Diagnostic Validity of Fecal Occult Blood Tests for Detecting Gastroenterological Cancers

In order to estimate the diagnostic validity of chemical fecal occult blood tests, i.e. orthotolidine (Shionogi A) and guajac (Shionogi B) slides for detecting cancers of the esophagus, stomach and colorectum, the authors followed up all the examinees (n=3,449) of comprehensive medical check-ups at the Center for Adult Diseases, Osaka, by means of record linkage to the Osaka Cancer Registry's files. Then, diagnostic validity was calculated based on the results of two years' follow-up. Sensitivity for the respective cancers was 20.0%, 11.8% and 62.5% for Shionogi A, and 20.0%, 5.9% and 43.8% for Shionogi B slides. Likelihood ratio for the respective cancers was 1.4, 0.8 and 4.5 for Shionogi A, and 3.3, 1.0 and 7.5 for Shionogi B. Specificity was analogous among the three cancer sites, being 86% for Shionogi A and 94% for Shionogi B. These results suggest that the diagnostic validity of chemical occult blood tests for detecting cancers of the esophagus and the stomach is very poor, and therefore imply that close examinations of these sites for screening positives is unnecessary in mass screenings for colorectal cancer.     

Ubiquitous Presence in Mammalian Cells of Enzymatic Activity Specifically Cleaving 8-Hydroxyguanine-containing DNA

Here we report the finding of enzymatic activity that specifically cleaves DNA containing 8-hydroxyguanine (oh⁸Gua) residues in various mammalian cells. To detect this activity, we used a synthetic double-stranded DNA containing a single oh⁸Gua at a defined position as the substrate, and analyzed the products of enzymatic digestion by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Two cleavage sites near the oh⁸Gua residue were detected with partially purified fractions from cow brain and rat liver, and also with preparations from all mammalian tissues examined. These results suggest that enzymatic activity for the removal of oh⁸Gua from DNA is widely distributed in mammalian cells.     

Efficacy of Lung Cancer Screening; Comparison of Results from a Case-Control Study and a Survival Analysis

A case-control study to evaluate the efficacy of lung cancer screening conducted by us showed that lung cancer screening may reduce the mortality of the disease up to 28%. Assuming this efficacy is unbiased, and that the screening rate is 51.6%, which was observed in the control group in the above study, the number of lung cancer deaths prevented by screening in the study period was calculated to be 47 for males and females combined. In the same study population, screen-detected lung cancer patients (N = 207) in the same study period were followed and the 7-year survival rate (46.9%) was compared to the 5-year survival rate (11.3%) obtained by the Osaka Cancer Registry, in which screen-detected lung cancer patients were only 1.8%. The number of lung cancer deaths prevented by screening, estimated by the difference in the above two survival rates, was 74 (95% confidence interval; 55–93). The number of lung cancer deaths prevented by screening estimated from the case-control study was significantly lower than that estimated from the survival analysis. This indicates that the efficacy of lung cancer screening estimated by the case-control study was within the range that could be explained by the actual long-term survivors among the screen-detected patients in the study population.     

Differential Expression of Subspecies of Polyomavirus and Murine Leukemia Virus Enhancer Core Binding Protein, PEBP2, in Various Hematopoietic Cells

The core sequence of the enhancer of murine leukemia virus (MuLV) long terminal repeat is highly conserved in a large number of MuLV strains and appears to play an essential role when SL3-3 or Moloney strains induce T cell lymphoma in mice. We found by using the electrophoretic mobility shift assay that a polyomavirus enhancer core-binding protein, PEBP2, bound to this core motif of MuLV. We also noted that PEBP2 in several hematopoietic cell lines derived from B lymphocyte, macrophage and myelocyte lineages migrated significantly faster than the authentic PEBP2 detected in NIH3T3 (ibroblasts. Interestingly, PEBP2 detected in the cell lines of T lymphocyte lineage appeared to contain both types, which were indistinguishable in electrophoretic mobility from those of NIH3T3 and of B lymphocyte, macrophage and myelocyte lineages. The treatment of the nuclear extract containing PEBP2 with phosphatase generated PEBP3, which is a subcomponent of PEBP2 and retained the same DNA-binding specificity as PEBP2. The altered mobility of hematopoietic cell-derived or T lymphocyte-derived PEBP2 was found to be due to the alteration of the mobility of PEBP3. Based on the distinct mobility of PEBP2/3 of T lymphocytes from those of other hematopoietic cells, we discuss the implication of PEBP2 in MuLV-induced T cell leukemia and T cell-specific gene expression.     

