検索

Human cells derived from malignant tumors (HeLa, HEp-2 and KB) and human cells transformed by tumor viruses (KCand RSb) formed syncytia by simian sarcoma virus type I (SSV-I/SSAV-I), but human diploid or non-transformed cells (WI-38, HEL and HEC) did not.

We performed an immunohistochemical analysis of 2 major DNA mismatch repair proteins, human Mut L homologue-1 (hMLH1) and human Mut S homologue-2 (hMSH2), in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using 33 biopsied and 58 surgically resected specimens, as well as 30 samples from non-cancerous livers. In well-differentiated HCCs, the immunoreactivity for these antigens was well preserved, and the staining intensity was stronger compared to the surrounding liver tissues. However, among 41 moderately-differentiated and 9 poorly-differentiated HCCs of the resected cases, hMLH1- and hMSH2-positive cells were significantly reduced in 19 (38%) and 9 (18%) cases, respectively. In 9 resected tumors, the expression of both of these antigens was reduced. Moreover, in 41 tumors of differing histological grades, 10 and 5 tumors for hMLH1 and hMSH2, respectively, contained a less-differentiated area with a reduced number of immunoreactive cells. The samples from non-cancerous biopsied liver and fetal autopsy tissue were well immunostained for both hMLH1 and hMSH2. We confirmed in this series that the hMLH1 and hMSH2 defect did commonly occur in high-grade HCCs, and that it might play a role in tumor progression.

We examined whether ambulatory ability before surgery might influence the post-operative D-dimer level after total hip arthroplasty (THA). One hundred two patients with hip osteoarthritis receiving THA were included in the current study. The patients were all female, and their ages ranged from 45 to 81 (average 65.0 +- 9.3 years). Age, operated side, body mass index (BMI), disease duration before surgery, pre-operative pain evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS), total cholesterol value, maximal circumference of the lower leg of the operated side, and timed "Up & Go"test (TUG) before surgery, were retrospectively investigated to examine their relationship with D-dimer levels on post-operative day 7. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the D-dimer value: over 10 microg/ml (Group D), and under (Group N). Patients in group D (N= 52)were older, had a higher BMI, and had less ambulatory ability than patients in group N (N= 50). As age showed a relationship with the D-dimer value on the 7th day and TUG results, patients in the 2 groups were further subdivided into 50's, 60's, and 70's age brackets. In the 50's bracket, patients in group D had higher BMI than patients in group N, but time for TUG was not significantly different. In the 60's and 70's bracket, patients in group D had less ambulatory ability than patients in group N, but the time for TUG was not directly correlated with the D-dimer value. The results suggest that pre-operative low ambulatory ability in patients with osteoarthritis over 60 years might influence the postoperative D-dimer after THA, indicating the potential risk for post-operative deep venous thrombosis.

To determine the characteristic curve of the radiographic screen/film systems in a short focal spot-film distance, the inverse square sensitometric method was modified by changing the radiation intensity with two kinds of filters. The characteristic curves obtained in the two exposure series with these two kinds of filters were overlapped to obtain a complete one. The characteristic curve thus obtained was almost the same as the one obtained by the original inverse square sensitometric method. The accuracy of the characteristic curves obtained by the modified method was well-reflected in the clinical radiographs.

