Combination of radio-chemotherapy for curing of childhood hematologic tumors: preventive approaches and problems on CNS involvement

The CNS has often been classified as a "drug sanctuary" as most anticancer drugs do not achieve effective penetration of the blood-brain barrier. With more effective systemic chemotherapy program, the incidence of CNS involvement in leukemia has increased. The strategy for treatment of leukemia is that one achieves by destruction of all leukemia cells including CNS. Between 1972 and 1978, 153 children with ALL were treated with multiple methods of CNS-prophylaxis and were analyzed in relation to treatment regimens, age, sex and initial hematologic status. Patients received CNS-prophylaxis; Group I: three doses of intrathecal methotrexate (MTX) and hydrocortisone (HDC), Group II: same as in Group I followed by cyclic MTX and HDC, Group III: same as in Group I plus 2,400 cGy of cranial irradiation. CNS leukemia terminated complete remission in 25 of 153 patients (16.3%). The cumulative incidence of CNS leukemia at 4-year calculated by the Kaplan-Meier Method was 40.5% in Group I, 26.9% in Group II, and 14.5% in Group III. We concluded that the combination of cranial irradiation and intrathecal MTX and HDC was highly efficacious. The efficacy of high-dose MTX with CF rescue therapy for CNS-prophylaxis was evaluated in 62 children with ALL between 1978 and 1980 (protocol 787 study), and was demonstrated to be same as cranial irradiation in standard risk of ALL. In protocol 811 study (1981-1984), the dosage of cranial radiation has been reduced from 2,400 cGy to 1,800 cGy without loss of efficacy for CNS-prophylaxis. Although CNS-leukemia was no longer an unmanageable clinical problem, and the prospects for cure of ALL appeared good, there remained question as to the toxic effects of intensive treatment on the CNS. Successful prevention of these complications will depend in large part on an understanding of their causes.     

Radial flap: a valuable fasciocutaneous flap for intra-oral reconstruction

The radial forearm flap, or the forearm flap, is called "Chinese flap" for its development of the chinese doctors, and is originally designed for the correction to the post-burn contraction of the face and neck. The radial forearm flap is one of the fasciocutaneous flap, supplied by the radial artery, and transferred as a single-stage reconstruction micro-surgically. In oral and maxillofacial region, the deltopectral flap (D-P flap) and the pectralis major myocutaneous flap (P-M-M-C flap) are mainly used for the reconstruction. These flaps, however, are sometimes too bulky and limited to transfer, and more require two-stage operations. On the other hand, as the forearm flap being thin and pliable, some doctors use this flap micro-surgically at single-stage free flap reconstruction. Before two years, we have begun to transfer the radial forearm flap for the intra-oral reconstruction. The operation method is as follows. Design and Elevation of the Radial Forearm Flap 1. Using the ultrasonic doppler flow meter, the radial artery and the subcutaneous forearm veins are marked on the skin. 2. The flap is designed 20% larger according to the pattern to be reconstructed, with the distal section of the radial artery as an axis on the forearm and the median vein of forearm inclusively. 3. Before the operation, Allen test must be performed in order to determine whether the hand will survive without a radial arterial in-put. 4. The operation is performed with a arm tourniquet. The margin of the flap are incised down to the deep fascia, isolating and preserving the proximal subcutaneous veins as required.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Relationship between glucose transporter and changes in the absorptive system in small intestinal absorptive cells during the weaning process

In the present study, we investigated the changes in the localization of the glucose transporter GLUT2 and the fructose transporter GLUT5 in small intestinal absorptive cells during postnatal development, especially during the weaning period, using immunohistochemistry and confocal laser scanning microscopy. In the jejunum, GLUT2 was observed within the apical and basolateral membrane domain of absorptive cells, especially in the middle part of the villi. In the suckling rat ileum, GLUT2 was found within the apical and basolateral membrane domain of absorptive cells, but after 18 or 19 days after birth, GLUT2 was found mainly within the apical membrane domain. GLUT5 was observed within the apical membrane domain of absorptive cells in the suckling rat jejunum. In the 18- or 19-day-old rat jejunum, GLUT5 was localized within the apical and basolateral membrane domain of absorptive cells in the lower part of the villi, but after weaning, GLUT5 was found within the apical and basolateral membrane domain of absorptive cells throughout the entire villi. In the suckling rat ileum, there was little GLUT5 in the absorptive cells. In the 18- or 19-day-old rat ileum, GLUT5 was localized within the apical membrane domain of absorptive cells in the lower part of the villi, but after weaning, GLUT5 was observed mainly within the apical membrane domain of absorptive cells throughout the entire villi. These results suggest that the localization of glucose transporters corresponds with a shift from neonatal-suckling to weaned absorptive cells during postnatal development.     

Seminoma in a postmenopausal woman with a Y;15 translocation in peripheral blood lymphocytes and a t(Y;15)/45,X Turner mosaic pattern in skin fibroblasts.

We report an unusual case of a 55 year old Japanese woman with a seminoma but relatively normal menses. The patient was a phenotypic female with late onset menarche (18 years of age), who was amenorrhoeic for the first year, followed by menses of one to three days' slight flow with dysmenorrhoea, but an otherwise normal menstrual history. A typical seminoma was removed from the left adnexal region and an immature testis was identified separately as an associated right adnexal mass. Repeated karyotypic studies on peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures showed only 46,X,-Y,t(Y;15)(q12;p13). Cytogenetic examination of the patient's younger brother, who had fathered three healthy children, showed an identical karyotype. Mosaicism of 46,X,-Y,t(Y;15)(q12;p13)/45,X cell lines was found in skin samples from the patient's elbow and genital regions, although there were no clinical stigmata of Turner syndrome. An androgen receptor binding assay of cultured genital skin fibroblasts was negative. Molecular analysis using Southern blot hybridisation, PCR, and direct DNA sequencing showed that neither the patient nor her brother had a detectable deletion or other abnormalities of Y chromosome sequences, including the SRY (sex determining region of the Y chromosome) gene sequence. These findings suggest that Turner mosaicism of the 45,X cell line may have contributed to this atypical presentation in an XY female, although we cannot exclude abnormalities of other genes related to sex differentiation.     

