PEUTZ‐JEGHERS SYNDROME ASSOCIATED WITH RENAL AND GASTRIC CANCER THAT DEMONSTRATED AN STK11 MISSENSE MUTATION

A 75‐year‐old male was admitted to the gastroenterology unit of Nagoya City University Hospital due to epigastralgia after surgical treatment for right renal cancer. Endoscopy revealed advanced type 1 gastric cancer in the corpus of the stomach and multiple polypoid lesions in the stomach and duodenum. X‐ray examination of the small intestine using barium showed multiple polyps in the upper jejunum. Faint pigmentation on the palm was also detected. Peutz‐Jeghers syndrome (PJS) was diagnosed, despite a lack of family history. Total gastrectomy, resection of part of the upper jejunum and intraoperative endoscopic polypectomy of duodenal polyps was performed. This is the second reported case of PJS associated with renal cancer. We also detected a missense mutation in the tumor suppressor gene STK11 that, when mutated, is causative for PJS.     

Objective definition and measurement method of ground-glass opacity for planning limited resection in patients with clinical stage IA adenocarcinoma of the lung

Objective: The standard operation for patients with stage IA lung adenocarcinoma is considered to be a lobectomy. Recently, some researchers have reported that patients with tumors showing greater proportions of ground-glass opacity (GGO) at computed tomography (CT) could be candidates for limited resection, because of its less aggressive nature. However, the lack of a precise definition or standard measuring method of GGO prevents its general use as an index for planning limited resection. Therefore, we attempted to define GGO based on CT number and measured it more objectively. Methods: Between 1998 and 2001, 90 patients with clinical stage IA adenocarcinoma, who underwent standard or intentional limited resection and whose images of chest high-resolution CT were preserved in Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format, constituted the study population. The tumor shadow seen on the solid window (WL, −160 HU; WW, 2 HU) was regarded as the central solid area of the tumor seen on the lung window, and GGO was defined as the whole tumor area with the exception of the central solid area. Each area was measured using Scion Image (Scion Corp., Frederick, MD). We analyzed the relationship between the proportion of GGO and both of pathologic findings and recurrence. Results: Among the 90 tumors, 31 (34.4%) were calculated to have a GGO area greater than or equal to 50%. Of these, 27 (87%) tumors were bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. Lymphatic and vascular invasions, or nodal involvement were found only in patients with a smaller proportion of GGO (<50%) (P<0.05). During the follow-up period (median 36 months), recurrences occurred in eight patients who were diagnosed as having tumors showing smaller proportion of GGO (<50%). Conclusions: Tumors with a greater proportion of GGO measured by our method are thought to have a less invasive nature. Our objective measuring method of GGO could be useful for future multicenter trials to elucidate the value of limited resection for clinical stage IA adenocarcinoma based on the proportion of GGO.     

Reduced-intensity unrelated cord blood transplantation for patients with advanced malignant lymphoma.

We report the results of reduced-intensity unrelated cord blood transplantation (RI-UCBT) in patients with advanced malignant lymphoma. Twenty patients (median age, 46.5 years; range, 27-66 years) underwent RI-UCBT with a preparative regimen consisting of fludarabine 125 mg/m2 , melphalan 80 mg/m 2 , and 4 Gy of total body irradiation. The median infused total cell dose was 2.75 x 10(7)/kg (range, 2.3-3.4 x 10(7)/kg). Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis was composed of cyclosporine or tacrolimus alone. Fifteen patients achieved primary neutrophil engraftment after a median of 20 days. Eight patients developed grade II to IV acute GVHD, and 2 developed chronic GVHD. Of the 16 patients with evaluable disease, 10 achieved a complete response. Primary disease recurred in 1 patient, and transplant-related mortality within 100 days occurred in 8 of 20 patients. The estimated 1-year probability of progression-free survival was 50%. These data suggest that RI-UCBT is a feasible option for patients with refractory lymphoma who lack an HLA-matched donor.     

Catalase, a Specific Antigen in the Feces of Human Subjects Infected with Helicobacter pylori

Recently, we reported the production of three new monoclonal antibodies with high specificity for a Helicobacter pylori antigen suitable for diagnosis of H. pylori infection. The aim of the present study was to identify the antigen recognized by these monoclonal antibodies concerning both H. pylori and the feces of human subjects infected with H. pylori. The cellular antigen was purified from an H. pylori cell extract by immunoaffinity column chromatography with the monoclonal antibody as a ligand. The amino-terminal amino acid sequences (eight residues) of the purified antigen and H. pylori catalase were the same. The molecular weights of native and subunit, specific catalase activity, and UV and visible spectra of the purified antigen were in good agreement with those of H. pylori catalase. The human fecal antigens were purified from two fecal samples of two H. pylori-positive subjects by ammonium sulfate precipitation, CM-Sephadex C₅₀ chromatography, and the same immunoaffinity chromatography used for the H. pylori cellular antigen. The fecal antigens had catalase activity. The amino-terminal amino acid sequences (five residues) of the human fecal antigen and H. pylori catalase were the same. The monoclonal antibodies reacted with the native cellular antigen, but did not react with the denatured antigen, human catalase, and bovine catalase. The results show that the target antigen of the monoclonal antibodies is native H. pylori catalase and that the monoclonal antibodies are able to specifically detect the antigen, which exists in an intact form, retaining the catalase activity in human feces.     

