Mucosal features and granulocyte–monocyte-apheresis in steroid-dependent/refractory ulcerative colitis

BACKGROUND: Mucosa-infiltrated granulocyte neutrophils are an early characteristic of inflammation and the main histological feature of active ulcerative colitis. Mucosal healing has recently been indicated as an important tool in the evaluation of response to treatment. While several studies have stressed the efficacy of granulocyte-monocyte-apheresis in inducing clinical remission in active ulcerative colitis, few data are available on mucosal features. AIM: Aim of this study was to assess the effects of granulocyte-monocyte-apheresis on clinical and mucosal features in patients with ulcerative colitis, dependent upon or refractory to steroids. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From April 2004 to April 2005, 12 patients (5 females, 7 males, mean age 49 years, range 33-71 years), with mild-moderate ulcerative colitis (six left colitis, six pancolitis) dependent/refractory upon steroids were enrolled. Each patient was treated for a 5-week period with five cycles of granulocyte-monocyte-apheresis. Patients were evaluated at baseline and 1 week after the last apheresis by means of Global Physician Assessment, quality of life features, laboratory tests (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP, full blood count, faecal calprotectine), endoscopy and histology. RESULTS: At week 6 of follow-up, complete mucosal healing was observed in 3 out of 12 patients, partial mucosal healing in 8 patients and no change in 1 patient. Clinical response was complete in 8 out of 12 patients. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that granulocyte-monocyte-apheresis induces an improvement both in clinical and mucosal lesions in steroid-dependent/refractory ulcerative colitis. Of note, the reduction in granulocyte infiltration and the improvement in mucosal lesions are accompanied by a reduction in faecal calprotectine.     

炎症性肠病危险因素的流行病学调查研究

目的通过病例调查，筛选IBD的危险因素。方法采用问卷方式，对72例确诊IBD患者及72例配对的健康个体调查，对结果进行COX回归分析，筛选出IBD的致病危险因素。结果COX回归分析提示紧张度、牛奶和油炸食品在IBD致病因素中具有统计学意义。结论紧张度、牛奶和油炸食品可能是IBD的致病危险因素。     

对大肠癌术后早期炎性肠梗阻诊治的探讨

目的：探讨大肠癌术后早期炎性肠梗阻的特点及治疗方法；方法：分析10例大肠癌术后出现早期炎性肠梗阻的临床表现并进行综合保守治疗；结果：10例患者保守治疗全部成功；结论：术后早期炎性肠梗阻是一种非细菌性炎性肠梗阻，以发生在术后早期，腹胀、呕吐明显，腹痛轻或无为主要临床特点，治疗应采用保守治疗。     

转录因子Egr-1在失血性休克复苏后肝脏损伤中的作用

目的研究转录因子Egr-1在失血性休克复苏（HS/R）后肝脏损伤中的作用.方法利用Egr-1野生型（WT）和基因封闭型（KO）小鼠复制失血性休克复苏模型.取肝组织,RT-PCR法测定肝组织中TNF-α、IL-6、G-CSF、ICAM-1 mRNA的表达变化.通过检测肝组织中MPO的含量、血清ALT水平和组织学检查,评估肝脏炎症细胞浸润和损伤程度.结果失血性休克2.5 h＋复苏4 h后,Egr-1 KO小鼠肝组织中TNF-α、IL-6、G-CSF、ICAM-1 mRNA的表达水平明显低于Egr-1WT组;Egr-1 KO组失血性休克复苏后肝组织炎性浸润和损伤程度减轻,表现为血清ALT水平低,肝组织中MPO含量低,病理损伤轻.结论本实验结果表明转录因子Egr-1参与了失血性休克复苏后肝脏炎症反应基因表达的调节,在失血性休克复苏后的肝脏损伤中起一定的作用.     

A Case Report of Inflammatory Pseudosarcoma of the Urinary Bladder

A case of inflammatory pseudosarcoma of the urinary bladder in a 35 year-old Japanese male is presented. This benign lesion can easily be mistaken for spindle cell sarcoma since it consists of rhabdomyoblast like elongated strap cells showing infiltrative growth, and whether it is benign or malignant is difficult to determine by microscopic examination. In this case, spindle cell proliferation extended among bundles of the superficial muscle layer. However, no abnormal mitoses, severe nuclear atypia or cellular pleomorphism could be seen, thus indicating inflammatory pseudosarcoma. Although the lesion was not completely resected, no recurrent disease has been clinically observed for two years following transurethral resection. Urologists and surgical pathologists must be able to detect this lesion in order to avoid unnecessary surgical procedures. Acta Pathol Jpn 42: 760 765,1992.     

Human recombinant erythropoietin directly stimulates B cell immunoglobulin production and proliferation in serum-free medium.

