Association of polymorphisms in the haplotype block spanning the alternatively spliced exons of the NTNG1 gene at 1p13.3 with schizophrenia in Japanese populations

Chromosome 1p13 is linked with schizophrenia in Japanese families, and one of the candidate genes in this region is the netrin G1 (NTNG1) gene at 1p13.3. Associations of 56 tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with schizophrenia were explored by transmission disequilibrium analysis in 160 Japanese trios and by case-control analysis in 2,174 Japanese cases and 2,054 Japanese controls. An association between SNP rs628117 and schizophrenia was identified by case-control comparison (nominal allelic p=0.0009; corrected p=0.006). The associated polymorphism is located in intron 9 and in the haplotype block encompassing the alternatively spliced exons of the gene. Allelic association of a different SNP in the same haplotype block in Japanese families was previously reported. These findings support that the NTNG1 gene is associated with schizophrenia in the Japanese.

Relationship between expression of 5-fluorouracil metabolic enzymes and 5-fluorouracil sensitivity in esophageal carcinoma cell lines

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a key drug in the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Gene expression of 5-FU metabolic enzymes such as thymidylate synthase (TS), thymidine phosphorylase (TP), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) and orotate phosphoribosyl transferase (OPRT), has recently been investigated in order to predict the 5-FU sensitivity of several cancers. We examined the relationship between such gene expression and 5-FU sensitivity in 25 ESCC cell lines. TS, DPD, TP and OPRT mRNA levels were assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 5-FU in 25 ESCC cell lines were determined by cell proliferation assay. IC50 values for 5-FU ranged from 1.00 to 39.81 micromol/L. There were significant positive correlations between IC50 and TS mRNA expression (R(2) = 0.5781, P < 0.0001) and DPD mRNA expression (R(2) = 0.3573, P = 0.0016). There were no correlations between IC50 and TP or OPRT mRNA expression. TS and DPD mRNA expression levels may be useful indicators in predicting the anti-tumor activity of 5-FU in ESCC.

Changes in survival during the past two decades for breast cancer at the Kyoto University Hospital

AIMS

To report the changes in survival over 20 years of 775 breast cancer women operated between 1982 and 2003 at the Kyoto University Hospital in Japan, reflecting changes in clinical practice over that period.

RESULTS

Survival curves have significantly improved between the periods 1982-1989 and 1990-2003. The 5- and 10-year survival rates between these periods were 80.3% and 85.1%, and 67.5% and 75.0%, respectively. Moreover, there was a difference in overall survival curves of patients of stages II and III, of 35-54 ages, or of positive estrogen receptor (ER) status between these periods.

CONCLUSION

The present study presented the recent advance of the survival rates might be due to the rational development of breast cancer treatment, and suggested the possibility that the patients of stages II and III, of 35-54 ages, or of positive ER status were received benefits by these treatments.

Development of a novel information technology (IT) system using the electronic medical record (EMR) in daily clinical practice

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Background: The information generated in daily practices is critical to assure safety and efficacy of therapeutic interventions. Clinical investigators are faced with enormous amounts of data and a greater need to organize it in a meaningful and coherent manner than ever before. Computerization could offer many advantages that clinical data systematically accumulated in the course of routine medical care can provide researchers with the clues to resolve many medical questions. Methods: We developed a novel clinical database system, named CyberOncology, integrated in EMR of Kyoto University Hospital. It contained summarized treatment history, national cancer registry and consecutive clinical database. All adverse events according CTCAE ver.3, response to the treatment based on RECIST criteria and survival data were collected. The medical staffs have routinely used the CyberOncology since its starting on October 2003. The CyberOncology directly collected all data concerning oncology management of inpatient and outpatient care from EMR, and simultaneously analyzed clinical outcomes. Results: For three years since October 2003, consecutive 1,516 new cancer patients including 590 GI, 435 lung, 234 breast cancer, and 140 lymphoma with 19,767 chemotherapeutic administrations were registered in the CyberOncology. Main benefits are improvement of the quality of patient care and safety, practice standardization, and the quickness and the reliability of collecting the data. Moreover, it had the capability to serve a cross-sectional approach of cancer and drug-orientated analysis. For example, this system can easily provided with a review of clinical practice in a real time manner. Conclusions: The CyberOncology form integrated EMR successfully meets requirements of electronic case report. It has been useful in monitoring outcomes of care, effectiveness, efficiency and adherence to clinical trial.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Gonadal shielding to irradiation is effective in protecting testicular growth and function in long-term survivors of bone marrow transplantation during childhood or adolescence

