Preparation of a Conjugate of Mitomycin C and Anti-Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule Monoclonal Antibody for Specific Chemotherapy Against Biliary Tract Carcinoma

(Received for publication on May 14, 1997; accepted on Mar. 10, 1998)     

Overactive bladder and glaucoma: A survey at outpatient clinics in Japan

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of a history of glaucoma and the relative safety of prescribing anticholinergics to patients with overactive bladder (OAB). METHODS: Between 2003 and 2005, 267 female OAB patients (mean age, 65.8 years) and 100 male OAB patients (mean age, 73.0 years) were directly asked about their history of glaucoma. Those with a positive history were referred to ophthalmologists to differentiate types of glaucoma. RESULTS: For direct history taking, 31 (11.6%) of the female OAB patients and five (5.0%) of the male OAB patients admitted their history of glaucoma. Referrals to ophthalmologists revealed that 27 had open-angle glaucoma and nine had angle-closure glaucoma. Six of the patients with angle-closure glaucoma had already received laser iridotomy, and the remaining three (8.3% of patients with coexisting glaucoma) were diagnosed as true contraindications for anticholinergics. CONCLUSIONS: As both OAB and glaucoma increase with age, it is not surprising that approximately 10% of OAB patients have glaucoma. Although the majority have had either open-angle glaucoma or angle-closure glaucoma already treated, some of them may be true contraindications for anticholinergics due to uncontrolled angle-closure glaucoma. It seems necessary to treat OAB patients based on accurate information on the relationship between glaucoma and anticholinergics.     

Immunocytochemical Identification and Localization of the Mr 22,000 Calcium-binding Protein (Sorcin) in an Adriamycin-resistant Myelogenous Leukemia Cell Line

Monoclonal antibody against the Mr 22,000 calcium-binding protein (sorcin) from an adriamycin-resistant myelogenous leukemia cell line K562 (K562/ADM) was prepared and used as a probe to study the localization of sorcin in K562/ADM cells and the parental cell line, K562. Analysis of extracts from K562/ADM cells by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorescence image analysis showed that K562/ADM cells possessed abundant sorcin in the cytoplasm which was almost entirely absent from the drug-sensitive parental cell line, K562. Furthermore, immuno-electron microscopic studies revealed that sorcin was closely associated with free ribosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, microfilament bundles and perinuclear membranes. These observations provide the first clue that the Ca-binding protein, sorcin, may play an important role in the development of the multidrug resistance phenomenon, although the relationship between sorcin and P-glycoprotein is still unknown.     

The primary mucinous adenocarcinoma of renal pelvis: a case report

A case of primary mucinous adenocarcinoma of the renal pelvis is reported. A 55-year-old man visited our clinic with lumbar pain. He had a history of left renal stone and had left partial nephrectomy four years previously. Physical examination revealed a hard, child-head-sized, unmovable and uneven tumor in the left side of the abdomen. Intravenous pyelography revealed the non-functioning left kidney with calcification, in which hydronephrosis was detected by computed tomography. In transabdominal sonography a huge mass with mixed echo pattern was observed. Aspiration biopsy under interventional ultrasound was performed, aspirating yellow-white semi-transparent mucinous substance, which was highly suspicious of malignancy by cytology. He died 74 days after the first admission. Autopsy revealed primary mucinous adenocarcinoma of the renal pelvis. This was thought to be the 14th case of primary mucinous adenocarcinoma of the renal pelvis reported in the Japanese literature.     

Increase in regional cerebral blood flow of striatum induced by low dose levodopa in a patient with hemiparkinsonism]

A 54-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of left-sided rigidity. Neurological examination revealed cogwheel-type rigidity in the left upper and lower limbs without tremor. A brain MRI showed no abnormal findings. She was diagnosed as having left-sided hemiparkinsonism. A 99mTc-ECD SPECT detected a decrease in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the right corpus striatum. Administration of levodopa/DCI (100 mg/day) improved not only her left-sided rigidity but also the rCBF in the right corpus striatum. The ratio of rCBF in the right corpus striatum to that in the left corpus striatum increased from 96.03% to 99.26% on the three-dimensional stereotactic ROI template. These findings suggest that L-dopa may directly activate the metabolism in the bilateral corpus striatum, and that rCBF in the corpus striatum may be increased indirectly according to the increase of movement in the legs. And also it is suggested that denervation supersensitivity to dopamine may exist in the corpus striatum on the contralateral side of the signs and symptoms in this patient with hemiparkinsonism.     

Spur cell anemia associated with a cirrhotic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis patient

Spur cell anemia is an acquired hemolytic anemia, which may occur in patients with severe liver dysfunction, especially in those with alcoholic cirrhosis. Recently, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has been highlighted as one of the causes of chronic liver diseases, which could progress to cirrhosis. Histological features of NASH are indistinguishable from those of alcoholic hepatitis. We report on a cirrhotic NASH patient who developed progressive indirect dominant jaundice and intractable hemolytic anemia during his follow-up. This report shows the first case of a cirrhotic NASH patient who died as a result of spur cell anemia.     

Effects of dietary cholesterol on the fatty acid composition of glomerular phospholipids in the rat

Summary: Hypercholesterolaemia is considered to be an exacerbating factor in glomerular diseases. This study was designed to assess the effects of dietary cholesterol on the fatty acid composition of glomerular phospholipids and, in particular, on the level of arachidonic acid, since eicosanoids play an important role in the control of glomerular function. High dietary levels of cholesterol for a 3-week period induced a high level of cholesterol in liver microsomes and hypercholesterolaemia in rats. the level of arachidonic acid in liver microsomes and serum decreased by 32 and 39%, respectively, when compared to controls. the cholesterol content of glomeruli was unchanged by the high cholesterol diet. However, the level of arachidonic acid in glomerular total phospholipids was significantly reduced (by 93%) in cholesterol-fed rats. the decrease in arachidonic acid content was more marked (20%) in the phosphatidylcholine fraction of glomeruli. the level of linoleic acid increased in total phospholipids and phosphatidylcholine fraction of glomeruli by 15 and 12%, respectively. These results indicate that dietary cholesterol alters the fatty acid composition of glomerular phospholipids, which might contribute to the progression of glomerular diseases.     

Early Erythroblastic Leukemia Presenting as De Novo Acute Leukemia

Early erythroblastic leukemia is a newly defined type of leukemia in which the blasts have the same characteristics as erythroid precursors at the level of CFU-E. The blasts are characterized by the presence of carbonic anhydrase I, CD 36 antigen, platelet peroxidase (PPO)-like activity, and ferritin-containing granules. Early erythroblastic leukemia appears to have characteristic clinical features; in the original report of nine cases, only one patient had typical de novo acute leukemia.

We report here a case of early erythroblastic leukemia that presented! as de novo acute leukemia. The blasts from this patient had almost the same ultrastructural and phenotypical characteristics as those of the originally reported cases, even though our case was not examined for anti-carbonic anhydrase I antibodies.

As a single marker, PPOl activity can no longer be considered specific for the megakaryocyte-platelet lineage, even though the significance of transient expression of PPO-like activity in immature erythroblastic cells at the level of CFU-E still remains to be clarified.

When leukemic blasts show positivity for CD36 and negativity for megakaryocytic or monocytic markers, the diagnosis of early erythroblastic leukemia should be suspected and electron microscopical characteristics should be studied.