The effect of human recombinant erythropoietin (Epo) on B cell responses was studied in a serum-free medium. Epo enhanced IgM production and thymidine uptake by a human IgM-producing lymphoblastoid cell line, CBL. This effect was specific to Epo since enhancement was blocked by anti-Epo antibody but not by control antibody. Among the various cytokines, interleukin-4 (IL-4) enhanced IgM production and thymidine uptake while IL-6 enhanced IgM production without affecting thymidine uptake. In contrast, other cytokines including IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-5, interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), or granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were without effect. However, the enhancing effect of Epo is different from that of IL-4 or IL-6, since Epo effect was not blocked by anti-IL-4 antibody or anti-IL-6 antibody. Moreover, specific binding of Epo was detected on CBL cells. Epo also enhanced immunoglobulin (IgG, IgM and IgA) production and thymidine uptake by purified tonsil small resting B cells stimulated by Staphylococcus aureus Cowan strain I (SAC) or by large activated B cells. In contrast, Epo had no effect on unstimulated small resting B cells. These results indicate that Epo could directly stimulate activated and differentiated B cells and could enhance B cell immunoglobulin production and proliferation.     

Monkey hippocampal neuron responses to complex sensory stimulation during object discrimination.

The purpose of this study was to investigate, during the performance of an object discrimination task, responses of neurons in the monkey hippocampal formation to the sight of several objects that have biological meaning, and compare these responses with those of amygdalar neurons studied previously using the same task. Neuronal activity in the hippocampal formation of conscious monkeys was recorded during performance of a task that led to presentation of familiar rewarding, familiar aversive, or unfamiliar objects. Of 864 neurons recorded in the hippocampal formation and adjacent cortices, 160 (18.5%) responded to the sight of a certain object(s). Responses to the sight of different kinds of objects were analyzed in detail. Nondifferential neurons (n = 73) responded to different objects with no significant difference in response magnitudes, and differential neurons (n = 87) responded to different objects with different response magnitudes. Of the differential neurons, 23 responded more strongly to rewarding objects than to other objects (rewarding-object-dominant neurons), but the magnitude of responses to objects did not necessarily correlates with the order of preferences to the objects as determined from observation of animal behavior. Aversive-object-dominant neurons (n = 13) responded more to aversive objects than to other objects. Unfamiliar-object-dominant neurons (n = 7) responded more to unfamiliar objects than to familiar objects. Selective neurons (n = 10) responded selectively to only one object or one category of objects. Fourteen of the rewarding- or averse-object-dominant neurons were tested in extinction or reversal trials. In 12 of 14 neurons, responses to a rewarding or aversive object did not change, or slightly weakened, in extinction or reversal trials. The results suggest the following. (1) Responses of rewarding- or aversive-object-dominant neurons may be involved in object-reward or object-aversion association. However, responses of many of these neurons might reflect past inputs to reinforcement rather than extant emotional processing. (2) Responses of unfamiliar-object-dominant neurons may be involved in recognition of objects based on their familiar or unfamiliar aspects. These results are further discussed and compared with responsiveness of amygdalar neurons.     

Trauma-Related Dissociative States and Long-Term Psychopathology in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Dissociative responses to trauma have been hypothesized to be associated with long-term increases in psychopathology. The purpose of this study was to examine dissociative responses to premilitary, combat-related and postmilitary traumatic events and long-term psychopathology in Vietnam combat veterans with (n = 34) and without (n = 28) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD patients reported higher levels of dissociative states at the time of combat-related traumatic events than non-PTSD patients. Higher levels of dissociative states persisted in PTSD patients in the form of higher levels of dissociative states in response to postmilitary traumatic events. In addition, dissociative responses to combat trauma were associated with higher long-term general dissociative symptomatology as measured by scores on the Dissociative Experience Scale, as well as increases in the number of flashbacks since the time of the war. These findings are consistent with previous formulations that dissociation in the face of trauma is a marker of long-term psychopathology.     

大鼠急性脊髓损伤时IκBα的表达及其意义

目的 研究大鼠急性脊髓损伤时抑制蛋白α(IkBa)表达变化规律。方法 将60只SD大鼠随机分为两组：损伤组48只大鼠，行脊柱椎板切除及脊髓打击术。对照组12只大鼠，仅行椎板切除术。应用免疫组织化学及Western blot分别测定脊髓细胞浆内IkBα的表达变化情况。免疫组织化学以细胞浆出现棕黄色颗粒为阳性结果，Western blot以醋酸纤维素膜上出现棕色条带为阳性结果。结果 在损伤后1h，IkBα表达开始下降，12h降到最低点，损伤后24h表达开始回升，5d逐步恢复正常。结论 IkBα活性变化可作为急性创伤性脊髓损伤时炎症反应程度的一项观测指标，通过抑制IkBα磷酸化降解环节，成为抑制炎症反应的新途径。     

肺炎性假瘤(附52例报告)

目的：分析肺炎性假瘤的临床病理特点，并探讨其诊断问题，方法：回顾性分析52例肺炎性假瘤的临床病理资料。结果：男女发病比为2．25：1，平均年龄50．6岁，平均病程10．8个月，临床主要表现为咳嗽或咳痰，痰中带血或咯血，胸痛或背痛；影像检查见肿块位于肺周边部，单发，圆形或类圆形，病理检查肿块最大平均直径为3．9cm，见于各肺多于左肺，双上肺多于双下肺，44．2％同侧肺门淋巴结因反应性增生而肿大；经系统抗炎，抗结核治疗，肺肿块影均无改变，手术切除可治愈，结论：肺炎性假瘤有其特点，可与肺癌、肺结核、肺炎相区别；确诊仍需病理活检；CT或超声引导经皮活检值得推广，并应重视电视胸腔腔镜在诊治中的作用。