Polysomnography and body temperature changes by phototherapy in a delayed sleep phase syndrome case

Abstract We examined polysomnography (PSG) and body temperature in a patient with delayed sleep phase syndrome who responded to phototherapy. The patient was a 31-year-old woman whose condition had slightly improved by a vitamin B₁₂ administration. Phototherapy was administered to her in combination with the vitamin B₁₂ medication, and this combined treatment successfully advanced her delayed sleep phase. On PSG, the regimen showed shortened sleep latency, decreased total sleep time and stages 1 and 2 sleep, and increased slow wave sleep. Phototherapy also improved temporal distribution of delta half-waves (0.5-2.0 Hz, 31 µV) as well as phase relationship between sleep and body temperature.     

Effects of ultraviolet B irradiation on cell–cell interaction; implication of morphological changes and actin filaments in irradiated cells

We studied the effects of ultraviolet B (UV-B) irradiation on cell–cell interactions using mouse lymphoma RMA cells and T cell hybridoma HTB-176.10 cells. RMA cells act as stimulators by presenting H-2K^b surface antigens to HTB-176.10 cells, inducing IL-2 production in HTB-176.10 cells. Irradiating RMA cells with 1000 J/m² UV-B suppressed cell cluster formation between RMA and HTB-176.10 cells and reduced the level of IL-2 production in HTB-176.10 cells, although H-2K^b surface antigens of RMA cells were still expressed. Electron microscopic observations of irradiated RMA cells revealed that UV-B irradiation damaged cell structures, resulting in the disappearance of microvilli on the cell surface, destruction of mitochondria, vacuolation of cytoplasm and swelling of the perinuclear cisterna space. We found that these alterations were accompanied by polymerization of filamentous actin quantified by flow cytometry after NBD-phallacidin staining. Our results suggest that a target of UV-B-induced alterations is actin filaments, which support the cell morphology as the cytoskeleton, and that modification of filamentous actin inhibits interaction between RMA and HTB-176.10 cells. This underlying mechanism may account for the impaired interaction between antigen-presenting cells and T cells after transfusion with UV-B-irradiated allogeneic blood components.     

Mass Gastric Examinations of Prisoners at Miyagi Prison in Japan

Mass examinations of the stomach were carried out on 79 convicts over 40 years of age confined in the Miyagi Prison, Japan. Of the 79 subjects, 11.9% were found to need detailed examination of the stomach which disclosed gastric polyp in one case and scar from gastric ulceration in one. None was found to have carcinoma of the stomach. Complaints of symptoms were obviously more frequent with the convicts as compared with a control group. There was not, however, a significant depression in efficiency of this group examination by photofluorography, as compared with the usual gastric mass examination on general inhabitants.     

Certain type of chronic lung disease of newborns is associated with Ureaplasma urealyticum infection in utero

BACKGROUND: Recent studies of chronic lung disease (CLD) of newborns emphasize the contribution of antenatal infection. However, the association of Ureaplasma urealyticum infection and CLD has been controversial. The purpose of the present paper was to determine whether U. urealyticum is associated with chorioamnionitis (CAM) and a certain type of CLD. METHODS: One hundred and five infants <32 weeks of gestation who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Jichi Medical School Hospital, who underwent both histological and microbiological examinations and who survived to discharge were included. CAM was determined by histological examination. Placenta, gastric and tracheal aspirates, and nasopharyngeal swabs were cultured for Mycoplasma and other microorganisms. CLD was defined as oxygen needed at 28 days of age with symptoms of persistent respiratory distress and hazy or emphysematous and fibrous appearance upon X-ray. CLD was further divided into two subtypes according to the presence of antenatal infection. RESULTS: CAM was associated with premature rupture of membrane (odds ratio [OR], 10.19; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.10-33.56), placental colonization of U. urealyticum (OR 6.73, 95%CI: 1.89-23.91), neonatal colonization of other microorganisms (OR 7.33, 95%CI: 1.22-44.13) and level of IgM (OR 1.06, 95%CI: 1.01-1.11). Comparisons between CLD and non-CLD patients showed that gestational age (OR 0.43, 95%CI: 0.30-0.61) and white blood cell count (WBC) at birth (OR 1.06, 95%CI: 1.01-1.11) were risk factors for CLD, while gestational age (OR 0.38, 95%CI: 0.23-0.64), neonatal colonization of U. urealyticum (OR 5.98, 95%CI: 1.17-30.6) and WBC (OR 1.08, 95%CI: 1.01-1.15) were independent risk factors for infection-related CLD compared with non-CLD. Within CLD, infection-related CLD was associated with neonatal colonization of U. urealyticum (OR 43.7, 95%CI: 2.84-673.8) and WBC (OR 1.27, 95%CI: 1.07-1.50). CONCLUSIONS: Placental colonization of U. urealyticum was significantly related to CAM; and neonatal colonization of U. urealyticum and leukocytosis at birth were risk factors for infection-related CLD.     

Inherited electrophoretic variants detected in a Japanese population with two-dimensional gels of erythrocyte lysates

Genetic variation has been studied in erythrocyte lysates from 100 Japanese children and their parents by means of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Fifty-five polypeptides selected without respect to variability were considered suitable for scoring. Genetic variation was encountered in 14 of these polypeptides. Family data show that the segregation of 13 variants is consistent with an autosomal codominant mode of inheritance; the remaining variant exhibits a sex-linked mode of inheritance. Of 8 presumably identical polypeptides found variable in Japanese and/or Caucasians, differences in the occurrence or allele frequencies of polymorphisms were recognized for four. Contrary to the experience of some investigators, the amount of variation and the ethnic differences we are encountering indicate that two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is a sensitive tool for the study of genetic events.     

Crohn's Disease Initially Suggested by Minute Esophageal Erosions—Report of a Case

A 19–year-old woman visited our hospital complaining of fever and epigastral-gia. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed minute discrete erosions surrounded by elevated mucosa about one millimeter in diameter in the esophagus and aphthoid erosions in the stomach. Biopsy samples obtained from the esophagus showed non-caseating epitheloid granulomas, suggesting Crohn's disease. Colonoscopy showed a small erosion in the cecum adjacent to the vermiform appendix and biopsy showed non-caseating epitheloid granulomas and Crohn's disease was diagnosed. In hospital, she was treated with elemental diet and 5–aminosalicyclic acid. Clinical symptoms disappeared rapidly and laboratory data became normal. We thus report a rare case of early-stage Crohn's disease initially indicated by biopsy of minute esophageal erosions. (Dig Endosc 1999; 11: 255–258)     

Preparations,solution conformations and molecular structures of N,N′-ethylene-bridged dipeptides and their derivatives

The solution conformations of novel dipeptides, methyl (2S, 3′S)-3-methyl-2-(2′-oxo-3′-isopropyl-1′-piperazinyl)-butanoate (EVV-OCH₃), methyl (2S, 3′S)-3-phenyl-2-(2′-oxo-3′-benzyl-1′-piperazinyl) propionate (EFF-OCH₃), and their derivatives (Boc-Gly-EW-OH, Boc-Gly-EVV-Gly-OH, and Boc-Gly-EFF-OH), were studied by ‘H NMR measurements and molecular mechanics calculations (1). The molecular structures of Boc-Gly-EVV-OH, Boc-Gly-EFF-OH, and the hydrochloride of EVV-OCH₃ were determined by X-ray analyses. The conformations of the piperazinone rings and the side chains of these oligopeptides were clarified.