Malignant phyllodes tumour with a noninvasive ductal carcinoma component

 A malignant phyllodes tumour with a noninvasive ductal carcinoma component is reported. The patient was an 80-year-old Japanese woman with a breast tumour detected by routine physical examination. A simple mastectomy was performed. The excised tumour was 10.5×9.4×5.4 cm in size and bulged into the skin with ulceration. The macroscopic appearance was that of a phyllodes tumour. Histologically the tumour consisted mainly of stromal components with a leaf-like structure lined by atypical ductal epithelium. The epithelial component showed gradual evolution to intraductal papillary carcinoma in a few areas. The stromal component was composed mainly of fibrosarcoma with areas of osteosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. Neither stromal invasion of intraductal carcinoma nor transition between the stromal and epithelial elements was seen. Three months after the operation, death occurred, with multiple pulmonary and subcutaneous metastases. This case probably represents malignant change in both the stromal and the epithelial components of a phyllodes tumour. Since the two elements were independent, the possibility that a phyllodes tumour may be one of the origins of true carcinosarcoma is raised. Received: 11 March 1997 / Accepted: 5 May 1997     

Voxel-based morphometry of human brain with age and cerebrovascular risk factors

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the correlations of the volumes of the gray matter and white matter with age, and the correlations of the tissue probabilities of the gray matter and white matter with age and several cerebrovascular risk factors. We obtained magnetic resonance (MR) images of the brain and clinical information from 769 normal Japanese subjects. We processed the MR images automatically by correcting for inter-individual differences in brain size and shape, and by segmenting the MR images into the gray matter and white matter. Volumetry of the brain revealed a significant negative correlation between the gray matter volume and age, which was not observed between white matter volume and age. Voxel-based morphometry showed that age, systolic blood pressure, and alcohol drinking correlated with the regional tissue probabilities of the gray matter and white matter.     

Echocardiographically documented mitral-valve prolapse. Long-term follow-up of 237 patients

We determined the long-term prognosis for patients with mitral-valve prolapse documented by echocardiography by following 237 minimally symptomatic or asymptomatic patients for a mean of 6.2 years (range, 1 to 10.4). The actuarial eight-year probability of survival was 88 per cent, which is not significantly different from that for a matched control population. An initial left ventricular diastolic dimension exceeding 60 mm was the best echocardiographic predictor of the subsequent need for mitral-valve replacement (17 patients). Of the 97 patients with redundant mitral-valve leaflets identified echocardiographically, 10 (10.3 per cent) had sudden death, infective endocarditis, or a cerebral embolic event; in contrast, of the 140 patients with nonredundant valves, only 1 (0.7 per cent) had such complications (P less than 0.001). Most patients with echocardiographic evidence of mitral-valve prolapse have a benign course, but subsets at high risk for the development of progressive mitral regurgitation, sudden death, cerebral embolic events, or infective endocarditis can be identified by echocardiography.     

Association between HLA and Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were observed to have a statistical association with HLA-DR4, MT3. Strong association between the clinical severity of RA and HLA was also observed. Male patients had a stronger association with HLA than female patients. Males are more resistant to RA than females. This suggested that the threshold of liability for RA is higher in males than in females. Japanese patients with RA with systemic vasculitis were negative for HLA-Bw44 and had antilymphocytotoxic autoantibody, indicating that RA with systemic vasculitis is different in etiology from RA without systemic vasculitis.     

Novel centrifugal method for simple and highly efficient adenovirus-mediated green fluorescence protein gene transduction into human monocyte-derived dendritic cells

Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen-presenting cells in the immune system. Gene transduction of DC with tumor-associated antigen (TAA) or other genes that enhance the immune reaction has been considered theoretically useful for DC-based immunotherapy. However, gene transduction of DC generated from human peripheral blood monocytes has been difficult due to its low efficiency, even when adenoviral vector was used at high multiplicity of infection (MOI). In the present study, we examined the effect of centrifugal force to enhance efficiency of adenovirus-mediated gene transduction into human monocyte-derived DC at various rotor speeds at various temperatures for various times. We judged the transduction efficiency using enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP)-expressing adenoviral vector, and the best condition for centrifugal transduction was determined as 2000 x g at 37 degrees C for 2 h at an MOI of 10 or greater. At an MOI of 50 without centrifugation, the gene transduction efficiency was about 66% and mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of EGFP expression was about 150 (at 37 degrees C for 2 h). With centrifugal transduction (2000 x g at an MOI of 50 at 37 degrees C for 2 h), 86% or more DC were gene-modified, and especially, MFI of EGFP expression was highly enhanced (MFI: about 3100 or greater). Centrifugally gene-transduced DC were not damaged and were thoroughly functional as measured by mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). The centrifugal method was also applicable to human monocytes and K562 cells. The centrifugal transduction method with adenoviral vector might be helpful for the generation of gene-modified DC.     

Importance of luxury flow for critically ill patients receiving a left ventricular assist system

The presence of a significant organ dysfunction does not immediately exclude patients from consideration for treatment with a left ventricular assist system (LVAS). However, in treating morbid circulatory shock patients with multiple organ failure, it is important to know the preoperative and postoperative factor or factors related to the recovery of the damaged organ function. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed patients receiving a LVAS at our institution and tried to determine the important factors related to the survival of patients with multisystem failure. Twenty-seven patients who underwent LVAS placement at Saitama Medical School Hospital between 1993 and 2003 were included in this study. The preoperative risk factors analyzed were renal dysfunction, respiratory dysfunction, hepatic dysfunction, the existence of active infection, and the combination of all four factors. As a postoperative factor, the pump flow index (mean LVAS pump flow during the first 2 weeks after LVAS surgery divided by the body surface area) was analyzed. None of the analyzed preoperative factors could predict survival after LVAS surgery, but a pump flow index of less than 2.5 l/min/m² had a significant relationship with death after LVAS surgery. Further analysis revealed that all the patients with a pump flow index of 3.0 l/min/m² or more could overcome preoperative organ dysfunction. Congestive heart failure patients with multisystem failure need luxury pump flow for successful LVAS surgery; this factor could be especially important in device selection and postoperative management.     

The role of γδ T cells in priming macrophages to produce tumor necrosis factor-α

The secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α from macrophages is regulated by both priming and triggering signals. We found that macrophages from mice lacking γδ T cells [T cell receptor (TCR) δ^?/- mice], which lack the gene encoding the δ chain, produced only small amounts of TNF-α in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and showed a reduced level of expression of CD14. Pre-incubation of macrophages from TCR δ-/- mice with γδ T cells from their TCR δ^+/- littermates restored their capacity to produce TNF-α in response to LPS. The priming activity of γδ T cells was in part inhibited by neutralizing anti-interferon (IFN)-γ monoclonal antibodies. Collectively, these results suggest that γδ T cells play a role in priming macrophages to a steady state of activation via IFN-γ secretion, which allows them to produce TNF-α when exposed to LPS.     

A case of prostatic malignant lymphoma

A 65-year-old man was admitted for dysuria. He had been irradiated 60Co for malignant lymphoma of tonsils 2 years earlier. The findings of palpation of prostate, retrograde urethrogram and urethroscopy strongly suggested benign prostatic hypertrophy. Retropubic prostatectomy was performed and 18 g of "adenoma" was resected. By histological observation, the "adenoma" proved to be malignant lymphoma. This tumor belonged to follicular lymphoma, medium-sized cell type of LSG non-Hodgkin's lymphoma classification. After the operation, he left our hospital for a personal reason and received systemic chemotherapy at another hospital.