is a susceptible strain for the development of gray induced mouse thymic lymphoma whereas MSM shows resistance. Association analysis of 220 backcross mice between the two strains using 67 markers was carried out to identify loci involved in the control of susceptibility. The genotype of mice with lymphoma showed excess heterozygosity relative to MSM homozygosity at D2Mit15 and D4Mit12 and was skewed toward MSM-derived alleles at D5Mit5. The P values in Mantel-Cox test were 0.0048 (D2Mit15), 0.0034 (D4Mit12) and 0.0048 (D5Mit5), suggesting association at the three loci in the susceptibility. Cooperative e ect on lymphomagenesis was also observed among the three loci. To obtain independent evidence for linkage at D4Mit12, we made partially congenic mice in which a D4Mit12 region in BALB/c was replaced by MSMderived homolog. Examination for the lymphoma susceptibility in 78 progeny of the congenic mice con®rmed the e ect of the locus near D4Mit12 (P=0.0037). The result, together with the linkage analysis, shows that the locus near D4Mit12 is regarded as a con®rmed linkage but the other two loci as marginally suggestive. Oncogene (2001) 20, 5243 ± 5247.

AIM:To investigate the poor prognosis of HCC with PVTT, we evaluated the efficacy by a new combination chemotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). M E T H O D S :F r o m 2 0 0 2 t o 2 0 0 7, a t o t a l o f 1 0 consecutive patients with Stage IVA HCC accompanied by PVTT were studied prospectively to examine the efficacy of treatment by intra-arterial infusion of a chemotherapeutic agents consisting of etoposide, carboplatin, epirubicin and pharmacokinetic modulating chemotherapy by 5-FU and enteric-coated tegafur/uracil. RESULTS:The mean course of chemotherapy was 14.4 (range, 9-21) mo. One patient showed complete response (CR) with disappearance of HCC and PVTT after treatment, and the two patients showed partial response (PR), response rate (CR + PR/All cases 30%). The median survival time after the therapy was 457.2 d. The one-year survival rate was 70%. Adverse reactions were tolerable. CONCLUSION:Although the prognosis of most patients with Stage IVA HCC by PVTT is poor, our combination chemotherapy may induces long-term survival and is an effective treatment and produced anti-tumor activity with tolerable adverse effects in patients for advanced Stage IVA HCC accompanied by PVTT.

We suggest that CT-MIP should be considered as a routine method for detecting and diagnosing collateral veins in patients with gastric varices scheduled for B-RTO. Furthermore, CT-MIP is more useful than endoscopy in verifying the early therapeutic effects of B-RTO.

AIM: To improve the preoperative diagnosis of liver metastasis from pancreatic cancer, we estimated computed tomography during arterial angiography (CTA) with/without administration of angiotensin-Ⅱ (AT-Ⅱ). METHODS: Thirty-five patients with pancreatic cancer were examined in this study. After conventional CTA was performed, pharmacoangiographic CTA was performed with a 1-3 microgram/5 mL solution of angiotensin Ⅱ injected through a catheter into the celiac artery during spiral computed tomography. We prospectively analyzed the relative region of interest (ROI) ratio of tumor to liver with/without AT-Ⅱ. RESULTS: In all patients, the relative ratio of each computed tomography (CT) number in the ROI was larger at pharmacoangiographic CT than at conventional angiographic CT. Administration of angiotensin-Ⅱ enhanced the metastatic liver tumor as compared with normal tissue. Intratumoral blood flow increased in all patients with malignant tumors due to the pressure effect of AT-Ⅱ. Furthermore, the metastatic lesions in the liver of three patients were represented by only pharmacoangiographic CT, not by conventional CT and conventional CT angiography. In even peripheral and central areas of metastatic liver tumor, the lesions were enhanced after administration of AT-Ⅱ. CONCLUSION: These results support that high detection rate of liver metastasis revealed by pharmacoangiographic CT suggests the improvement of diagnosis on preoperative staging. Moreover, chemotherapy under AT-Ⅱ induced hypertension may have a better effect on the treatment of metastatic liver tumors.

Diverticulitis and diverticular abscesses are rare and potentially serious complications of duodenal diverticulum. These conditions often lead to perforation of the diverticulum, necessitating surgical treatment. There have been few reported cases of duodenal diverticulitis with or without perforation treated by endoscopic drainage. Here, we present a case of duodenal diverticulitis accompanied by abscess formation that was treated successfully with an endoscopic nasobiliary drainage catheter. We suggest this treatment could be an acceptable option for selected patients with a localized abscess that is resistant to conservative treatment.