Caryophyllaeidae Claus, 1879 1. Glaridacris limnodrili Yamaguti, 1934 Bothriocephalidae Blanchard, 1849 2. Bothriocephalus fluviatilis n. sp. 3. B. lateolabracis n. sp. 4. B. branchiostegi n. sp. 5. B. acheilognathi Yamaguti, 1934 6. B. brotulae n. sp. 7. B. apogonis n. sp. 8. Oncodiscus sauridae Yamaguti, 1934 9. Glossobothrium nipponicum n. g., n. sp. Amphicotylidae Ariola, 1899 10. Amphicotyle quinquarii n. sp. 11. Eubothrioides lamellatus n. g., n. sp. Phyllobothriidae Braun, 1900 12. Phyllobothrium triacis n. sp. 13. P. filiforme n. sp. 14. P. serratum n. sp. 15. P. laciniatum (Linton, 1889) 16. P. loculatum n. sp. 17. P. squali n. sp. 18. P. lactuca van Beneden, 1850 19. Anthobothrium rajae n. sp. 20. A. pteroplateae n. sp. 21. A. bifidum n. sp. 22. A. parvum Stossich, 1895 23. Orygmatobothrium musteli (van Beneden, 1850) 24. O. versatile Die3ing, 1854 25. Monorygma megacotyla n. sp. 26. Pithophorus vulpeculae n. sp. 27. Echeneibothrium bifidum n. sp. 28. E. tobijei Yamaguti, 1934 29. Marsupiobothrium alopias n. g ., n. sp. 30. Dinobothrium spinulosum n. sp. 31. Gastrolecithus planus (Linton, 1922) n. g. Onchobothriidae Braun, 1900 32. Acanthobothrium triads n. sp. 33. A. micracantha n. sp. 34. A. latum n. sp. 35. A. gracile n. sp. 36. A. dasybati Yamaguti, 1934 37. A. ijimai Yoshida, 1917 38. A. grandiceps n. sp. 39. Calliobothrium verticillatum (Rud., 1819) van Bened., 1850 40. Platybothrium auriculatum n. sp. 41. P. musteli n. sp. Aberrant Tetraphyllidea 42. Pelichnibothrium speciosum Montic., 1889 43. Discobothrium japonicum Yamaguti, 1934 Tentaculariidae Poche, 1926 44. Nyelinia manazo n. sp. 45. N. sphyrnae n. sp. Floricipitidae Dollfus, 1929 46. Floriceps uncinatus (Linton, 1924) Tetrarhynchidean larvae 47. Pintneriella musculicola Yamaguti. 1934 48. Microbothriorhynchus coelorhynchi n. g., n. sp. 49. Oncomegas wageneri (Linton, 1890) 50. Pterobothrium chaeturichthydis n. sp. 51. P. hira n. sp. 52. Callotetrarhynchus speciosus (Linton, 1897) 53. Symbothriorhynchus uranoscopi n. g., n. sp. 54. Nybelinia anguillae n. sp. 55. N. nipponica n. sp. 56. Otobothrium dipsacum Linton, 1897

When the development of chemotherapeutic agents reaches the clinical trial stage, it is necessary to perform drug sensitivity tests quickly in order to select the most promising agents for the treatment of cancer. In order to assess the possibility of using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay as a substitute for the human tumor clonogenic assay (HTCA), we evaluated the correlation between the results obtained by these 2 assays in 5 human lung cancer cell lines. The correlation coefficient between the results of the HTCA and the MTT assay was 0.673, indicating a relatively good correlation. The correlation was most prominent in platinum analogues (r = 0.939) and good in anthracyclines/anthracenedione (r = 0.611). However, no significant correlation was observed in vinca alkaloids, etoposide, irinotecan, SN-38 (an active metabolite of irinotecan), and rhizoxin. The results of the MTT assay showed a high degree of correlation with those of the HTCA in predicting the sensitivity of cancer cell lines to platinum analogues, and anthracyclines/anthracenedione. These results suggest that the MTT assay may be more convenient and quickly performed than the HTCA and can replace HTCA in evaluating the effects of anticancer agents, especially the platinum analogues and anthracyclines/anthracenedione.

To better understand the spread of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, we studied the association of HCV infection with similarly transmissible hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and with hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection, which is supposed to be related to a nosocomial transmission of HCV. This was done by studying the presence or absence of antibodies to these viruses, as well as hepatitis B surface antigen, in a population of 1,398 inhabitants with abnormal liver function tests or history of liver disease and/or blood transfusion. This group was drawn from a group of 7,905 examinees screened for liver disease in 26 districts of Okayama prefecture, Japan. The prevalence of antibody-positive cases increased with age for those viruses. Small but significantly increased odds ratios were obtained among anti-HCV antibodies (HCVAb), anti-hepatitis B core antibodies (HBcAb) and anti-hepatitis A antibodies (HAVAb). After adjusting odds ratios by logistic regression analysis, a significant association was present only between HCVAb and HBcAb. The distribution of age-adjusted prevalences (AAP) of HCVAb in 26 districts was significantly wider than those of HBcAb or HAVAb. The district-based AAP of HCVAb, but not of HBcAb and HAVAb, correlated significantly with the district-based prevalence of infectious hepatitis having a tendency of chronicity reported in 1953-1955. Adjusted odds ratios calculated by logistic regression analysis of the virus markers showed that HCVAb was significantly associated with a past history of blood transfusion. Thus, the spread of HCV infection is speculated to have been triggered by blood transfusion, particularly from paid donors initially, followed by transmission by nosocomial or close person-to-person contact.

