>CASE REPORT: Eosinophilic colitis with high antibody titre against Ascaris suum

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is an inflammatory disease characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract accompanied by varying abdominal symptoms and usually by peripheral blood eosinophilia. Although the precise aetiology of EGE remains to be determined, contribution of allergic process to certain allergens, such as foods, drugs and parasites, has been repeatedly proposed as the pathogenesis of the disease. Here we report on a rare case of a woman who had extensive eosinophilic infiltration in the descending and rectal colon with a high titre of IgG antibody against Ascaris suum. The patient was successfully treated with prednisolone.     

Natural Killer Activity of Pediatric Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Remission

We examined the natural killer (NK) activity of pediatric patientswith acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in remission by usingseveral methods, including a newly established single cell assay.HNK-1 antigen-positive cells, which are now considered to assumeNK activity, were not decreased in the patients, although theNK activity of the patients was found to be depressed. Neithermonocyte depletion nor the addition of interferon- improvedthe decreased NK activity of the patients. According to the results of the single cell assay, conjugate-formingcells (effector cells that form conjugates with target cells),lytic conjugate-forming cells (fractions of conjugate-formingcells that actually go on to kill target cells) and the recyclingactivity of NK cells were all decreased in the patients. Thus,it is apparent that there were defects in several steps of NKactivity in the patients. The NK activity of 19 patients wasfurther studied successively to investigate the correlationbetween NK activity and clinical course. The longest observationperiod was 38 months. Six bone marrow relapses of leukemia occurred,but the NK activity of these patients at the time of relapseor at the previous test was not necessarily depressed as comparedto that of the other patients.     

The usefulness of measuring body fat deposition for detecting obesity and atherogenesity in Japanese school children

Body fat deposition was measured in overweight and non-overweight children using a bioelectrical impedance method, and its relationship with serum lipids and apolipoproteins was investigated in 90 overweight children (over 120% of their ideal weight) and 241 non-overweight children aged 10–15 years in Niigata Prefecture. The results were as follows. Overweight boys had significantly higher levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), atherogenic index (AI), RLP-cholesterol (RLP-C), apoA1, apoA2, apoB, apoC2, apoC3, apoE and the ratio of apoB to apoAl than non-overweight boys. Overweight girls had significantly higher levels of TC, LDL-C, AI, remnant-like lopoprotein cholesterol (RLP-C), apoA2, apoB, apoC2, apoC3, apoE and the ratio of apoB to apoA1 than non-overweight girls. It has been reported that of all children studied 2.1% had higher levels of RLP-C than its upper limit known for adults (12 mg/dL). Of the overweight children in the present study, 4.4% had a high level of RLP-C whereas only 1.2% of non-overweight children had a high RLP-C level. No difference in the lipoprotein levels was found between overweight and non-overweight children. In both boys and girls, relative weight, body fat, skinfold thickness and body mass index (BMI) were correlated with the lipoprotein levels. Non-overweight boys whose body fat was over 20% had significantly higher levels of TC, LDL-C, apoA2, apoB, apoC2, apoE and apoB/A1 than those whose body fat was less than 20%. It was concluded that the measurement of body fat deposition, together with relative weight, was useful for detecting obesity and atherogenesity in Japanese school children.     

Colony-Stimulating Factor Producing Carcinoma of the Gallbladder

A patient with an anaplastic carcinoma of the gallbladder accompaniedby marked neutrophilia was found to have high colony-stimulatingfactor (CSF) activity in the urine and serum. The supernatantof the cultured tumor cells (6th passage) showed high and specificCSF activity. These specimens induced the formation of granulocytecolonies, macrophage colonies or granulocyte macrophage mixedcolonies by both human and C57BL mouse bone marrow cells insoft agar. These results suggest that this tumor is a human granulocyte-macrophage(GM)-CSF producing tumor.     

Nucleotide sequence of a hepatitis B virus genome of subtype adw isolated from a Philippine: Comparison with the reported three genomes of the same subtype

The complete nucleotide sequence was determined for a hepatitis B virus genome of subtype adw (pFDW294) isolated and cloned from the plasma sample of a Philippino. The genome was 3221 base-pair long with a point mutation at the 1376th nucleotide that affected the coding capacity of the P and X genes. There was a wide range of sequence divergence among pFDW294 and the reported three genomes of the same subtype (1.1–9.9%), occurring more often in the pre-S region and the S gene than in the pre-C region and the C gene.     

