The effect of sodium cromoglycate on the antigen-induced nasal reaction in allergic rhinitis as measured by rhinomanometry and symptomatology

The protective effect of sodium cromoglycate (DSCG) on the allergic reaction in the nose was compared with placebo in a double blind crossover study of sixteen patients diagnosed as allergic rhinitis. The drug effect was assessed by both a rhinomanometric method and by symptom scores in all patients. DSCG protected the nasal mucosa against antigen challenge and was significantly better than placebo. There was a correlation between the objective and subjective assessments.     

Supravital observation of in vitro basophils in immunological reactions

The migration velocity and morphology of basophils in vitro were examined after the addition of anti-immunoglobulin (anti-lgE or anti-IgG). In atopic asthma patients with high serum IgE levels (more than 1000 i.u./ml) basophils showed increased migration velocity and showed pear-shaped and palmate processes after the addition of anti-lgE, but on the addition of anti-IgG, these basophils did not show increased migration velocity or morphological changes. In intractable asthma patients with low serum IgE levels, these changes occurred with anti-IgG but not with anti-IgE. These in vitro findings suggest a basophil reactivity to anti-IgE and anti-IgG in individual patients and support our previous differentiation of asthma patients according to basophil reaction.     

Immunologic, Clinicopathologic and Prognostic Features of Lymphoma of the Gastrointestinal Tract

The lymphoma cells of 32 patients with histopathologically provenmalignant lymphomas with gastrointestinal (G-I) tract involvementwere examined for their surface marker characteristics. Twelvecases were diagnosed as primary lymphoma of the G-I tract and20 cases as secondary lymphoma of the G-I tract according toclinical and autopsy findings. Only one of the primary G-I tractlymphomas was identified as T-cell type, seven as B-cell typeand four as surface immunoglobulin (S-Ig)-negative non-T type(defective B-cell type). Ten of the 11 cases of non-T cell typewere histopathologically diagnosed as diffuse large lymphoidlymphoma, and one as diffuse medium-sized or poorly differentiatedlymphocytic lymphoma. This suggests that most primary G-I tractlymphoma would be large lymphoid lymphoma, even if it couldbe found at an early stage. The histopathological diagnosisof one case of T-cell type was controversial lymphocyte depletionof Hodgkin's disease or pleomorphic lymphoma is most probable. Three of the 20 secondary G-I tract lymphomas were identifiedas T-cell type, eight as B-cell type, five as defective B-celltype and four as S-Ig-undetermined non-T cell type. In contrastwith the primary G-I tract lymphomas, all histologic types wereincluded in the secondary G-I tract lymphomas. The period fromonset to G-I tract involvement ranged from four to 88 mo withan average of 32.6 mo. The tumor mass in the G-I tract in B-celllymphoma was usually large enough to be able to be detectedclinically, while a large proportion of the G-I tract lesionsin defective B-cell lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma were so smallthat they were detected only at autopsy. These results suggestthat B-cell lymphoma has a higher incidence of G-I tract involvementand a more pronounced capacity to proliferate in the G-I tractthan defective B-cell lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma. The prognosis for the patients with G-I tract lymphoma variedaccording to the stage at the time of the first examination.All three patients with stage I primary lymphoma of the G-Itract are surviving, while only three of nine patients withstage II or higher are still alive. In the case of secondaryG-I tract lymphoma, although the median survival time of stageI patients was fairly long (66 mo). more than 80% of the patientsdied of the disease. Half of the patients with stage I diseasedied within 6 mo and about 40% of the patients died within 1mo after G-I tract involvement. This indicates that secondaryG-I tract involvement of lynaphoma is a poorer risk factor forprognosis than is primary G-I tract lymphoma.     

A Case of Esophageal Carcinoma and Collision Tumor of the Stomach

A case of double primary cancer of the esophagus and stomachwith metastasis of the esophageal cancer to the stomach is reported.The entire stomach and the lower part of the esophagus weresurgically resected and intrathoracic esophagojejunostomy wasperformed. Macroscopically, two tumors were found to be present,both in the lower esophagus and the stomach. There were twoprimary cancers, one a squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagusand the other a collision tumor of the stomach which consistedof well-differentiated adenocarcinoma and signet ring cell carcinoma.Furthermore, this collision tumor was present together witha metastatic lesion from the esophageal carcinoma.     

A Case of Duodenal Crohn's Disease Associated with Ampullar Insufficiency and Cholangitis

Abstract: A 67-year-old Japanese woman with duodenal Crohn's disease developed cholangitis. Radiographic and endoscopic examinations revealed a marked stenosis of the third portion and a dilatation of the second portion of the duodenum. The endoscopic and histopathological observations showed this disease affected the Vater's papilla. Duodenoscopic manometry indicated a reduced pressure of the phasic sphincter of Oddi, indicating ampullar insufficiency. E. coli was found in the bile culture as the infecting organism. The authors suggest that the cholangitis in this patient was caused by the reflux of duodenal contents into the biliary tract.     

Activation of macrophages and expansion of specific T lymphocytes in the lungs of mice intratracheally inoculated with Cryptococcus neoformans

A quantitative and qualitative change in inflammatory cells in the lungs of mice after intratracheal inoculation of heat-killed Cryptococcus neoformans was examined by direct analysis of the pulmonary intraparenchymal leucocytes. Macrophages and T and B lymphocytes increased, peaked at day 7, and then gradually decreased to the basal level, Macrophages were activated 7 days after the inoculation, as indicated by the enhanced expression of MHC class II, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-I)and Fc receptor (FcR), which have been known as their activation markers. T cells were also activated, as indicated by the induction of IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) and the enhanced expression of leucocyte function-associated molecule-1 (LFA-1) and ICAM-1, a pair of adhesion molecules which have also been regarded as T cell activation markers. CD4⁺ T cells preferentially accumulated in lungs, and proliferated in vitro by stimulation with heat-killed whole yeast cells, suggesting that at least some of the infiltrated T cells expand locally in response to the organisms. These results demonstrate that the activation of macrophages and T cells reactive to C. neoformans is induced in lungs after intratracheal inoculation of heat-killed organisms, and suggest that these cells interact to eliminate organisms more efficiently from the host.     

A Case of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Accompanied by Myasthenia Gravis

Abstract: A 62-year-old female visited our unit complaining of persisting diarrhea. She underwent a thymectomy for myasthenia gravis (MG) and a thyroidectomy for malignancy at age 58, and she was treated medically for MG fbllowing surgery. She also received a partial ileo-colectomy because of an intramural suppurative abscess of the terminal ileum at age 60. In her laboratory data, the anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody and antinuclear antibody were positive, and IgG as well as IgA were a high titer. X-ray and endoscopic examinations revealed the presence of stiff and narrow lesions accompanied by longitudinal ulcers of the descending colon, and rough and granular mucosa of the rest of the colon and stomach. An elemental diet was not effective, but her condition was relieved by the oral administration of prednisolone. This case was considered a case of inflammatory bowel disease ac-companied by MG and systemic immunological disorders.