<P>Effects of methanol on colony-formation of human hepatoma cells were investigated. Among five human hepatoma cell lines (Hep G2, HLE, HuH-6, HuH-7, and PLC/PRF/5), only HLE cells showed enhanced colony formation due to methanol. The effective concentrations of methanol were around 1%. The enhancement occurred in a greater degree when the cells were seeded in the culture medium containing methanol than when methanol was added 24h after the cells were seeded. Methanol itself, however, did not enhance the cell proliferation.

Lymphocyte adhesion molecules defined by anti-CD44 antibody (Hermes-3) may be involved in lymphocyte binding to high endothelial venules at sites where lymphocytes exist the blood. CD44 expression was immunohistochemically examined in 167 well characterized cases of malignant lymphomas (MLs). None of 12 nodal follicular lymphomas (FLs) were CD44+, whereas 3 of 4 extranodal ones showed distinct CD44 expression. In contrast to nodal FLs, 28 of the 38 (74%) nodal diffuse B-cell lymphomas were CD44+ (p < 0.0001). T-cell lymphomas showed a significantly higher expression of CD44 antigen than diffuse B-cell lymphomas in the nodal cases (p < 0.04), but not in the extranodal ones. In nodal diffuse lymphomas, 3 of 5 stage I lymphomas (60%) were CD44+ in contrast to 53 of 63 stage II-IV lymphomas (84%), but the difference was not statistically significant. Of 14 Hodgkin's diseases, 9 cases were CD44+ with no significant correlation with clinical stage. The data of flow cytometric analysis confirmed the results of immunohistochemical analysis. In conclusion, CD44 expression is relevant to primary sites of distinctive MLs originating in the mucosal regions (MALToma) and some histological subtypes, but the relation with clinical stage was not defined. Some other adhesion molecules or different mechanisms must also be taken into account concerning the genesis and the expansion of MLs.

Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of resected tumors from 90 patients were immunohistochemically studied to assess the prognostic value of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression in non-small cell lung cancer. The individual tumors were classified into groups of high, moderate or low proliferative grade, and 38 (42.2%) patients had a high grade of proliferation. No statistically significant correlations were observed between PCNA grade and TNM status, pathological stage, resectability, histological type, degree of histological differentiation. Only vascular invasion significantly correlated with proliferative grade (p < 0.05). Survival analysis showed that patients with low proliferative grade tumors survived significantly longer (a 5-year survival rate of 83.3%) than those with high proliferative grade tumors (39.4%, p < 0.005). Cox's multivariate analysis revealed that PCNA grade was a significant prognostic determinant of survival. These results suggest that PCNA expression provides an independent prognostic variable for patients with non-small cell lung cancer and that it may be useful to consider this factor in treatment planning.

Between November 1984 and August 1992 we used hyperthermotherapy in six cases of local recurrence of rectal cancer. Hyperthermotherapy was performed on the average 8.7 times (range: 3-18) for each patient for 60 min each. All patients underwent combined radiotherapy and received a mean radiation dose of 42.5 Gy (range: 9-60 Gy). Five patients underwent heating within 1 h after irradiation and one patient simultaneously with the irradiation. Four patients underwent combined chemotherapy and two patients immunotherapy. Before the treatment all patients had painful lesions, but pain decreased posttherapeutically in five patients. Performance status improved in two patients. High carcinoembryonic antigen levels prior to the therapy in four patients decreased in all cases after treatment. Posttherapeutical computed tomograms revealed only minor response or no changes. After the treatment, four patients died of exacerbations of recurrent tumors and one patient of distant metastases. The patient who underwent simultaneous radiohyperthermotherapy is presently alive, in August 1992, 38 months after initiation of the treatment. The 50% survival time after initiation of the treatment was 25 months (range: 10-38 months). Hyperthermotherapy combined with radiotherapy, chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy was useful for the alleviation of pain in patients who developed local recurrence after surgery, and improved survival after recurrences can be expected.

