Published papers

© 2018 Elsevier Inc. Objectives: To investigate the relationship between purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test reactions before bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy and the clinical outcomes of BCG-naïve nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer patients treated with adjuvant BCG therapy. Materials and methods: A total of 288 nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer patients subjected to the PPD skin test before BCG therapy were included. PPD skin test reactions were categorized into 3 groups: positive, slightly positive, and negative. The presence of an induration was positive. If an induration was absent, erythema of 10 mm or more and less than 10 mm corresponded to slightly positive and negative, respectively. Results: A total of 66 (22.9%), 149 (51.7%), and 73 (25.3%) patients exhibited a positive, slightly positive, and negative to PPD skin test, respectively. The 5-year recurrence-free survival rate of patients with positive PPD skin test reactions was 89.4 ± 4.1%, which was significantly higher than those of patients with slightly positive (65.5 ± 4.2%, P = 0.001) and negative reactions (56.4 ± 6.6%, P<0.001). A multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that a positive PPD skin test reaction was independently associated with tumor recurrence (hazard ratio of 0.233, P<0.001), but not with stage progression. The incidence of fever persisting for more than 2 days or fever of ≥38°C was significantly higher in patients with a positive PPD skin test reaction (18.2%) than in patients with slightly positive (8.7%) and negative PPD skin test reactions (4.1%). Conclusions: The PPD skin test reactions before BCG therapy may predict clinical outcomes following BCG therapy and help clinicians counsel patients exhibiting strong therapeutic effects with BCG therapy and potentially major BCG-related side effects.

© 2018 American Brachytherapy Society Purpose: To identify patients at extremely low risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer after low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT) to determine when prostate-specific antigen (PSA) monitoring can be stopped. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively reviewed clinicopathologic data of patients with prostate cancer who underwent LDR-BT between 2003 and 2011. Of 1569 patients reviewed, 689 (43.9%) received combination external beam radiotherapy, and 970 (61.8%) had neoadjuvant hormonal therapy. We stratified patients according to risk factors identified by multivariate analysis and assessed the factors for an association with BCR (defined as ≥2 ng/mL higher than the nadir). Results: The median followup was 96 months. Of 1531 patients who were BCR-free at 3 years after treatment, 76 subsequently developed BCR; of 1500 who were BCR-free at 5 years, 45 eventually had BCR. On multivariate analysis, independent risk factors for BCR were the National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk group at diagnosis and PSA levels at 3 or 5 years after radiotherapy. In the low-risk group, no patient with a PSA level ≤0.2 ng/mL at 3 years after radiotherapy subsequently developed BCR. In the intermediate-risk group, no patients with a PSA level ≤0.2 ng/mL at 5 years subsequently developed BCR. Conclusions: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk group at diagnosis and PSA values at 3 and 5 years after LDR-BT are independently associated with a risk of later BCR. Using these two factors may help to select patients for whom PSA monitoring could be stopped because they have an extremely low risk of later BCR.

© 2019 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association. The prognostic role of CD44v9, a variant isoform of CD44 and a new cell surface marker of cancer stem cells, remains unclear in bladder cancer (BC) patients. Furthermore, limited information is available on the functional role of sulfasalazine (SSZ), which could modulate the CD44v9-xCT system in order to enhance cisplatin (CDDP)-induced cytotoxicity and inhibit the metastatic potential of BC. CD44v9 protein expression was examined immunohistochemically in 63 muscle invasive BC (MIBC) patients who underwent radical cystectomy. CD44v9 expression was independently associated with disease recurrence and cancer-specific death in MIBC. Cytotoxic effects, glutathione levels, and reactive oxygen species production by SSZ and CD44v9 and phospho-p38 MAPK protein expression by SSZ with or without CDDP were assessed in MBT-2V cells with highly metastatic potential. Sulfasalazine exerted cytotoxic effects against MBT-2V cells by inhibiting glutathione levels and inducing the production of reactive oxygen species. Sulfasalazine in combination with CDDP appeared to exert strong cytotoxic effects against MBT-2V cells by inhibiting CD44v9 expression and upregulating phospho-p38 MAPK expression. The inhibitory effects of SSZ with or without CDDP were also investigated using an MBT-2V lung metastatic model. In the murine lung metastatic BC model, SSZ significantly prolonged animal survival. Furthermore, the combination of SSZ with CDDP exerted stronger inhibitory effects on the establishment of lung tumor nodules than SSZ or CDDP alone. CD44v9 expression could be a clinical biomarker for predicting poor outcomes in MIBC patients. Sulfasalazine in combination with CDDP has potential as a novel therapy against metastatic BC.

© 2019 Objective: The production of antibody, also referred immunoglobulin, is the principal functions of B cells. Gamma globulin fraction determined by serum protein electrophoresis is composed almost entirely of immunoglobulin. This study aimed to investigate the association between gamma globulin level and oncological outcomes in patients with nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Patients and methods: A total of 274 patients with NMIBC who underwent transurethral surgery between 2000 and 2015 were identified. One hundred forty-four patients (52.6%) had received adjuvant intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin. Gamma globulin fraction (%) was determined by serum protein electrophoresis, and gamma globulin level (mg/dl) was calculated by multiplying the total protein level (mg/dl) by the gamma globulin fraction (%). The association between gamma globulin levels and oncological outcomes was statistically evaluated. Results: During a median follow-up period of 39 months, 99 (36.1%) patients experienced at least 1 tumor recurrence and 16 (5.8%) patients had disease progression. The median (interquartile range) gamma globulin level was 1.2 (1.0–1.3) mg/dl. Recurrence-free survival rate of patients with gamma globulin levels of ≥1.4 mg/dl was significant lower than that of patients with gamma globulin levels of <1.4 mg/dl (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in progression-free survival between the 2 groups (P = 0.17). Multivariate analysis revealed that gamma globulin level of ≥1.4 mg/dl is significantly associated with higher recurrence rate (hazard ratio = 1.83, P < 0.01). Conclusion: Gamma globulin level is significantly associated with tumor recurrence. Our results suggest that B cell immunity may be involved in tumor recurrence in patients with NMIBC.