No difference in serum leptin concentrations between urban-dwelling Austronesians and Non-Austronesians in Papua New Guinea.

Pacific Islands populations can be broadly divided into Austronesians (AN) and Non-Austronesians (NAN); obesity and type 2 diabetes are prevalent in the former, although leptin levels in both groups have seldom been investigated. Thirty-seven (20 male and 17 female) adult pairs, matched by age and percent body fat, from AN-speaking Balopa and NAN-speaking Huli, all of whom migrated to settle in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, were selected for comparison of their serum leptin concentrations. The Balopa did not differ significantly from the Huli in age (30.5 +/- 9.7 and 30.0 +/- 8.7 years for males, 33.7 +/- 8.9 and 34.1 +/- 7.5 years for females, respectively) or percent body fat (19.4 +/- 5.6 and 18.8 +/- 4.6 for males, 34.1 +/- 6.2 and 33.3 +/- 5.0 for females), although the BMI of females was lower in the Balopa (26.4 +/- 4.9) than in the Huli (29.7 +/- 4.7) (P = 0.02). In both ethnic groups, females had markedly higher leptin concentrations than males, but there was no significant inter-group difference in males (3.5 +/- 2.6 and 3.1 +/- 4.7 ng/ml, P = 0.14) or females (22.7 +/- 12.9 and 19.7 +/- 11.9 ng/ml, P = 0.40), after controlling for lifestyle factors and serum lipids. Multiple regression analysis revealed that significant predictors of leptin concentration were % body fat (beta = 0.58), sex (male, 0; female, 1; beta = 0.27), and smoker status (non-smoker, 0; smoker, 1; beta = -0.15) (R(2) = 0.80), implying that the leptin concentration was primarily determined by lifestyle-derived body fatness. In conclusion, the NAN populations do not endogenously differ in leptin status from the AN populations, who have been recognized as a typical group with a "thrifty" genotype.     

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the subglottis. An ultrastructural study

A well-differentiated mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the subglottis of a 77-year-old man was studied by light and electron microscopy. The tumor consisted of mucous cells, epidermoid cells, and intermediate cells of both differentiation. Mucous cells formed glands and cystic spaces filled with mucin. Abundant tonofibrils in aggregates were observed in tumor cell cytoplasms when they were differentiated into epidermoid cells. Epidermoid cells varied in differentiation.     

Identification, characterization, and expression pattern of the chicken EKLF gene.

EKLF/KLF1 was the first of the Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) to be identified in mammals and plays an important role in primitive and definitive erythropoiesis. Here, we identify and characterize EKLF in the chicken (cEKLF). The predicted amino acid sequence of the zinc finger region of cEKLF is at least 87.7% similar to mammalian EKLF proteins and is 98.8% and 95% similar to the EKLF orthologues in Xenopus and zebrafish, respectively. During early embryonic development, cEKLF expression is seen in the posterior primitive streak, which gives rise to hematopoietic cells, and then in the blood islands and in circulating blood cells. cEKLF mRNA is expressed in blood cells but not in brain later in chicken embryonic development. cEKLF mRNA is increased in definitive compared with primitive erythropoiesis. The conserved sequence and expression pattern of cEKLF suggests that its function is similar to its orthologues in mammals, Xenopus, and zebrafish.     

Immature dendritic cells (CD11c+ CD3- B220- cells) present in mouse peripheral blood

It is well known that dendritic cells (DCs) are developed from the peripheral blood of mice when peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are cultured with GM-CSF. We have previously found that immature DCs are present in the blood even in humans. In the present study, we show that CD11c+ CD3- B220- cells in the mouse peripheral blood are immature DCs. The percentage of CD11c+ CD3- B220- cells in the (PBMCs) of normal mice ranges from 0.5 to 2.5%. The CD11c+ CD3- B220- cells in the PBMCs show dendrites, similar in shape to the CD11c+ CD3- B220- cells in the spleen, which are thought to be DCs definitely. However, they have practically no capacity to stimulate the proliferation of allogeneic T cells, and show a lower expression of MHC class II, B7-1 and B7-2 than CD11c+ CD3- B220- cells in the spleen. When the CD11c+ CD3- B220- cells in the PBMCs are cultured with GM-CSF, they show not only the potent ability to stimulate the proliferation of allogeneic T cells but also a higher expression of MHC class II, B7-1 and B7-2. Moreover, they migrate into the spleen when they are injected intravenously. These results suggest that CD11c+ CD3- B220- cells in the PBMCs are immature DCs, and that they migrate into the spleen, where they mature.     

