Circadian Variation in Plasma Homovanillic Acid Level During and After Alcohol Withdrawal in Alcoholic Patients

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms in alcoholics were objectively evaluated and classified into three groups according to the severity of their symptoms, and circadian variation in their plasma homovanillic acid (HVA) concentrations was determined at three different intervals after cessation of drinking. The subjects studied were 19 male alcoholic patients and five age-matched healthy male volunteers. Circadian variation in plasma HVA was compared between each patient group and the control group by two-way ANOVA. In the sympathetic overactivity (SO) group comprising nine patients and in the clouding of sensorium (CS) group comprising five patients, plasma HVA concentrations on the 2nd and 3rd day and on the 6th and 7th day after cessation of drinking were low but recovered almost normal levels on the 21st and 22nd postcessation day. The delirium tremens group (DT) comprising five patients, however, showed significantly higher plasma HVA than the control group except on the 6th and 7th postcessation day. The higher plasma HVA in the DT group indicates that there is some sort of preparatory state whereby dopamine metabolism is involved in the appearance of hallucinations at alcohol withdrawal and can possibly be used as a predictor of otherwise hardly predictable delirium tremens.     

Family of a patient with serum cholinesterase deficiency.

A-39-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of a markedly decreased level of serum cholinesterase found incidentally by a blood test. Detailed examination did not reveal severe liver disease, malignant tumor, infection or organophosphate compound poisoning. Investigation of three generations of his family revealed two homozygous and five heterozygous family members with the cholinesterase deficiency gene E1s indicating familial serum cholinesterase deficiency.     

Clinical studies on cefprozil in pediatrics]

Cefprozil (CFPZ, BMY-28100) fine granules were given orally to 21 children with acute bacterial infections including 15 cases of acute tonsillitis and 3 each of acute bronchitis and urinary tract infections. Good to excellent clinical responses were obtained in 19 of the 21 patients and bacterial eradications were obtained for all 11 strains found in these cases. Loose stool and eosinophilia were observed in 1 case each. From the above clinical results, it appears that CFPZ is a useful antibiotic for the treatment of pediatric patients with various bacterial infections.     

早产儿视网膜病变伴黄斑裂孔的视网膜脱离

目的：描述早产儿视网膜病变的黄斑裂孔视网膜脱离及其手术处理和疗效。方法：回顾性分析4例早产儿视网膜病变患儿和1例表现为早产儿视网膜病变的足月儿。均出现伴黄斑裂孔视网膜脱离并且接受手术治疗。结果：4例早产儿视网膜病变的平均孕周是26周。5例患儿发现黄斑裂孔前均有玻璃体手术史。4例再次手术治疗的患儿视网膜部分或完全复位。有走动的视力。结论：采用玻璃体手术合并气-液交换不能闭合婴儿中因早产儿视网膜病变引起视网膜脱离的黄斑裂孔。非热性黄斑部巩膜扣带术能封闭裂孔和复位视网膜。可能是值得选择的方法。     

Intraocular manifestations of systemic sarcoidosis.

The incidence of intraocular manifestations was studied in 159 patients with systemic sarcoidosis. Eighty-seven patients (54.7%) who presented ocular lesions suggestive of sarcoidosis as an initial manifestation were diagnosed after a systemic survey. Seventy-two patients (45.3%) had chest signs or symptoms and were referred to ophthalmic examination during a diagnostic survey. Of the 159 patients, 126 (79.2%) showed intraocular involvements at diagnosis. In these patients with ocular involvements, iritis was the most frequent lesion, being seen in 74.7%. Gonioscopic examinations revealed trabecular nodules and tent-like peripheral anterior synechia in 61.2 and 54.5% of the patients respectively. Retinal perivasculitis and spotty retinochoroidal exudates were seen in 67.3 and 53.9% of the patients respectively. The data indicated the presence of intraocular lesions in a significant number of patients with sarcoidosis. These findings emphasize that all patients with systemic sarcoidosis need a thorough eye examination. This ocular examination should include gonioscopy.     

Kinetic Evaluation of 11C-1-Aminocyclopentane Carboxylic Acid in Rabbits Bearing VX-2 Tumors Using Positron Emission Tomography

Tumor detection with ¹¹C-1-aminocyclopentane carboxylic acid (¹¹-ACPC) showed that this amino acid has a high affinity for malignant tumors. We studied the kinetics of intravenously injected ¹¹C-ACPC in the rabbit VX-2 tumor using positron emission tomography. Three female rabbits bearing VX-2 tumor in the thighs were used. High uptake of ¹¹C-ACPC was seen in the tumor and liver. ¹¹-ACPC in plasma decreased rapidly after injection and its activity in the tumor increased with time. The kinetic evaluation of ACPC uptake into the tumor was performed using the unidirectional transport model. The average values of the transfer constant of ¹¹C-ACPC for VX-2 tumor were 0.030±0.002 ml/min/g. This preliminary result may form the basis for a quantitative analysis of the in vivo distribution of ¹¹C-labeled ACPC in tumors.     

Concentration of Neural Thread Protein in Cerebrospinal Fluid from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Parkinson's Disease

Abstract: We measured the concentration of neural thread protein (NTP) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by an automatized microparticle enzyme immunoassay from 11 progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) patients and 11 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and 7 patients with cervical spondylosis as controls. The mean levels did not differ significantly among the groups. In the PSP group, however, the levels correlated significantly with the severity of motor symptoms, signs and functional disability but not with dementia, while the opposite was true in the PD group. The elevated levels in PSP cases may reflect an increase with progression of the disease in such pathological structures as neurofibrillary tangles or neuropil threads, while in PD such levels may indicate associated Alzheimer-type pathology.     

Mongolian spots associated with cleft lip

Of the present series comprising 66 newborns with cleft lip, 13 (20%) had pigmented macules in the labial skin on the lateral side of the cleft. Histological examination using serial sections were performed on 47 cases and showed evidence of dermal melanocytosis in 40 cases (85%) consisting of 33 (70%) without clinically detectable macules and 7 (15%) with obvious pigmented macules. The fusiform cells in the dermis were positive for dopa reaction and anti-melanocyte antibody. The high incidence of dermal melanocytosis is comparable to that of common Mongolian spots in Asian babies.     

Field localization and verification system for proton beam radiotherapy in deep-seated tumors

It has been recognized that, for precise localization and verification of radiation fields, a marking drawn on the skin surface is not entirely reliable because its position relative to bony structures or internal organs is not stationary. This is especially true when treating deep-seated tumors located below the clavicle. In proton beam radiotherapy at the University of Tsukuba, we ristrict the margins around the target volume. Therefore, special care in field localization and verification is needed, and we make it a rule to take X-ray pictures on each treatment day. To accomplish this, we have developed a localize-and-verify system by using fluoroscopic techniques and combining it with a real-time digital image processing device. This allows for the formation of a digital image of the proton field and storage it in the optic disc. By using this system as well as verification films, filed placement errors were measured in 10 patients with deep-seated tumors. Out of a total of 190 localizations, 22% exhibited a field placement error of more than 5 mm, where patient positioning and field localization were done by using skin drawings aligned with laser beams. This result strongly suggests the necessity for daily localization and verification of radiation fields, as is being done by us, for precision in the execution of proton beam radiation therapy.