Early seizures after acute ischemic stroke]

In order to determine predictive factors of early seizures (ES) after acute stroke and to estimate prognosis, we retrospectively examined clinical data of 1,743 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke. The subjects were divided into two groups; an ES group (19 patients) and a non-ES group (1,724 patients). Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the NIH-Stroke Scale score on admission (/10, OR, 1.1: 95% CI 1.04 to 1.13) and positive past history of cerebrovascular disease or brain injury (OR, 3.85: 95% CI 1.49 to 9.95) are significant factors to predict ES. There was no significant difference in the outcome between the two groups. A recurrence of seizures, after follow up for 4 to 40 months, was observed only in one patient with a history of ES.     

二氧化硅对大鼠血浆中微量元素含量的影响

给大鼠经气管分别注入４、１６、６４ｍｇ石英粉尘生理盐水混悬液。在染尘后第７，１５和３０天解剖动物，测定血浆中Ｃｕ、Ｚｎ，Ｍｎ、Ｍｏ、Ｓｉ、Ｒｂ和Ｓｒ等７种微量元素的含量。实验结果表明，随着染尘剂量的增加，血浆中铜的含量明显增高，呈正相关，相关系数为０．９９９。而血浆锌的含量随着染尘剂量的增加而明显的降低，呈负相关，相关系数为－０．９９８。血浆中Ｍｏ、Ｍｎ、Ｓｉ、Ｒｂ和Ｓｒ含量与对照组比无明显差异。     

Neurotized nevi of the oral mucosa: an immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analysis of nevic corpuscles

BACKGROUND: Nevic corpuscle (NC), a stacked lamellar structure reminiscent of Meissner corpuscle, is frequently observed in dermal melanocytic nevi. Although the heading 'neurotized' is classically used for these nevi, the exact neural nature of NC has been a topic of considerable debate. Neurotized nevi have received little attention in the dental literature, and there was no information on NC in oral melanocytic nevi. METHODS: Six cases of oral intramucosal nevi with a significant number of NC (two completely and four partially neurotized nevi) were examined immunohistochemically and ultrastructurally. RESULTS: NC was composed of closely piled laminar cells devoid of visible melanin. NC and associated spindle nevus cells were immunopositive for S-100 protein but negative for HMB-45, myelin basic protein and epithelial membrane antigen. Within NC, no reactivity for neurofilament protein, protein gene product 9.5 or peripherin was evident. Numerous CD34-positive dendritic cells were located between nevus cells and often encircled NC. Ultrastructurally, NC consisted of concentrically layered elongated cells with a slender lamellated cytoplasm rich in thin filaments and pinocytotic vesicles. Their cytoplasmic processes were focally covered by external basal lamina and continuous to spindle nevus cells. Occasional NC cells contained a few melanosomes. There was no interposed axon in NC. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the close resemblance to Meissner corpuscle, NC showed no axonal supply. NC cells lacked terminal Schwannian differentiation and appeared to be modified melanocytes with some perineurial ultrastructural characteristics. The presence of CD34-positive cells, presumably corresponding to endoneurial fibroblasts, further supports an organizational relationship of NC and peripheral nerve sheath elements.     

Clinical investigation of carbohydrate antigen CA-50

The CA-50 enzyme immunoassay kit (EIA kit) that has been developed with the use of C-50 monoclonal antibody prepared by L. Lindholm et al. was evaluated for diagnosis of human cancer. The levels of CA-50 in the sera were determined using this kit supplied from Mitsui Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Co. in 759 healthy donors, 728 patients with benign disease and 1,263 untreated patients with cancer. A CA-50 concentration of 40 U/ml of serum was used as the cut-off value. Patients with pancreatic cancer and patients with bile duct cancer had high positive incidence of 75% and 68%, respectively, compared with a low positive incidence of under 40% in patients with other cancers. On the other hand, positive rates in patients with benign disease were as low as 13%. Comparison of the serum levels of CA-50 with CA19-9 in the same samples did not exhibit complete positive correlation in patients with pancreatic cancer, patients with bile duct cancer and patients with liver cancer. These findings indicated that C-50 antibody reacted with two epitopes of CA19-9 and sialosyllactotetraose. From the above results, the usefulness of CA-50 as a tumor marker for pancreatic cancer and bile duct cancer was recognized with this EIA kit.     

