Long-term administration of natural interferon-α in patients with chronic hepatitis C: Relationship to serum RNA concentration, HCV-RNA genotypes, histological changes and hepatitis C virus

To virologically assess the efficacy of interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C, either 5 or 10 MU/day natural interferon-α (IFNα) was administered to 57 patients with chronic hepatitis C for 38 weeks. A complete and sustained response (CR-SR), as evidenced by the absence of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA during the administration period and at 6 months after the final administration of IFNα and a normal GPT level at 6 months after final administration, occurred in 42.6% (23/54) of subjects. Liver tissue was histologically evaluated using the histological activity index (HAI) score before and after the administration period. In CR-SR cases, significant improvements (P <0.01) occurred in periportal necrosis, intralobular necrosis, portal inflammation and total score. A comparison, by HCV genotypes, revealed that CR-SR occurred in 60% (9/15) of subjects with type 2a and 30.3% (10/33) of subjects with type Ib. A comparison by virus concentration revealed that CR-SR occurred in 71.4% (15/21) of those subjects having a virus concentration of < 10⁵ copies/mL, but in only 24.2% (8/33) of those having a virus concentration of > 10⁵ copies/mL. Analysis by a multiple logistic model revealed a strong correlation between the therapeutic effect of interferon therapy and the pre-administration virus concentration (P=0.0061) and genotype (P=0.0015). These results suggest that the preadministration virus concentration and genotype are both key factors affecting the therapeutic effect of interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C and that the therapeutic effect of interferon is satisfactorily high, irrespective of virus concentration, in subjects with type 2a HCV, but varies depending on virus concentration in subjects with type 1b.     

Papillary renal cell carcinoma: A clinicopathological study of 35 cases

AIM: The objective of the present study was to characterize the clinicopathological features of histologically defined papillary renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: The present study included a total of 35 patients who were treated by radical surgery and subsequently diagnosed as having papillary RCC between April 1995 and June 2004. Clinicopathological data of these patients were retrospectively reviewed according to the previously reported classification system (Mod. Pathol. 1997; 10: 537-44). RESULTS: Of these 35 patients, 23 (65.7%) and 12 (34.3%) were diagnosed as type 1 and type 2 papillary RCC, respectively. Despite the lack of significant differences in clinical parameters between these two groups, including age, gender, clinical stage and metastasis, the incidence of symptomatic disease in patients with type 2 papillary RCC was significantly higher than that in those with type 1 papillary RCC. Pathological examinations demonstrated that there were no significant differences between these two groups in pathological stage, tumor grade or vascular invasion. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between these two groups in overall or recurrence-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: Although the present study included a small number of patients with short follow-up period, the clinicopathological features including prognoses were almost similar between patients with type 1 and type 2 papillary RCC; therefore, careful postoperative follow-up should be considered for patients with papillary RCC irrespective of morphological subtype.     

Pathological findings of radical prostatectomy specimens in Japanese men diagnosed on single core positive prostate biopsy in eight with a Gleason score less than 4

BACKGROUND: The objective of the present study was to analyze the pathological findings of radical prostatectomy specimens diagnosed on single core positive prostate biopsy in eight systematic transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided biopsies with a Gleason score 相似文献   

华支睾吸虫重组蛋白应用于ABC-ELISA检测特异性循环抗体的研究

目的 评价重组蛋白在华支睾吸虫病诊断上的价值，探索以重组蛋白替代天然抗原用于ELISA等血清学方法诊断华支睾吸虫感染的可能性。方法 分别使用重组华支睾吸虫半胱氨酸蛋白酶(CysB)与华支睾吸虫成虫可溶性抗原(CAA)，以ABC-ELISA检测华支睾吸虫病、其它寄生虫感染及健康人血清特异性IgG．比较两种抗原用于检测的敏感性与特异性。结果 共检测了112份华支睾吸虫感染血清，使用重组抗原CysB与成虫粗抗原CAA的阳性检出率分别为92．9％(104／112)及94．6％(106／112)；分别检测健康人血清56例、日本血吸虫病血清20例及肺吸虫病血清10例．对于两种抗原，华支睾吸虫特异性IgG检测阴性率均相同．上述三类血清的阴性率分别为96．5％(54／56)、95％(19／20)及90％(9／10)。结论 华支睾吸虫重组蛋白CysB用于血清特异性抗体检测具有较高的敏感性及特异性，与成虫可溶性抗原(CAA)的诊断应用价值相近，有望成为应用于华支睾吸虫病诊断的替代抗原之一。     

Prediction of the extent of prostate cancer by the combined use of systematic biopsy and serum level of cathepsin D

