• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.711-717
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• 2016

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that stimulates production of high levels of proinflammatory cytokines, which are important for innate immunity. NLRs, i.e., nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors, play a crucial role as innate immune sensors and form multiprotein complexes called inflammasomes, which mediate caspase-1-dependent processing of $pro-IL-1{\beta}$. To elucidate the role of inflammasome components in T. gondiiinfected THP-1 macrophages, we examined inflammasome-related gene expression and mechanisms of inflammasome-regulated cytokine $IL-1{\beta}$ secretion. The results revealed a significant upregulation of $IL-1{\beta}$ after T. gondii infection. T. gondii infection also upregulated the expression of inflammasome sensors, including NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRC4, NLRP6, NLRP8, NLRP13, AIM2, and NAIP, in a time-dependent manner. The infection also upregulated inflammasome adaptor protein ASC and caspase-1 mRNA levels. From this study, we newly found that T. gondii infection regulates NLRC4, NLRP6, NLRP8, NLRP13, AIM2, and neuronal apoptosis inhibitor protein (NAIP) gene expressions in THP-1 macrophages and that the role of the inflammasome-related genes may be critical for mediating the innate immune responses to T. gondii infection.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1583-1588
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• 2012

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is well accepted as a safe, reliable, minimal invasive and cost-effective method for diagnosis of salivary gland lesions. This study evaluated the accuracy and diagnostic performance of FNA cytology in Thailand. A consecutive series of 290 samples from 246 patients during January 2001-December 2009 were evaluated from the archive of the Anatomical Pathology Department of our institution and 133 specimens were verified by histopathologic diagnoses, obtained with material from surgical excision or biopsy. Cytologic diagnoses classified as unsatisfactory, benign, suspicious for malignancy and malignant were compared with the histopathological findings. Among the 133 satisfactory specimens, the anatomic sites were 70 (52.6%) parotid glands and 63 (47.4 %) submandibular glands. FNA cytological diagnoses showed benign lesions in 119 cases (89.5 %), suspicious for malignancy in 3 cases (2.2 %) and malignant in 11 cases (8.3%). From the subsequent histopathologic diagnoses, 3/133 cases of benign cytology turned out to be malignant lesions, the false negative rate being 2.2 % and 1/133 case of malignant cytology turned out to be a benign lesion, giving a false positive rate was 0.8%. The overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 97.0% (95% CI, 70.6%-99.4%), 81.3% (95% CI, 54.4%-96.0%), 99.1% (95% CI, 95.4%-100%), 92.9% (95% CI, 66.1%-99.8), 97.5% (95% CI, 92.8%-99.5%), respectively. This study indicated that FNA cytology of salivary gland is a reliable and highly accurate diagnostic method for diagnosis of salivary gland lesions. It not only provides preoperative diagnosis for therapeutic management but also can prevent unnecessary surgery.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.3621-3625
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• 2012

Lymphadenopathy is one of the commonest and significant manifestations of local as well as systemic ailments, especially malignancies. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) helps in diagnosing the disease itself, in general, but more importantly ruling out malignancy, in particular. Hence it saves much of the cost and use of resources incurred with excision biopsy of such lymph nodes. This prompted us to study the cytologic patterns of lymphadenopathy in our setting and the diagnostic utility of FNAC in the evaluation of lymphadenopathy. In this retrospective observational study, 1,579 patients (953 males and 626 females) with lymphadenopathy who were subjected to FNAC over a period of three years (January 2009 to December 2011) were studied. The cervical region was involved in most of the cases (76%) followed by the axillary region (17.5%). Metastatic malignancy (38.2%) was the commonest cause of lymphadenopathy followed by reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (36.9%), tuberculosis (9.1%) and lymphomas (8.6%). Squamous cell carcinoma (32.2%) followed by adenocarcinoma (21.9%) were the most frequent metastatic tumors. FNAC is a useful diagnostic tool in the management of patients presenting with lymphadenopathy and should be considered before more invasive and costly procedures are performed, particularly in developing countries.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7981-7984
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• 2014

