Healthy HTLV-I carriers in Japan: the haematological and immunological characteristics

The haematological and immunological characteristics of 34 healthy anti-HTLV-I antibody-positive individuals (HTLV-I carriers) in southwestern Japan were examined. No significant difference was noted between carriers and the controls in counts of RBC, WBC and the absolute number of lymphocytes. The serum IgG in the carriers was higher than that of the controls. The percentages of OKT4, OKT8, OKIa1 and B1-positive cells were found to be normal in the peripheral blood of the carriers, whereas the percentages of OKT11 and anti-Tac-positive cells were significantly higher in the carriers than in the controls. A correlation was observed between the percentages of anti-Tac-positive cells and the titres of anti-HTLV-I antibody in the carriers. After a 72 h incubation of peripheral blood lymphocytes with medium alone, the percentage of anti-Tac-positive cells tended to decrease in the controls, but to increase in carriers, with the appearance of large blastoid cells resembling blastic transformed lymphocytes cultured with mitogen. Tac and Ia antigens were markedly expressed on these large blastoid cells.     

An XXX female with essential thrombocythemia

We describe an XXX female patient accompanied with essential thrombocythemia. To our knowledge this is the first case ever to have been reported. The patient was asymptomatic, but her platelet count had increased to 111.2 x 10(4)/microliter, and she was diagnosed as having essential thrombocythemia based on the diagnostic criteria of the Polycythemia Vera Study Group. At the same time, chromosome analysis of bone marrow cells revealed that she was an XXX female. The patient remained asymptomatic throughout the course of treatment.     

Three‐Dimensional Visualization of Developing Neurovascular Architecture in the Craniofacial Region of Embryonic Mice

Recent studies have highlighted the mechanism of vascular and axonal guidance to ensure proper morphogenesis and organogenesis. We aimed to perform global mapping of developing neurovascular networks during craniofacial development of embryonic mice. To this end, we developed histology‐based three‐dimensional (3D) reconstructions using paraffin‐embedded serial sections obtained from mouse embryos. All serial sections were dual‐immunolabeled with Pecam1 and Pgp9.5/Gap43 cocktail antibodies. All immunolabeled serial sections were digitized with virtual microscopy to acquire high spatial resolution images. The 3D reconstructs warranted superior positional accuracy to trace the long‐range connectivity of blood vessels and individual cranial nerve axons. It was feasible to depict simultaneously the details of angiogenic sprouting and axon terminal arborization and to assess quantitatively the locoregional proximity between blood vessels and cranial nerve axons. Notably, 3D views of the craniofacial region revealed the following: Branchial arch arteries and blood capillary plexi were formed without accompanying nerves at embryonic day (E) 9.5. Cranial nerve axons began to grow into the branchial arches, developing a labyrinth of small blood vessels at E10.5. Vascular remodeling occurred, and axon terminals of the maxillary, mandibular, chorda tympani, and hypoglossal nerve axons had arborized around the lateral lingual swellings at E11.5. The diverged patterning of trigeminal nerves and the arterial branches from the carotid artery became congruent at E11.5. The overall results support the advantage of dual‐immunolabeling and 3D reconstruction technology to document the architecture and wiring of the developing neurovascular networks in mouse embryos. Anat Rec, 298:1824–1835, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Microfibril-Associated Glycoprotein-1 Controls Human Ciliary Zonule Development In Vitro

The ciliary zonule in the eye, also known as Zinn’s zonule, is composed of oxytalan fibers, which are bundles of microfibrils consisting mainly of fibrillin-1. However, it is still unclear which of the microfibril-associated molecules present in the ciliary zonule controls oxytalan fibers. Microfibril-associated glycoprotein-1 (MAGP-1) is the only microfibril-associated molecule identified in the human ciliary zonule. In the present study, we used siRNA against MAGP-1 in cultures of human non-pigmented ciliary epithelial cells to examine the extracellular deposition and appearance of fibrillin-1 employing Western blotting and immunofluorescence. MAGP-1 suppression led to a reduction of fibrillin-1 deposition. Immunofluorescence also confirmed that RNAi-mediated down-regulation of MAGP-1 led to suppression of fiber development. These results suggest that MAGP-1 plays a crucial role in the extracellular deposition of fibrillin-1 during formation of the human ciliary zonule.     

Relationships between QT interval and heart rate variability at rest and the covariates in healthy young adults

To clarify the links between ECG QT-related parameters and heart rate variability (HRV) and the covariates possibly distorting them, the averaged RR and QT intervals in a single lead ECG were measured for 64 male and 86 female subjects aged 18–26. The QT index, defined by Rautaharju et al., in the young adults was not significantly related to any HRV parameters nor heart rate, but the Bazett's corrected QT (QTc) interval was associated negatively with the parasympathetic activity and positively with heart rate. No significant differences in the QTc interval, QT index or heart rate were seen between the men and women, but they significantly differed between both sexes after adjustment for possible covariates such as age and body mass index (BMI). Significant sex differences in parasympathetic parameters of the HRV were unchanged before and after the adjustment, but significant differences observed in the unadjusted sympathetic parameters disappeared after adjusting for covariates. Age, BMI and body fat percentage also were significant covariates affecting these ECG parameters. Consequently, QT index, unaffected by heart rate and HRV parameters, appears to be a more useful indicator than the QTc interval. Instead, the QT index and HRV parameters are recommended to be simultaneously measured in epidemiological research because they are probably complementary in assessing autonomic nervous function. Also, these parameters should be analyzed in men and women separately.     

Flow pattern and perforating vessels in three different phases of myopic choroidal neovascularization seen by swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology - To compare the choroidal neovascularization (CNV) flow patterns and the relationship between perforating vessels (PVs) and CNV in...