Diffusion-weighted MRI of the cervical cord in acute spinal cord injury with type II odontoid fracture

The authors present a case of acute spinal cord injury demonstrated by diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) of the cervical cord. DWI taken 2 hours after injury showed intramedullary hyperintensity with a decrease of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value at C1-C2 vertebral levels. On T -weighted images obtained 1 month after injury, the lesion was hyperintense, indicating the existence of myelomalacia. DWI of the cervical cord provided satisfactory images and was a useful method for detecting and visualizing of the affected cord in the super-early stage.(2)     

Muscle CT scan findings in McLeod syndrome and chorea-acanthocytosis

Computed tomography (CT) scans of lower leg muscles reveal a selective pattern of fat infiltration in the posterior compartment with spared gracilis, semitendinosus, and the lateral head of the gastrocnemius in both McLeod syndrome and chorea-acanthocytosis, which are disorders characterized by the presence of circulating acanthocytes. The selectivity of affected muscles indicates that late onset and slowly progressive muscular atrophy in both diseases could be a consequence of primary myopathy. Asymmetrical muscle involvement may be seen during the process of degeneration only in McLeod syndrome, however, and may be helpful in distinguishing this disease from chorea-acanthocytosis.     

Esophageal resection in elderly esophageal carcinoma patients: improvement in postoperative complications

BACKGROUND: Advanced age is considered to be a relative contraindication for radical esophagectomy with a three-field lymph node dissection. METHODS: Preoperative risks, postoperative morbidity and mortality, and long-term survival in 55 elderly patients (> or =70 years) who had undergone extensive esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma were compared with those of 149 younger patients (<70 years). RESULTS: Elderly patients had worse preoperative cardiopulmonary function and had more frequent postoperative cardiopulmonary complications compared with younger patients (p < 0.05). The postoperative death rate was not statistically different between the elderly (10.9%) and younger groups (5.4%). When the study period was divided into an early and a late phase, the postoperative death rate dropped significantly (p < 0.05) in recent years (1.4%) when compared with the previous era (10.0%). The overall survival rates were not different between elderly and younger patients. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative cardiopulmonary risk factors and postoperative complications after esophagectomy were more frequently noticed in elderly patients than in younger patients. A dramatic improvement in postoperative death was noticed in recent years. The long-term survival of elderly patients after extended esophagectomy was almost similar to that in younger patients.     

Immunohistochemical and chemical changes of beta-citryl-L-glutamate in the differentiation of bovine lens epithelial cells into lens fiber cells

Beta-citryl-L-glutamate (beta-CG) concentration was determined by HPLC during the differentiation of bovine lens epithelial cells into lens fiber cells in culture. beta-CG increased from 1 to 4 weeks of culture and then decreased slightly, while alpha-crystallin, a marker of lens cell differentiation, increased rapidly 4 weeks after the culture and continued to increase gradually until week 11. In addition, the localization of beta-CG was immunohistochemically examined using anti-beta-CG antibody. Cells around lentoid bodies were stained with anti-beta-CG antibody, whereas cells in the bodies were stained strongly with anti-gamma-crystallin antibody. These findings suggest that beta-CG accumulated immediately before the differentiation of the bovine lens epithelial cells into lens fiber cells and may play a role in regulating the differentiation of lens cells.     

Characterization of human lung cancer cells resistant to 4'-O-demethyl-4beta-(2"-nitro-4"-fluoroanilino)-4-desoxypodophyllotoxin , a unique compound in the epipodophyllotoxin antitumor class

A new semi-synthetic podophyllotoxin derivative, 4'-O-demethyl-4beta-2"-nitro-4"-fluoroanilino)-4-desoxypo dophyllotoxin (compound 1), an analog of GL-331 (compound 2), is a potent and broad-spectrum inhibitor of cultured human cancer and drug-resistant cell growth. In general, 4'-demethylepipodophyllotoxin analogs, including 2, exert anti-tumor activity by targeting the nuclear enzyme DNA topoisomerase II, but 1 is not an enzyme inhibitor. Unlike the cytotoxic activity of compound 2, cell killing by 1 is dose-limiting and a significant fraction of cells (30-40%) survive treatment. As an approach to investigate mechanism of action, 1-resistant A549 (human lung cancer) sub-lines were selected and characterized. Results of the work show that 1-resistant cells: (i) are moderately cross-resistant (2- to 3-fold) to various cytotoxic drugs via a P-glycoprotein-independent mechanism, (ii) have an altered growth habit, (iii) are deficient in normal attachment on plastic and collagen substrata, and (iv) have an altered plasma membrane protein composition including several proteins in the 140->200 kDa molecular mass range and a doublet of phosphoserine-containing proteins of about 135 kDa. Since 1 treatment of cells affects neither cellular attachment or membrane-protein phosphorylation, the changes observed in 1-resistant cells are interpreted as a survival response to drug action.     

