Fork injuries with the tines inserted bilaterally between the mandibular interdental spaces

In this paper, we report two rare cases of foreign body oral injuries caused by forks inserted tightly into both sides of the lingual interdental spaces between the mandibular deciduous canines and first deciduous molars (FDMs). These pediatric cases of foreign body insertion caused not only soft tissue injuries but also the potential luxation of affected deciduous teeth, i.e., the FDMs in the present cases, during the removal of the object by force.     

Primary malignant melanoma of the stomach: report of a case

We report a case of primary malignant melanoma (MM) of the stomach. The patient, a 73-year-old man, was referred to our hospital for investigation of an elevated lesion in the stomach, detected by gastroscopy. On admission, physical examinations and laboratory data were unremarkable. Gastroscopy revealed a pigmented, elevated tumor, approximately 2 cm in diameter, in the posterior wall of the stomach. A biopsy was taken, which resulted in a diagnosis of MM, based on the presence of melanin in tumor cells. F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography showed no accumulation of tracer except for the tumor in the stomach, indicating that it was a primary MM of the stomach. The patient underwent distal gastrectomy, but died of recurrence 1 year later. Very few cases of primary MM of the stomach have been reported. Thus, we report this case, followed by a review of the literature.     

Identification of β-lactoglobulin-derived peptides and class II HLA molecules recognized by T cells from patients with milk allergy

BACKGROUND: Cow's milk allergy impairs the health and development of many infants since it deprives them of adequate nutrition. Cow's milk fractions contain many allergens, and beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) is one of the major allergens. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine T cell epitopes, antigen-presenting molecules and cytokine production by T cells in relation to BLG. The results can provide new therapeutic possibilities of using analogue peptides of BLG for infants with cow's milk allergy. METHODS: Using a mixture of a panel of overlapping synthetic peptides that cover the entire BLG molecule, we established polyclonal BLG-specific short-term T cell lines and clones from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of four patients with allergy to cow's milk carrying most of the common human leucocyte antigen (HLA) haplotypes seen in the Japanese population. We then identified the T cell epitopes and antigen-presenting molecules, and measured the production of cytokines interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and interferon-gamma in the culture supernatants. RESULTS: The T cell lines established from the four patients responded to seven different peptides. Three of the peptides stimulated the T cells of two donors, regardless of the HLA types. The patterns of inhibition of the proliferative responses of the cell lines by anti-HLA class II antibodies were heterogeneous; three were mainly inhibited by anti-HLA-DR mAbs, and the other was inhibited by anti-HLA-DQ mAbs. High levels of IL-5 were produced by these T cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' T cells recognized BLG in association with a variety of HLA-DR or -DQ as antigen-presenting molecules. Although some peptides did have a more potent T cell stimulatory activity than others, the T cell receptor ligands formed with the BLG molecule are heterogeneous. Peptides for the desensitization of T cells of the patients with cow's milk allergy need to be designed keeping in mind the different requirements in different ethnic groups.     

Synthesis of antimicrobial agents. 3. Syntheses and antibacterial activities of 7-(4-hydroxypiperazin-1-yl)quinolones

A series of novel pyridone carboxylic acids having a 4-hydroxypiperazinyl group at the 7-position of norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin were prepared. The in vivo antibacterial efficacies of these compounds were superior to those of corresponding piperazinyl derivatives. From the results of the studies on the pharmacokinetic profile and toxicity, the 4-hydroxypiperazinyl derivatives were confirmed to be pharmacologically superior to corresponding piperazinyl derivatives. Thus, a 4-hydroxypiperazinyl group was revealed to be a beneficial substituent for potential use in future quinolone antibacterials.     

