CASE REPORT: Insulin - like growth factor II expression in hepatocellular carcinoma with alcoholic liver fibrosis accompanied by hypoglycaemia

This case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with alcoholic liver fibrosis, which was not associated with hepatitis viruses, was accompanied by hypoglycaemia. The immunoreactive insulin level was low and other hormonal examinations were almost normal. Immunohistochemical studies showed a high level of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF2) peptide in the HCC section and the size heterogeneity of serum IGF2 investigated by western blot revealed a large form at approximately 15 kDa. These results suggest that the HCC with alcoholic liver fibrosis produced IGF2 and that the hypoglycaemia was caused by tumour-associated IGF2.     

Evidence for the in Vivo Localization of Heterologous Anti-Leukocyte and Anti-Bone Marrow Antibodies in the Rat Bone Marrow

1. The intravenous injection of I¹³¹-labeled heterologous anti-leukocyte and anti-bone marrow antibodies into rats resulted in a high specific in vivolocalization in the bone marrow, indicating the presence of localizing anti-body.

2. No in vivo localization in lungs was demonstrated, in possible contrastto the earlier concept of pulmonary emboli of clumped leukocytes sensitizedwith antibodies in experimental immunoleukopenia.

3. Heterologous anti-leukocyte and anti-bone marrow antibodies injectedintravenously disappeared from plasma and fixed to peripheral leukocytesand bone marrow cells within 1 hour.

Submitted on June 25, 1962 Accepted on December 24, 1962     

Transient Manifestation of Antegrade Conduction Over a Kent Bundle After Ventricular Pacing

Postventricular Pacing Preexcitation. Antegrade conduction over a Kent bundle was transiently manifested after the cessation of ventricular overdrive pacing in two patients; otherwise, the heart behaved as if it had a concealed accessory pathway. Conventional electrophysiologic study suggested either a longitudinal dissociation of an accessory pathway or closely located double accessory pathways. The mechanism of the transient manifestation of ventricular preexcitation was discussed. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 3, pp. 423–430, October 1992)     

Clinical outcome of conservative therapy for stage T1, grade 3 transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to retrospectively investigate the effectiveness of transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) and intravesical instillation therapy for stage T1, grade 3 (T1G3) transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder. METHODS: Between January 1995 and December 1997, 97 patients with T1G3 TCC of the urinary bladder were treated by TURBT and adjuvant intravesical instillation with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) or other anticancer agents. The recurrence-free survival rates were evaluated according to several clinicopathological factors. The cases that progressed to muscle invasive disease were also analysed. RESULTS: In this series, the median follow-up period was 25 months (range, 5- 41) after the initial TURBT. Intravesical recurrence was noted in 44 patients (45%), and the 1, 2, and 3 year recurrence-free survival rates were 72%, 58%, and 42%, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that the risk of intravesical recurrence was significantly higher for patients who did not receive BCG therapy, irrespective of age, gender, tumor size, multiplicity, pathological stage, concomitant carcinoma in situ, and lymphovascular involvement. Moreover, after a median of 10 months, disease progression occurred in seven patients (7%), of which only one patient was treated by BCG therapy after initial TURBT. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that intravesical instillation with BCG combined with TURBT is an effective conservative treatment for T1G3 TCC of the bladder. Patients with negative prognostic factors should be treated by BCG rather than other anticancer agents after TURBT.     

A New Pacemaker for Monitoring Asystole and Prevention of Adams-Stokes Syndrome and Sudden Cardiac Death

Patients with suspected Adams-Stokes syndrome are examined by Holter monitoring. During the monitoring, there is the danger of syncopes occurring and there are even reports of sudden cardiac death. We therefore developed a pacemaker for cardiac arrest monitoring and the prevention of Adams-Stokes syndrome and sudden cardiac death, which has the following functions: (1) the longest escape interval of the pacemaker not exceeding the value at which syncope is induced is determined by the decline of the mean heart rate including the asystole to a certain threshold rate; (2) once the pacemaker escapes from the interval it continues pacing for a while at a physiological rate to allow recover from ischemias in organs or tissues; and (3) to prevent overdrive suppression to the heart, the pacing rate gradually declines and stops pacing until the next asystole. This pacemaker is useful not only in the diagnosis of Adams-Stokes syndrome but also in pharmacological and pathophysiological studies and in determining when pacing should cease.     

Intestinal Brush-border Membrane Transport of Monocarboxylic Acids Mediated by Proton-coupled Transport and Anion Antiport Mechanisms

Intestinal brush-border membrane transport of monocarboxylic acids was investigated by using rabbit intestinal brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) and isolated intestinal tissues mounted on Ussing-type chambers. [³H]Mevalonic acid uptake by BBMVs showed an overshoot phenomenon in the presence of an inwardly directed proton gradient, but not in the presence of an inwardly directed sodium gradient or an outwardly directed HCO₃^? or chloride gradient. Initial uptake of mevalonic acid was saturable in the presence of a proton gradient. Uptake of [³H]mevalonic acid was inhibited by various monocarboxylic acids, including acetic acid, benzoic acid, lactic acid, nicotinic acid, pravastatin, salicylic acid and valproic acid, but not by dicarboxylic acid or amino acids. Acetic acid, which is transported by both anion antiport and proton-coupled transport systems, induced serosal bicarbonate-dependent alkalinization in the mucosal-side bathing solution of rabbit jejunal tissues, when examined in Ussing-type chambers. Pravastatin, which is a structural analogue of mevalonic acid and is absorbed via proton-coupled transport like mevalonic acid, did not. The result demonstrates that acetic acid is transported by the bicarbonate-dependent anion antiport system, whereas pravastatin is not. So, it is suggested that monocarboxylic acids are transported by at least two independent transporters, namely, a proton-coupled transporter for most monocarboxylic acids, including mevalonic acid, pravastatin and acetic acid, and an anion antiporter for acetic acid, but not for mevalonic acid or pravastatin. Activation of anion antiporter can induce HCO₃^? secretion in intact intestine.     

Primary Adrenocortical Carcinoma and Ganglioneuroblastoma Followed by Rhabdomyosarcoma in a Child: A Case Report

We report a case of a young child affected by triple cancerswho developed a pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma of the retroperitoneumfollowing prophylactic chemotherapy after surgery for doubleprimary adrenocortical carcinoma and ganglioneuroblastoma. It is suggested that genetic susceptibility and chemotherapymight be responsible for the development of rhabdomyosarcomaas the second malignant neoplasm.     

Diagnostic Significance of Two Fetal Proteins, {alpha}f and r{beta}s, in Hepatoma and Other Neoplastic Diseases

Incidences of f and rßs components were studied inserum samples from patients with various malignant and non-malignantdiseases. With the micro-Ouchterlony method, af was detectedexclusively in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma of which theincidence was 83.5%, whereas the incidence of rßswas 47.7%. However, rßs was also detected in somemalignant disease other than hepatocellular carcinoma, withan incidence of 16.5%, and was also detected in a small numberof cases of non-neoplastic liver diseases. Though not tumor-specific, rßs as one of the fetalserum proteins can be detected in cases of non-f-producing hepatomaand in cases of malignancies other than hepatoma. Thus, thedetection of this protein may be of diagnostic significance.Possible mechanism of the appearance of this protein in theblood was discussed.