Evaluation of the mouse lymphoma tk assay (microwell method) as an alternative to the in vitro chromosomal aberration test

In order to evaluate the utility of the mouse lymphoma assay(MLA) for detecting in vitro clastogens and spindle poisonsand to compare it with the in vitro chromosomal aberration test(CA), we conducted an international collaborative study of theMLA that included 45 Japanese laboratories and seven overseaslaboratories under the cooperation of the Ministry of Healthand Welfare of Japan and the Japanese Pharmaceutical Manufacturer'sAssociation. We examined 40 chemicals; 33 were reportedly positivein the CA but negative in the bacterial reverse mutation assay,six were negative in both assays and one was positive in both.We assayed mutations of the thymidine kinase (TK) locus (tk)of L5178Y tk^+/– mouse lymphoma cells using the microwellmethod. According to our standard protocol, cells were exposedto the chemical for 3 h, cultured for 2 days and TK-deficientmutants were expressed in 96-well plates under trifluorothymidine.Each chemical was coded and tested by two or three laboratories.Among the 34 CA-positive chemicals, positive MLA results wereobtained for 20 and negative results were obtained for nine.The remaining five chemicals were inconclusive or equivocalbecause of discrepant inter-laboratory results or reproduceddiscrepant results, respectively. Among the six CA-negativechemicals, one was negative in the MLA, two were positive andthree were inconclusive. Thus, the MLA could detect only 59%(20/34) of CA-positive chemicals. We concluded that the MLAwas not as sensitive as the CA. Some MLA-negative chemicalsevoked positive responses in the CA only after long continuoustreatment. These might also be genotoxic in the MLA with longcontinuous treatment. Improvement of the MLA protocol, includingalteration of the duration of the treatment, might render theMLA as sensitive as the CA. ⁸ To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +81 3 37009847; Fax: +81 3 3700 2348; Email: sofuni{at}nihs.go.jp     

Human interferon suppression of retrovirus production and cell fusion, and failure to inhibit replication of encephalomyocarditis virus in rhabdomyosarcoma (RD114) cells

Human rhabdomyosarcoma cells chronically infected with retroviruses were examined for their responses to human interferon (HuIFN-α). Production of baboon endogenous retrovirus (M7) from A204 cells and feline endogenous retrovirus (RD114) from RD114 cells and from subclone RD114-Cl cells in each case was highly sensitive to the antiviral action of HuIFN-α. However, the antiviral responses of the cells after interferon treatment against encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus and vesicular stromatitis virus (VSV) were different for each cell strain used. In A204 cells, replications of EMC virus and VSV were sensitive to interferon, but resistant in RD114 and RD114-Cl cells. Both 2′-5′-oligo(A) (2–5A) synthetase and dsRNA-dependent protein kinase were markedly increased in A204 cells after HuIFN-α treatment but no significant increase was observed in RD114 and RD114-Cl cells. In all these cells, HuIFN-a efficiently induced an anti-cell fusion state which was determined by inhibition of syncytium formation induced by uv-inactivated Sendai virus. These results indicate that the mechanisms underlying the anti-retrovirus and the anti-cell fusion activities of interferon may be closely related, and that they are different from those of antiviral action against exogenous virus infections.     

HIV/AIDS surveillance in Japan, 1984-2000

The HIV/AIDS surveillance system in Japan, which began collecting data on the number of AIDS patients in 1984 and the number of HIV-infected persons in 1987, has played an important role in monitoring the trend and magnitude of Japan's HIV/AIDS epidemic and its distribution across various population subgroups. However, the system lacks any personal identifiers, making it impossible to eliminate duplication or to track cases for disease progression. It also does not permit the identification of the residence of HIV-infected persons because the residence of only the reporting physician is documented under the New Infectious Diseases Control Law, effective since April 1, 1999. The number of people with HIV/AIDS in Japan continues to grow. Among youth, sexually transmitted diseases, induced abortion, and sexual activities have shown a marked increase since the mid-1990s. Behavioral risk of infection for both injection drug users (IDUs) and men who have sex with men (MSM) remains alarmingly high. Accurate monitoring of infection rates is critical to the planning and evaluation of treatment, care and prevention programs. Japan should restructure its HIV/AIDS surveillance system to more accurately monitor the HIV/AIDS epidemic and related risk behaviors.     

Immunohistochemical localization of renin in renal tumors.

Immunoperoxidase staining for renin was performed with renal tumors, including juxtaglomerular (JG) tumor, Wilms' tumors, renal adenocarcinomas, renal oncocytomas, and cortical adenomas. Compared with the JG apparatus adjacent to the glomerulus, JG tumor cells were less darkly but diffusely stained for renin. One of five Wilms' tumors revealed more numerous renin-containing tumor cells than the adjacent renal cortex, whereas three of ten renal adenocarcinomas and two of three renal oncocytomas revealed only focally renin-positive tumor cell cytoplasms. None of six cortical adenomas were positive for renin. With available fresh tumor tissue, renin activity was studied by measuring newly formed angiotensin I by radioimmunoassay. JG tumor contained markedly elevated renin activity, whereas one Wilms' tumor and two renal adenocarcinomas contained no more than 2% of renin activity of the renal cortex, more than 50% of which was inactive renin. These findings suggest that the JG tumor elaborates enormous amounts of active renin, whereas other renal tumors produce lesser amounts of renin, more than half of which is inactive renin.