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) has been associated with a reduction in CRC incidence and CRC-related mortality. However, a conventional FOBT requires stool collection and handling, which may be inconvenient for participants. The EZ-Detect$^{TM}$ (Siam Pharmaceutical Thailand) is a FDA-approved chromogen-substrate based FOBT which is basically a self-checked FOBT (no stool handling required). This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of EZ-Detect for CRC detection. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in the Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand between November 2013 and May 2014. Some 96 patients with histologically-proven CRC and 101 patients with normal colonoscopic findings were invited to perform self-checked FOBT according to the manufacturer's instructions. Results were compared with endoscopic and pathologic findings. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for CRC detection were calculated. Results: The present study revealed the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of this self-checked FOBT for CRC detection to be 41% (95% CI: 31-51), 97% (95% CI: 92-99), 93% (95% CI: 81-98) and 63% (95% CI: 55-70), respectively. The overall accuracy of the self-checked FOBT for identifying CRC was 70%. The sensitivity for CRC detection based on 7th AJCC staging was 29% for stage I, 32% for stage II and 50% for stage III/IV (P=0.19). The sensitivity was 33% for proximal colon and 42% for distal colon and rectal cancer (P=0.76). Notably, none of nine infiltrative lesions gave a positive FOBT. Conclusions: The self-checked FOBT had an acceptable accuracy of CRC detection except for infiltrative tumors. This home-administrated or 'DIY' do-it-yourself FOBT could be considered as one non-invasive and convenient tool for CRC screening.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.537-543
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• 2020

The elderly population in the modern society is growing rapidly due to advance medical technology and minimally invasive surgery. Therefore, as the tendency to use medical device is increasing, pathogenic infection is a concern. Therefore, the first aim of modern medicine is infection prevention in medical place. Recently, patient implants are increasing using 3D printing. Hydroxyapatite is used as a representative material. And, there haven't had currently absorbed dose standard for sterilization of hydroxyapatite discs. Escherichia coli and Streptococcus mutans contaminated on the surface of hydroxyapatite discs were irradiated at each absorbed dose of 0, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0 kGy using Gamma-ray of cobalt and Electron-beam of linear accelerator. Then, the number of bacteria was measured in the sample by the decimal dilution method. After sterilization, a non-parametric testing method was performed to compare the survival of Escherichia coli and Streptococcus mutans. As a result, Escherichia coli was sterilized at 1 kGy or more and Streptococcus mutans at 3 kGy or more on absorbed dose. It is considered possible to perform sterilization at a lower value than the recommended absorbed dose of radiation sterilization.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.6081-6087
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the incidence and mortality of breast cancer, and its relationship with human development index (HDI) and its components in Asia in 2012. Materials and Methods: This study was an ecologic study in Asia for assessment of the correlation between age-specific incidence rate (ASIR) and age-specific mortality rate (ASMR) with HDI and its details that include: life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling and gross national income (GNI) per capita. Data about SIR and SMR for every Asian country for the year 2012 were obtained from the global cancer project. We used a bivariate method for assessment of the correlation between SIR and SMR and HDI and its individual components. Statistical significance was assumed if P<0.05. All reported P-values are two-sided. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (Version 15.0, SPSS Inc.). Results: In 2012, 639,824 cases of breast cancer were recorded in Asian countries. Countries with the highest standardized incidence rate (ASIR) (per 100,000) were Israel (80.5), Lebanon (78.7), Armenia (74.1) and the highest standard mortality rate (ASMR) was observed in Pakistan (25.2), Armenia (24.2), and Lebanon (24). There was a positive correlation between the ASIR of breast cancer and HDI (r = 0.556, p <0.001), whereas there was a negative correlation between the ASMR of breast cancer and HDI (r = -0.051). Conclusions: Breast cancer incidence in countries with higher development is greater, while mortality is greatest in countries with less development. There was a positive and significant relationship between the ASIR of breast cancer and HDI and its components. Also there was a negative but non significant relationship between the ASMR of breast cancer and HDI.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.13
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• pp.5149-5153
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• 2014

