BACKGROUND: Although there have been numerous reports in personality of mood disorders, there have been few reports in regard with personality of winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Furthermore, no reports have been published concerning summer SAD personality characteristics. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the personality of winter and summer SAD using Tri-dimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) that have been used in a variety of mental disorders. METHODS: A total of 6135 Japanese were evaluated with TPQ, the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) and the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). Winter, summer and non-SAD groups were classified by SPAQ. We compared the difference of personality trait among these three groups in consideration of gender, age and SDS score influence. RESULTS: Winter SAD demonstrated higher "Novelty Seeking" and "Harm Avoidance"; summer SAD showed higher "Harm Avoidance" than the non-SAD group. "Harm Avoidance" in both SAD groups was re-analyzed using SDS score as a covariate, and "Novelty Seeking" in winter SAD using age as a covariate. As a result, the significance of high "Novelty Seeking" and high "Harm Avoidance" in winter SAD was excluded. However, "Harm Avoidance" remained the significant difference between summer and non-SAD. LIMITATION: SAD was diagnosed only by SPAQ and not by interview. The state-dependency of "Harm Avoidance" was not confirmed in identical patients over lapse of time. CONCLUSION: Patients with winter SAD have high "Harm Avoidance" dependent on the depressive state that is in accordance with non-seasonal depression. Patients with summer SAD have high "Harm Avoidance" possibly independent from the depressive state. 相似文献
Intravesical bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) is the standard of care for bladder carcinoma in situ (CIS). The response to BCG therapy against CIS is generally assessed by random bladder biopsy (RBB). In this study, we examined the necessity of routine RBB after BCG therapy.
Methods
We retrospectively identified 102 patients who were initially diagnosed with CIS with or without papillary tumor and received subsequent 6–8-week BCG therapy. Thereafter, all patients underwent voiding cytology analysis, cystoscopy, and RBB to evaluate the effects of BCG therapy. We evaluated the association between clinical parameters (voiding cytology and cystoscopy findings) and the final pathological results by RBB specimens.
Results
According to the pathological results of RBB, 30 (29%) patients had BCG-unresponsive disease (remaining urothelial carcinoma was confirmed pathologically) and 20 were diagnosed with CIS. Positive/suspicious voiding cytology and positive cystoscopy findings were well observed in patients who had BCG-unresponsive disease compared with their counterparts (p?=?0.116, and p?<?0.001, respectively). The sensitivity (Sen.), specificity (Spe.), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of voiding cytology were 50%, 68%, 39%, and 77%, respectively. The values for cystoscopy findings were as follows: Sen.: 87%, Spe.: 57%, PPV: 46%, and NPV: 91%. The values for their combination (having either of them) were as follows: Sen.: 100%, Spe.: 44%, PPV: 43%, and NPV: 100%.
Conclusion
RBB after BCG therapy for patients with negative voiding cytology and negative cystoscopy may be omitted because their risk of BCG-unresponsive disease is significantly low (NPV: 100%).
Great horovement haS been made in the cryopreservation Of inalnlnalian elnbmp since wnttingham['] reported his Pioneering wold about successful cryOPreservationof mouse embryo. It results in the availability of cryOPreserVation of embryos of all stages[']. HOwever, cryopreserved embryos can not avoid the damages by ice crystal,which is a major cause of cen death in the freezing andthawing ProceduresL',']. SO it is necesseq to seareh for anew and more efficient method for embryO cryOPrese… 相似文献
Desensitization of μ- and κ-opioid receptor-mediated inhibition of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels was studied in a Xenopus oocyte translation system.
In the oocytes coexpressing κ-opioid receptors with N- or Q-type Ca2+ channel α1 and β subunits, the κ-agonist, U50488H, inhibited both neuronal Ca2+ channel current responses in a pertussis toxin-sensitive manner and the inhibition was reduced by prolonged agonist exposure.
More than 10 min was required to halve the inhibition of Q-type channels by the κ-agonist. However, the half-life for the inhibition of N-type channels was only 6±1 min. In addition, in the oocytes coexpressing μ-opioid receptors with N-type or Q-type channels, the uncoupling rate of the μ-receptor-mediated inhibition of N-channels was also faster than that of Q-type channels.
In the oocytes coexpressing both μ- and κ-receptors with N-type channels, stimulation of either receptor resulted in a cross-desensitization of the subsequent response to the other agonist. Treatment of oocytes with either H-8 (100 μM), staurosporine (400 nM), okadaic acid (200 nM), phorbol myristate acetate (5 nM) or forskolin (50 μM) plus phosphodiesterase inhibitor did not affect either the desensitization or the agonist-evoked inhibition of Ca2+ channels.
These results suggest that the rate of rapid desensitization is dependent on the α1 subtype of the neuronal Ca2+ channel, and that a common phosphorylation-independent mechanism underlies the heterologous desensitization between opioid receptor subtypes.
