Long-Term Follow-Up of Infants from Birth for Rotavirus Antigen and Antibody in the Feces

We followed up five infants from birth to five years of age for the shedding of rotavirus and the appearance of IgA antibody in the feces, in order to know the relation of rotavirus infections with diarrheal symptoms and the host's responses in fecal IgA antibody production. We collected fecal samples basically once a week from the infants, and evaluated the contents of rotayirus antigen and antibody and total IgA in all the samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. We also detected virus particles in some concentrated samples by electron microscopy. We found that all the infants shed a large amount of rotavirus in the winter seasons up to two years of age, but two infants showed no symptoms of diarrhea. After primary infection, the specific IgA index, defined as the specific IgA antibody titer divided by the total IgA concentration of each feces, rose and fluctuated from time to time. However, we observed occasional eight fold or greater rises in the index between two consecutive fecal samples, suggesting anamnestic responses in fecal IgA antibody production. Some of the rises were accompanied with mild diarrhea and the presence of a low amount of virus in the feces detected by electron microscopy. Probably, repeated mild reinfections with rotavirus are occurring in infants at all seasons.     

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer

Since 1990s, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy has become a standard procedure for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. However, VATS lobectomies are less common, and no randomized controlled trial of VATS versus conventional open lobectomy for early-stage lung cancer has been performed in Japan. Furthermore, VATS lobectomy procedures are not standardized in Japan, and may vary by institution or by practitioner, which complicates their evaluation. Although VATS procedures (such as pneumonectomy, bronchoplasty, and chest wall resection) have been reportedly performed for patients with advanced disease, whether VATS could be a standard modality for advanced lung cancer is unclear from an oncological perspective. Until recently, VATS lobectomies commonly used three or four ports to conduct systemic lymph node dissection; however, VATS lobectomies with reduced port have been recently reported. This article reviews current trends in VATS lobectomy procedures.     

防腐标本椎体成形术与椎体后凸成形术骨水泥渗漏及其相关因素的研究

目的 探讨防腐标本椎体成形术与椎体后凸成形术骨水泥渗漏率的差异、渗漏的类型及其原因.方法 选用40个防腐标本椎体,将其制备成压缩骨折模型.其中20个防腐标本椎体行椎体成形术(A组),另外20个椎体行椎体后凸成形术(B组).对椎体骨水泥的渗漏及分布进行测定、记录,并对数据行统计学分析.通过CT对骨水泥的渗漏及分布进行评估.结果 A组8个椎体(40％)、B组3个椎体(15％)出现骨水泥渗漏;采用x2检验对椎体渗漏率进行比较,差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05),但提示椎体后凸成形术术后骨水泥渗漏率更低.结论 防腐标本椎体后凸成形术比椎体成形术渗漏率更低,安全性更高,但应在术中严密监测球囊撑开的压力及注入骨水泥的分布.此外,应用高黏度骨水泥能更有效的减少骨水泥渗漏.     

The prevalence of tandem spinal stenosis and its characteristics in a population-based MRI study: The Wakayama Spine Study

Purpose

Tandem spinal stenosis (TSS) is a condition of combined spinal stenosis in the cervical and lumbar regions. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of radiographic TSS and its association with developmental canal stenosis (DCS). The second purpose was to investigate the extent to which radiographic TSS is associated with cervical myelopathy and symptomatic LSS.

Methods

We recruited 1011 (336 men and 675 women) participants in this population-based study. After excluding those with a pacemaker, a history of cervical or lumbar surgery, disqualification, the MRI data of whole spine was analysed in 931 (mean, 67.3 years) participants. Cervical cord compression (CCC) and radiographic lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) were evaluated by MRI. The canal-to-body ratio was also measured by plain X-ray. DCS was diagnosed as canal-to-body ratio <0.75. The diagnosis of cervical myelopathy and symptomatic LSS was made by presentation of both symptoms and radiographic compression using MRI.