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to assess the usefulness of combined systematic prostate biopsy with the serum level of cathepsin D, which has recently been shown to be a useful marker for prostate cancer, to predict the disease extension. METHODS: Seventy-two patients with clinically organ-confined disease who underwent radical prostatectomy were evaluated for serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and cathepsin D levels, systematic biopsy, and pathological stage. RESULTS: The incidence of extraprostatic disease in patients with more than half the biopsy cores positive or > or = 15 ng/mL cathepsin D was significantly higher than that in patients with less than half the biopsy cores positive or < 15 ng/mL cathepsin D, respectively; whereas cancer in bilateral lobes or > or = 10 ng/mL PSA could not be used as a predictor of extraprostatic disease. Furthermore, in patients with more than half the biopsy cores positive and > or = 15 ng/mL cathepsin D or those with more than half the biopsy cores positive and > or = 10 ng/mL PSA, extraprostatic disease was significantly more common than in those with less than half the biopsy cores positive and < 15 ng/mL cathepsin D or those with less than half the biopsy cores positive and < 10 ng/mL PSA, respectively. Furthermore, the prediction of the incidence of extraprostatic disease using these three variables was significantly more accurate than using two of the variables (percentage positive biopsy cores plus serum cathepsin D or PSA). CONCLUSION: Systematic biopsy together with serum cathepsin D and/or PSA was a useful predictor of the extent of prostate cancer. Patients with more than half the biopsy cores positive, > or = 15 ng/mL cathepsin D and/or > or = 10 ng/mL PSA could avoid prostatectomy because there is a significantly high probability that they already have extraprostatic disease.     

Effects of ATP on Phosphoinositide Hydrolysis and Prostaglandin E2 Generation in Rabbit Astrocytes

Extracellular ATP secreted from stimulated nerves plays a role in neurotransmission. This study examined the effects of extracellular ATP on phospholipase A₂ and C signalling pathways in rabbit astrocytes. ATP caused prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) generation and phosphoinositide hydrolysis in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. A P_2y purinoceptor-selective agonist, 2-methylthio-ATP also caused phosphoinositide hydrolysis, but not PGE₂ generation. A P_2x purinoceptor-selective agonist, α,β-methylene-ATP did not cause either phosphoinositide hydrolysis or PGE₂ generation. Although pertussis toxin had no effect on 2-methylthio-ATP-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis, it markedly decreased ATP-induced PGE₂ generation, with significant inhibition of phosphoinositide hydrolysis. Dexamethasone and indomethacin which potently inhibited ATP-induced PGE₂ generation, caused partial inhibition of phosphoinositide hydrolysis, suggesting that pertussis toxin-sensitive component of ATP-induced phospholipase C activation is mediated by cyclo-oxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid. These results suggest that a stimulation of P_2y receptor results in phospholipase C activation in a pertussis toxin-insensitive manner, and that a P₂ receptor other than the P_2y or P_2x subtypes is involved in ATP-induced phospholipase A₂ activation via a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein.     

Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the Stress and Coping Inventory

Abstract We examined the validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the Stress and Coping Inventory (SCI) among 170 Japanese college students and 234 healthy subjects. The validity and reliability of this version of the SCI in the college student group were supported by significant test-retest correlations, relatively high internal consistency coefficients, and adequate correlations with the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). AS for the healthy subject group, the reliability was supported by relatively high internal consistency coefficients, although further analyses, such as test-retest, are required. The Japanese version of the SCI appears to be suitable for use among college students.     

A Comparative Study of DCMP versus DCcMP Combination Chemotherapy for Adult Acute Leukemia

An experimental study using L-1210 mouse leukemia indicatedthat daunomycin, cyclocytidine, and 6-mercaptopurine (DCcM)combination chemotherapy was more effective than daunomycin,cytosine arabinoside, and 6-mercaptopurine (DCM). Based on theseresults, a clinical study comparing daunomycin, cytosine arabinoside,6-mercaptopurine, and predni-solone (DCMP) combination chemotherapywith daunomycin, cyclocytidine, 6-mercaptopurine, and prednisolone(DCcMP) in the treatment of adult acute nonlymphocytic leukemiawas conducted. Patients were randomly allocated to receive eitherregimen. Ten of 15 patients treated with DCMP had complete remissionfor a median duration of 43 weeks and one had partial remission.Seven of 15 patients treated with DCcMP had complete remissionfor a median duration of 18 weeks and two had partial remission.The patient characteristics before chemotherapy, the toxicityof the chemotherapeutic regimens and the causes for differencesin antitumor activity between the experimental study and theclinical study are discussed.