Reactivity patterns to human rotavirus strains of a monoclonal antibody against VP2, a component of the inner capsid of rotavirus

Summary A non-neutralizing monoclonal antibody (YO-60) against human rotavirus was found to be directed to VP2 (90,000-dalton protein), one of the two major components of the inner capsid. The reactivity patterns of the YO-60 antibody were very similar, though not identical, to those of subgroup II-specific YO-5 monoclonal antibody directed to VP6 (42,000-dalton protein), the other major component of the inner capsid.These results indicated the possible presence of a subgroup-specific antigen on VP2 in addition to the one on VP6.With 1 FigureThis study was supported in part by a grant no. 58570213 from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan.     

Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of antigen gene tdpA of Treponema denticola.

We isolated and characterized an immunogenic protein of an oral spirochete, Treponema denticola Johnson. A genomic DNA library constructed with bacteriophage lambda EMBL3 as a vector was immunologically screened with a rabbit antiserum against the whole cells. Using Western immunoblot analysis, we found a particular clone encoding an antigen with a molecular weight of 53,000; we designated the antigen as T. denticola protein A (TdpA). Complete sequence determination revealed an open reading frame of 1,419 bp and a signal peptide sequence that was homologous to that of bacterial lipoprotein. Southern hybridization analysis revealed that the tdpA gene is highly conserved in six tested strains of T. denticola species. Furthermore, we found that sera from some periodontitis patients contained antibody against the TdpA protein, although the reactivities of the antibodies varied among individuals.     

Primary localized amyloid tumor of the breast with osseous metaplasia

A case of primary localized amyloid tumor of the breast is described. It Is an extremely rare condition and has not been seen in literature in Japan. A 76-year-old woman visited a hospital because of a painless, hard mass of the right breast. A relatively well demarcated, calcified mass was excised under clinical diagnosis of fibroadenoma. Histologically, massive eoslnophilic amorphous material was deposited in breast stroma. It was stained red-orange by Congo red and displayed apple-green birefringence under polarized light. The staining persisted after incubation with KMnO₄ and immunolabeling by immunoglobulin x-light chain antlserum, consistent with the amyloid of AL (Ax) type. Osseous metaplasia with bone marrow cavity, foreign body type giant cells in response to amyloid, and scattered plasma cell infiltration were also recognized. Osseous metaplasia in the breast amyloid tumor has been reported in only one case before. To date, the patient has not developed any clinical or laboratory evidence of systemic amyloidosis or multiple myeloma.     

Argyrophil cell carcinoma (apudoma) of the esophagus

Summary In a series of 79 cases of primary esophageal carcinoma resected at The Center for Adult Diseases, Osaka, there were six tumors with specific histopathologic features valid for the diagnosis of argyrophil cell carcinoma. Of the 6 tumors, 3 were studied electron microscopically and assay for ACTH content was performed on 4 tumors.Clinically, the ages of the 6 patients ranged from 56 to 71 years; two were women and four men. Four of the 6 patients died with widespread tumor recurrences within 9 months of operation.Microscopically, the 6 tumors were composed largely or almost entirely of small, spindle-shaped cells resembling those of oat cell carcinoma of the lung, and were characterized by the arrangement of tumor cells in solid sheets or anastomosing cords, the presence of argyrophil tumor cells, and the deposits of amyloid. Electron microscopically, the three tumors contained neurosecretory-type granules. Using bioassay or radioimmunoassay ACTH activity in the tumor tissues was detected in 3 out of the 4 tumors determined.From the light and electron microscopic characteristics and the assay evidence, it seems reasonable to conclude that the 6 tumors are endocrine polypeptide producing tumors (apudomas) that arise from argyrophil cells normally found among the basal cells of the esophageal mucosa, and that they represent a distinct histopathologic entity clearly distinguishable from other types of esophageal carcinomas.Supported in part by a Grant-in Aid for Cancer Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, JapanThe authors are grateful to Prof. H. Imura and Dr. Y. Hirate, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University School of Medicine for their interest and performing the assays for ACTH on the tumor tissues.     

Invasive fungal infection following reduced-intensity cord blood transplantation for adult patients with hematologic diseases.

Invasive fungal infection (IFI) is a significant complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT); however, we have little information on its clinical features after reduced intensity cord blood transplantation (RICBT) for adults. We reviewed medical records of 128 patients who underwent RICBT at Toranomon Hospital between March 2002 and November 2005. Most of the patients received purine-analogbased preparative regimens. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis was a continuous infusion of either tacrolimus 0.03 mg/kg or cyclosporine 3 mg/kg. IFI was diagnosed according to the established EORTC/NIH-MSG criteria. IFI was diagnosed in 14 patients. Thirteen of the 14 had probable invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and the other had fungemia resulting from Trichosporon spp. Median onset of IFI was day 20 (range: 1-82), and no patients developed IFI after day 100. Three-year cumulative incidence of IA was 10.2%. Four of the 13 patients with invasive aspergillosis (IA) developed grade II-IV acute GVHD, and their IA was diagnosed before the onset of acute GVHD. The mortality rate of IFI was 86%. Multivariate analysis revealed that the use of prednisolone >0.2 mg/kg (relative risk 7.97, 95% confidence interval 2.24-28.4, P = .0014) was a significant risk factor for IA. This study suggests that IFI is an important cause of deaths after RICBT, and effective strategies are warranted to prevent IFI.     

