Effects of vancomycin and ofloxacin on rabbit ERG in vivo

The retinal toxicity of vancomycin and ofloxacin was studied by electroretinogram (ERG) before and after intravitreal injection in rabbits. Vancomycin is known to be effective on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A dose of 1mg vancomycin caused no ERG change for at least eight weeks after injection. The feature that ERG became non-recordable during one to four weeks after an intravitreal injection of 10mg vancomycin, with recovery of only the c-wave was conspicuous. A dose of 200 micrograms ofloxacin did not cause deterioration of the b-wave, the c-wave or the oscillatory potentials throughout the follow-up period up to eight weeks. Judging from the susceptibility of each ERG component to antimicrobials and taking into account the difference of vitreous volume between rabbits and humans, clinical doses of intravitreal single-shot injection should be less than 1mg for vancomycin and 200 micrograms for ofloxacin.     

Testicular seminoma with human chorionic gonadotropin production

Testicular seminoma with elevated serum human chorionic gonadotropin level (hCG-positive seminoma) is regarded as more malignant than marker-negative seminoma, although Its prognosis is still unclear. To clarify the malignant potential of seminoma with hCG production, the serum levels of the beta subunit of hCG (β-hCG) and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) were examined in 35 and 40 patients, respectively, and the Immunohistochemical expression of β-hCG examined in 45 tumors. The elevation of the LDH serum level correlated to the Invasive status, metestatic status and poor outcome, while that of the serum β-hCG level correlated only to the metastatic status. Immunohistochemical expression of β-hCG was observed in syncytiotrophoblastic giant cells in 11 tumors and a few mononuclear seminoma cells In 36 tumors. Expression was not associated with the malignancy potential, except where the expression In mononuclear cells Inversely correlated to the invasive status. These results suggest that most seminomas produce a slight amount of hCG; that an elevated hCG serum level Indicates the pressnce of metastatic tumors and mainly reflects an increase in tumor volume but not in cellular malignancy potential; and that the LDH serum level, rather than hCG, is more useful as a prognostic indicator for patients with seminoma.     

Endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) in the rat: A study of inflammatory and immunological mechanisms

Endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) can be produced by systemic injection of endotoxin (ET). It is not clear yet why exclusive ocular involvement occurs in this model. To clarify this question and to establish the sequence of inflammatory events, EIU was induced in Lewis rats by footpad injection of Salmonella ET. Ocular inflammatory response (anterior chamber cells and proteins), aqueous inflammation mediators (thromboxane B₂, prostaglandin E₂, leukotriene B₄ and substance P) and MHC class 2 (Ia) antigen expression in the ciliary body were monitored for 72 hours. Thromboxane B₂ was detected early in the aqueous humor, peaking already 1 hour after ET injection. Prostaglandin E₂ & leukotriene B₄ peaks and a second peak of thromboxane B₂ were recorded 18 hours after ET-injection, at the time of maximal ocular inflammation. MHC-class 2 expression was first detected in the ciliary body stroma at the vascular level 6 hours after ET injection and was massively expressed in the ciliary body epithelium at 18 and 72 hours. It is hypothetized that ciliary body endothelium is particularly sensitive to the effect of ET and is the site of thrombocyte adherence. Vascular damage leads in succession to cellular infiltration, release of inflammation mediators and disruption of blood-ocular barrier. MHC-class 2 expression is a secondary phenomenon and is probably at the origin of additional tissue damage from immune effector mechanisms.     

