Clinicopathological study on the relationship between serum-CEA and tissue-CEA of resected lung cancer cases

The clinicopathological correlation between serum-CEA (s-CEA) and immunohistological tissue-CEA (t-CEA) was studies on 63 cases of operated lung cancers. T-CEA was examined by peroxidase anti-peroxidase (PAP) method. T-CEAs were detected in 36/39 cases (92.3%) of adenocarcinoma, 16/16 cases (100%) of epidermoid carcinoma, 2/5 cases (40%) of large cell carcinoma, and 1/3 case (33.3%) of small cell carcinoma. T-CEAs in adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma with mucin exhibited moderate to strong reactivity with diffuse distribution, and also s-CEA of these cases indicated high levels. On the contrary, in epidermoid carcinoma t-CEAs showed a weak reactivity with focal distribution, and s-CEAs also demonstrated low levels. In adenocarcinoma it was suggested that the more cancers were differentiated, the more t-CEA and s-CEA were increased, and about two third of cases showed a balance between t-CEA and mucin content in cancer tissue. S-CEAs were not correlated with the size of the primary lesion or the extent of lymph node metastasis, but with the histological types, i.e. high levels of s-CEA in adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma with mucin.     

MARKED EPITHELIAL HYPERPLASIA OF THE RAT GLANDULAR STOMACH INDUCED BY LONG-TERM ADMINISTRATION OF IODOACETAMIDE

Iodoacetamide (IAA), an ulcerogenic compound, was continuously given to male Wistar rats for up to 74 weeks. No carcinomas developed but marked glandular hyperplasias were frequently observed accompanied by chronic ulcer or erosion in the fundic region. They showed pseudo-invasive growth into the submucosa, the granulomatous tissue and even into the muscle layer, but no cellular and nuclear atypia was observed in their glands. Characteristically the mucosal damage caused by chronic IAA treatment was restricted to the fundic mucosa along the limiting ridge. Abnormally regenerated mucosa in the damaged area showed pyloric gland type metaplasia, demonstrated histo-chemically by paradoxical concanavalin A-staining and high-iron diamine-Alcian blue staining for mucin. No intestinal metaplasia was observed in these mucosa.     

Porphyromonas gingivalis Fimbriae Use β2 Integrin (CD11/CD18) on Mouse Peritoneal Macrophages as a Cellular Receptor, and the CD18 β Chain Plays a Functional Role in Fimbrial Signaling

In this study, we demonstrate that Porphyromonas gingivalis fimbriae use molecules of β₂ integrin (CD11/CD18) on mouse peritoneal macrophages as cellular receptors and also show that the β chain (CD18) may play a functional role in signalling for the fimbria-induced expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) genes in the cells. Using a binding assay with ¹²⁵I-labeled fimbriae, we observed that fimbrial binding to the macrophages was inhibited by treatment with CD11a, CD11b, CD11c, or CD18 antibody but not by that with CD29 antibody. Western blot assays showed that the fimbriae bound to molecules of β₂ integrin (CD11/CD18) on the macrophages. Furthermore, Northern blot analyses showed that the fimbria-induced expression of IL-1β and TNF-α genes in the cells was inhibited strongly by CD18 antibody treatment and slightly by CD11a, CD11b, or CD11c antibody treatment. Interestingly, intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), a ligand of CD11/CD18, inhibited fimbrial binding to the cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, ICAM-1 clearly inhibited the fimbria-induced expression of IL-1β and TNF-α genes in the cells. However, such inhibitory action was not observed with laminin treatment. These results suggest the importance of β₂ integrin (CD11/CD18) as a cellular receptor of P. gingivalis fimbriae in the initiation stage of the pathogenic mechanism of the organism in periodontal disease.     

VDE-initiated intein homing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae proceeds in a meiotic recombination-like manner

BACKGROUND: Inteins and group I introns found in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms occasionally behave as mobile genetic elements. During meiosis of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the site-specific endonuclease encoded by VMA1 intein, VDE, triggers a single double-strand break (DSB) at an inteinless allele, leading to VMA1 intein homing. Besides the accumulating information on the in vitro activity of VDE, very little has been known about the molecular mechanism of intein homing in yeast nucleus. RESULTS: We developed an assay to detect the product of VMA1 intein homing in yeast genome. We analysed mutant phenotypes of RecA homologs, Rad51p and Dmc1p, and their interacting proteins, Rad54p and Tid1p, and found that they all play critical roles in intein inheritance. The absence of DSB end processing proteins, Sae2p and those in the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 complex, also causes partial reduction in homing efficiency. As with meiotic recombination, crossover events are frequently observed during intein homing. We also observed that the absence of premeiotic DNA replication caused by hydroxyurea (HU) or clb5delta clb6delta mutation reduces VDE-mediated DSBs. CONCLUSION: The repairing system working in intein homing shares molecular machinery with meiotic recombination induced by Spo11p. Moreover, like Spo11p-induced DNA cleavage, premeiotic DNA replication is a prerequisite for a VDE-induced DSB. VMA1 intein thus utilizes several host factors involved in meiotic and recombinational processes to spread its genetic information and guarantee its progeny through establishment of a parasitic relationship with the organism.     

Correction to: Efficient photodynamic therapy against drug-resistant prostate cancer using replication-deficient virus particles and talaporfin sodium

Lasers in Medical Science - After publication of this paper, the authors determined an error in Fig. 1.     

Knee Flexion Angle Following Total Knee Arthroplasty Relates to a Preoperative Range of Motion of the Hip

BackgroundMany factors have been reported to affect postoperative range of knee flexion after total knee arthroplasty (TKA); however, no study has reported the impact of preoperative range of motion of the hip to the postoperative flexion angle of the knee thus far.MethodsOf 38 consecutive patients who underwent posterior-stabilized TKA, we assessed 21 patients after excluding 17 patients who met exclusion criteria. The range of motion of the knee and the hip, age, body-mass index, serum albumin level, HbA1c, Kellgren–Lawrence grade, knee extension strength and radiological femorotibial angle as well as postoperative knee flexion angle at three months were evaluated. The preoperative data and the knee flexion angle at three months after TKA were compared using Spearman''s rank correlation coefficient.ResultsKnee flexion angle at three months after TKA was positively correlated with preoperative flexion (ρ = 0.616, p = 0.007) and external rotation angle (ρ = 0.576, p = 0.012) of the hip as well as preoperative knee flexion angle (ρ = 0.797, p = 0.001). There were no correlations between postoperative knee flexion angle and other preoperative data.ConclusionsPatients with restricted flexion and/or external rotation of the hip may have contractures of Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius and Tensor fasciae latae, which can cause hypertension of iliotibial tract. It may cause decreased internal rotation of the tibia when the knee is flexed, which affects postoperative knee flexion angle, thus limited flexion and/or external rotation of the hip might restrict knee flexion angle following TKA.     

Long-term Natural Course of the Osteochondral Lesion of the Talus in a Child: A Case Report

Recent reports have described midterm natural courses of osteochondral lesion of the talus (OLT) and lack of progression of ankle osteoarthritis (OA) in adult patients. The relationship between the OLT managed with nonoperative treatment and development of OA in children remains unknown. We report the long-term course of medial OLT in a 12-year-old female who was treated nonoperatively for 10 years. Radiographically, no osteoarthritic changes were observed at the first examination. She initially returned to her basketball club after nonoperative treatment. Although daily activities were not restricted, limitation of recreational activities began to appear at 4 years of follow-up. Subsequently, plain radiographs revealed bone absorption around the osteochondral fragment and osteophyte formation at the medial gutter, then ankle OA was advanced at the final follow-up.