Transcutaneous Bilirubinometry in Normal Japanese Infants

We performed TcB readings in healthy full-term breast-fed Japanese infants from birth to seven days, and attempted to establish the normal range. TcB readings from Japanese infants were significantly higher over a longer period compared with Caucasian infants. The age of peak TcB readings in Japanese newborn infants was day 6, significantly later than that of Caucasian infants, day 3–4. We also attempted to estimate the total serum bilirubin concentrations using regression line relating TcB readings to serum bilirubin concentrations. Our study demonstrated that estimated total serum bilirubin concentration from forehead TcB readings was 0.56 ± 0.35 mg/dl at birth, thereafter increasing to 6.8 ±0.5 mg/dl on day 1 and reaching a maximum of 12.6 ± 2.5 mg/d on day 6.These values and pattern in Japanese neonatal jaundice were significantly different from those of Caucasian children, but were similar to values and patterns from American Indians, Alaskan Eskimo, and other Asian full-term newborn infants. Thus TcB measurement may be useful for observation of the course of neonatal jaundice.     

Intravesical instillation of Adriamycin in the presence or absence of verapamil for the treatment of superficial bladder cancer: preliminary report of a collaborative study

A case-controlled collaborative study on the intravesical administration of Adriamycin in the presence or absence of verapamil, a calcium-channel blocker, as chemotherapy of superficial bladder cancer was carried out at two universities, Okayama and Kagoshima, and their affiliated hospitals. Although little is known about the expression of P-glycoprotein in superficial bladder cancer, it may be a cause of multidrug resistance (MDR). Verapamil was used as an inhibitor of P-glycoprotein. Arm A consisted of Adriamycin given at 50 mg/50 ml saline, and arm B constituted Adriamycin given at 50 mg/40 ml saline plus 5 ampules (10 ml) of injectable verapamil. The drugs were instilled into the bladder for 3 consecutive days in each of 3 consecutive weeks for a total of 9 instillations. No significant difference in antitumor effects was observed between arm A and arm B. Recurrent tumors responded better than did primary tumors to both arm-A and arm-B treatments (P=0.012). In both treatment arms, significant differences (P=0.031) in the response rate were found between tumors with, diameters of <1 cm=" and=" those=" measuring=" 1–3=" cm=" in=" diameter.=" although=" the=" number=" of=" evaluable=" patients=" was=" limited,=" recurrent=" subjects=" who=" had=" previously=" received=" adriamycin=" instillations=" responded=" in=" both=" treatment=">Presented at the 4th International Conference on Treatment of Urinary Tract Tumors with Adriamycin/Farmorubin, 16–17, November 1990. Osaka, Japan     

Measurement of bone marrow blood volume in the knee by positron emission tomography

Positron emission tomography was used to measure bone marrow blood volume (BBV), an important hemodynamics parameter, in the knee. The subjects were 11 healthy male volunteers (mean age, 23.6 years; range, 21–27 years). The ¹⁵O-labelled carbon monooxide (C¹⁵O) single-breath inhalation method was used. In the distal femur, regional (r) BBV in the posterior area of the epiphysis (medial, 2.25 ml/100 cm³ bone marrow; lateral, 2.03 ml/100 cm³) was significantly less than that in the anterior area of the epiphysis (medial, 3.48 ml/100 cm³; lateral, 3.01 ml/100 cm³) and that in the metaphysis-to-distal diaphysis (2.90–3.67 ml/100 cm³). In the proximal tibia, rBBVs in the metaphysis-to-proximal diaphysis (2.32–2.76 ml/100 cm³) were significantly less than those in the area of the physis (medial, 3.30 ml/100 cm³; lateral, 3.53 ml/100 cm³). These regional differences in rBBV within the knee may be associated with the development of ischemic bone marrow disorders, such as steroid-induced osteonecrosis, in the knee. Received for publication on May 12, 1998; accepted on Oct. 28, 1998     

Lack of evidence for leukocyte maternal microchimerism in primary biliary cirrhosis

AIM:It is reasonable to assume that microchimerismcould also be involved in the induction of primary biliarycirrhosis (PBC).However,previous reports investigatedonly fetus-microchimerism in women patients.Maternalmicrochimerism has not been investigated until now.The current study aimed to clear either maternalmicrochimerism was involved in the pathogenesis of PBCor not.METHODS:We used fluorescence in situ hybridization onparaffin-embedded tissue (We called“Tissue-FiSH”.) todetermine whether maternal cells infiltrated in malepatients who were diagnosed as having PBC.Tissue-FiSHwas performed by using both X and Y specific probes onthe biopsy liver sample of 3 male PBC patients.RESULTS:Infiltrating lymphocytes demonstrated both Xand Y signals in all 3 male patients.CONCLUSION:Maternal microchimerism dose not play asignificant role in PBC.PBC may not relate to fetus andmaternal microchimerism.     