Background: Chlorophenols (CPs) and related phenoxyacetic acids (PAs) are pesticide groups contaminated with highly toxic 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) during production. PAs and CPs exposure is associated with risk of cancer, but the situation regarding lung cancer has not been clearly defined. We proposed a meta-analysis of published researches to evaluate relationship between chronic exposure to PAs and CPs in pesticide production workplaces and the risk of lung cancer. Materials and Methods: After searching PubMed, Scopus, Scholar Google, Web of Sciences until August 2013, the association between chronic PAs and CPs exposure in production workplace and lung cancer was studied in 15 cohort studies. The standardized mortality rate (SMR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were collected from the papers. We used random or fixed-effects models, Egger test, funnel plot and meta regression in our analysis. Results: Five papers with six reports were included in the final analysis. The standardized mortality rate for lung cancer from the random model was 1.18 (95% CI: 1.03-1.35, p=0.014) with moderate heterogeneity. Publication bias was not found for included studies in meta-analysis (p=0.9). Conclusions: Our findings has strengthen the evidence of lung cancer from chronic exposure to chlorophenol related compounds (PAs, CPs).

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 2007

Sphenoid sinus aspergillosis is notorious for its serious complications, such as permanent cranial nerve deficits and possible death. The most common associated symptoms are headache, followed by visual changes, and cranial nerve palsies. Because of an insidious onset, frequently resulting in missed and delayed diagnosis, sphenoid sinus aspergillosis is a potentially lethal medical condition. We report a case of visual loss secondary to isolated sphenoid sinus aspergillosis. A 69-year-old man presented to our hospital with the complaint of headache. The headache started one year previously and was described as severe dull pain localized bilaterally to the temporo-orbital region. The patient took daily NSAIDs for the pain. The neurological examination was normal. The MRI of the brain showed a left sphenoid sinusitis. A transnasal endoscopic superior meatal sphenoidotomy was performed. Aspergillosis was confirmed after a surgical biopsy was obtained. The patient was discharged from hospital without antifungal therapy. One month later, the patient complained of headache and loss of vision bilaterally. The orbital MRI showed a left cavernous sinus and bilateral optic nerve invasion. The loss of visions was permanent. In our case, the diagnosis was delayed; antifungal agents were not administered after surgery and the patient lost his vision as a result. Therefore, early diagnosis and proper treatment are important. Although the treatment of an invasive type of aspergillus has not been established, surgical removal of a nidus and aggressive antifungal therapy are recommended.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.975-981
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• 2014

Cervical cancer is an issue of foremost importance globally, specifically affecting the developing nations. Significant advances have taken place with regard to diagnosis of cervical cancer, especially with screening. Appropriate screening measures can thus reduce the incidence of cervical cancer. The most desirable screening technique should be less invasive, easy to perform, cost-effective and cover a wide range of diagnostic icons. Manual liquid based cytology (MLBC) can be considered as one of the suitable technique for screening with the above-mentioned benefits. The aim of the current study was to compare two cervical screening techniques on the basis of different morphological parameters and staining parameters by using modified acetic acid Pap staining to see the possibility of reducing time economy involved in conventional Pap staining (CPS). The study was conducted on a total 88 cases and all were analyzed with both MLBC and CPS. Forty eight cases that were regarded as satisfactory on the basis of Bethesda system by both methods were further recruited for investigation. Their morphological parameters and staining quality were compared and scored according to a scoring system defined in the study. Quality indices was calculated for both staining procedures and smear techniques.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3151-3154
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• 2013

Introduction: Colorectal cancers are in the top of the cancer-related causes of death in the world and lymph node metastasis is accepted as the primary prognostic factor. In this study, correlations of FGF19 staining pattern with local invasion and lymph node metastasis in a series of colorectal cancers were investigated. Methods: This studyincluded 81 colorectal cancer patients who underwent surgery in our hospital with no evidence of preoperative radiological distant metastasis. Routine pathological examination of the resection material was performed in order to identify vascular, perineural and serosal infiltration, regional lymph node metastasis and the degree of differentiation. Tumor tissue samples were stained with an immunohistochemistry method for FGF 19 evaluation and the staining pattern was statistically compared with the above mentioned characteristics of the tumors. Results: The patient population consisted of 47 females and 34 males with a median age of 70 years. In 40 patients regional lymph nodes were positive and 51%, 32% and 38% had serosal, perineural and vascular invasion. While 64 cases were moderately-differentiated, 11 cases were well-differentiated and 6 poorlydifferentiated, there was no association with FGF 19 staining, including intensity. Conclusion: No evidence of significant statistically correlation was found between FGF 19 staining pattern and serosal, perineural, vascular invasion, lymph node involvement and degree of differentiation.