Monoclonal antibody HML-1 reactivity with adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma and other lymphomas

Human T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus type 1 (HTLV-1), a causative virus of adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATLL), is known to be transmitted by breast-feeding. Using a monoclonal antibody HML-1 which labels human intestinal intra-epithelial T lymphocytes, we have immunohistochemically examined ATLL tissues in order to evaluate the possibility that HTLV-1 infected intestinal T cells are the origin of ATLL cells. Previously this antibody was reported to react with intestinal T-cell malignant lymphomas but not with peripheral tumours, or any B-cell lymphomas. We investigated 181 patients with malignant lymphomas and found that 19 out of 113 ATLLs were positive for HML-1. T-cell malignant lymphomas excluding ATLL also reacted with HML-1 (7/24), but all the B-cell lymphomas 0/33) and non-neoplastic lymph node and skin lesions (0/10) were negative for HML-1. In patients with ATLL and other T-cell malignant lymphomas, the positivity level of HML-1 was relatively higher in stomach (3/7) and tonsil (2/6) than that in lymph nodes (15/100) and skin (8/47). We observed one HML-1 positive ATLL patient with tumour formation in the skin and lymphadenopathy and marked infiltration of the large intestine but minimal involvement of other organs. Although HML-1 was frequently expressed in gastric infiltration of ATLL, the level of positivity was too low in lymph nodes to support the hypothesis that HTLV-1 infected intestinal T cells are the origin of ATLL cells. Some of the HML-1 positive ATLL cases co-expressed CD30. Furthermore, three of six cases of Ki-1 lymphoma (large anaplastic cell lymphoma) were positive for HML-1. We conclude that expression of HML-1 in ATLL reflects an activated state of the lymphoma cells, but not the intestinal origin of ATLL cells.     

A case of sub wakefulness syndrome

Abstract We report a patient, a 30-year-old male Japanese-Brazilian migrant construction worker, suffering from excessive daytime sleepiness for at least 6 months. Electroencephalogram recordings during his waking states showed that 10-Hz and 60-µV alpha activity was present prominently in the occipital regions. From the multiple sleep latency test, it was found that stages 1–2 NREM sleep episodes appeared repetitively without any REM episodes, and that the mean sleep latency was 10.2 min. These findings support the diagnosis that this patient suffers from subwakefulness syndrome.     

Juvenile Secretory Carcinoma and Juvenile Papillomatosis

Two cases of juvenile secretory carcinoma associated with juvenilepapillomatosis are reported. One patient's disease was initiallydiagnosed at the age of 13 and she died 12 years later withextensive metastases. The contralateral breast at autopsy showedfindings indicative of juvenile papillomatosis. The second caseis that of an 18-year-old girl who had multiple juvenile secretorycarcinomas in the left breast associated with juvenile papillomatosis.     

Two Cases of Carcinoid Tumor of the Stomach which Responded to Oral Coadministration of Tegafur and Uracil

Tegafur, 1-(2-tetrahydrofuryl)-5-fluorouracil, was administeredin combination with uracil to two patients with carcinoid tumorof the stomach and the effect of the drug was evaluated. The first patient was a 67-yr-old woman. She was admitted becauseof an upper abdominal tumor. Exploratory laparotomy revealeda gastric tumor and an additional huge tumor with liver metastasisand peritoneal dissemination. Histological examination of biopsyspecimens from the gastric tumor and metastatic lesions revealedcarcinoid tumor. Tegafur and uracil were coad-ministered postoperatively.During three months of treatment the gastric tumor improvedendoscopically and the large abdominal tumor decreased from10x10 cm to 4x4 cm. The second patient was a 55-yr-old man. He was admitted becauseof severe diarrhea. Biopsy from a gastric lesion and metastaticskin lesions revealed carcinoid tumor. After coadministrationof tegafur and uracil and mitomycin C, the metastatic skin lesionsbecame smaller and some of the lesions disappeared. The liveralso decreased in size. These two cases suggest the possibility that coadministrationof tegafur and uracil may be effective for carcinoid tumor ofthe stomach.     