Effects of monochlorobimane on cerebral ischemia-induced damage to mitochondria

A possible involvement of inhibitory effects of monochlorobimane (MCB) on the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore in the cerebroprotection against the ischemic brain injury was examined. MCB (1 mM) inhibited the opening of MPT pore in vitro. Sustained cerebral ischemia was induced by injecting 900 microspheres (48 microm in diameter) into the right hemisphere of rats. At 12 to 72 h after microsphere embolism (ME), the mitochondrial activity was determined histochemically by staining cytochrome c oxidase (COX) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) of the brain sections. The COX and SDH stainings in the hippocampus were observed intensively in the pyramidal neurons in the CA2-3 and dentate gyrus rather than those in the CA-1 region. The staining was decreased with time after the embolism. Pretreatment with 10 microg/animal MCB 30 min prior to the embolism significantly attenuated the ME-induced reduction in the staining of COX and SDH in the hippocampus, but not in the pariatal cortex. The results suggest that prevention of the opening of MPT pore by MCB may play an important role in the cerebroprotection against cerebral ischemic injury.     

Trisomy 3 may predict a poor response of gastric MALT lymphoma to Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy

AIM: To investigate the relation of the response to Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy to the depth of tumor invasion and chromosome abnormalities in patients with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma and to determine the clinical value of aneuploidy. METHODS: We studied 13 patients with localized gastric MALT lymphoma of stage E1. Before eradication therapy, the depth of tumor invasion was assessed by endoscopic ultrasonography in 8 patients and by endoscopic examination and gastrointestinal series in the remaining patients. To detect chromosomal abnormalities, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of diagnostic biopsy specimens underwent tissue-fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), using chromosome-specific α-satellite DNA probes for chromosomes 3,7,12, and 18 and YAC clones for t(11;18)(q21;q21). RESULTS: Seven of the 13 patients had complete regression (CR) in response to H pylori eradication therapy. No patient with CR had submucosal tumor invasion. Trisomy 18 was seen in 1 patient with CR, and both trisomies 12 and 18 were present in another patient with CR. All patients with no response or progressive disease had deep submucosal tumor invasion and showed t(11;18)(q21;q21) or trisomy 3. Trisomy 7 was not detected in this series of patients. CONCLUSION: The depth of tumor invasion is an accurate predictor of the response of stage E1 MALT lymphoma to H pylori eradication therapy and is closely associated with the presence of chromosomal abnormalities. Trisomy 3 may predict the aggressive development of MALT lymphoma.     

Current incidence of clinical kernicterus in preterm infants in Japan

Clinical kernicterus in preterm infants has recently been reported in Japan, diagnosed on the basis of clinical findings during the neonatal and infancy periods. We investigated the incidence of clinical kernicterus in preterm infants <30 weeks gestational age (GA) based on a nationwide survey conducted in 233 certified educational facilities for neonatologists. The numbers of infants admitted and infants who died within 14 days after birth during 2011, and the number of infants who subsequently developed clinical kernicterus, were recorded. A total of 2720 infants were analyzed, representing 59% (2720/4623) of all preterm live births <30 weeks GA in Japan in 2011. Of these, 159 (5.8%) died within 14 days after birth, similar to the national rate. Five infants developed clinical kernicterus in infancy (5/2720, 0.18%). The current incidence of clinical kernicterus in Japan is therefore estimated at 1.8 per 1000 live births <30 weeks GA.     

Intestinal thrombotic microangiopathy after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: a clinical imitator of acute enteric graft-versus-host disease

Thrombotic microangiopathy after bone marrow transplantation (post-BMT TMA) is a serious transplant-related complication. We identified 16 patients with TMA after allogeneic BMT who showed histopathological evidence of intestinal TMA in their gut specimens (six autopsies, 10 biopsies). In all, 14 patients had grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The first seven patients were retrospectively diagnosed with TMA. Since six of them were diagnosed with progressive GVHD at that time because there was no awareness of the existence of intestinal TMA, they received more intensive treatment for GVHD, but all died between days +49 and +253. In contrast, the remaining nine patients were recently diagnosed with intestinal TMA on the basis of colonoscopic biopsies. For eight of these patients, the immunosuppressants were reduced, and the patients' intestinal symptoms improved gradually. Six of the nine patients were still alive 12 months after the diagnosis of TMA. Our findings suggest that the gut may be a site involved in post-BMT TMA, presenting as ischemic enterocolitis. Differentiating intestinal TMA from acute GVHD is important in patients suffering from severe and refractory diarrhea after BMT.     

Differences in Innervation and Innervated Neurons between Hip and Inguinal Skin

Pain originating from the hip may be referred to the groin and anterior thigh. We investigated sensory dorsal root ganglion neurons innervating the hip and the inguinal skin in rats using retrograde neurotransport and immunohistochemistry. A retrograde neurotracer Fluoro-Gold™ was injected into the left hip or inguinal skin of rats. Seven days later, we harvested bilateral dorsal root ganglions and counted the number of Fluoro-Gold™-labeled neurons positive for calcitonin gene-related peptide, a marker of nerve growth factor-dependent neurons, or isolectin B4, a marker of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor-dependent neurons. In the hip group, Fluoro-Gold™-labeled neurons were distributed throughout the left dorsal root ganglions from T13 to L5, primarily at L1, L2, L3, and L4, and the percentage of calcitonin gene-related peptide-positive neurons was higher than that of isolectin B4-binding neurons. In the inguinal skin group, Fluoro-Gold™-labeled neurons were distributed throughout the left dorsal root ganglions from T13 to L3, primarily at L1, L2, and L3, and the percentage of isolectin B4-binding neurons was higher than that of calcitonin gene-related peptide-positive neurons. These data suggest the sensory innervation pattern and characteristics of the sensory nerve of the rat hip are different from those of inguinal skin. Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the animal protocol for this investigation and that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research.