Der Befund bei einem Exemplar von Racophorus Schlegelii, das die Arcizonie zeigte, fuhrt mich uber die Entwicklungsgeschichte des Schultergurtels aller anuren Amphibien zu folgender Uberlegung : Der primare Ausgangszustand des Schultergurtels bei der anuren Amphibien ist die Laxizonie, von dieser leitet sich die Arcizonie ab, dann ergibt sich endlich die Firmizonie aus der Arcizonie. Daher stellt die Firmizonie den am hochsten entwickelten Typus des Schultergurtels dar. In andern Worten : die Arcizonie kommt bei Racophorus Schlegelii nicht vor, aber Phylogenetisch liegt doch ein arcizonaler Zustand vor, wie bei diesem Fall von Racophorus Schlegelii, der die Arcizonie aufweist, die einen Rest des phylogenetischen Gebildes darstellt und gelegentlich eben doch auftritt.

1. Properdin assay which is comparatively sensitive and reproducible has been described. The assay may be called a modified method of properdin assay by HUNTER·HILL and McNALL. 2. The properdin assay of serum is possible by using a very small amount of test serum (0.1 ml at the least). The necessary amount of zymosan is very little, the procedure of properdin assay is comparatively simple and it can safely be used clinically. 3. Serum properdin of guinea pig, rat, rabbit and mouse can easily be measured by means of Rp and Ra made from guinea-pig sera. 4. In the properdin assay of human serum, human Rp serum IS preferable to guinea-pig Rp serum. 5. Human Rp serum is always prepared easily from pooled sera of advanced cancer bearing patients. 6. Insulin has not such ability of making Rp and R3 as can replace zymosan. 7. Properdin assay is possible by means of goat's hemolytic system as well as sheep's hemolytic system.

By mixing ferric iron with serum protein, 20 cc of serum and 1 cc of ferric chloride or ferric ammonium sulfate (l0 mg ferric iron/cc in each), in the range of pH 5.4 to 8.2, a transparent brownish red colored solution can be obtained. Paperelectrochromatography proved the iron can mainly be detected in β-globulin fraction in bovine serum and in &#945-globulin and albumin fractions in human and rabbit sera. But the absorption spectrum proved that there is no formation of any new compound, giving almost the same absorption curve as in the serum protein itself. And by lowering the pH of media below 5.4, the solution gives immediately the positive reaction of ferric iron. From these rerults it is suggested that iron will be maintained in a colloidal state keeping the stability of this state in the presence of protein molecules. Freezing and drying are the procedures quite useful for keeping this material for a long period of time without changing the chemical characteristics.

1. With a view to grasp more simply and clearly the characteristics of this disease and in order to find a clue for prompt discovery of cases when encountered in future, the authors undertook a statistical study of the cases already reported by various authors. 2. The cases reported so far amount to 17 familial groups which consisted of 38 acatalasemic cases. These groups were distributed widely throughout Japan. The disease seemed to be prevalent in the rural communities where adherence to the custom of consanguineous marriage occurs. As yet, we have not heard of the occurrence of this disease in other countries. 3. The disease has equal distribution in both sexes. About one half of patients showed a peculiar oral gangrene (Takahara's disease). The great majority of these were noted in those less than 10 years of age. 4. The great majority of them were children whose parents were united in consanguineous marriage and have siblings with acatalasemia. 5. As for the treatment of oral lesions in this disease, extraction of tooth at the site of the lesions, removal of the diseased tissues en masse by resection, and penicillin treatment given concomitantly are effective. The course and the length of time required in healing of the wound due to the operation are about the same as in the case of normal persons. 6. The authors wish to call special attention to the phenomenon peculiar to the acatalasemic blood. The blood of acatalasemic individuals changes to brownish-black color in the absence of foaming or bubble formation upon the application of hydrogen peroxide to blood.