Prognostic value of N-myc oncogene amplification and S-100 protein positivity in children with neuroblastic tumors.

Data on 43 neuroblastic tumors (30 neuroblastomas and 13 ganglioneuroblastomas) obtained from 22 untreated and 21 pretreated children, were analyzed to determine the correlation between N-myc oncogene amplification and immunohistochemically identified S-100 protein positivity. Sixteen patients in whom the tumor showed significant amplification of N-myc (more than ten copies) died, irrespective of S-100 protein positivity and other conventional factors. Among 27 patients with low amplification of N-myc (less than ten copies), the estimated progression-free survival for those whose tumors had numerous S-100 protein-positive cells (P group), and few or no positive cells (N group) was 75% and 17%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Thus, in addition to N-myc oncogene amplification as a reliable indicator of outcome, S-100 protein positivity should be useful for prediction of prognosis in children with neuroblastic tumors showing low amplification of N-myc. Correlations among these results and other clinical factors are briefly discussed.     

The role of hemolymph in the initial cellular attachment to foreign cells by the hemocytes of the silkworm,

The effects of silkworm hemolymph, , on the frequency of hemocyte-binding were studied using the scanning electron microscopy ( SEM ) and a rosette assay with goose erythrocytes ( GRBC ). Hemocytes from the last instar larvae were able to bind to GRBC int he absence of hemolymph. Hemocytes type involved in sponteneous cytoadherence was mainly the granular cell, while both plasmatocyte and prohemocyte were also observed to adhere to GRBC. However, the frequency of these two hemocytes binding to GRBC was low compared with that of granular cells. Observations with the SEM showed that the presence of hemolymph increased the number of GRBC-binding hemocytes, especially the granular cells and plasmatocytes. Therefore, hemolymph probably had a significant role in the attachment of granular cells and plasmatocytes to foreign erythrocytes.     

Peroxyl radical scavenging capability of fish sauces measured by the chemiluminescence method

Oxygen-related free radicals have been suggested as a cause of aging and various diseases, for example, various cancers and rheumatoid arthritis. A radical scavenger as an antioxidant has been sought in foods. Fish sauces are traditional Asian fermented seasonings. Using the luminol chemiluminescence method, the peroxyl radical scavenging capability of fish sauces was examined. From the IC50 values, many fish sauces have been shown to have a strong scavenging capability as well as soy sauces. A scavenging mechanism is also proposed.     

Expression and function of galectin-3, a beta-galactoside-binding protein in activated T lymphocytes

A soluble beta-galactoside-binding lectin, galectin-3 has been shown to be involved in cell adhesion and activation of immune cells. Although galectin-3 is known to be expressed in various types of cells, it has not been shown whether galectin-3 is expressed in T lymphocytes. We present evidence here that galectin-3 is expressed in activated murine T lymphocytes including CD4+ and CD8+ T cells but not in resting T cells. Galectin-3 expression was induced by anti-CD3 mAb or mitogen and enhanced by common gamma-chain signaling cytokines, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-7, in activated T lymphocytes, whereas the inflammatory cytokines including TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma did not. Galectin-3 expression and proliferation were down-regulated by withdrawal of IL-2 and gamma irradiation. Antisense but not sense phosphorothioated oligonucleotides for galectin-3 inhibited galectin-3 expression and blocked proliferation of T cells significantly. This study suggests that up-regulation of galectin-3 plays an important role in proliferation of activated T lymphocytes.     

Deproteinizing effects on resin-tooth bond structures

This study investigated the effects of NaOCl on resin-tooth bonds to simulate the situations of long-term durability and caries invasion. Resin-tooth bonded specimens were produced with the use of two resin adhesives (Excite and One-Bond). Resin-tooth bonded beams (adhesive area; 0.9 mm2) were serially sectioned and the specimens were immersed in 10% NaOCl medium for 0 (control), 2, 4, and 6 h after being stored in water for 24 h. After immersion, microtensile bond tests were performed. SEM fractography was conducted to calculate each failure mode by image analysis. In addition, the adhesive interface was examined with the use of TEM. In the control specimens, enamel bond strengths had no difference between Excite (45.6 +/- 15.0) and One-Bond (56.9 +/- 12.9). On the other hand, dentin bond strengths had significant difference between Excite (80.6 +/- 21.2) and One-Bond (50.7 +/- 11.2). The bond strengths decreased with increased storage time for both systems with enamel and dentin bonds. The deteriorated mineralized dentin of beams resulted in bond-strength reduction for resin-enamel bonds. For dentin bonding, the adhesive interface was gradually dissolved from the outer to the center portion of the beam. The depletion of collagen fibrils within the demineralized dentin or hybrid layer deformation was found under SEM and TEM examinations. These morphological changes are responsible for bond strength reduction of resin-dentin bonds.