Ultrastructural myeloperoxidase activity and expression of myeloid-associated antigens in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Ultrastructural myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and myeloid-associated antigen (MyAg) expression were investigated in 12 adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Ultrastructural MPO was detected by 3 different methods. Immunophenotyping was performed by flow cytometry, using a series of monoclonal antibodies. Ultrastructural MPO-positive blast cells were detected in 6 patients (50%). In 5 of these 6 patients, the methods detecting both MPO and platelet peroxidase (PPO) activities found MPO-positive blast cells more frequently than those detecting MPO activity alone. In 2 patients (17%), at least one kind of MyAg was positive. Ultrastructural MPO activity was detected more frequently than MyAg expression in ALL patients. This method of detecting PPO and MPO is recommended for detection of ultrastructural MPO-positive ALL.     

Primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the iliac bone in an adult: A case mimicking fibrosarcoma

Primary rhabdomyosarcoma of bone is exceedingly rare. We present a case of rhabdomyosarcoma of the iliac bone in a 32-year-old male. Histologically, the tumour consisted mainly of a uniform proliferation of elongated spindle cells arranged in a herring bone pattern, simulating fibrosarcoma. Focally there was a conventional embryonal pattern with scattered rhabdomyoblasts possessing an eosinophilic cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical studies disclosed expression of muscle markers such as desmin and muscle-specific actin, in both the embryonal and spindle-cell areas and myoglobin only in the embryonal areas. Such histological features are unusual for classical embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. The anatomical site and age of the patient are also atypical.     

The value of external morphology in the identification of larval anisakid nematodes: a scanning electron microscope study

We studied larval nematodes of four genera of the Anisakidae using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The anterior and posterior extremities and cuticular structures of the 3rd-stage larvae (L3) ofAnisakis type I,Pseudoterranova decipiens, Contracaecum type B andHysterothylacium were examined. The 4th-stage larvae (L4) ofAnisakis type I,P. decipiens, recovered after infection into laboratory rats, and the L3 and L4 ofAnisakis type I larvae from human were also examined in the same way. There were generic differences in the shape and size of the lip bulges, external papillary structures, the appearance of the boring tooth, the width and depth of the grooves and ridges of the cuticle and the caudal structures of the L3. InAnisakis type I andP. decipiens L3, changes were seen in the anterior extremity, cuticle and posterior extremity after molting to the L4. Similar changes can be expected in larvae infecting man. The L4 ofAnisakis type I from rat and man were similar, while the L4 ofAnisakis type I andP. decipiens showed differences. These ultrastructural differences might be of value in the identification of fragments recovered during endoscopy in man.     

Lectin histochemical study on the olfactory organ of the newt,Cynops pyrrhogaster,revealed heterogeneous mucous environments in a single nasal cavity

Expression patterns of glycoconjugates were examined by lectin histochemistry in the nasal cavity of the Japanese red-bellied newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster. Its nasal cavity consisted of two components, a flattened chamber, which was the main nasal chamber (MNC), and a lateral diverticulum called the lateral nasal sinus (LNS), which communicated medially with the MNC. The MNC was lined with the olfactory epithelium (OE), while the diverticulum constituting the LNS was lined with the vomeronasal epithelium (VNE). Nasal glands were observed beneath the OE but not beneath the VNE. In addition, a secretory epithelium was revealed on the dorsal boundary between the MNC and the LNS, which we refer to as the boundary secretory epithelium (BSE) in this study. The BSE seemed to play an important role in the construction of the mucous composition of the VNE. Among 21 lectins used in this study, DBA, SBA and Jacalin showed different staining patterns between the OE and the VNE. DBA staining showed remarkable differences between the OE and the VNE; there was intense staining in the free border and the supporting cells of the VNE, whereas there was no staining or weak staining in the cells of the OE. SBA and Jacalin showed different stainings in the receptor neurons for the OE and the VNE. Furthermore, UEA-I and Con A showed different stainings for the nasal glands. UEA-I showed intense staining in the BSE and in the nasal glands located in the ventral wall of the MNC (VNG), whereas Con A showed intense staining in the BSE and in the nasal glands located in the dorsal and medial wall of the MNC (DMNG). The DMNG were observed to send their excretory ducts into the OE, whereas no excretory ducts were observed from the VNG to the OE or the VNE. These results suggested that the secretion by the supporting cells as well as the BSE and the DMNG establishes that there are heterogeneous mucous environments in the OE and the VNE, although both epithelia are situated in the same nasal cavity.