Neurons and extracellular neurofibrillary tangles in the hippocampal subdivisions in early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease: A case study

Abstract  We have investigated morphometrically unaffected neurons, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (I-NFT) and extracellular neurofibrillary tangles (E-NFT) in eight subdivisions of the hippocampal cortex in two cases of early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) and six cases of early-onset sporadic Alzheimer's disease (SAD). The hippocampal subdivisions examined included: CA4, CA3, CA2, CAI, prosubiculum, subiculum and presubiculum (PRE), parasubiculum (PARA) and entorhinal cortex (ENT). CA3, CA2 and CAI in the FAD cases showed more severe neuronal loss and much greater E-NFT formation than in the SAD cases, while ENT in both the FAD cases showed less neuronal loss and less E-NFT formation. These data suggest that the cornu ammonis is affected more severely than the ENT in the FAD cases. These observations indicate that hippocampal pathology in the FAD cases is qualitatively as well as quantitatively different from that in sporadic cases. These results provide further evidence for pathological heterogeneity in AD, although the number of FAD cases examined is very small.     

Serum creatinine and cholesterol levels of testicular cancer patients in long-term follow up

PURPOSE: Most patients with advanced testicular cancer can be cured with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Therefore, the long-term effects of the treatment are clinically important. In the present study, we evaluated the serum creatinine and cholesterol levels of long-term survivors of testicular cancer. METHODS: Serum creatinine and cholesterol levels were determined in 23 testicular cancer patients who had received cisplatin-based chemotherapy more than 5 years earlier. They were compared with a control group of 16 patients who did not receive chemotherapy. In addition, follow-up data of beyond 10 years after the initial treatment was obtained from 17 patients. We also analysed the trends of both serum creatinine and cholesterol determinations over 10 or more years using a generalized linear model. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the serum creatinine and cholesterol levels 5 years after the treatment between the chemotherapy and control groups. Analysis using a generalized linear model showed a significant trend toward an increase in serum creatinine in patients who had developed renal dysfunction during chemotherapy (P = 0.0024). The elevation of the serum creatinine level was mainly observed during the first 5 years. In addition, a significant trend toward an increase in serum cholesterol was revealed in both the chemotherapy and control groups. CONCLUSION: Patients who have developed renal dysfunction during chemotherapy may be at risk of gradually increasing serum creatinine levels even after it has become normal. Although further analysis is needed, we recommend long-term follow up in the survivors of metastatic testicular cancer patients treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy.     

A Case of Pancreatic Cancer With Liver Metastasis Which Responded to Chemotherapy

A case of pancreatic cancer with liver metastasis is reported,in which chemotherapy had a marked effect, with the responsesclearly documented. The patient was a 59-year-old male who experienced epigastricpain in February 1985, upper gastrointestinal X-ray examinationrevealing extragastric compression by the pancreas. He visitedthe National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, in April 1985 andthe diagnosis of pancreatic cancer with liver metastasis wasmade using the imaging procedures of ultrasonography, computedtomograph scanning and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographyas well as by biochemical and serological tests. At the timea 5 cm tumor was palpable in the middle upper abdomen. The patient was treated with Cis-diaminedichloro platinum, tegafur,and 5-fluorouracil, successively, and the abdominal tumor graduallydiminished, finally becoming impalpable. The response was evaluatedas one of partial responses (PR) by ultrasonography, and theimprovement substantiated by computed tomography and tumor markers.     

DEEP BODY TEMPERATURE DURING THE WARMING PHASE OF CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS

We have compared deep body temperature (DBT) measured at theforehead with the core temperatures of the nasopharynx, oesophagusand rectum during the warming phase of cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) (moderate hypothermia of 26.7-29.6 °C) in 12 patients.DBT was measured transcutaneously by an insulated thermistorprobe that created an area of zero thermal flow between skinand subcutaneous tissue. The core temperatures measured at differentsites lagged behind the increase in arterial blood temperatureduring warming. The trend was most marked with rectal temperatureand least with oesophageal temperature. Among all measurements,the closest linear relationship was found between forehead DBT and nasopharyngeal core temperature (0.99 x nasopharyngealtemperature (°C)-0.07; SEE = 0.53; r = 0.99; P     

