A new pedicled seromuscular flap technique for high-risk intestinal anastomoses

A new method for protecting intestinal anastomoses in patients at high risk of anastomotic dehiscence or fistula formation is described herein. This method involves raising a seromuscular flap on a pedicle from the stump of the intestine to be anastomosed. The anastomosis is performed, then covered with the seromuscular flap.     

Purification of rabbit, rat and mouse protein C with the use of monoclonal antibody to human protein C, PC01

Ca(++)-dependent monoclonal antibody specific to gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) domain of protein C was produced. It did not cross-react to the other vitamin K-dependent plasma proteins but to protein C of the other species. Using this monoclonal antibody, PC01, rabbit (170 micrograms), rat (60 micrograms) and mouse (40 micrograms) protein Cs were isolated from 100 ml of their plasma by affinity chromatography. All of these protein Cs were two chain form linked by disulfide bond as well as human protein C and activated by thrombin-thrombomodulin complex. Rat and mouse protein Cs showed similar characters to human protein C. On the other hand rabbit protein C had different M(r) of heavy and light chains and showed lower anticoagulant activity compared with human protein C.     

Painless aortic dissection late after aortic valve replacement, presenting as superior vena cava syndrome

A 68-year-old man, who had underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR) with Björk-Shiley disc valve for aortic regurgitation 17 years ago, was transferred to our hospital complaining of facial ruddiness and swelling, without chest or back pain. Preoperative examination revealed DeBakey type II aortic dissection, which caused superior vena cava syndrome (SVC syndrome). Emergent ascending aortic replacement was performed, postoperatively central venous pressure (CVP) decreased from 33 to 9 mmHg, and SVC syndrome was relieved. Painless aortic dissection after AVR, presenting as SVC syndrome, is a rare case, and close follow-up should be performed under consideration of painless aortic dissection late after AVR.     

Alveolar soft part sarcoma of the uterine cervix

A rare case of an alveolar soft part sarcoma of the uterine cervix in an 8 year old girl is presented. The patient was admitted because of genital bleeding lasting for 7 months. A polypoid tumor, 2times1.5 cm in diameter, was found in her external uterine os and was surgically resected. Microscopically, the tumor consisted of a uniform sheet of tumor cells in the cytoplasm which contained granules and which were stained with periodic acid-Schiff, both before and after the diastase digestion. Alveolar arrangement of the tumor cells was manifested with reticulin silver impregnation. Dense, membrane bound granules were evident at an ultrastructural level in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells. An immunohistochemical examination demonstrated a positive reaction for anti-desmin, anti-myoglobin, anti-HHF35 and anti-neuron specific enolase in the cytoplasm.     

Interaction of Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) origin of replication (oriP) with EBNA-1 and cellular anti-EBNA-1 proteins

We have previously shown that 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) which activates expression of the latent genome of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in Burkitt lymphoma cells induces the synthesis of two cellular anti-EBNA-1 competitor proteins, anti-EBNA-1.1 and anti-EBNA-1.2. Both anti-EBNA-1 proteins can uncouple the specific binding of the EBNA-1 to the region required for EBV plasmid maintenance (oriP). Here, we show by DNase I footprinting that the binding sites on oriP for the EBNA-1 and the anti-EBNA-1 proteins were indistinguishable. The proteins bound to the 30-bp tandem repeats of the oriP. Glycerol-gradient centrifugation and gel retardation assay revealed that a 60-kDa protein formed the anti-EBNA-1.1-DNA complex and a 40-kDa protein formed the anti-EBNA-1.2-DNA complex.     

Interleukin-3-dependent potentiation of IgE responsiveness in mouse basophils

Basophils produce interleukins (IL)-4 in response to various stimuli and may contribute to type 2 immune responses to various infections and allergens. We found that resting basophils freshly isolated from mice produce IL-4 in response to IL-3 but not to high-affinity Fc receptor (FcεRI) cross-linking (CL), yet both required the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) containing adaptor Fc receptor γ-chain (FcRγ), while basophils activated in vitro by IL-3 become responsive to FcεRI CL. Acquisition of responsiveness to FcεRI CL occurred upon infection with Trichinella spiralis or administration of superantigen. Because cultured basophils return to a quiescent state upon starvation with IL-3 with surface FcεRI levels unchanged, this acquisition is reversible and probably reflects intracellular events requiring protein synthesis. Interestingly, similar activation-associated acquisition was observed for responsiveness to other stimuli, including CD200R3 CL, which is known to signal via DAP-12, and the allergen protease papain. This acquisition of responsiveness to FcεRI CL was inhibited by Jak inhibitor. Thus, the IL-3 signal bifurcates downstream of Jak, into two distinct pathway, one leading to IL-4 production and the other to render basophils competent to respond to stimuli dependent on ITAM-containing adaptors DAP12 and FcRγ for IL-4 production.