Results

The prevalence of CCC was 24.7%, that of radiographic LSS was 30.2%, and that of radiographic TSS was 11.0% (men, 14.1%; women, 9.4%). The prevalence of TSS was significantly higher in the DCS group than in the non-DCS group (p < 0.001). Among the participants with radiographic TSS, the prevalence of cervical myelopathy and symptomatic LSS was 9.8 and 18.6%, respectively. The coexisting cervical myelopathy and symptomatic LSS was 6.1% in the participants with LSS.

Conclusions

The present study is the first population-based study to clarify TSS characteristic using whole-spine MRI.

     

Weight and shape concerns and dieting behaviours among pre-adolescents and adolescents in Japan

The attitudes towards body weight and shape, desire for thinness and dieting behaviours were investigated in pre-adolescent and adolescent girls and boys (547 elementary school students, 615 junior high school students, and 470 senior high school students) aged 10-17 years in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, by a self-report questionnaire. Forty-eight per cent of 10-year-old females and 84% of 17-year-old females categorized themselves as 'fat' or 'too fat'. The fear of weight gain and desire for thinness was reported in 35% and 51% of 10-year-old girls, respectively, and increased progressively with ageing to 79% and 87% of 17-year-old girls. In contrast, these were reported by 20-30% of boys in the corresponding age groups. Some practices to be slim were found in 22% of the 10-year-old girls, and increased to 37% among the 17-year-old girls, whereas they were found in around 20% of the boys at each age. The practices to be slim were found in 32% of the girls who were 85-90% of the standard body weight (SBW) and in 14% of the girls less than 85% of the SBW. These results suggest that significant concerns about weight and shape and dieting behaviours are present in young Japanese girls and increase progressively with age. These results are compatible with those in Western society.     

Meniscal bearing dislocation while rolling over in sleep following Oxford medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty

Meniscal bearing dislocation while rolling over in sleep has never been reported in Oxford unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). This study reports two cases of meniscal bearing dislocation into the intercondylar ridge while rolling over in sleep. In the case of one patient, closed reduction of the bearing was performed, and the use of a knee brace was effective in preventing re-dislocation. In the second patient, closed reduction was possible; however, bearing dislocation was repeated. Therefore, revision surgery was performed by replacing the tibial component and using a thicker bearing. The common features in dislocation during rolling over while sleeping in both cases were dislocation into the intercondylar ridge, the combination of small femur and AA-size tibia components, and osteonecrosis. As determined by intraoperative testing, valgus position of the knee while rolling over in sleep could induce bearing dislocation into the intercondylar ridge.

Chemopreventive Effects of the Juice of Vitis coignetiae Pulliat on Two-Stage Mouse Skin Carcinogenesis

Our study revealed the inhibitory effect of Vitis coignetiae Pulliat, known as Yamabudo in Japan, at the stages of multi-step carcinogenesis. The juice of Vitis coignetiae (Y-grape juice) was antimutagenic toward dimethylbenzo[a]anthracene (DMBA), aflatoxin B1, and benzo[a]pyrene in the Ames test. The Y-grape juice was also antigenotoxic in the micronucleus test using HepG2 cells toward DMBA and aflatoxin B1. Topical and oral administration of the Y-grape juice to mice inhibited the induction of inflammation of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Topical and oral administration of the Y-grape juice significantly decreased the incidence and mean number of tumors in mice skin with the 2-stage tumorigenesis protocol. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the antiinflammatory and antitumor promotion activity of the Y-grape juice, the effect of Y-grape juice on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity in mouse ear treated with TPA was studied. Both topical and oral application of the Y-grape juice inhibited the TPA-induced increase in COX-2 activity. Caftaric acid, isolated and identified from the Y-grape juice, was antimutagenic toward DMBA and prevented TPA-induced inflammation in mice, suggesting caftaric acid participates in chemopreventive effect/activities of Y-grape juice.