An increasing number of long-term surviving bone marrow transplantation (BMT) recipients have recovered from their primary disease but are at risk of developing failure of endocrine organs. We investigated 30 recipients who underwent allogeneic BMT during childhood or adolescence. Testicular growth and function were evaluated by serial measurement of testicular volume, basal luteinizing hormone (LH), basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone levels and by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) provocative test. Puberty started spontaneously in all patients. However, all except four patients had normal testosterone levels with elevated LH, indicating partial Leydig cell dysfunction. Standard deviation scores of testicular volume at last evaluation were statistically lower in those who had received irradiation without gonadal shield compared to those with (-2.04+/-0.45 vs -0.30+/-1.17, respectively, P<0.005), suggesting damage of testicular germinal epithelium owing to gonadal irradiation. Serial measurement of testicular volume showed a tendency of growth to stop at 10 ml in those without gonadal shield. Among the 30 patients, only one patient has fathered a child after reaching spontaneous puberty. These results suggest that gonadal shield is effective to protect testicular growth and function, although the attainment of fertility is difficult to achieve.

PICK1 is not a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia in a Japanese population: association study in a large case-control population

The protein interacting with C-kinase 1 (PICK1) has been implicated in the susceptibility to schizophrenia. PICK1 interacts with enzymes and receptors that play roles in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia via glutamatergic dysfunction. Recently, two studies reported associations between schizophrenia and two PICK1 gene polymorphisms, rs3952 in Chinese and Japanese populations and rs2076369 in a Japanese population. We attempted to confirm these associations in a case-control study of 1765 Japanese patients with schizophrenia and 1851 Japanese control subjects. Neither polymorphism was associated with schizophrenia (rs3952, p=0.755; rs2076369, p=0.997). A haplotype block with these polymorphisms spanning the 5' region of the PICK1 gene showed high linkage disequilibrium in the Japanese population (D'=0.98, r(2)=0.34); however, neither haplotype was significantly associated with schizophrenia. We conclude that the common haplotypes and polymorphisms of the PICK1 gene identified thus far are unlikely to contribute to genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia in the Japanese population.

RGS4 is not a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia in Japanese: association study in a large case-control population

The regulator of the G-protein signaling 4 (RGS4) has been implicated in the susceptibility to schizophrenia. RGS4 interacts with ErbB3 that acts as receptors for neuregulin 1 and these proteins may play a role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia via glutamatergic dysfunction. Recently, two meta-analysis studies provided different interpretations for the genetic association between RGS4 and schizophrenia. We attempted to confirm this association in a case-control study of 1918 Japanese patients with schizophrenia and 1909 Japanese control subjects. Four widely studied single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped, and none showed association with schizophrenia. SNP 1 (rs10917670), p=0.92; SNP 4 (rs951436), p=0.91; SNP 7 (rs951439), p=0.27; and SNP 18 (rs2661319), p=0.43. A haplotype block constructed by these SNPs spans the 5' flanking region to the 5' mid-region of the RGS4 gene. Previous meta-analysis showed that both two major haplotypes of this block were risk haplotypes. The two common haplotypes were observed in the Japanese population. However, neither haplotype was significantly associated with schizophrenia. We conclude that the common haplotypes and SNPs of the RGS4 gene identified thus far are unlikely to contribute to the genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia in the Japanese population.