Fluctuations in Tumor Blood Flow under Normotension and the Effect of Angiotensin II-induced Hypertension

To elucidate the significance of angiotensin II (AID-induced hypertension chemotherapy, changes of tissue blood flow both in normal subcutis and in tumors (AH109A, LY80) were measured with the hydrogen gas clearance method. A newly-developed anesthetic machine was used to keep the animals' condition constant. Tissue blood flow in normal subcutis and tumors always fluctuated with time under normotension. The nature and the rate of fluctuation in tumor Wood flow were almost identical in two different types of tumors. However, the fluctuation of blood flow in tumor and that in normal subcutis were almost always inversely related when blood flows in these different tissues were measured simultaneously, i.e., when tissue blood flow in normal subcutis decreased, tumor blood flow increased, and vice versa. The findings supported the idea that the connection mode between the tumor vascular bed and normal vascular bed is a parallel circuit. Vascular resistance in the normal vascular bed under All-induced hypertension seemed to be greater than that under normotension, because the All-increased tumor blood flow always exceeded the maximum tumor blood flow under normotension. Due to the fluctuations of tumor blood flow, no-flow or low-flow areas, resistant to delivery of anti-cancer drugs, moved sporadically within the tumor under the normotensive condition. However, good conditions for drug delivery to tumor tissue were induced by All-induced hypertension.     

Antitumor activity of orally administered streptococcal preparation, OK-432 on murine solid tumors and its absorption from the gut

OK-432 is an immunopotentiator which is normally administered by injection. In the present study, the antitumor activity of orally administered OK-432 on various solid tumors and the absorption of OK-432 from the gut were studied. Orally administered OK-432 inhibited the growth of Meth-A and BAMC-1 fibrosarcomas which had been subcutaneously transplanted in BALB/c mice. Autoradiograms of mice which had been administered 14C-labelled OK-432 orally demonstrated the absorption of OK-432 from the gut, and about 6% of orally administered OK-432 was absorbed 24 hrs after its administration. Moreover, an immunofluorescent study using an anti-OK-432 antibody revealed specific fluorescence in the mesenteric lymph node of mice which had been orally administered with OK-432. These results suggest that oral administration of OK-432 may be a beneficial immunotherapy.     

Pharmacokinetic study of lenampicillin (KBT-1585) in healthy volunteers.

The pharmacokinetic properties of lenampicillin (KBT-1585), a new ampicillin ester, were investigated in 41 healthy volunteers. The maximum concentration of ampicillin in serum after oral administration of 400 mg of lenampicillin was 6.5 micrograms/ml at 0.70 h, and that after a equimolar dosage of ampicillin was 2.9 micrograms/ml at 0.87 h.     

Presenting symptoms and natural history of Wilson disease

The presenting symptoms of Wilson disease and its natural history as related to age are described based on 283 cases collected in Japan. The disease presented with a variety of signs and symptoms; the most frequent were in order of frequency jaundice, dysarthria, clumsiness, tremor, drooling, gait disturbance, malaise and arthralgia. The mean age at onset of the disease was 12.0 years. Hepatic and osteoarthral symptoms developed early and neurological symptoms late. Fifty-eight cases develolped neurological symptoms only, 28 cases had hepatic symptoms only, and in 26 cases hepatic mortality rate was observed in hepatic, hepato-haematological and hepato-renal cases mainly due to acute hepatic failure resulting in death only a few weeks after onset. Cases having only neurological symptoms showed a more favourable prognosis with a longer survival.