Inherited partial duplication of chromosome No. 15

A boy with unusual facial appearance and mental retardation was found to have duplication for the distal half of the long arm of chromosome No. 15 and possibly deficiency for the distal end of the long arm of No. 21. The chromosome abnormality was inherited from his mother, who had a translocation involving chromosomes Nos. 15 and 21. Giemsa-banding localized the break point in chromosome No. 15 just distal to the intense band at the midportion of the long arm. The break point in chromosome No. 21 appeared to be at the distal end of the long arm. The difficulty encountered in cytogenetic analysis of the propositus with conventional staining, the importance of chromosome analysis of the parents, and the application of differential staining techniques are also presented.     

Alloreactivity and mitogen-induced responses in allogeneic murine bone marrow chimeras

Alloreactive mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), mitogen-induced response (MR), and suppressor cells against these responses in murine bone marrow chimeras were examined, to clarify the mechanisms of immunological tolerance and immunodeficiency after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Between 35 and 70 days after BMT, there was no response of spleen cells from allogeneic chimeras against host (C3H/He) and donor (BALB/c) cells, although responses against third party (C57BL/6) cells were detected, thus indicating that these allogeneic chimeras were immunologically tolerant. The activity of suppressor cells against alloreactive responses was increased 35 to 55 days after BMT, so that these suppressor cells appeared to be related to immunological tolerance. Some of the suppressor cells against alloreactive responses were Thy1+. Among them some were Lyt1+ or Lyt2+, and others were Lyt1+2+. Plastic dish non-adherent cells had slightly weaker suppressor activity than adherent cells. Proliferative responses to Con A, PHA, and PWM were decreased 13 to 15 days after BMT, and gradually increased. The responses to LPS differed from those to the former three mitogens, showing an enhanced response 21 to 25 days after BMT. The increased response to LPS did not appear to be simply due to the increased number of non-T cells in the spleen of allogeneic chimeras. The alloantigen specific suppressor cells may play an important role in the induction and maintenance of immunological tolerance, while the alloantigen nonspecific suppressor cells and suppressor cells against MRs may be related to immunodeficiency after BMT.     

Genitourinary phenotype in XX patients with distal 9p monosomy

Although testicular development has been shown to be variably impaired in XY patients with distal 9p monosomy, ovarian and other genitourinary phenotype has poorly been studied in XX patients monosomic for the distal 9p region. Thus, we studied a 13-month-old infant with 46,XX,der(9)t(9;10)(p23;p13) (case 1) and an 11-year-old girl with 46,XX,der(9)t(9;16)(p23;q22) (case 2). Case 1 had primary hypogonadism (basal serum follicle stimulating hormone [FSH], 40.0 mIU/mL; leteinizing hormone [LH], 1.2 mIU/mL; estradiol [E2], <10 pg/mL), whereas case 2 had age-appropriate pubertal development (breast, Tanner stage 4; pubic hair, Tanner stage 3; menarche 11.7 years of age) and hormone values (FSH, 7.3 mIU/mL; LH, 6.7 mIU/mL; E2, 47 pg/mL). In addition, case 1 had hypoplastic labia majora, short distance between the vaginal orifice and the anus, and five renal cysts, and case 2 had anal atresia, short distance between the vaginal orifice and the anus, bilateral hydronephrosis of grade 3 with probable ureteropelvic junction stenosis, and renal dysfunction (serum creatinine, 1.52 mg/dL; urea nitrogen, 34.5mg/dL). Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis for five regions and microsatellite analysis for 10 loci on 9p confirmed hemizygosity for the distal 9p region with the breakpoints between IFNA and D9S285 in case 1 and between D9S168 and D9S286 in case 2. The results, in conjunction with the previous data in XX patients with molecularly defined distal 9p monosomy, are consistent with the presence of a gene(s) involved in the development of indifferent gonad or subsequent ovarian differentiation in a approximately 11 Mb region distal to D9S168. In addition, it is possible that a gene(s) for anoperineal and renal development also maps distal to D9S168 and that for external genital development maps distal to D9S285 at the position approximately 16 Mb from the 9p telomere.     

Hepatoerythropoietic porphyria in a woman with short stature and deformed hands.

A 23-year-old woman from Honduras was diagnosed to have hepatoerythropoietic porphyria. She had photosensitive skin of early onset, hypertrichosis, and severe scleroderma-like lesions of the hands. Erythrocyte uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase activity was reduced to about 10% of the normal activity.     

Long-term potentiation in the optic tectum of rainbow trout

We examined synaptic plasticity in the optic tectum of rainbow trout by extracellular recordings. We found that the field-excitatory postsynaptic potential in the retinotectal synapses was potentiated by repetitive stimuli of 1.0 Hz for 20 s to the retinotectal afferents. The long-term potentiation (LTP) developed slowly, and was maintained for at least 2 h. Applications of an antagonist for N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors or Mg²⁺-free saline showed that activation of NMDA receptors was required to form the LTP beyond the induction period. The present findings indicate that presynaptic stimulation in the retinotectal synapses causes LTP mediated by NMDA receptors in the optic tectum of rainbow trout.