Involvement of cannabinoid CB2 receptor in alcohol preference in mice and alcoholism in humans

We tested if cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2) in the central nervous system plays a role in alcohol abuse/dependence in animal model and then examined an association between the CB2 gene polymorphism and alcoholism in human. Mice experiencing more alcohol preference by drinking showed reduced Cb2 gene expression, whereas mice with little preference showed no changes of it in ventral midbrain. Alcohol preference in conjunction with chronic mild stress were enhanced in mice treated with CB2 agonist JWH015 when subjected to chronic stress, whereas antagonist AM630 prevented development of alcohol preference. There is an association between the Q63R polymorphism of the CB2 gene and alcoholism in a Japanese population (P=0.007; odds ratio 1.25, 95% CI, (1.06-1.47)). CB2 under such environment is associated with the physiologic effects of alcohol and CB2 antagonists may have potential as therapies for alcoholism.

Decreased expression of NDRG1 is correlated with tumor progression and poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

NDRG1 (N-myc downstream regulated gene-1) was reported to be necessary for p53-mediated apoptosis and to be regulated by PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog). In several cancers, it was suggested to be a tumor suppressor gene. Its significance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been studied. The objective of this study was to clarify the relation between clinicopathological and biologic factors in esophageal carcinoma and to determine the prognostic significance of the expression of NDRG1. Expression of NDRG1 mRNA was quantified by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using a Lightcycler in 47 esophageal ESCC specimens. The data were analyzed with reference to clinicopathological factors. Among the esophageal cancer tissues, NDRG1 mRNA expression was significantly lower in tumors of more advanced pathological stage (0-I vs. II-IV; P = 0.0027) and local tumor invasion (T1-2 vs. T3-4; P = 0.0136). Patients who had low NDRG1 mRNA expression had a significantly shorter survival after surgery compared with patients who had high NDRG1 mRNA expression (log-rank test, P = 0.0478). Impaired NDRG1 expression may lead to more aggressive invasion of ESCC.

Clinical outcomes of a multi-institutional retrospective study for 419 patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

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Background: Chemo-Radiotherapy (CRT) is considered the standard of care in locally advanced NSCLC. However, regimen of chemotherapy (CT), schedule of radiotherapy (RT), and application for surgical interventions (OP) are still controversial. We performed a study to establish clinical outcomes of NSCLC patients treated with CRT in Japan. Methods: A total of 373 consecutive patients (CRT: 307, OP after CRT (OP/CRT): 66) with stage III NSCLC, PS 0–2, no indications of OP at the initial evaluation, treated with CRT between January 1997 and December 2002 were analyzed. We also investigated 46 patients treated with RT alone as control. Results: We investigated a total of 419 patients (354 men and 65 women; average age: 64.5 ± 9.5 years) from nine institutes. Distributions of pathological subtypes were: squamous cell carcinoma: 225; adenocarcinoma: 154; large cell carcinoma: 14; non-small cell carcinoma: 26. In 189 stage IIIA patients, median survival time (MST) was 21.2 M, and MST of CRT, OP/CRT and RT were 19.1 M, 61.7 M, and 18.0 M, respectively. Multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazards model indicates age, PS, existence of double cancer, existence of diabetes mellitus, stage IIIB, white blood cell counts increase, hemoglobin decrease as significant prognostic factors in CRT or OP/CRT patients. Multivariate analysis in stage IIIA patients indicated BMI decrease, double cancer, body weight loss, white blood cell increase, hemoglobin decrease as prognostic factors. There was a statistically significant difference between overall survival of CRT and OP/CRT in stage IIIA patients (p = 0.038 after adjustment for the effect of prognostic factors). However, there were no differences between CRT and RT, and among any schedules of CRT therapy. Conclusions: This clinical study suggests that OP after CRT could results in good survival compared with CRT alone, and BMI, double cancer, body weight loss, white blood cell, and hemoglobin could be prognostic factors in locally advanced NSCLC.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