Iliac arteries were occluded in adult mongrel dogs to investigate pelvic hemodynamics. When the unilateral common iliac artery was occluded, the blood flow making a "stopover" within the pelvis was found to be significantly less than that of anatomical hemodynamics even under a resting condition. The blood flow decreased more significantly under exercise loading than under a resting condition, which demonstrates the presence of the "steal" phenomenon. This only occurs in the collateral circulation in the pelvis formed by two arterial systems which are related in a series. In deciding the appropriacy of reconstruction for the internal iliac artery in patients with aorto-iliac occlusive disease, this "steal" phenomenon should be kept in mind. In most cases, ischemic symptoms in pelvic organs may be due to a simple decrease of the blood flow supplied to the pelvis, or due to the "steal" phenomenon. If the pelvic region is in the state of ischemia owing to the "steal" phenomenon, reconstruction of the blood vessels flowing into the pelvis is not required.

The incidences, distribution and histopathological findings of N, N'-dimethylnitrosourea (DMNU)-induced brain microtumors in Sprague-Dawley rats were studied. Subcutaneous injections of DMNU in young adult rats one a week resulted in the induction of 122 gliomas in 38 animals with an incidence of 69% after a time lapse of between 157 and 246 days from the first injection. Of these tumors, 66 were classified as microtumors (diameter less than about 1 mm) by detailed light microscopy observation of serial sections. The microtumors were of 3 types: 55 oligodendrogliomas, 8 astrocytomas and 3 mixed gliomas. As the tumors became larger in size, anaplasia appeared, especially in the central part of the tumors. The microtumors developed randomly throughout the brain. It was concluded that, in adult rat brains, the target cells of DMNU were well differentiated glial cells which had already migrated from the matrix layer.

The homovanillic acid (HVA) concentrations in the lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were determined in 38 epileptic and 39 control patients. The mean concentration of HVA was 23.9 ng/ml +/- 2.8 SEM for the epileptic group and 30.2 ng/ml +/- 2.1 SEM for the control group, respectively. Thus, HVA was significandly reduced in the patients with epilepsy compared with the controls. The mean HVA in the female patients was higher than in the male patients in both groups but this failed to reach statistical significance. There was no apparent relationship between the degree of reduced HVA concentration and other clinical indexes of the epilepsy (age, type and frequency of seizures, and anticonvulsant medication). For the determination of concentration gradient of HVA three fractions of the spinal CSF were obtained from 11 patients. A pronounced gradient of HVA concentration was found with a ratio of 1 : 1.46 : 1.97 for the first, second and third fractions. This suggests that a standardized conditions for collecting CSF should be employed to study HVA levels in humans.

A 38-year-old female presented with cough and fever. A chest X-ray examination revealed an abnormal shadow in the posteroinferior portion of the left hemithorax, and a laboratory examination showed that the serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level was markedly high (1000 U/ml). A left thoracotomy showed an intralobar pulmonary sequestration of the left lower lobe, and after a left lower lobe lobectomy, the serum level of CA19-9 decreased to normal. Increased CA19-9 activity was detected by immunohistochemistry in the epithelia of bronchioles in the pulmonary sequestration. This communication is the first to report a case of increased activity of CA19-9 in pulmonary sequestration.

The purpose of the present study was to assess the association between job strain and smoking cessation among Japanese male employees. In 1997, a baseline questionnaire was given to 2,625 (2,113 males and 512 females) employees of an electronics firm in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The self-administered questionnaire was a set of questions on smoking habits and consisted of items on socio-demographic variables and smoking habits, including the Japanese version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). The JCQ consists of scales of job control, job demand, supervisory support, coworker support, job insecurity, physical demands, and isometric load. A total of 733 male smokers were then followed for 2 years, with 446 completing a follow-up questionnaire in 1999 (follow-up rate, 61%). Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine associations between job strain and smoking cessation. Among the 446 participants, 38 had quit smoking. After adjusting for age ((odds ratio: OR) = 0.38, 95% (contidence interval: CI) = 0.15-0.94), men with a high level of physical demands at baseline showed a lower smoking cessation rate at follow-up than did those with a low level. However, when adjustments were made for age and other socio-demographic variables, the odds ratio of smoking cessation showed marginal significance (OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.16-1.29). There was no significant association between other job strain variables and smoking cessation at the 2-year follow-up. No significant association was found between job strain and change in the number of smoked cigarettes per day. The present study did not support the hypothesis that higher levels of job stressors are associated with a lower rate of smoking cessation among men.