In a search for new anti-autoimmune agents that selectively
suppress activation of autoreactive T cells, one such agent,
5-methyl-3-(1-methylethoxy)benzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxamide
(CI-959-A), was found to be effective. This compound, which is known to
suppress tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-induced CD54 expression,
inhibited the primary proliferative response of the T cell to antigen
(Ag)-presenting cells (APCs) including allogenic dendritic cells (DCs),
autologous Epstein-Barr virus-infected B cells, and human T
lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-infected T cells. Autoreactive T
cells from patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic
paraparesis (HAM/TSP) spontaneously proliferate in vitro, and their
activation is reported to be associated with CD54 expression. The
spontaneous proliferation of T cells from patients with HAM/TSP was
entirely blocked by CI-959-A. However, in this study, the T-cell
proliferation in 15 patients with HAM/TSP was found to depend more
extensively on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and CD86
than on CD54 Ags. Since most important APCs for the development of
HAM/TSP are DCs and HTLV-I-infected T cells, the effect of CI-959-A on
DC generation and on the expression of surface molecules on activated T
cells is examined. CI-959-A suppressed recombinant
granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)- and
recombinant interleukin-4-dependent differentiation of DCs from
monocytes and inhibited the expression of CD54 and, more extensively,
MHC class II and CD86 Ags. CI-959-A showed little toxicity toward
lymphoma or HTLV-I-infected T-cell lines or toward monocytes and
cultured DCs. These results suggest that CI-959-A might be a potent
anti-HAM/TSP agent.Human T lymphotropic virus type I
(HTLV-I)-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP)
is thought to be an autoimmune disease induced by HTLV-I infection
(8, 9, 24). The T lymphocytes obtained from patients with
HAM/TSP patients produce interleukin-2 (IL-2) in vivo and proliferate
spontaneously in vitro without any additional stimuli or cytokines
(35). This spontaneous proliferation of T lymphocytes (SPL)
depends on the interaction of T cells with antigen (Ag)-presenting
cells (APCs) such as dendritic cells (DCs) (17, 25) and
HTLV-I-infected CD4+ T cells (15, 32). The DCs
localized in the blood and nonlymphoid organs are considered to be
functionally immature, in that they are optimized for the uptake and
processing of Ag but not for the initiation of primary T-cell
responses. However, after the uptake of Ag and exposure to inflammatory
agents including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and IL-1, the
DCs undergo a process of maturation and gain the ability to present Ag
to T cells for their priming (22, 26). In addition to DCs,
HTLV-I-infected CD4+ T cells directly stimulate autologous
CD4+ T cells in a major histocompatibility complex (MHC)
class II- and CD86 molecule-dependent fashion (32). Among
the T cells stimulated with these APCs, some might cross-react with
self Ags and closely associate with the development of HAM/TSP.We have been searching for compounds that inhibit the cellular
interaction between APCs and T cells to suppress the activation of
autoreactive and Ag-specific T cells. The molecules associated with the
APC-T cell interaction may provide an effective target for therapy for
autoimmune diseases. Binding of APCs and T cells is initiated by
contact of adhesion molecules, such as CD54 and CD11a/CD18, expressed
on both cells, and induction of sustained proliferation of T cells
requires two independent signals provided by APCs: a T-cell
receptor-mediated Ag-specific signal and a signal mediated by
costimulatory molecules (CSMs) (10, 20) including CD86 and
CD58 Ags (1, 11, 31). Blocking of their tight binding
through adhesion molecules or interaction of the CSMs with CSM ligands
effectively suppressed the abnormal expansion of disease-associated T
cells in vivo and in vitro (19, 30, 32) and sometimes
effectively induced a long-term unresponsiveness of T cells to recall
stimuli.5-Methyl-3-(1-methylethoxy)benzo[b]thiophene-2-carbox-amide
(CI-959-A) is known to inhibit CD54 expression, and its derivative is
reported to inhibit casein kinase II (4). In the present
study, we found that CI-959-A markedly suppressed SPL in patients with
HAM/TSP. Furthermore, the compound suppressed the primary T-cell
proliferative response to stimuli provided by various APCs, the
differentiation of immature DCs from monocytes and their subsequent
maturation, and the induction of expression of MHC class II, CD54, and
CD86 Ags on activated CD4+ T cells. 相似文献
A huge phyllodes tumor of the breast that appeared grossly malignant in a 43-year-old woman is described. The patient suffered
from a large breast tumor that suddenly increased in size over 5 months to occupy the entire breast. The tumor was hard, ulcerated
and 20 cm in greatest diameter. Diagnostic imaging (US, CT and MRI) demonstrated a circumscribed mass with a large cystic
cavity. She underwent total mastectomy under a diagnosis of malignant breast tumor. Grossly, the cut surface of the tumor
showed a large cystic cavity surrounding a fleshy, hemorrhagic and necrotic mass with a lobulared or trabeculared appearance.
Unexpectedly, benign phyllodes tumor (PT) without any stromal overgrowth was diagnosed histologically. She has been doing
well since total mastectomy. In our case and in many other reported cases, PT does not show any distinctive correlation between
pathologic findings and tumor behavior. Thus wide local excision is the preferred initial treatment for PT. 相似文献