Background: A bleeding pseudoaneurysm in patients with chronic pancreatitis is a rare and potentially lethal complication. Optimal treatment of bleeding peripancreatic pseudoaneurysm remains controversial. This study reports on experience at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) in managing of bleeding pseudoaneurysms associated with chronic pancreatitis.

Recording of cancer diagnoses and survival estimates based on these diagnosis codes in the NHI database are generally consistent with the NCR. Studies using NHI database data must pay careful attention to eligibility and record linkage; use of both sources is recommended.

GC tends to exhibit more aggressive tumor behavior in young patients than in old patients; however, the surgical survival of young and old patients was similar. Advanced nodal involvement (N3) is the most important independent prognostic factor in the young.

Aggressive surgical management of pT4 gastric carcinoma should be limited to patients without adverse prognostic factors such as advanced nodal involvement and pancreatic invasion.

Approximately half (42%) of SAP deaths occur within 14 d and most were due to multiple organ failure. The late deaths of SAP were mostly due to infected necrosis.

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IH. Role of p38 mitogenactivated protein kinase pathway in estrogen-mediated cardioprotection following trauma-hemorrhage. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 292: H2982-H2987, 2007. First published February 9, 2007 doi:10.1152/ajpheart.01303.2006.-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activates a number of heat shock proteins (HSPs), including HSP27 and ␣ B-crystallin, in response to stress. Activation of HSP27 or ␣ B-crystallin is known to protect organs/cells by increasing the stability of actin microfilaments. Although our previous studies showed that 17␤-estradiol (E 2) improves cardiovascular function after trauma-hemorrhage, whether the salutary effects of E 2 under those conditions are mediated via p38 MAPK remains unknown. Male rats (275-325 g body wt) were subjected to soft tissue trauma and hemorrhage (35-40 mmHg mean blood pressure for ϳ90 min) followed by fluid resuscitation. At the onset of resuscitation, rats were injected intravenously with vehicle, E 2 (1 mg/kg body wt), E2 ϩ the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB-203580 (2 mg/kg body wt), or SB-203580 alone, and various parameters were measured 2 h thereafter. Cardiac functions that were depressed after trauma-hemorrhage were returned to normal levels by E 2 administration, and phosphorylation of cardiac p38 MAPK, HSP27, and ␣ B-crystallin was increased. The E2-mediated improvement of cardiac function and increase in p38 MAPK, HSP27, and ␣ B-crystallin phosphorylation were abolished with coadministration of SB-203580. These results suggest that the salutary effect of E2 on cardiac function after trauma-hemorrhage is in part mediated via upregulation of p38 MAPK and subsequent phosphorylation of HSP27 and ␣B-crystallin.

Background. Opinions regarding the impact of human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2 overexpression orHER-2 amplification on the prognosis of gastric cancer patients are mixed. The present study attempted to clarify this issue by investigating a large cohort of surgical patients.Methods. We investigated 1,036 gastric cancer patients undergoing curative-intent resection. Their surgical specimens were evaluated for HER-2 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and those with HER-2 expression levels of 2؉ were additionally subjected to fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Data on demographic and clinicopathological features and relevant prognostic factors in these patients were analyzed.Results. HER-2 positivity was noted in 64 (6.1%) of 1,036 gastric cancer patients, including 46 patients whose HER-2 expression level was 3؉ on IHC and 18 patients whose FISH results were positive. On univariate analysis, HER-2