The retrospective analysis of single agent gemcitabine for biliary tract cancers

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Background: At present, outcomes of advanced biliary tract cancers are dismal despite the prognosis of other many cancers are improving. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed survivals of 46 advanced biliary tract cancer patients, who were diagnosed between January 2001 and June 2005, and treated with gemcitabine 600–1,000 mg/m2 as an intravenous 30-min infusion on days 1, 8, and 15 for every 28 days, thereafter. Results: The median age was 63 (range 41–76) with 28 males and 18 females. Twenty-nine (63.0%) had no prior chemotherapy and 18 (30.4%) patients were inoperable cases. One (2.2%) achieved complete response; 5 (10.9%) achieved partial responses; 25 (54.3%) had stable diseases; 9 (19.6%) had progressive disease; and 6 (13.0%) were not evaluated for response. The median survival time and the 1 year-survival of all advanced biliary cancer patients were 8.6 months and 43.9%, respectively, those of the patients, who had the recurrence or residual cancer lesions after surgical resection were 13.5 months and 68.8%, and those of the inoperable patients were 5.4 months and 8.3%. Patients reported grade 3/4 neutropenia/leucopenia (4.3%) and grade 3 thrombocytopenia (2.2%). Grade 3 non-hematologic toxicities were general fatigue (4.3%) and renal failure (2.2%). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that history of surgical resection with tumor recurrence or with residual tumor was the independent predictors for survival. Moreover, except the features of the history of surgical resection, the prognosis of patients with low levels of serum albumin (< 3.7 g/dl) or ≥ 70 ages was worse than that of high levels of serum albumin (≥ 3.7 g/dl) or < 70 ages. Conclusions: In the treatment of biliary tract cancer, it seems that surgical resection even with possible residual tumor is beneficial for patients with good surgical candidate. The present study also suggests the possibility that the prognosis of patients with low levels of serum albumin (< 3.7 g/dl) or ≥ 70 ages might be worse than that of high levels of serum albumin (≥ 3.7 g/dl) or < 70 ages.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Expression of thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, thymidine phosphorylase, and orotate phosphoribosyl transferase in prostate cancer

The enzymes thymidylate synthase (TS), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), thymidine phosphorylase (TP), and orotate phosphoribosyl transferase (OPRT) are involved in the metabolism of the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil. No reports have examined the expression of these enzymes in prostate cancer (CaP). A total of 25 previously untreated, hormone-sensitive CaP tissue samples and 11 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) specimens were examined. Tissue of CaP and BPH tissue samples were obtained from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections by laser-captured microdissection, and then RNA was extracted. mRNA expression of TS, DPD, TP, and OPRT was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. TS and OPRT expression levels were significantly higher in CaP samples than in BPH. DPD expression level in poorly differentiated CaP was significantly lower than that in CaP with more favorable--well or moderately differentiated--histopathology.

Use of low dose dopamine, gabexate mesilate and ulinastatin reduces the water balance and pulmonary complication in thoracic esophagectomy patients

In spite of improvements in surgical technique and perioperative care, severe lung complication remains as the leading cause of morbidity in thoracic esophageal cancer patients who undergo esophagectomy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of postoperative drug therapy using low dose dopamine, gabexate mesilate, and ulinastatin on postoperative lung complication in esophageal cancer patients. Sixty-one patients operated for esophageal cancer from 1996 to 2000 were treated postoperatively with low dose dopamine (300 microg/kg/h), gabexate mesilate (80 mg/h), and ulinastatin (300 000 unit/day) as a study group. Seventy-four patients operated from 1987 to 1994 served as an historical control group. Various preoperative and perioperative medical parameters and water balance were analyzed. Postoperative pulmonary complications were observed in 26 patients (35.1%) in the control group and three patients (4.9%) in the study group, respectively (P < 0.0001). Preoperative and perioperative variables were not significantly different between the groups. Water balance from operation to postoperative day 3 in the study group was significantly lower than the control group. Postoperative use of low dose dopamine, gabexate mesilate, and ulinastatin significantly reduced pulmonary complications after esophagectomy. This may be partly attributable to negative water balance during the early postoperative days.

