematologic toxicities, grade 4 leukopenia, grade 3 febrile neutropenia, and grade 3 thrombocytopenia. Results: Nine patients were included in the study. No DLTs were observed in any of the enrolled patients. Therefore, the MTD was not reached, and the RD of IP PTX was determined to be 80 mg/m2 . Four patients (44%) showed a decreased peritoneal cancer index score on second-look laparoscopic examination. Conclusions The present study determined the dose for further clinical trials of IP PTX to be 80 mg/m2 , when combined with a systemic SOX regimen.

Objective: We aimed to ascertain the occurrence and characteristics of CRE isolated from companion animals, dogs and cats. Methods: E. coli strains were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using the broth microdilution technique. Antimicrobial resistance genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing analysis. The molecular characteristics of CRE were determined using multi-locus sequence typing, replicon typing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results: In total, 13 CRE isolates (0.13%) were identified from dogs possessing blaNDM-5 along with β-lactamase genes, mostly blaCMY-2 (92.2%) and blaTEM-1 (53.8%). The commonly observed mutations were S83L and D87N in gyrA, S80I in parC, and S458A in parE. CRE carried nonbeta-lactam resistance genes, with the majority being tet(B) (100%), sul (84.6%), and aac(3)-II (53.8%). Nine different PFGE patterns (P1–P9), IncX3-type plasmids (69.2%), and ST410 (84.6%) were predominantly detected. Conclusions and Relevance: This investigation provides significant insight into the prevalence and molecular characteristics of blaNDM-5 -carrying E. coli in dogs. The co-existence of blaNDM-5 and other antimicrobial resistance genes in E. coli potentially poses severe health hazards to humans.