PurposeWe evaluated outcomes of patients treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for locoregionally advanced or recurrent nonanaplastic thyroid cancer and analyzed the effect of EBRT volume on locoregional control.MethodsThis study included 23 patients with locoregionally advanced or recurrent nonanaplastic thyroid cancer who were treated with EBRT. Two different EBRT target volumes were executed as follows: 1) limited field (LF, n = 11) included the primary (involved lobe) or recurrent tumor bed and the positive nodal area; 2) elective field (EF, n = 12) included the primary (involved lobe) or recurrent tumor bed and the regional nodal areas in the cervical neck and upper mediastinum. Clinical parameters, such as gender, age, histologic type, recurrence, stage, thyroglobulin level, postoperative residuum, radioiodine treatment, and EBRT volume were analyzed to identify prognostic factors associated with locoregional control.ResultsThere were no significant differences in the clinical parameter distributions between the LF and EF groups. In the LF group, six (55%) patients developed locoregional recurrence and three (27%) developed distant metastasis. In the EF group, one (8%) patient developed locoregional recurrence and one (8%) developed a distant metastasis. There was a significant difference in locoregional control rate at 5 years in the LF and EF groups (40% vs. 89%, p = 0.041). There were no significant differences in incidences of acute and late toxicities between two groups (p >0.05).ConclusionsEBRT with EF provided significantly better locoregional control than that of LF; however, further larger scaled studies are warranted.

BackgroundAnaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies in humans, and its progression is poorly controlled by existing therapeutic methods. Curcumin has been shown to suppress inflammation and angiogenesis. In this study, we evaluated whether curcumin could augment docetaxel-induced apoptosis of ATC cells. We also analyzed changes in nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression levels to delineate possible mechanisms of their combined action.MethodsATC cells were cultured and treated with curcumin and docetaxel alone or in combination. The effects on cell viability were determined by MTS assay. Apoptosis was assessed by annexin V staining and confirmed by flow cytometric analysis. Caspase, COX-2, NF-κB levels were assayed by Western blotting.ResultsCurcumin combined with docetaxel led to lower cell viability than treatment with docetaxel or curcumin alone. Annexin V staining followed by flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that curcumin treatment enhanced the docetaxel-induced apoptosis of ATC cells. Additionally, curcumin inhibited docetaxel-induced p65 activation and COX-2 expression.ConclusionWe conclude that curcumin may enhance docetaxel's antitumor activity in ATC cells by interfering with NF-κB and COX-2. Our results suggest that curcumin may emerge as an attractive therapeutic candidate to enhance the antitumor activity of taxanes in ATC treatment.

Gastric perforation and tuberculous bronchoesophageal fistula (TBEF) are very rare complications of extra pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). We present a case of pulmonary TB with TBEF and gastric perforation caused by a multidrugresistant tuberculosis strain in a non acquired immune deficiency syndrome male patient. The patient underwent total gastrectomy with Roux enY endtoside esophagojejunostomy and feeding jejunostomy during intravenous treatment with antiTB medication, and esophageal reconstruction with colonic interposition and jejunocolostomy were performed successfully after a full course of antiTB medication. Though recent therapies for TBEF have favored medication, patients with severe stenosis or perforation require surgery and medication with antiTB drugs based upon adequate culture and drug susceptibility testing.

In patients with primary aldosteronism who have bilateral adrenal incidentalomas, it is important to identify which adrenal gland is secreting excess aldosterone. Traditionally, adrenal vein sampling (AVS) has been performed for lateralization despite its invasiveness. Here we report a case of bilateral adrenal incidentaloma in which 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) was used to identify the functional adrenal mass. A 53-yr-old man was referred to our clinic due to bilateral adrenal incidentalomas (right: 1 cm, left: 2.5 cm) on computed tomography (CT). Given his history of colon cancer, FDG-PET/CT scanning was used to rule out metastasis. Although there was focal hot uptake lesion in the right adrenal gland, the patient was suspected primary aldosteronism clinically more than metastasis because of the patient's underlying hypertension with hypokalemia. It was consistent with the results of AVS. Based on these findings, we propose that FDG-PET/CT can be used instead of AVS to identify the source of primary aldosteronism between two bilateral adrenal incidentalomas.

In this study, danmuji samples stored at 5 and 25℃ were examined for three weeks to observe the changes in the color, property of matter, and microorganisms of danmuji, and its sensory properties, during its storage. The difference in the brightness and redness of danmuji and danmuji filtrate as their storage period became longer was not big but was significant, and their yellowness decreased following storage at both 5 and 25℃. The hardness of the danmuji sample stored at 5℃ showed the greatest value at day 7 while that of the danmuji sample stored at 25℃ showed the greatest value at day 14. It was found in the examination of the total cell number of the stored danmuji that the total cell number was 10 5 CFU/g, with almost no change, but in the case of the danmuji filtrate, the cell number increased from the latter part of the storage. The number of yeast fungi increased until storage day 7 for both the danmuji sample stored at 5℃ and that stored at 25℃. The cell number of danmuji did not change since then while the cell number of the danmuji filtrate constantly increased. As for the sensory properties of each stored danmuji, the overall taste preference was highest at storage days 14 and 21 (5℃), and the overall scent preference was high for the danmuji that had been stored for 7 days (5℃), but there was no significant difference. The texture and color of and the overall preference for the danmuji stored at 25℃ significantly decreased as the storage period got longer. All in all, the preference for the danmuji stored at 5℃ was higher than that for the danmuji stored at 25℃, although there was no significant difference. Thus, it is thought that 5℃ is more appropriate than 25℃ as the storage temperature of danmuji products.

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This study was aimed at investigating whether dietary therapy using medicinal enzyme powder is effective in reducing constipation caused by loperamide in rats. Nine-week-old male Sprague Dawley were subdivided into 4 groups: normal diet group (C), loperamide treatment and normal diet (CL), medicinal enzyme powder diet (E), and loperamide treatment and medicinal enzyme powder diet (EL). Constipation was induced by subcutaneous injection of loperamide (1.5 mg/kg) 3 days prior to sacrifice. The treatment with loperamide led to an increase in weight gain, a decrease in the number and wet weight of fecal pellets, and a decrease in intestinal motility. The administration of the medicinal enzyme powder significantly reduced weight gain but increased intestinal mobility compared with the loperamide-treated group. The treatment with loperamide in the normal diet group reduced the activities of both suggesting that constipation may be involved in the low level of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT). Additionally, the loperamide treatment in the medicinal enzyme powder diet group increased the level of GOT, but reduced the level of GPT. Loperamide treatment also reduced cholesterol and increased the atherogenic index (AI) and cardiac risk factors (CRFs). Interestingly, the treatment with the medicinal enzyme powder effectively attenuated both the increase in AI and the reduction in high density lipopretein (HDL)-cholesterol, caused by the treatment with loperamide. Although there were no significant differences in the blood protein level, including hemoglobin and hematocrit, between the normal diet group and the loperamide-treated group, the administration of the medicinal enzyme powder to the loperamide-treated group effectively increased the levels of both hemoglobin and hematocrit. Collectively, the results demonstrate that the medicinal enzyme powder can help to combat the negative events caused by constipation.

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