An Autopsy Case of Necrotizing Ventriculo-encephalitis Caused by Cytomegalovirus in Hodgkin's Disease

A 59-year-old Japanese woman with Hodgkin's disease developed progressive dementia and died of pneumonia. The autopsy revealed necrotizing ventriculoencephalitis caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, which was confirmed by immunohistochemical and electron microscopic examinations. It is suggested that CMV ventriculoencephalitis could occur not only in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, but also in other immunocom-promised hosts.     

The effect of RGD peptide-conjugated magnetite cationic liposomes on cell growth and cell sheet harvesting

Tissue engineering requires novel technologies for establishing 3D constructs, and the layered method of culturing cell sheets (cell sheet engineering) is one potentially useful approach. In the present study, we investigated whether coating the culture surface with RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) peptide-conjugated magnetite cationic liposomes (RGD-MCLs) was able to facilitate cell growth, cell sheet construction and cell sheet harvest using magnetic force without enzymatic treatment. To promote cell attachment, an RGD-motif-containing peptide was coupled to the phospholipid of our original magnetite cationic liposomes (MCLs). The RGD-MCLs were added to a commercially available 24-well ultra-low-attachment plate the surface of which comprised a covalently bound hydrogel layer that was hydrophilic and neutrally charged. A magnet was placed on the underside of the well in order to attract the RGD-MCLs to the surface of the well, and then NIH/3T3 cells were seeded into the well. Cells adhered to the bottom of the culture surface, which was coated with RGD-MCLs, and the cells spread and proliferated to confluency. After incubation, the magnet was removed and the cells were detached from the bottom of the plates, forming a contiguous cell sheet. Because the sheets contained magnetite nanoparticles, they could be harvested using a magnet inserted into the well. These results suggest that this novel methodology using RGD-MCLs and magnetic force, which we have termed 'magnetic force-based tissue engineering (Mag-TE)', is a promising approach for tissue engineering.     

Desmoid‐type fibromatosis in a boy with Down syndrome

Patients with Down syndrome (DS) have a markedly higher incidence of childhood leukemia, but a lower incidence of most solid tumors, compared with age‐matched euploid individuals. Trisomy 21 might be protective against tumorigenesis because of several tumor suppressive mechanisms. Desmoid‐type fibromatosis (DF) is a rare monoclonal, fibroblastic proliferation characterized by a variable clinical course. In recent reports, almost all cases of DF involved genomic alterations associated with activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. Here, we report the case of a boy with DS who developed DF without activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of DS involving DF.     

Influence of nicotine on doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide combination treatment-induced spatial cognitive impairment and anxiety-like behavior in rats

Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology - In the present study, we examined the effects of nicotine on cognitive impairment, anxiety-like behavior, and hippocampal cell proliferation in...     

A 90-day toxicity study of l-asparagine, a food additive, in F344 rats

L-asparagine is an amino acid listed as an existing food additive in Japan. The present 90-day toxicity study in F344/DuCrlCrj rats was conducted for safety assessment and to determine a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of L-asparagine. Groups of 10 males and 10 females were given the material at dose levels of 0%, 1.25%, 2.5% or 5% in diet for 90 days. During the experiment, there were no remarkable changes in general conditions and no deaths occurred in any group. Final body weights of male 5% and 1.25% groups were significantly decreased. There were also significant increases in relative organ weights of the brain, kidney and testis in 5% males. On serological examination, GLU, PL, K and ALT were increased significantly in 5% females, and GLU was increased significantly and CRN was decreased significantly in the female 1.25% group. However, histopathological examination did not reveal any significant variation in development of lesions among the groups. Changes in body and organ weights, as well as other parameters, were concluded to be due to treatment with 5% L-asparagine. The NOAEL was determined to be 2.5% in the diet (males, 1.65 g/kg body weight/day; females, 1.73 g/kg body weight/day).     

Cytokeratin immunohistochemistry improves interobserver variability between unskilled pathologists in the evaluation of tumor budding in T1 colorectal cancer

Tumor budding is a major risk factor for T1 colorectal cancer. Quality control of the pathological diagnosis of budding is crucial, irrespective of the pathologist's experience. This study examines the interobserver variability according to pathologists' experience and evaluates the influence of cytokeratin (CK) immunostaining in the assessment of budding. Hematoxylin‐eosin (HE) and CK‐immunostained slides of 40 cases with T1 primary colorectal cancer were examined. Budding grades were individually evaluated by 12 pathologists who we categorized into three groups by their experience (expert, with >10 years of experience (n = 4), senior, with 5–10 years (n = 4), and junior, < 5 years (n = 4)). The results revealed a tendency for the more experienced pathologists to assign higher budding grades compared to the less‐experienced pathologists. In the junior group, the interobserver variability obtained with HE slides was poor, but it was markedly improved in the evaluation using CK‐immunostained slides. The benefit of CK immunostaining was only slight in the expert group. CK immunostaining would be useful when a pathologist is not experienced enough or does not have enough confidence in the assessment of budding.     

Anastomosis of the Left Juxtaposed Atrial Appendages in a Patient With Tricuspid Atresia

A 9-month-old boy with left juxtaposition of the atrial appendages, tricuspid atresia, pulmonary atresia, and ventriculoarterial discordance underwent anastomosis between the atrial appendages after failure of balloon/blade atrial septostomy because of restrictive atrial septal defect. For surgical creation of atrial communication in patients with juxtaposed atrial appendages, anastomosis between the atrial appendages seemed to be safer, more effective, and less invasive than septectomy by Blalock-Hanlon technique or inflow occlusion technique.     

Plasma lipoprotein (a) levels in children with minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome

We studied the plasma lipoprotein (a)[Lp(a)] levels in 31 children with minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome (MLNS) in both stages of acute NS and remission.The mean Lp(a) levels in acute NS were significantly higher than those of the controls. The Lp(a) levels in remission were significantly lower than the Lp(a) levels in acute NS. In addition, the Lp(a) levels in remission were not significantly different from those of the controls. However, there were 5 patients whose Lp(a) levels remained higher than 30 mg/dl (the generally accepted limit for cardiovascular risk) after remission. Two of these 5 patients had Lp(a) levels greater than 40 mg/dl. In these patients apoprotein (a) [apo(a)] phenotypes were of lower molecular weight than those of the other 23 patients whose apo(a) phenotypes were examined. Additional episodes of relapse may put the patient with sustained elevated Lp(a) levels at significant risk for the development of cardiovascular disease in the long term. Received: 17 November 1998 / Revised: 9 March 1999 / Accepted: 16 March 1999