Effects of Immunization of Mothers on the Immune Reaction of Their Offspring: Inhibition of Immune Responses of Offspring Caused by Antibody Imported Through the Milk

ABSTRACT: Effects of immunization of pregnant AKR mice with nucleated chicken erythrocytes (CRBC) on immune responses of their offspring were examined. Antigen-specific reduction of generation of cytotoxicity and plaque forming cells (PFC) was demonstrated in the offspring at 8 weeks after birth, and lasted for 15 weeks. Cross-fostering experiments and cell transfer experiments showed that such suppression would be induced by antibody contained in the milk of immunized mothers rather than suppressor cells. Activities to enhance opsonization and to mediate antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (AI)CC) were demonstrated in the serum of such offspring before challenge with CRBC. Delayed footpad reaction (DFR) was maintained at the normal level in such offspring of immunized mice.     

Divided Nevus Spilus and Divided Form of Spotted Grouped Pigmented Nevus

Two cases of divided nevus spilus and a case of divided form of spotted grouped pigmented nevus are reported. In this group, flat melanotic macules around the eyes were located on the opposite parts of the upper and lower eyelids. The macules were divided by the palpebral fissure when the lids were open, and the two halves of the lesions formed a unit when the lids were closed. Case presentation as such may be intriguing in the clarification of the developmental relation between aberrantly differentiated melanin synthesizing cells and normal melanocytes.     

Ganglion cells in Ewing's sarcoma following chemotherapy: A case report

A case of Ewing's sarcoma of the bone, arising in the right radius of a 12-year-old girl, which showed unique histologic features after pre-operative treatment, is reported. The light microscopic features of a biopsy sample were those of a small round cell tumor showing positive immunoreaction with antibodies against the product of the MIC 2 gene (O13), neuron-specific enolase, neurofilament, and synaptophysin, but no morphological differentiation. The patient received combined intensive multi drug chemotherapy and radiation before surgery. Examination of the surgical specimen showed that the tumor was less cellular than that in the biopsy specimen, and was composed mainly of loosely textured large cells mimicking ganglion cells, occasionally forming Homer-Wright rosettes. An lmmunohistochemical study revealed that neural differentiation was enhanced. Immunoreactivity for Leu-7 also became positive. Although the patient underwent postoperative chemotherapy, she died of multiple lung and bone metastases 30 months alter the diagnosis. Autopsy showed that metastatic foci were made up of densely packed small round cells like those seen In the biopsy samples, but associated with prominent Homer-Wright rosettes. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a tumor being replaced almost entirely by ganglion cells after preoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy.     

CLASSICAL HODGKIN AND REED-STERNBERG CELLS DEMONSTRATE A NON-CLONAL IMMATURE B LYMPHOID LINEAGE: EVIDENCE FROM A SINGLE CELL ASSAY AND IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION

Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (H & RS) cells are generally considered to be the neoplastic cells of Hodgkin's disease (HD), however such cells are only found in a minority of the lesions. Recently in a few studies on HD, the clonality of H & RS cells was examined, using a single-cell polymerase chain reaction (PCR) examination. To clarify the lineage and clonality of H & RS cells, we performed single cell PCR and in situ hybridization (ISH), and nine cases of classical HD were thus studied. By ISH, the immunoglobulin J chain, and the |gk and |gl light chain were rarely expressed in the H & RS cells, however, no T-cell markers could be detected. The expression of the recombination activating genes (RAG-1, 2) could be determined in the H & RS cells. We isolated CD30+ H & RS cells, CD3+ T cells and CD20+ B cells from suspended materials using a mechanical sorter. We performed single cell PCR in a sorted individual cell, to amplify the complementarity determining region of the Ig heavy chain (IgH) gene and T-cell receptor γ chain (TCR γ) gene. In all cases, TCR γ could be frequently amplified in the T cells, but was only rarely amplified in the H & RS and B cells. In contrast, the IgH was frequently amplified in the H & RS and B cells, but not in the T cells. In addition, the PCR production of the H & RS cells all showed different lengths. The results therefore support the polyclonal nature and immature B lymphoid cell origin of H & RS cells.