Case of dermatomyositis complicated with massive pleural effusion that preceded the myopathy]

A 36-year-old man was admitted to a hospital with complaints of fever, polyarthralgia and dyspnea. Erythema was observed on his face, extensor surface of the fingers and extremities, and a chest X-ray revealed massive bilateral pleural effusion. He had no sign of myopathy at this point. Pleural fluid was proved to be exudative and contained extremely high levels of hyaluronic acid. He was also complicated with interstitial pneumonitis and was given a pulse therapy with methyl prednisolone followed by daily administration of 55 mg prednisolone (PSL). Twenty days after the commencement of the therapy, pleural effusion decreased but muscle weakness gradually appeared, accompanied by elevation of myogenic enzymes. Myogenic changes on electromyogram, and irregularity of the muscle fibers with slight inflammatory cell infiltrates in a biopsy specimen were demonstrated. He was transferred to our hospital, and a diagnosis of dermatomyositis was made. Later, pleural effusion waxed and waned depending on the dosage of PSL, but no other causative disorder was demonstrated by extensive examinations. This case indicates that the pleuritis could be one of the vasculitic manifestations of dermatomyositis.     

Development of a new perfusion system for pharmacological study on rabbit basilar arteries

We developed a constant-flow perfusion system to measure vascular responses to vasoactive agents applied intraluminally or extraluminally. The intraluminal and extraluminal sides of a cylindrical section of rabbit basilar artery were isolated completely. By loading with 0.75 g of tension, the resting condition of each preparation was made constant. The intraluminal side was perfused at a constant flow of 8 ml/min and under an intraluminal pressure of 8 mm Hg. When 30 mM KCl was administered intraluminally the preparation showed marked contraction, whereas only slight contraction was observed with extraluminal administration. When 2 x 10(-7) M 5-hydroxytryptamine was administered, no significant differences in contraction could be detected between the intraluminal and extraluminal routes. Application of 10(-6) to 10(-4) M acetylcholine after precontraction with 30 mM KCl resulted in much stronger dilatation upon intraluminal application. Thus, it was demonstrated that under certain conditions significant differences exist in the responses of rabbit basilar arteries to vasoactive agents applied intraluminally or extraluminally. This system can detect the effects of vasoactive agents administered intraluminally and extraluminally at a high level of sensitivity and shows good reproducibility as a means of analyzing vascular functions and characteristics.     

The usefulness of CEA as an indicator for early detection and a guide to the treatment of recurrent gastric cancer

The usefulness of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as an indicator for recurrence and a guide to the treatment was evaluated from a retrospective analysis of 88 patients with recurrent gastric cancer. Sixty-two of these patients (70.5 per cent), 25 of whom had a preoperative positive assay, and 37 a negative assay, had elevated levels of CEA after disease progression. Averaged CEA level in patients with liver metastasis was significantly higher (872 ng/ml) than in those with peritoneal metastasis (68 ng/ml), with lymph node metastasis (103 ng/ml) or with local metastasis (93 ng/ml) (p<0.01). An elevation of CEA was found prior to the clinical manifestation of recurrence, and the average lead time was 4 months. In 25 patients with a lead time of more than 4 months, survival time after CEA elevation was 13.3 months, which was longer than the 6.5 months of 28 patients with less than 4 months. Thirty-seven of the 88 patients were treated after recurrence. The average survival period after the detection of recurrence was 9.4 months in patients with surgical treatments followed by chemotherapy, 5.9 months in those with chemotherapy alone and 3.8 months in those with surgery alone. The average survival period of 26 patients with positive CEA assays in recurrence was 5.1 months longer than of patients with negative assays. This fact suggested that early detection of recurrence followed by various treatments, in the elevated CEA group, contributes to favorable results.     

Identification and viability assessment of dermatophytes infecting nail based on quantitative PCR of dermatophyte actin (ACT) mRNA]

The diagnosis and choice of treatment for dermatophytoses are usually based on the result of microscopic observation of hyphal elements and culture. However, false negative cultures have sometimes been encountered and appropriate timing of discontinuation of treatment has not been formulated. In this study, we attempted the identification and viability assessment of dermatophytes based on the quantitative measurement of dermatophyte actin (ACT) mRNA. An internal fragment of the ACT, 725 to 762 bp, was isolated by PCR from the genomic DNA of dermatophytes and sequenced. ACT intron-based primers were dermatophyte species-specific and primer pairs crossing the intron were dermatophyte genus-specific. The LightCycler (LC) instrument, employing the two-step RT-PCR/fluorescent hybridization system, was used to quantify the actin mRNA (ACT) of dermatophytes. A 669 bp ACT cDNA fragment was used as a quantification standard. Several mg of samples were collected from skin scales or nail plates before and after the treatment using oral terbinafine. The results indicated that quantification of ACT mRNA correlated with the results of culture and KOH examination and that copy numbers of dermatophyte ACT mRNA per mg sample decreased with progression of the therapy. This method comprises a sensitive (1 fg), specific, rapid (< 4 h) and quantitative assessment of the viability and identification of dermatophytes in skin tissue.     

