Immunohistological Studies of CEA, AFP and CPALP in Gastric Cancer

In studying 150 cases of gastric cancer, 93 (62%) were found to be CEA-positive. Among them, 5 cases had concurrent elevation of serum AFP over 200 ng/ml and appearance of serum CPALP. Further, there were another 2 cases simultaneously positive in serum CPALP. All these 7 cases were of pathologically well-differentiated adenocarcinoma with liver metastases.
Immunohistologically, CEA was observed on the surface of cancer cells as well as in glandular lumens of cancer tissues, forming a centroglandular pattern, while CPALP was detected in cytoplasm of cancer cells generally but absent in glandular lumens, and no formation of centroglandular pattern was observed. In contrast, most of the cancer cells were found AFP-negative except for some cancer cells with abundant chromatin in nucleus and acidophilic cytoplasm, in which AFP was detected in cytoplasm. Furthermore, AFP was also scarcely observed in cytoplasm of some normal liver transient cells scattered close to metastatic cancer lesions, suggesting that in gastric cancer, occurrences of CEA, AFP and CPALP originate from cancer cells while mild amounts of AFP are also being synthesized in some normal liver transient cells scattered close to metastatic cancer lesions.     

Accelerated ventricular rhythm in the newborn

Accelerated ventricular rhythm was observed in two newborn infants. Neither of them had any causative clinical symptoms for the ventricular arrhythmia. The arrhythmia disappeared when the infants were 18 days and 45 days old, respectively. Arrhythmia was noted in the fetal period, especially in case 1.     

Enhanced levels of C-X-C chemokine,human GROα, in Helicobacter pylori-associated gastric disease*

C-X-C Chemokines play an important role for neutrophil extravasation through microvessels. Although the level of interleukin (IL)-8 is known to increase in the Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric mucosa, another C-X-C chemokine, GROα, has not been evaluated in the H. pylori-associated gastric mucosal injury. The present study was designed to investigate gastric contents of GROα in relation to those of IL-8 in the gastric mucosa of H. pylori-infected peptic ulcer patients. Thirty-eight patients with gastric ulcer and 41 with gastritis underwent endoscopy with informed consent and 49 were found to be H. pylori positive and 30 H. pylori negative. Biopsies from the gastric corpus were performed in each patient to examine the H. pylori colonization by bacterial culture, the rapid urease test and histological specimens as well as measurement of the contents of human GROα and IL-8. Helicobacter pylori infection was eradicated in 21 patients by triple therapy (lansoprazole 30mg, amoxycillin 2.0g, clarithromycin 600 mg; 2 weeks). The samples for GROα and IL-8 assay were homogenized in 0.02% aprotinin containing phosphate-buffered solution and the mucosal contents of GROα and IL-8 in the supernatants were quantified by sandwich enzyme immunoassay methods. The levels of GROα and IL-8 in H. pylori-positive gastric mucosa were significantly higher than those in the H. pylori-negative mucosa. There was a significant linear correlation between the levels of GROα and IL-8 (r= 0.798, P < 0.01). After the eradication of H. pylori by the triple therapy, the levels of GROα and IL-8 were significantly decreased. The GROα showed an increase in the H. pylori-positive gastric mucosa in a similar fashion as IL-8 contents, suggesting a pathogenetic role for GROα in H. pylori-associated gastric mucosal injury.     

Sulfhydryl blocker-induced colitis in the rat: Immunological changes in thymus gland and colonic mucosa

The study was designed to examine the changes of thymus in sulfhydryl blocker-induced colitis. We used N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) as sulfhydryl blockers. Fasted male Sprague-Dawley rats were given 3% NEM in 1% methyl cellulose into the colon. N-ethylmaleimide treatment caused severe diarrhoea with bleeding for the first 7 days. At autopsy, adhesions, colon dilatation, and single or multiple erosions and ulcers were observed. Time-course studies revealed that the lesions were most extensive and severe 3 or 7 days after the administration of NEM. Histological examination of colon on the 3rd day after NEM treatment demonstrated mucosal erosion, oedema and extensive infiltration of neutrophils. The mucosal lesions extended into the submucosa and muscle on the 7th day after NEM treatment. Immunohistochemical studies showed that T cells and macrophages were markedly increased in the lamina propria of colonic mucosa. After 3 weeks, the infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells was observed and regeneration of the mucosa was noticed. The thymus gland was significantly decreased in weight and size on the 3rd day after NEM treatment, but the weight loss of thymus gland was regained in 3 weeks. Transient atrophy of thymus gland was noticed in this colitis model. The phenotypes of thymocytes were not influenced by NEM treatment. It is concluded that the thymus abnormalities in human ulcerative colitis are not induced in this animal model and that other chronic models are necessary for the elucidation of the immunological abnormalities, including thymus abnormalities.     

CMV viraemia demonstrated in the serum of a patient with cytomegalovirus pneumonia

Summary. We attempted to demonstrate the expression of cytomegalovirus (CMV) particles in the serum of an acute lymphocytic leukaemia patient with CMV pneumonia. The serum sample was applied to an affinity column coupled with human monoclonal antibody C2 3 which recognizes the envelope glycoproteins of CMV virus and neutralizes the viral activity. The DNA obtained from each fraction was amplified by double polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analysed by gel electrophoresis. Bands were clearly observed in the eluted fraction. These results strongly suggest that CMV particles exist in the sera of patients with CMV pneumonia.