DETERMINATIONS OF ETHANOL, ACETALDEHYDE AND ACETATE IN BLOOD AND URINE DURING ALCOHOL OXIDATION IN MAN

Blood and urine samples were analyzed for ethanol, acetaldehydeand acetate during alcohol oxidation in Japanese men by headspace gas chromatography, following the consumption of 16 ml/kgof beer during a 20 min period. The maximum level of blood/urineethanol was found to be 15–17 mM (20–22 mM), whilethat of acetaldehyde in a flusher and in non-flushers was 20µM (52 µM) and 2–5 µM (10–13 µM),respectively. Acetate levels in these groups ranged from 0.2mM (0.1 mM) to 0.8 mM (1.0 mM). Blood ethanol levels were dosedependent, whereas acetaldehyde and acetate levels reflectedindividual metabolic rates. The relative concentrations of ethanoland acetaldehyde in blood and that of acetate in alcohol metabolismcould be summarized as follows: 7500 (15 mM): 1–3 (2–5µM); 250–400 (0.5–0.8 mM) for non-flushers;and 7500 (15 mM): 5–10 (10–20 µM): 250–400(0.5–0.8 mM) for a flusher.     

Erythropoietin-producing renal cell carcinoma in chronic hemodialysis patients: A report of two cases

Erythropoietin (EPO)-producing renal cell carcinomas in two hemodialysis patients are reported. Despite deteriorated kidney function, these patients did not manifest anemia at diagnosis and their elevated serum EPO levels rapidly returned to within the normal range after nephrectomy. Immunohistochemical staining of the resected specimens showed production of erythropoietin in the tumor cells in one case and in the lining cells of the cyst wall in the other case. Renal cell carcinoma could cause an increase of blood hematocrit level in dialysis patients.     

Adrenal metastasis from renal cell carcinoma: Significance of adrenalectomy

BACKGROUND: The present study examined adrenal metastasis resulting from renal cell carcinoma (RCC), with the aim of assessing the need for routine ipsilateral adrenalectomy during radical nephrectomy. METHODS: Ipsilateral and contralateral adrenal metastases were investigated in 256 patients with RCC who had undergone radical nephrectomy from 1977 to 1996 at the Tohoku University School of Medicine. RESULTS: Twelve of the 256 patients (4.7%) had adrenal metastasis. Ten of these 12 patients had progressed to disseminated disease with very poor prognosis. Two patients who had solitary adrenal metastases remained disease-free for 21 and 7 years. Four patients showed metastases to the contralateral adrenal gland. Adrenal metastases in seven of 12 patients were identified by pre- or postoperative computed tomography (CT), and in another five macroscopically during surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Adrenalectomy was regarded as a possible curative treatment for patients with solitary adrenal metastasis. However, the incidence of this kind of metastasis was minimal and contralateral adrenal metastases may occur in RCC cases. We therefore believe that adrenalectomy should only be performed if radiographic evidence reveals metastases in the adrenal gland or if gross disease is present at the time of nephrectomy.     

CD21非依赖性EB病毒对人胃印戒细胞癌细胞系的感染

目的　探讨CD2 1非依赖性EB病毒 (EBV)对人胃印戒细胞癌细胞系 (HSC 39)的感染作用。方法　用Akata和P3HR 1EBV毒株感染HSC 39,有限稀释法对感染细胞进行克隆。结果　两种EBV毒株感染细胞中均可检测到EBV编码的小RNA(EBER)的表达 ,两种EBV毒株感染的亲代细胞及大多数细胞克隆表达EBV核抗原 (EBNA1) ,但不表达EBNA2、潜伏期膜蛋白 (LMP1)和LMP2A。表现为潜伏Ⅰ型感染。未感染的HSC 39细胞及P3HR 1感染的细胞克隆CD2 1表达阴性 ,而AkataEBV感染的部分细胞克隆CD2 1mRNA阳性。结论　EBV可能通过不依赖CD2 1受体的途径感染HSC 39,印戒细胞癌细胞系可用作EBV感染的靶细胞。     

Acceleration of wound contraction and healing with a photocrosslinkable chitosan hydrogel

Application of ultraviolet light irradiation to a photocrosslinkable chitosan aqueous solution resulted in an insoluble, flexible hydrogel like soft rubber within 60 seconds. In order to evaluate its accelerating effect on wound healing, full-thickness skin incisions were made on the backs of mice and subsequently a photocrosslinkable chitosan aqueous solution was added into the wound and irradiated with UV light for 90 seconds. Application of the chitosan hydrogel significantly induced wound contraction and accelerated wound closure and healing compared with the untreated controls. Histological examination also showed an advanced contraction rate on the first 2 days and tissue fill rate on days 2 to 4 in the chitosan hydrogel-treated wounds. Furthermore, in cell culture studies, chitosan hydrogel culture medium supplemented with 5% fetal-bovine serum was found to be chemoattractant for human dermal fibroblasts in an invasion chamber assay using filters coated with Matrigel and in a cell migration assay. Due to its ability to accelerate wound contraction and healing, chitosan hydrogel may become accepted as an occlusive dressing for wound management.