Electron microscopic study of the developing human vitreous collagen fibrils

Vitreous fibrils, and collagen fibrils in other ocular tissues, were observed in 5-, 6- and 7-weeks human embryos. The vitreous fibrils in 7-weeks embryos were distinctly different from the fibrils of other ocular tissues. The vitreous fibrils near the rim of the optic cup were similar to the fibrils in the anterior cavity of the lens vesicle in the 6-week embryo. Broad fibrils were demonstrated with a diameter of 30-40 nm and a striated banding pattern of about 60 nm periodicity.     

Failure to visualize acutely injured kidneys with technetium-99m DMSA does not preclude recoverable function

A 35-yr-old patient developed severe acute tubular necrosis requiring hemodialysis. A [99mTc]dimercaptosuccinic acid scan of the kidneys showed no renal uptake at 4 or 24 hr, but the patient subsequently recovered normal renal function as judged by a normal serum creatinine. Based on this case report and a review of the literature, one cannot assume irreversible loss of function in patients with acute renal failure, based on the absence of radiopharmaceutical uptake by the kidneys.     

Renal adenoma incidentally found in removed kidney in a patient with transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis

Concurrent primary renoparenchymal or renal pelvic neoplasms of different histology in the same kidney appear to be unusual. We herein report on a 75-year-old man in whom a tiny renal adenoma, a transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis, ipsilateral ureter papillomas and transitional carcinoma of the urinary bladder were found. The clinicopathologic findings of this patient as well as the oncogenesis of renal tumours are discussed.     

A study on tumor marker of tissue-polypeptide-antigen (TPA) in gynecologic malignancies

Tissue polypeptide-antigen (TPA), a tumor-associated antigen reported by Bjorklund et al., is a single chain polypeptide of approximately 22,000-45,000 molecular weight, which is being studied in various fields as a tumor marker. We determined the serum TPA level and tissue distribution of TPA in patients with gynecologic malignancies and healthy women. In healthy women, the serum TPA level was under 110 mu/l, without any relation to age or sex. In benign tumors, the mean serum TPA was 123.9 mu/l and it is comparable with that in healthy women. In cervical cancers, it was 212 mu/l and significantly higher than those in healthy women and in patients with benign tumors (p less than 0.01). In ovarian cancers, it was 414.7 mu/l, which showed significantly higher levels of serum TPA in ovarian cancers than those in healthy women and in patients with benign tumor, and it was also significantly higher than that in cervical cancers (p less than 0.001). As for the values after treatment, the serum TPA level clearly tended to fall in patients exhibiting good response, and tended to rise in those showing poor response. TPA was markedly localized in the cancer cells, but was almost entirely absent from the normal tissues of the cervix and endometrium.     

The usefulness of conducting investigations on intra-abdominal bacterial contamination in digestive tract operations

A bacteriological study of 108 cases of gastrointestinal surgery was conducted by analyzing intra-abdominal bacterial contamination (IABC) and postoperative surgical site infections (SSI). We utilized an anaerobic porter to detect intra-abdominal bacterial infection and transport bacteria to the laboratory. The positive IABC rate was 42.9% for gastric cancer surgery, 22.6% for biliary tract surgery, and 85.7% for colorectal cancer surgery. Most cases of SSI were IABC-positive, and isolated bacterial species from the SSI were similar to those from the IABC. In colorectal cancer surgery, a preoperative chemical intestinal preparation and the prophylactic use of antibiotics had a major influence on the sensitivity of bacteria isolated from the SSI. These data suggest that prophylactic antibiotics should be chosen from among those to which bacteria from the IABC are highly sensitive, and that therapeutic antibiotics should be chosen from among those to which bacteria isolated from the SSI are highly sensitive. Finally, the exploration of IABC enables us to predict the incidence of SSI.