Developing a questionnaire on the quality of working life for female medical and healthcare professionals

This study aimed to develop a questionnaire on the quality of working life among female medical and healthcare professionals and examine its validity and reliability. The questionnaire was developed from an item pool drawing on the literature. The four trait scales included 40 items, covering female-specific stress in continuing a career, stress of lifestyle in maintaining personal values, job satisfaction and social support network. The questionnaire’s validity and reliability were assessed using data from 1,784 female doctors, dentists, and nurses. Validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis on each trait for construct validity, and multitrait scaling analysis for convergent and discriminant validity. Reliability was tested using Cronbach’s alpha for trait subscales and scales. Exploratory factor analysis on each trait was convergent. One trait derived three subscales, and another two. The remaining two traits were convergent for one factor. Multitrait scaling analysis showed that all scales and subscales were independent. The questionnaire was therefore internally consistent and had construct validity. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.85 for the total and between 0.72 and 0.83 for the subscales. These results validate the four-trait combination questionnaire and suggest that it would be suitable for use in future research, perhaps in combination with other existing scales.     

Renoprotective effects of asialoerythropoietin in diabetic mice against ischaemia–reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury

Aim: Diabetic patients are at higher risk of failure to recover after acute kidney injury, however, the mechanism and therapeutic strategies remain unclear. Erythropoietin is cytoprotective in a variety of non‐haematopoietic cells. The aim of the present study was to clarify the mechanism of diabetes‐related acceleration of renal damage after ischaemia–reperfusion injury and to examine the therapeutic potential of asialoerythropoietin, a non‐haematopoietic erythropoietin derivative, against ischaemia–reperfusion‐induced acute kidney injury in diabetic mice. Methods: C57BL/6J mice with and without streptozotocin‐induced diabetes were subjected to 30 min unilateral renal ischaemia–reperfusion injury at 1 week after induction of diabetes. They were divided into four group: (i) non‐diabetic plus ischaemia–reperfusion injury; (ii) non‐diabetic plus ischaemia–reperfusion injury plus asialoerythropoietin (3000 IU/kg bodyweight); (iii) diabetic plus ischaemia–reperfusion injury; and (iv) diabetic plus ischemia–reperfusion injury plus asialoerythropoietin. Experiments were conducted at the indicated time periods after ischaemia–reperfusion injury. Results: Ischaemia–reperfusion injury of diabetic kidney resulted in significantly low protein expression levels of bcl‐2, an anti‐apoptotic molecule, and bone morphogenetic protein‐7 (BMP‐7), an anti‐fibrotic and pro‐regenerative factor, compared with non‐diabetic kidneys. Diabetic kidney subsequently showed severe damage including increased tubular cell apoptosis, tubulointerstitial fibrosis and decreased tubular proliferation, compared with non‐diabetic kidney. Treatment with asialoerythropoietin induced bcl‐2 and BMP‐7 expression in diabetic kidney and decreased tubular cell apoptosis, tubulointerstitial fibrosis and accelerated tubular proliferation. Conclusion: Reduced induction bcl‐2 and BMP‐7 may play a role in the acceleration of renal damage after ischaemia–reperfusion injury in diabetic kidney. The renoprotective effects of asialoerythropoietin on acute kidney injury may be mediated through the induction of bcl‐2 and BMP‐7.     

Anatomical and histological studies of so-called Müllerian duct cyst

BACKGROUND: We examined so-called Müllerian duct cysts both histologically and immunohistochemically with anatomical observation to investigate the etiology of the 'Müllerian duct cyst'. METHODS: Five cystic lesions located in the prostatic midline were obtained from surgical specimens. A communication between the cystic lesion and the urethra via the utricular orifice was looked for and the specimens were subjected to histological and immunohistochemical testing. RESULTS: A communication between the cyst and the urethra was confirmed in four cases, but not in one case. Histological and immunohistochemical examinations of the epithelium lining indicated that its characteristics were identical to those of the prostatic utricle in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: The so-called Müllerian duct cyst exhibits features comparable to those previously described in the prostatic utricle. There is no evidence that these cystic lesions originate from the Müllerian duct remnant, at least in the epithelial lining. We suggest that they should be termed a prostatic utricular cyst or cystic dilation of the prostatic utricle, depending on whether an outlet to the urethra is absent or present, respectively.     

Large intestinal type-urachal adenocarcinoma with focal expression of prostatic specific antigen

We present a case of colonic-type adenocarcinoma, which might arise from an urachal remnant through a villous adenoma. The cancer tissue in the present case showed focal immunoreaction to prostate-specific antigen (PSA). This is the first report of urachal adenocarcinoma expressing PSA.