Background Helicobacter pylori dupA can be divided into two types according to the presence or absence of the mutation. In addition, full-sequenced data revealed that dupA has two types with different lengths depend on the presence of approximately 600 bp in the putative 5' region (presence; long-type and absence; short-type), which has not been taken into account in previous studies. Methods A total of 319 strains isolated from Okinawa, the south islands of Japan, were included. The status of dupA and cagA was determined by polymerase chain reaction. The presence of mutations in long-type dupA was determined by DNA sequencing. Results The prevalence of long-type dupA was 26.3% (84/319). Sequence analysis showed that there were only 6 cases (7.1%) with point mutations lead to stop codon among 84 long-type dupA strains studied. Interestingly, intact long-type dupA without frameshift mutation, but not short-type dupA was significantly associated with gastric ulcer and gastric cancer than gastritis (P = 0.001 and P = 0.019, respectively). After adjustment by age, gender and cagA, the presence of intact long-type dupA was significantly associated with gastric ulcer and gastric cancer compared with gastritis (odds ratio [OR] = 3.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.55–7.24 and OR = 4.14, 95% CI = 1.23–13.94, respectively). Conclusions Intact long-type dupA is a real virulence marker for severe outcomes in Okinawa, Japan. The previous information gained from PCR-based methods without taking long-type dupA into account must be interpreted with caution.

MicroRNAs (miRs) are expected to serve as prognostic tools for cancer. However, many miRs have been reported as prognostic markers of recurrence or metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients. We aimed to determine the prognostic markers in early-stage tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). Based on previous studies, we hypothesized that miR-10a, 10b, 196a-5p, 196a-3p, and 196b were prognostic markers and we retrospectively performed miR expression analyses using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of surgical specimens. Total RNA was isolated from cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissue as control, and samples were collected by laser-capture microdissection. After cDNA synthesis, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed. Statistical analyses for patient clinicopathological characteristics, recurrence/metastasis, and survival rates were performed to discern their relationships with miR expression levels, and the 2−ΔΔCq method was used. miR-196a-5p levels were significantly upregulated in early-stage TSCC, particularly in the lymph node metastasis (LNM) group. The LNM-free survival rate in the low miR-196a-5p ΔΔCq value regulation group was found to be lower than that in the high ΔΔCq value regulation group (P=0.0079). Receiver operating characteristic analysis of ΔΔCq values revealed that miR-196a-5p had a P-value=0.0025, area under the curve=0.740, and a cut-off value=−0.875 for distinguishing LNM. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine LNM-related miRs in early-stage TSCC as well as miRs and ‘delayed LNM’ in head and neck cancer. miR-196a-5p upregulation may predict delayed LNM. Our data serve as a foundation for future studies to evaluate miR levels and facilitate the prediction of delayed LNM during early-stage TSCC, which prevent metastasis when combined with close follow-up and aggressive adjuvant therapy or elective neck dissection. Moreover, our data will serve as a foundation for future studies to evaluate whether miR-196a-5p can serve as a therapeutic marker for preventing metastasis.

No abstract

A) Introduction Okinawa is the southernmost islands in Japan. The climate is subtropical and largely different from mainland of Japan. There are various kinds of Okinawan specific plants and they have been eaten as food. Okinawa is also known as the region where has large number of centenarians. Okinawan specific plants could be the reason of longevity. Okinawan sweet potato is one of these specific plants. Since old times, Okinawan people have eaten the sweet potato leaves but this custom has not be seen in mainland of Japan. In fact, Okinawan sweet potato contains much higher polyphenols such as caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives than other vegetables. It is reported that CQA derivatives have anti-oxidative activity and anti-mutagenic activity. We examined the modifying effect of Okinawan sweet potato leave extract in two-step mouse colon carcinogenesis. B) Experimental procedures 71 male ICR mice, 5 week-old, were divided into 5 groups. Mice in groups 1-3 were given azoxymethane (AOM; 10 mg/kg body weight) by intraperitoneal injection once at experimental first week, and one week after AOM injection they were administrated 1.5% dextran sulfate sodium in drinking water for 7 days. Mice in group 1 were fed control diet (CE-2, CLEA Japan, Inc),and mice in groups 2 and 3 were fed diet contained Okinawan sweet potato leaves extract (200 ppm and 1000 ppm respectively). Mice in groups 4 and 5, which were not injected AOM, were fed diet contained Okinawan sweet potato leaves extract (1000 ppm), and control diet respectively. At 12 experimental week, all mice were sacrificed and the colon tissues were removed to count the number of preneoplastic lesion, aberrant crypt foci (ACF), and were histologically analyzed the nodules larger than 3mm on colonic mucosa. C) Results The mean number of ACF was 1.64±0.95 (/colon length cm) in group 1, 1.18±0.79 in group 2, 1.14±0.60 in group 3, respectively. In high dose treated rats (group 3), the appearance of ACF was slightly lower than that in group 1, although not significant (P = 0.09). Histopathologically, the most nodules were lymphoid follicles but some showed neoplastic lesions. The neoplastic lesions were revealed as adenoma or adenocarcinoma. The number of the neoplasm was 9, 8 and 2 in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The tumor incidence in group 3 was inhibited those in groups 1 and 2 (P<0.05 by Fisher exact test). No ACF and neoplastic lesions were observed in groups 4 and 5. D) Conclusion It was shown that Okinawan sweet potato leave extract has a possibility to prevent the development and progression of neoplasms in mouse colon carcinogenesis model. Citation Format: Saori Nakachi, Ai Tokeshi, Reika Takamatsu, Kazunari Arakaki, Masatsugu Uehara, Akira Iguchi, Junsei Taira, Naoki Yoshimi. The modifying effects of the extract from Okinawan sweet potato leaves in mouse colon carcinogenesis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 840.

Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast with widespread telangiectatic form of osteosarcomatous differentiationTo the Editor: Metaplastic carcinoma (MC) of the breast is relatively rare among invasive breast cancers. MC represents a heterogeneous group of neoplasms that show a variety of appearances which can be classified into five groups according to the 2012 World Health Organization classification of breast tumours: low-grade adenosquamous carcinoma; fibromatosis-like MC; squamous cell carcinoma; spindle cell carcinoma; and MC with mesenchymal differentiation. 1 In particular, MC with heterologous mesenchymal components is very uncommon. We describe a case of MC that showed widespread telangiectatic form of osteosarcomatous differentiation, and highlight the clinicopathological findings.A 73-year-old woman presented with a right subareolar enlarging cystic mass that had been identified 3 months earlier, during follow-up for gastric cancer. She had no history of breast tumor. The lesion enlarged from 13 to 40 mm within the 3 months from first identification. Aspiration cytology and core needle biopsy were performed, but a diagnosis could not be reached due to inadequate samples. After intraoperative excision biopsy revealed malignancy, right mastectomy and sentinel lymph node dissection were performed. DISCLOSURE STATEMENTNone declared.

No abstract

No abstract