Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) in rats: abrogation of resistance to the induction and augmentation of the inflammation by pertussis toxin

The effect of pertussis toxin (PT) on experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) induced by immunization with S-antigen was examined in rats. Intravenous administration of PT (2 micrograms/rat) initiated the development of EAU in rats that had been made resistant to the induction of EAU by immunization with S-antigen and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). The capacity of PT to promote EAU was also demonstrated by a marked augmentation of the inflammation in EAU eyes of rats susceptible to the induction of EAU. PT was most effective when it was given from the day before to the day after immunization with S-antigen. However the induction of EAU was promoted by the injection of PT even 7 days before and 14 days after immunization. The clinical and histopathological findings of the EAU produced by the additional PT treatment were described and the mechanisms by which PT augmented the induction of EAU were discussed.     

A Randomized Trial Comparing Imipenem/Cilastatine Alone with Latamoxef Plus Tobramycin in Febrile Neutropenic Patients with Lung Cancer

We conducted a randomized trial to compare the efficacy of imipenem/cilastatine(IPM/CS) monotherapy with thatof a combination of latamoxef(LMOX) and tobramycin (TOB) in the initial management of feverand neutropenia in patients with lung cancer. Leukocytopenicfebrile patients(<3,000 leukocytes perµl; temperature>38°C) with lung cancer given induction therapy wererandomly assigned to receive intravenous treatment with either1g IPM/CS twice daily or 2g LMOX plus 90 mg TOB twice daily.A total 101 febrile episodes were studied. Fifty-one episodeswere treated with IPM/CS and 50 with LMOX+TOB. Fifty-nine ofthe febrile episodes were bacteriologically confirmed, whilean organism could not be isolated despite the presence of obviousclinical infection in the remaining 42. The response rate was82% with IPM/CS and 80percent; with combination therapy. Thisdifference was not statistically significant. The response rateregarding gram-negative infections was 10 out of 14 (71%) inthe IPM/CS group and seven out of 12(58%) in the LMOX+TOB group.This differnce was also not significant (P=0.484). The responserate in severely neutropenic patients (neutrophils <100/µl)was low (P=0.078). Three patients in the IPM/CS group were withdrawnfrom the study due to skin rash and vomiting. Therapy with IPM/CSmonotherapy was as effective as a combination regimen     

Effects of heat stimulation via microwave applicator on cartilage matrix gene and HSP70 expression in the rabbit knee joint

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of heat stimulation on the expression of extracellular matrix genes and heat‐shock protein 70 (HSP70) in rabbit articular cartilage in vivo. Heat stimulation was applied to the knee joints of Japanese white rabbits for 20 min using a microwave (MW) applicator (2.45‐GHz, 0–80 W). After 8–72 h, the articular cartilage was removed from the knee joints and proteins and total RNA were extracted. As controls, knee joints without heat stimulation were analyzed. The expression of HSP70 was confirmed by real‐time PCR and Western blotting. The expression of proteoglycan core protein (PG) and type II collagen (Col II) was quantified using real‐time PCR to assess cartilage matrix metabolism. Compared to controls, HSP70 expression was higher with more than 40 W of heat stimulation. The expression of PG and Col II mRNA was higher, with more than 20 W of heat stimulation and peaked with 40 W. When quercetin was used to inhibit the induction of HSP70 expression, PG mRNA expression did not increase. External MW application stimulated HSP70 expression in the articular cartilage in vivo. The expression of extracellular matrix genes was increased by appropriate heat stimulation. © 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 26:34–41, 2008     

Surveillance following orchiectomy for stage I testicular seminoma: Long-term outcome

Objectives:   To report the long-term outcome of surveillance for stage I seminoma at a single institution in Japan.
Methods:   A retrospective review of medical records of 64 patients who underwent orchiectomy between January 1982 and December 2005 was carried out. All of them were managed by surveillance for stage I seminoma.
Results:   Median follow-up time was 123.8 months. Of the 64 patients, seven developed relapse. Four relapses occurred within the first year after orchiectomy, but three occurred over 4 years after orchiectomy. The actuarial relapse-free rates at 5, 10, and 15 years were 92.1%, 90.0%, and 86.0%, respectively. All patients received salvage chemotherapy at relapse. Four of these seven patients were alive without evidence of disease. One patient died of seminoma and one was alive with this disease. The remaining one patient died of leukemia without secondary relapse of seminoma. T classification was a statistically significant ( P  = 0.028) risk factor for relapse on univariate analysis. In T1 patients, relapse-free rates at 5, 10, and 15 years were all 97.1%, whereas in T2/T3 patients the corresponding relapse-free rates were 86.4%, 82.1%, and 71.8%, respectively.
Conclusions:   The relapse-free rate in the present study was similar to previous reports. Late relapse should be considered during surveillance.