High-dose growth hormone (GH) treatment in prepubertal GH-deficient children

Two clinical studies were conducted to determine the effect of different doses of growth hormone (GH) on prepubertal growth in GH-deficient boys. In one study, GH doses of 1.0 and 1.5 IU/kg/week (0.33 and 0.5 mg/kg/week) were given to groups of five children and compared with a conventional Japanese dose of 0.5 IU/kg/week (0.17 mg/kg/week) in 15 children. A significant dose-dependent increase in height velocity occurred in the first year of treatment, but differences between doses were not significant thereafter. In a second study, GH was administered to ten boys at a dose of 0.5 IU/kg/week for the first year, 0.75 IU/kg/week for the second year, 1.0 IU/kg/week for the third year and 0.5 IU/kg/week for the fourth and subsequent years (0.17, 0.25, 0.33 and 0.17 mg/kg/week, respectively). During the second and third years of GH treatment, these boys had significantly higher growth rates than controls, who were given GH at 0.5 IU/kg/week (0.17 mg/kg/week) throughout, indicating successful reduction in 'waning' of the treatment effect. At the end of the fourth year, the different protocols from the two studies had both resulted in a greater height SDS than the controls, and did not advance bone maturation. In conclusion, these protocols may be effective in increasing prepubertal height gain in children with GH deficiency.     

Body mass index determines the success of lymph node dissection and predicts the outcome of gastric carcinoma patients

We tried to determine the role of the body mass index (BMI) on the extent of lymph node dissection in gastric cancer surgery. Seven hundred and eighty-seven patients with gastric carcinoma were reviewed. Ninety-two (11%) patients exceeded the upper limit of the optimum BMI. Significantly fewer lymph nodes were removed following D2 (p = 0.002) and >/=D3 (p = 0.023) dissections, and the lymph node ratio was significantly (p = 0.0383) higher in overweight patients. The recurrence-free survival was significantly (p = 0.0297) shorter in T2/T3 cases with high BMI, and BMI (relative risk 1.85) became an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. Higher BMI hampers regional lymph node dissection in gastric cancer patients and became an independent predictor of disease recurrences in T2/T3 gastric cancers.     

Preoperative bronchial arterial infusion of docetaxel for squamous cell carcinoma of the lung--clinical evaluation and correlation between anti-tumor effect and apoptosis

As an induction therapy for advanced lung cancer, a patient received bronchial arterial infusion of 30 mg/m2 of docetaxel (TXT). Two weeks after infusion, although the tumor size was not reduced, the central necrotic area was significantly increased. There were no adverse effects. Nineteen days after infusion, we performed a right lower lobectomy and lymph nodal dissection. The resected specimen was examined by immunohistochemistry and biochemistry. The anti-tumor effects were evaluated clinically and the correlation between arterial TXT infusion therapy and apoptosis was studied. Hematoxylin and eosin staining demonstrated moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma associated with central necrosis, and cells with chromatin condensation scattered in both the necrotic areas and the margin of this area. It is thought that these findings were the result of this therapy, rather than just the self-necrosis seen in an untreated group.     

酶联免疫吸附试验和免疫印渍试验对地方性粪类圆线虫感染诊断的预期评估

牙买加的粪类圆线虫感染的预期患病率较低(4％),用一种特殊的目标调查法进行本研究。在社区中追踪13名西印度大学医院的粪类圆线虫病门诊病人,由此确定了13个感     

ANTITUMOR ACTIVITIES AND TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR PRODUCIBILITY OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINES AND CRUDE DRUGS

The antitumor activities and tumor necrosis fac-tor(TNF)producibility of traditional Chinese herbalpreparations(Zhu-ling-tang,Xiao-chai-hu-tang,Wu-ling-san,Bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang and Shi-quan-da-bu-tang),crode drugs(Polyporos,Hoelen,Bupleuri Radix,An-gelica Radix,Cnidii Rhizoma,Cinnamomum Cortex,Pinelliae Tuber)and Krestin(PSK)were investigatedusing mice.These drugs were given to DDY micein the drinking water before and after transplanta-tion of Ehrlich tumors,and the development of theintradermally transplanted Ehrlich tumors and sur-vival rate were observed.A high survival rate andgood inhibition of transplanted Ehrlich tumors wereobserved in the groups administered Bupleuri Radix,Angelica Radix,Cinnamomum Cortex or Shi-quan-da.bu-tang,while the group given Hoelen showed poorinhibition.To examine the TNF producibility,thesedrugs were given to DDY mice orally as first stimu-lating agents to stimulate the reticuloendothelialsystem(RES),prior to lipopolysaccharide injection.The TNF activity was tested by the cytotoxicityagainst L cells.Significant differences in TNF pro-ducibility were observed among the drugs.Rela-tively high levels of TNF activity were noted in thegroups given Angelica Radix,Bupleuri Radix,Cinna-momum Cortex or Cnidii Rhizoma,very low activi-ties in the groups given Xiao-chai-hu-tang,Zhu-ling-tang,Wu-ling-san,Bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang,Shi-quan-da-bu-tang or Krestin and no TNF activities in thegroups given Polyporus,Hoelen or Pinelliae Tuber.The TNF producibility broadly paralleled the degreeof survival rate in the mice transplanted with Ehr-lich tumors.Based on our findings,it is consideredthat one mechanism underlying the antitumor acti-vities of these drugs is the stimulation of the RESand TNF is produced as the result of mitotic RESstimulation and activation.