Expression levels of Rab2, a G protein, and Bag-1, a Bcl-2 binding protein are controlled by withdrawal of nicotine from cultured pheochromocytoma PC12 cells

We previously reported that nicotine withdrawal up-regulates transcription of some immediately early genes (IEGs), c-fos (Ichino et al., 1999) and egr1, nur77 (Ichino et al., 2002) in cultures of pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, which are of neuronal lineage. In the present study we aimed at further elucidating the effects of nicotine withdrawal on the expression of the genes downstream of IEGs. We examined the changes in the protein levels of 2 GTP-binding proteins, Rab2 (Ras-related protein) and Rac1. PC12 cells were cultured in the presence of nicotine for 24 hours, and then the nicotine was removed from the medium. The protein level of Rab2 was low in the presence of nicotine, but was rapidly increased after nicotine withdrawal. In contrast, that of Rac1 did not change after the withdrawal. Considering the neuroprotective effect of nicotine, we also examined the level of Bag-1 protein, which is a binding protein for Bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic factor, and found a slight increase in the gene expression of Bag-1 following nicotine withdrawal. Among 56-kDa, 50-kDa, and 36-kDa protein components of the Bag-1 protein complex, the levels of 56-kDa and 50-kDa proteins were not changed by the addition or withdrawal of nicotine; but the level of the 36-kDa protein, which had been increased in the presence of nicotine, was markedly decreased after nicotine withdrawal. The present results suggest that such changes may also occur in individuals during abstaining from smoking and be related to the withdrawal symptoms experienced after smokers stop smoking.

Japanese SCA families with an unusual phenotype linked to a locus overlapping with SCA15 locus

The authors identified two Japanese spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) families characterized by postural and action tremor and a very slow progression rate. A genome-wide linkage analysis revealed linkage to chromosome 3p26.1-25.3 with the highest multipoint lod score at D3S3728 (Zmax = 3.31 at theta = 0.00). The candidate region was 14.7 cM flanked by D3S1620 and D3S3691, which was partly overlapping with the locus of SCA15 characterized by pure cerebellar ataxia. Despite the difference in phenotypes, there remains a possibility that the causative gene for these Japanese SCA is allelic to SCA15.

Human cannabinoid receptor 1: 5' exons, candidate regulatory regions, polymorphisms, haplotypes and association with polysubstance abuse

A number of lines of evidence make the gene that encodes the G-protein-coupled CB1/Cnr1 receptor a strong candidate to harbor variants that might contribute to individual differences in human addiction vulnerability. The CB1/Cnr1 receptor is the major brain site at which cannabinoid marijuana constituents are psychoactive as well as the principal brain receptor for endogenous anandamide ligands. It is densely expressed in brain circuits likely to be important for both the reward and mnemonic processes important for addiction. Altered drug effects in CB1/Cnr1 knockout mice and initial association studies also make variants at the CB1/Cnr1 locus candidates for roles in human vulnerabilities to addictions. However, many features of this gene's structure, regulation and variation remain poorly defined. This poor definition has limited the ability of previous association studies to adequately sample variation at this locus. We now report improved definition of the human CB1/Cnr1 locus and its variants. Novel exons 1-3, splice variant and candidate promoter region sequences add to the richness of the CB1/Cnr1 locus. Candidate promoter region sequences confer reporter gene expression in cells that express CB1/Cnr1. Common polymorphisms reveal patterns of linkage disequilibrium in European- and in African-American individuals. A 5' CB1/Cnr1 "TAG" haplotype displays significant allelic frequency differences between substance abusers and controls in European-American, African-American and Japanese samples. Post-mortem brain samples of heterozygous individuals contain less mRNA transcribed from the TAG alleles than from other CB1/Cnr1 haplotypes. CB1/ Cnr1 genomic variation thus appears to play roles in human addiction vulnerability.