Trends of hepatitis B virus genotype distribution in chronic hepatitis B patients in Japan

Journal of Gastroenterology - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the most prevalent chronic viral infections that causes chronic hepatitis B (CHB). In Japan, genotypes B and C account for most of...     

Serum concentration of hyaluronic acid in healthy populations and patients with rheumatoid arthritis--relationship to clinical disease activity of RA

With the sandwich binding protein assay utilizing hyaluronic acid binding protein, we measured serum concentration of hyaluronic acid in 458 healthy persons, 71 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 51 patients with various rheumatic diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA), progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and gout. The mean concentration +/- standard deviation (SD) of healthy persons whose age ranged 2 to 92 years old was 38.5 +/- 35.7ng/ml, and those with over 50 years old had apparently higher concentrations (51.9 +/- 40.5ng/ml) than those with below 50 of age (20.6 +/- 14.8ng/ml). When the upper limit of normal range was set up at 130 ng/ml, abnormal percentages were 62.0% (44/71) in RA, 0% (0/18) in OA, 6.3% (1/16) in PSS, 18.2% (2/11) in SLE and 0% (0/6) in gout. Patients who apparently had arthritis but not RA revealed normal or near to the upper limit in serum hyaluronic acid compared to RA patients having the mean +/- SD of 351.4 +/- 463.7ng/ml. When patients with RA were classified into stage I to IV with X ray of bone destruction, patients with more advanced X ray stage showed significantly higher serum concentrations of hyaluronic acid. Similarly, patients with lower activity of daily living revealed significantly higher serum concentrations of hyaluronic acid. In addition, serum hyaluronic acid level did correlate to concentration of serum CRP and sialic acid. Lansbury's index, strength of grip, joint score and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, but did not to duration of morning stiffness and titer of rheumatoid factor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Protective effect of partially purified human urinary colony-stimulating factor on granulocytopenia after antitumor chemotherapy

We conducted a randomized crossover study comparing the hemopoietic effect of partially purified human urinary colony-stimulating factor (CSF-HU, an active drug) and human serum albumin (HSA, a control drug) in 24 patients with malignant lymphoma, solid tumors, or multiple myeloma who were receiving two consecutive courses of the same chemotherapeutic regimen. Patients received daily 2-4 X 10(6) units of CSF-HU or an equal amount of protein HSA for five days after the end of the courses of chemotherapy. Assignment to CSF-HU or HSA was determined by the envelope method. The average number of blood granulocytes of 24 cases on day 7 after chemotherapy was 2116 +/- 1649 in CSF-HU-infused courses, which was significantly higher than in HSA-infused courses (1520 +/- 1022) (p less than 0.05). The average time that patients had fewer than 2000 granulocytes/mm3 was 7.6 +/- 4.4 days in CSF-HU-infused courses and 10.3 +/- 5.0 days in HSA-infused courses (p less than 0.02). Fever greater than 38 degrees C was the most frequent side effect, occurring in 32% of the patients receiving CSF-HU infusions. A reduction in the neutropenic interval in CSF-HU-infused courses was observed in patients with fever, as well as in those without fever. Infusions of CSF-HU did not change the number of other hematological parameters, such as erythrocytes, platelets, monocytes, and lymphocytes. These results suggest that CSF-HU infusions may partially protect the patients from granulocytopenia after anticancer chemotherapy.     

Association study of G1704T and G82S polymorphisms of RAGE gene for microalbuminuria in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients

To clarify whether polymorphisms G1704T and G82S of the RAGE gene were related to microalbuminuria, we performed a case-control study in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients. Polymorphisms G1704T and G82S of the RAGE gene were examined with genomic DNA obtained from 116 type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria (urinary albumin/creatinine ratio between 30 and 300 mg/g of creatinine) (microalbuminuria group), and 232 patients with normoalbuminuria (urinary albumin/creatinine ratio <30 mg/g of creatinine) (normoalbuminuria group). The genotype distribution and T allele frequency of G1704T (9.9%) and S allele frequency of G82S (14.2%) in the microalbuminuria group did not significantly differ from those (T allele frequency, 8.4%; S allele frequency, 12.3%) in the normoalbuminuria group. There were no differences among the genotypes of G1704T and G82S of the RAGE gene regarding age, duration of diabetes, body mass index, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure, and serum lipid levels. These data suggest that G1704T and G82S polymorphisms of the RAGE gene are not related to microalbuminuria in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients.     

Growth stimulatory effect of thrombopoietin on the blast cells of acute myelogenous leukaemia

Thrombopoietin stimulated blast colony formation in 11/20 acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) patients studied. The FAB subtypes of the blasts responding to thrombopoietin were not restricted to those of the megakaryocyte lineage, but also included M1–M5 AML blasts. The morphology of colony cells produced by megakaryocytic blasts showed megakaryocytoid features, whereas colony cells produced by M1–M5 AML blasts remained myeloblasts. An increase in CD41 was observed in the cells of colonies produced by blasts from the megakaryocyte lineage involving leukaemia and chronic myeloid leukaemia in blastic crisis. Thrombopoietin receptor was observed on leukaemic blasts which formed colonies following incubation with thrombopoietin.     

Development of small hepatocellular carcinoma in a patient with chronic hepatitis C after 77 months of a sustained and complete response to interferon therapy

We report a case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that developed 77 months following sustained and complete response to interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis C. A 67-year-old Japanese woman presented with a small mass in the liver that was diagnosed as HCC, 77 months after having completed IFN therapy and having shown a complete response to the therapy with sustained normalization of serum aminotransferases and eradication of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV). Hepatitis C virus RNA was also not detected in the resected tumorous and non-tumorous liver tissues by polymerase chain reaction. This suggests that all patients with chronic HCV infection should be followed closely for as long as possible for the potential development of HCC, even after a complete and sustained response to IFN treatment.     

A Japanese patient with familial Mediterranean fever associated with compound heterozygosity for pyrin variant E148Q/M694I

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an inherited inflammatory disease occurring mainly in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern populations. FMF is caused by mutations in the MEFV gene that encodes pyrin/marenostrin. Here, we report a Japanese female FMF patient with heterozygosity for the compound pyrin E148Q/M694I showing recurrent fever, serositis or delay in skin wound healing. Her father and elder sister were heterozygous for pyrin variant M694I alone and sometimes suffered from mild fever or delay in wound healing, but her mother was heterozygous for pyrin variant E148Q alone and had no symptoms. This suggested that the inheritance of FMF occurred not only in an autosomal recessive manner but also in an autosomal dominant manner in this Japanese family, and the severity of the disease differed among the family members in relation to the mutation. In the treatment of FMF, colchicine, reserpine or prazosin hydrochloride have been reported to prevent the attacks, but, in our patient such drugs were ineffective or caused side effects, and only the anti-allergic drug azelastine was of benefit in relieving the attacks.