Possible Role of Streptococcus Pyogenes in Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome. XII. Variable Responses of Platelets in MCLS Seem to Be Explainable by Streptococcal Pyrogenic Exotoxin

As a model system for mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome (MCLS), we have advocated and used mice which had been rendered tolerant to Streptococcus pyogenes-associated antigens by neonatal infection with group A fteta-hemolytic streptococci, because these mice have shown a variety of peculiar bioimmunological characteristics bearing a striking resemblance to those of MCLS patients. The results of our current investigations reaffirmed the reliability of the animal model by indicating that mice subjected to neonatal infection with 5. pyogenes , or inoculation with streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin (SPE) in Freund's adjuvant, were perfect counterparts of patients with MCLS on account of their platelet activation and hyperaggregability in response to provocative treatment, which are familiar findings in this disease.     

CT and MR findings in diastematomyelia, with embryogenetic consideration.

Diastemstomyelia is an extremely rare disorder that is seldom found among the Japanese. This paper presents two Japanese patients, a newborn male and a newborn female, with diastematomyelia. CT demonstrated bony spurs more clearly than plain film, and magnetic resonance images indicated split cords and associated anomalies. Although the embryogenesis of diastematomyelia has not been clearly elucidated, the coincidence of levels of associated anomalies and diastematomyelia in our cases and in the literature supports Bremer's embryogenetic explanation of persistent accessory neurenteric canal.     

Phase I study of a recombinant gamma interferon (S-6810)

A phase I study of a recombinant gamma interferon (S-6810) was conducted in a cooperative study involving 11 institutions. S-6810 was administered at doses of 2, 4, 8, 12, 32 and 64 X 10(6) U/m2 by one-hour infusion for 5 consecutive days. A total of 40 courses were administered to 31 patients. High fever exceeding 38 degrees C with chills occurred in about 80% of patients. The incidences of other toxicities were fatigue in 50%, gastrointestinal toxicities in 30-40%, and changes in hepatic enzymes and hematologic toxicities in 20-30%. Dose-limiting factors were judged to be hypotension, leukopenia and central nervous toxicity. Maximum tolerated dose was 64 X 10(6) U/m2 and an optimal dose for phase II study was considered to be 6 X 10(6) U/m2 by daily chronic schedule. Blood concentration was highest at the end of infusion, and then decreased rapidly with a biphasic curve. The peak concentrations were elevated by escalation of doses. A partial response was observed in a patient with mycosis fungoides.     

Baseline study of sleep electroencephalography--daily variation and individual variation

The aims of the present study were to observe the daily habituation to night sleep in a laboratory environment and to make clear the daily and individual sleep variations by using polygraph parameters, including electroencephalography (EEG). Sleep EEG records were obtained from a subject who slept ten successive nights, and from six subjects who each slept one night in the laboratory. The parameters used were as follows: sleep stage %, sleep latency (SL), REM latency (RL), number of stage shifts, subjective sleep, integral EMG, and slope (a) and intersect (b) of a regression equation used to estimate the sleep depth against sleep time. Stage WAKE and SL, slope (a), intersect (b) and the mean depth of sleep were found to become stable from the fifth night. Stage MT, the number of stage shifts, and integral EMG increased significantly from the fifth night and later, showing p less than 0.01, p less than 0.01, and p less than 0.05, respectively. Judging from these findings, the sleep habituation of the subject in the laboratory was completed within the first four nights. Coefficients of variation of sleep stage 2 and stage REM of the ten-nights' EEG were the lowest among all the sleep parameters examined. Almost all the parameters of day-to-day sleep of the subject who slept for ten successive nights in the laboratory showed smaller variations than those of the other six subjects. It may be concluded that the mist effect on sleep could be assessed more precisely by using an individual repeatedly than by using a group of subjects.     

Radiotherapy for malignant fistula to other tract

Radiotherapy was applied to 14 esophageal carcinomas with respiratory tract fistulas using various treatment regimens. Closure of the fistulas was observed in four cases after irradiation at a daily dose of 1.5 Gy. The period of closure was transient in two cases but long-term in the other two. One long-term closure case underwent low-dose rate telecobalt therapy (LDRT)(1 Gy per hour, 7 Gy per day; a total dose of 28 Gy) as a boost. His cancer has been well controlled and he is still alive without recurrence at 74 months after fistula formation.