We investigated lung cancer in 99 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Lung cancer was found in 31 (31.3%) of 99 patients with IPF. Most (87.9%) tumors, including squamous cell carcinoma, were observed in the peripheral region of the lung, whereas the distribution of histologic types of cancers was similar to that seen in ordinary lung cancer. Peripheral tumors were frequently seen in the lower lobe, where fibrotic shadow was prominent. However, the severity of fibrosis was not related with the prevalence or histologic type of lung cancer. Two-thirds of IPF patients having a smoking history of over 40 years developed lung cancer. When compared with nonsmoking IPF control subjects, the relative risk of smoking in IPF patients was 3.5, identical with that reported for smokers in the general population. We suggest that smoking in patients with IPF is an additive risk factor for the development of lung cancer. We also speculate that the high prevalence of peripheral squamous cell carcinoma might be associated with cigarette smoking. lung cancer ; smoking ; idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Background: Although recent case reports have suggested possible respiratory effects of solid toner dust inhalation, this hypothesis has not been verified by epidemiological studies. Objectives: To conduct a cross sectional study to evaluate the association between the biological indices of lung fibrosis and toner dust exposure in an occupational cohort handling solid toner dust in their work life. Methods: A total of 600 male toner workers and 212 control subjects were surveyed in terms of their subjective respiratory symptoms, pulmonary functions, and chest radiographic findings. In addition to the exposure history, the current working conditions and personal exposure levels to toner dust were also examined. Results: Although subjects handling toner for more than 20 years tended to show a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms and minimal chest x ray abnormalities, there was no consistent relation between the exposure to toner dust and the biological responses of the respiratory system. Conclusion: Deterioration of respiratory health related to toner dust exposure is less likely to occur in current well controlled work environments, especially if the powdered toner is handled carefully. Nonetheless, it is important to collect further epidemiological evidence on the biological effects of toner dust inhalation, preferably using a longitudinal study design.

Conclusion-Obstructive changes in pulmonary function were found to be related to level of cumulative exposure to welding fume in male Japanese arc welders after controlling for age and smoking, assuming that LMF adequately reflects accumulation of welding fumes in the lungs. (Occup Environ Med 1998;55:673-677)

BackgroundAlthough the prognosis for survival in people with severe functional disabilities is a serious concern for their families and health care practitioners, there have been few reports on survival rates for this population. Every year, the Japanese Association of Welfare for Persons with Severe Motor and Intellectual Disability collects anonymous records of individual registrations and deaths from all private and public institutions, excepting national institutions. We used these data to estimate the prognosis for survival.MethodsWe reviewed the records of 3221 people with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID); all subjects had lived in one of 119 public or private institutions in Japan between 1961 and 2003. Kaplan–Meier survival estimates were calculated according to disability type and birth year range.ResultsOf the 3221 persons, 2645 were alive and 576 had died. The survival rate at the age of 20 for all subjects was 79% (95% confidence interval, 78%–81%). Among people who were unable to sit, those with lower intelligence quotients had lower survival rates.ConclusionsThe survival rate among people with SMID housed in public and private institutions in Japan was much worse than that of the general population, and has not improved since the 1960s.

Although Annexin A8 (ANXA8), a member of a superfamily of calcium and phospholipid binding proteins, is physiologically expressed in a tissue-specific manner, recent microarray studies reported that ANXA8 was also ectopically expressed in pancreatic cancers. We investigated the molecular mechanism of expression of ANXA8 in cancer cells and its functional role in pancreatic cancer cells. ANXA8 was diversely expressed in human cancer cell lines. Expression was enhanced by treatment with 5-aza-dC and butyrate, and correlated with methylation status at CpG in the promoter-exon 1 region. Inhibition of ANXA8 using siRNA in BxPC-3 cells which express ANXA8 at a high level elevated caspase-3 and -7 activities. In in vitro invasion assay, inhibition of ANXA8 using siRNA in BxPC-3 reduced the numbers of migrating cells, and down-regulated HIF-1α mRNA transcription. Overexpression of ANXA8 increased the number of viable cells and BrdU incorporation in PANC-1 cells, which express ANXA8 at a low level. Expression of ANXA8 was induced under conditions of nutrient deprivation, and overexpression of ANXA8 showed resistance against serum starvation in PANC-1 cells. In a promoter assay, co-transfection with the expression vector of ANXA8 and the vector of a reporter gene containing the promoter of HIF-1α enhanced HIF-1α promoter activity. In contrast, this effect of ANXA8 was inhibited by administration of BAPTA-AM, an intracellular Ca²⁺ chelator. These results suggest that ectopic ANXA8 expression in cancer cells might involve an epigenetic mechanism. ANXA8 might play an important role in calcium fluctuation-mediated HIF-1α transcriptional activation and cell viability.