Nephrotic syndrome as a result of membranous nephropathy caused by renal cell carcinoma

A 77‐year‐old woman was admitted for a renal biopsy to evaluate a case of nephrotic syndrome. In the course of the examination, a right renal tumor was incidentally found. We performed a right radical nephrectomy in advance of the renal biopsy. Histologically, the tumor was diagnosed as a renal cell carcinoma (clear cell carcinoma) and the non‐neoplastic renal cell tissue showed membranous nephropathy (MN). After surgery, the nephrotic syndrome remitted without any further medical treatment and the MN was considered to be a malignancy associated syndrome. There have been few case reports in the literature regarding this association and we wish to describe another case.     

Convulsions associated with epidural analgesia during sevoflurane anaesthesia

A three-year-old girl who underwent an operation for adrenal neuroblastoma was anaesthetized with sevoflurane and epidural analgesia. In the immediate recovery period she had convulsions. The convulsions were successfully treated with thiopentone and sevoflurane, there were no neurological sequelae. The convulsions were considered to be a manifestation of mepivacaine toxicity because of a high plasma mepivacaine concentration. Complications of paediatric regional analgesia and manifestations of mepivacaine toxicity under sevoflurane anaesthesia are discussed.     

Further studies on the resolution of human mercapt- and nonmercaptalbumin and on human serum albumin in the elderly by high-performance liquid chromatography

High-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of human serum albumin (HSA) on Asahipak GS-520 showed at least two peaks, the principal component corresponding to human mercaptalbumin (HMA) and the secondary one to nonmercaptalbumin (HNA). HPLC analysis of HSA on Asahipak ES-520 N showed three peaks, the principal component corresponding to HMA, the secondary one to HNA having mixed disulfide with cysteine or glutathione and the tertiary one to HNA oxidized higher than mixed disulfide. Two kinds of rapid HPLC for the resolution of HSA into HMA and HNA were developed by the present authors. Using these HPLC, the present authors found a significant decrease in the fraction of HMA in the elderly.     

Effect of diisopropyl 1,3-dithiol-2-ylidinemalonate on rat liver and AFP-positive cells in 3'-Me-DAB hepatocarcinogenesis

The simultaneous administration of diisopropyl, 1,3-dithiol-2-ylidinemalonate (malotilate) suppressed the proliferation of AFP-positive oval cells, the formation of hyperplastic nodules and the appearance of clusters of AFP-positive cells in rat liver with hyperplastic nodules in 3′-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene (3′-Me-DAB) hepatocarcinogenesis. The development of hepatocarcinoma, induced by 3′-Me-DAB, was delayed in rats treated with malotilate; therefore, the simultaneous administration of malotilate worked as an inhibitory effect on 3′-Me-DAB hepatocarcinogenesis.     

Water structure in modified bovine plasma albumin (BPA*) gel and bovine mercaptalbumin solution† 1 H-n.m.r. studies

Bovine plasma albumin Fr. V (BPA) has been known to contain small amounts of proteolytic enzyme. Wilson & Foster (1971) found a very limited and specific cleavage of BPA catalyzed by the enzyme with BPA in the F-form near pH 3.8, resulting in the formation of partially hydrolyzed BPA (BPA*). BPA* had a tendency to form a transparent gel at pD 4.0 (pD range of the F-form) above 8%, though proteolytic enzyme-free bovine mercaptalbumin (BMA) was in a transparent solution at pD 4.0 even at 12%. Water structures of the F-form of BMA in the solution state and of BPA* in the gel state were studied by measuring ¹ H-n.m.r. spectra, spin-lattice relaxation time (T₁) and cross relaxation time (T_IS) between irradiated and observed protons. Protein concentration-dependent changes of T₁ of water protons indicated that the amount of hydrated water of BPA* in the gel state is far greater than that of the F-form of BMA in the solution state. T_IS values from protein protons to water protons also indicated a large amount of hydration of BPA*, strong interaction between water and BPA* and rapid exchange between bound and bulk water in the gel state.     

A Study of Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors in Human Breast Cancer by Sucrose Gradient Centrifugation

Estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PgR) weremeasured by sucrose gradient centrifugation in a series of 109breast cancers, 22 benign mammary tumors and 10 normal mammarytissues. About 45% of the breast cancers were ER + and about 20% werePgR +. In the 39 cases examined for both ER and PgR, all 8 PgR+ cases were also ER +, and there was a close relationship betweenER and PgR status. There was no marked difference between premenopausaland postmenopausal patients in the positive rates or in thelevels (the number of binding sites) of ER and PgR. The relationshipbetween ER or PgR status and clinical response to endocrinetherapy was examined in 21 cases. Close relationships betweenthem were observed and the presence of PgR increased the predictiveindex of ER.     

Circular dichroic and 1 H-NMR studies on the aged form of bovine plasma albumin

Bovine plasma albumin (BPA) has 17 disulfide bonds and approximately one SH group at Cys-34 which catalyzes the intramolecular SH, S-S exchange reaction in the alkaline region at low ionic strength, resulting in the formation of the aged form (A-form). 1) Fractions of α-helix (f_α) and β-form (f_β) of iodoacetamide-blocked non-aged BPA (IA-BPA) at pH 6.5 (the N-form) and 9.0 (the B-form) in the absence of added salt were 0.70, 0.12 and 0.62, 0.18, respectively (Era et al. (1990)). However, there were no changes in f_α and f_β of the iodoacetamide-blocked A-form (IA-A-form) over the pH range from 5.5 to 9.1 in the absence of added salt or in 0.10 m KCl(f_α～ 0.60, f_β～ 0.20), indicating that the secondary structure of the IA-A-form might be similar to that of non-aged IA-BPA at pH 9.0 (B-form) in the absence of added salt, that is, the frozen B-form, stabilized covalently by the repairing of disulfide bonds. 2) The rigidity of the A- and IA-A-forms, as monitored by cross-relaxation times between irradiated and observed protein protons, was similar to or slightly higher than that of non-aged IA-BPA or BMA. However, spin-echo ¹H-NMR spectra indicated that side chains of the IA-A-form, such as ?-CH₂ of Lys, -CH₃, in the absence of added salt are more mobile than those of non-aged IA-BPA. 3) The ratio of the hydrodynamic volume of the A-form to that of non-aged BPA at pH5.5 was approximately 1.1.     

Resolution of human mercapt- and nonmercaptalbumin by high-performance liquid chromatography

Gel-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of human serum albumin (HSA) on PGP 2000 column (0.10 M sodium phosphate buffer, 0.30 M NaCl, pH 6.86) showed at least two peaks, the principal component corresponding to human mercaptalbumin (HMA) and the second one to human nonmercaptalbumin (HNA). Mechanism for the separation of HMA and HNA might be due to weak resin-HSA interaction. HPLC analysis of bovine plasma albumin (BPA) showed a single peak on PGP 2000 column. The elution volume of HSA was larger than that of BPA, resulting in a clear resolution of HSA and BPA.     

Neonatal Plesiomonas shigelloides septicemia and meningitis: A case and review

A 3 day old neonate with septicemia and meningitis due to Plesiomonas shigelloides is described. We could not detect the source of this infection. The patient was treated with cefotaxime and survived without sequelae. Nine previously reported cases with this infection were reviewed.