Structures of defective P transposable elements prevalent in natural Q and Q-derived M strains of Drosophila melanogaster

Several DNA sequences with homology to the complete 2.9-kilobase (kb) P element from a P strain in the United States were isolated and characterized from two Drosophila melanogaster strains collected on Chichi Jima, an island 1000 km south of Tokyo. Except for a missing central region and trivial unsequenced regions of 38 base pairs, the 2.1-kb element isolated from a Q strain had the same DNA sequence as that of the complete P element. Seven other elements cloned from genomic DNAs of the Q strain and a Q-derived M strain all possessed the same restriction sites as those of the 2.9-kb P element except for one deleted region in each element. The finding of sequence conservation in P elements have had a common ancestor relatively recently. Thus, it is suggested that the P element family was a recent invader of the species. By contrast, no complete P element was found in these Japanese strains so far as surveyed, indicating the possibility that P elements in the Chichi Jima population are almost all defective. The implication of this possibility is discussed in relation to the uniqueness of the population on Chichi Jima where Q strains predominate and no P strains have yet been found.     

Amelioration of lacrimal gland inflammation by oral administration of K-13182 in Sjögren's syndrome model mice

Regulation of the adhesion of mononuclear cells to endothelial cells is considered to be a critical step for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, including autoimmune diseases. K-13182 was identified as a novel inhibitor for these adhesions. K-13182 inhibited the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1, CD106) on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and on mouse vascular endothelial cell line (MAECs) induced by tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α. K-13182 also inhibited the adhesion of mononuclear cells to these HUVECs and MAECs, indicating that K-13182 suppressed these adhesions mediated by cellular adhesion molecules including VCAM-1. To evaluate the therapeutic effect in autoimmune disease model mice, K-13182 was orally administered to non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice as Sjögren''s syndrome (SS) model mice. Severe destructive inflammatory lesions were observed in the lacrimal glands of vehicle-treated control mice; however, 8-week administration of K-13182 inhibited the mononuclear cell infiltration into the inflammatory lesions of the lacrimal glands. In K-13182-treated mice, the decrease in tear secretion was also prevented compared to the control mice. In addition, the apoptosis and the expression of FasL (CD178), perforin, and granzyme A was suppressed in the lacrimal glands of K-13182-treated mice. Therefore, K-13182 demonstrated the possibility of therapeutic efficacy for the inflammatory region of autoimmune disease model mice. These data reveal that VCAM-1 is a promising target molecule for the treatment of autoimmune diseases as a therapeutic strategy and that K-13182 has the potential as a new anti-inflammatory drug for SS.     

Activation of an oncogenic TBC1D7 (TBC1 domain family,member 7) protein in pulmonary carcinogenesis

To develop novel biomarkers and therapeutic agents for lung cancers, we screened molecules that were highly expressed in lung cancers by means of cDNA microarray analysis and found an elevated expression of TBC1 domain family, member 7 (TBC1D7) in the majority of lung cancers. Northern‐blot analysis using mRNAs from 16 normal tissues detected its expression only in testis. Immunohistochemical staining using tumor tissue microarrays consisting of 261 archived non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) specimens suggested an association of TBC1D7 expression with poor prognosis for NSCLC patients (P = 0.0063). Treatment of lung cancer cells using siRNA against TBC1D7, suppressed its expression and resulted in inhibition of the cell growth. Furthermore, the induction of exogenous expression of TBC1D7 conferred growth‐promoting activity at in vitro and in vivo conditions. We also identified TBC1D7 to interact with TSC1 protein in lung cancer cells. TSC1 introduction into cells increased the level of TBC1D7 protein, whereas knockdown of TSC1 expression decreased the level of TBC1D7 protein, suggesting that TBC1D7 is stabilized probably through interaction with TSC1. In addition, inhibition of the binding between TBC1D7 and TSC1 by a TBC1D7‐derived 20‐amino acid cell‐permeable peptide (11R‐TBC1D7_152‐171), which corresponded to the binding domain to TSC1, effectively suppressed growth of lung cancer cells. Selective suppression of TBC1D7 and/or inhibition of the TBC1D7‐TSC1 complex formation could be promising therapeutic strategies for lung cancer therapy. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.