A New Serum Tumor Marker, CAM 123-6, Highly Specific to Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma

KL-6, a circulating mucin-like glycoprotein, is a pulmonary adenocarcinoma-associated antigen and is also regarded as an indicator of disease activity of interstitial pneumonitis. KL-6 has extensive heterogeneous antigenic determinants and consists of multiple heterogeneous antigen molecules. We have searched for circulating KL-6-associated glycoproteins with superior diagnostic value to KL-6 as a tumor marker for pulmonary adenocarcinoma. A new murine monoclonal antibody EH-123 reacting with an asialosugar chain on KL-6 was established. A new KL-6-associated molecule detected by a bimonoclonal bideterminant sandwich assay using the EH-123 antibody as a catcher and horseradish peroxidase-labeled KL-6 as a tracer was designated as CAM 123-6. In 59% (22 of 37) of patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma, serum levels of CAM 123-6 were abnormally elevated and the positive rate increased with the progression of clinical stage. Elevated levels were not detected in normal individuals or in patients with benign lung diseases, other histologic types of lung cancer, gastric cancer, colon cancer or breast cancer. CAM 123-6 was more specific to pulmonary adenocarcinoma than carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), but the sensitivity of CAM 123-6 for pulmonary adenocarcinoma was similar to that of CEA. CAM 123-6 is a promising candidate as a serum tumor marker for pulmonary adenocarcinoma.     

Kimura's disease associated with minimal change nephrotic syndrome: A case report

Kimura's disease is a rare disorder that involves regional lymph nodes and the major salivary glands, which become infiltrated by eosinophils and lymphocytes. Renal lesions associated with Kimura's disease are rare. We describe the case of a 60-year-old Japanese woman who first noted a nodular mass in a salivary gland. As the nodule grew, nephrotic syndrome and heart failure developed. A biopsy of the nodule revealed Kimura's disease, and surgical excision was performed. After the operation, the heart failure and nephrotic syndrome, which were diagnosed as minimal change disease on renal biopsy, improved rapidly without steroid therapy. Four months later, the nephrotic syndrome recurred without recurrence of Kimura's disease. The patient showed marked improvement during prednisolone therapy (40 mg/d) and was in complete remission 4 weeks after the initiation of steroid therapy. This case shows that surgical excision and prednisolone therapy are useful for nephrotic syndrome associated with Kimura's disease.     

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of enteritis due to Salmonella hadar. II. Environmental contamination by Salmonella hadar in Shizuoka Prefecture--studies on the feasibility of reducing S. hadar infection]

A systematic examination was performed for environmental food contamination by Salmonella in poultry farms, broiler chickens, broiler processing plants and meat on the market. Salmonella was isolated from 219 of 1197 samples and the serotypes showed a wide distribution. (Table 1-1). S. hadar accounted for 37.1% (96) of all isolations (259). The contamination rate of broiler chickens on arrival at broiler processing plants is relatively low. However, in the broiler processing plants, containers, processing machinery, cooling water and slaughters were highly contaminated by Salmonella, S. hadar being the most prominent serotype in the plants. 64% of chicken meat on the market was contaminated by Salmonella, S. hadar being the second most prominent serotype. 11% of the pork and none of the beef or horseflesh was contaminated by Salmonella. These results indicate that poultry is the main source of S. hadar infection in humans. However, no S. hadar was isolated from cultures of 119 samples of feed for chickens from each delivery (Table 1-1). Thus, as the main source of infection by S. hadar of broiler chickens, an association with the feed seems to be ruled out. S. hadar was isolated at three of 18 poultry farms within Shizuoka Prefecture. Follow-up studies were performed at the three poultry farms which revealed that in two of them, Salmonella was completely eradicated on completion of disinfection. In the other one farm, which is still being disinfected, various strains of Salmonella including S. hadar still survived. We conclude that the main cause of the problem is the magnification of contamination of Salmonella-free material during the process at the broiler processing plants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Spontaneous mesenteric hemorrhage associated with ehlers-danlos syndrome

The vascular type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a genetic disorder of connective tissue and is frequently associated with catastrophic arterial complications. Its surgical treatment is extremely difficult because of the fragility of vessels. This article describes three patients with vascular type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome who developed mesenteric hemorrhage due to spontaneous arterial rupture. The clinical and molecular characteristics of the disease are briefly reviewed.