Strain Difference of Susceptibility to 4-Nitroquinoline 1-Oxide-induced Tongue Carcinoma in Rats

Strain difference of susceptibility to 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO)-induced squamous cell carcinomas of the tongue among Dark-Agouti, Long-Evans, Sprague-Dawley, ACI/Ms, Fischer 344, Donryu and Wistar/Furth rats was surveyed by evaluating the survival times, incidences and sizes of developed tumors as markers of susceptibility. Administration of 4NQO dissolved in drinking water induced squamous cell carcinomas in various sites of the upper digestive tract mucosa of all the experimental male and female rats of the seven strains. Regarding the mean survival times, Wistar/Furth rats survived much longer than any other strain of rats, and Dark-Agouti showed the shortest survival. The incidence of large, mass-type carcinomas of the tongue of Dark-Agouti rats was higher than in any other strain of rats, while that of Wistar/Furth rats was the lowest. Subsequently the mitotic activity and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation in the tongue epithelium of Dark-Agouti and Wistar/Furth rats were estimated after a short-term administration of 4NQO. There was a pronounced difference between the two strains of rats, because the proliferative responses of the tongue epithelium of Dark-Agouti rats to the 4NQO stimulation were much higher than those of Wistar/Furth rats. These results indicated that there are marked differences in the susceptibility to 4NQO-induced tongue carcinoma among the seven strains of rats, and that Dark-Agouti and Wistar/Furth rats could be useful as models of highly and poorly susceptible strains, respectively, for further genetic analysis.     

Cell-killing Activity and Kinetic Analysis of a Novel Antitumor Compound NC-190, a Benzo[a]phenazine Derivative

A novel antitumor compound, N-β-dimethylaminoethyl 9-carboxy-5-hydroxy-10-methoxybenzo[a]-phenazine-6-carboxamide sodium salt (NC-190), was evaluated for antitumor activity in vitro against cultured tumor cell lines, and the kinetics of cell killing was elucidated. NC-190 strongly inhibited the growth of all of 3 murine tumor cell lines, 7 human tumor cell lines and 2 normal cell lines. With continuous exposure, the 50% inhibition concentrations were in the range of 0.005–0.06 μg/ml, except for KATO-III (2.15 μ g/ml). By colony-forming assay, concentrations of NC-190 giving 90% cell kill (IC₉₀) at various exposure times were obtained with HeLa S3 cells. The plot of IC₉₀exposure time on a log-log scale was linear for NC-190 with a slope of -1, which is typical for cell cycle phase-nonspecific agents. A 2 h treatment with NC-190 induced a rapid reduction in cell viability at doses of more than 3 μ g/ml. At the dose where colony formation was completely inhibited, cell viability was persistently reduced to below 20% during the cell culture period. NC-190 cauced a dose- and time-dependent reduction in DNA synthesis. The inhibitions of RNA and protein synthesis were less than that of DNA synthesis. Spectroscopic studies of NC-190 mixed with calf thymus DNA demonstrated that NC-190 was capable of interacting with DNA. However, DNA thermal denaturation studies suggested that intercalation of NC-190 was weak in comparison with those of classical intercalating drugs.     

保定地区首次证实为流行性出血热疫源地

保定地区1934年首次经血清学证实有EHF病例发生,并从疫区鼠类中查到EHF抗原,其阳性率分别为:褐家鼠4.85%,黑线姬鼠1.95%,大仓鼠0.79%,小家鼠0.51%,褐家鼠可能是我区的主要传染源。疫区健康人群血清EHF抗体阳性率为1.37%,女性显著高于男性。     

Notes on the use of low magnification telescopes in low vision care

Several areas related to the use of telescopes in low vision are reviewed. These include: contrast sensitivity function; eccentric viewing through a telescope; field of view; telescope used in reverse; and IOL-spectacle lens telescopic systems. Experimental data are included to support selected clinical observations routinely made by low vision clinicians.     

Cortical Distribution of Eeg Activity for Component Processes During Mental Rotation

Alpha power (8–12 Hz) was monitored over the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes of the left and right cerebral hemispheres while participants mentally rotated three-dimensional shapes to match a specified target. By comparing the activational patterns generated during three experimental conditions, each designed to systematically isolate the involvement of the various subcomponents comprising this mental rotation task, it was suggested that the right frontal lobe mediates encoding and comparison/decision processes, while the left parietal and the left temporal region appear most involved in the generation of images and their mental rotation. A preliminary model describing the cooperative interaction of these cortical regions during mental rotation tasks is proposed.