Study of the distribution by age group of serum cross-linked C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen and procollagen type I N-propeptide in healthy Japanese women to establish reference values

Osteoporosis prevention is an important public health goal. Bone turnover markers are clinically measured to assess bone strength. C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) is released when collagens degrade and serves as an indicator of bone resorption. Simple CTX immunoassays are now available. However, serum CTX (sCTX) reference ranges for Japanese women are lacking. Procollagen type I N-propeptide (intact P1NP) reflects osteoblast activity, serving as a marker of bone formation. Because sCTX and intact P1NP are clinically applied as bone turnover markers, we determined reference ranges for both sCTX and intact P1NP in healthy Japanese women. We collected 228 blood samples from healthy Japanese women aged 19–83 years, grouped by age and menopausal status. We measured sCTX and intact P1NP and examined their correlation. sCTX values differed significantly between the two consecutive decade groups encompassing 19–39 years of age, intact P1NP values between 20 and 30 s, between post-menopausal 50 and 60 s, and between pre-and post-menopausal women in their 50 s. The mean sCTX of 91 healthy pre-menopausal women was 0.255 (0.100–0.653) ng/mL, the intact P1NP in 90 women 33.2 (17.1–64.7) μg/L. Corresponding values for post-menopausal women were 0.345 (0.115–1.030) ng/mL and 41.6 (21.9–79.1) μg/L. sCTX correlated with intact P1NP. Bone resorption markers are measured to assess anti-resorption agents, bone formation markers to assess the effects of bone-forming agents. The sCTX and intact P1NP reference values determined herein, in healthy Japanese women, are expected to be useful for osteoporosis treatment, assessment of fracture risk, and other clinical applications.     

Accuracy of magnifying endoscopy with methylene blue in the diagnosis of specialized intestinal metaplasia and short-segment Barrett's esophagus in Japanese patients without Helicobacter pylori infection

BACKGROUND: The use of methylene blue chromoendoscopy in the diagnosis of specialized intestinal metaplasia in short-segment Barrett's esophagus is controversial. This study evaluated the use of magnifying endoscopy with methylene blue for this purpose. METHODS: A total of 30 patients (21 men, 9 women; median age 61 years, range 32-79 years) with short lengths of columnar-lined esophagus were enrolled in a prospective trial of magnifying endoscopy with methylene blue in which the appearance after methylene blue staining was used to target biopsy specimens. Patients were screened for Helicobacter pylori infection, and only those without infection were enrolled (because many Japanese patients have pan-gastritis caused by H pylori infection, and intestinal metaplasia distal to the squamocolumnar junction may be secondary to H pylori-induced gastritis). All biopsy specimens were stained with H and E; MUC2 immunostaining was used to identify specialized intestinal metaplasia. RESULTS: Thirty patients with short-segment columnar-lined esophagus underwent magnifying endoscopy with methylene blue. Ninety-three biopsy specimens were obtained, 33 from methylene blue-stained areas and 60 from unstained areas, each about 7 mm from the marginal edge of stained areas. Specialized intestinal metaplasia was confirmed in biopsy specimens from 28 of the 33 stained areas (sensitivity 84.8%); in biopsy specimens from 55 of the 60 unstained areas, specialized intestinal metaplasia was not found (specificity 91.7%). In magnified views of methylene blue-positive areas, a tubular, cavernous, or elliptical pattern was seen. Sixteen of 21 men (76.2%) and 3 of 9 women had specialized intestinal metaplasia, and short-segment Barrett's esophagus was diagnosed in these patients. Even in patients with less than 1 cm of columnar-lined esophagus, 8 of 10 stained areas contained specialized intestinal metaplasia (sensitivity 80%) and 23 of 24 unstained areas did not (specificity 95.8%). Six of 12 patients (50%) with less than 1 cm of columnar-lined esophagus had specialized intestinal metaplasia. In total, 19 of 30 patients had specialized intestinal metaplasia. CONCLUSIONS: Magnifying endoscopy with methylene blue selectively detects specialized intestinal metaplasia within short-segment columnar-lined esophagus.     

Scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach: A clinical and pathological study of 106 surgical cases

Clinical and pathological characteristics of scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach were studied in 106 cases treated by gastrectomy between 1973 and 1983. The male to female ratio was 0.58. The percentage of scirrhous carcinomas to all gastric carcinomas resected in the same period was three times higher in females than males. The age distribution of the patients suggested that there were two peaks in the forties and sixties in the male, and in the thirties and fifties in the female. The incidence of scirrhous carcinoma in all types of gastric carcinoma was significantly higher in the twenties, thirties and forties compared to the lowest incidence in the seventies. In the female group the primary lesion had a tendency to be adjacent to the fundic gland area and to avoid intestinal metaplasia. In the male the opposite was recognized. Cancer nests with single cells or only several cells were common in this type of carcinoma. These findings suggest that there might be two biologically different scirrhous carcinomas both in the male and the female, the appearance of single carcinoma cells might be favored by female sex hormones and young ages, and not only the original gastric mucosa but also mucosa with intestinal metaplasia could be precursors of single carcinoma cells.     

Sonographic classification of testicular tumors by tissue harmonic imaging: experience of 58 cases

Purpose

To evaluate the relationship between our proposed sonographic classification of testicular tumors by tissue harmonic imaging and histological type.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 58 testicular tumors and tumor-like lesions [seminomatous germ cell tumor (SGCT): 28; non-seminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT): 16; lymphoid and hematopoietic tumor (LHT): 7; Leydig cell tumor: 1; epidermal cyst: 2; and tumor of paratesticular structure (TPS): 4]. We divided a sonographic image into six types for morphological criteria and three types for color Doppler criteria. We examined the relationship between the sonographic classification and histological type.

Results

For morphological criteria, there were 21 cases of Type I (36%), 15 Type II (26%), 9 Type III (15%), five Type IV (9%), five Type V (9%), and three Type VI (5%). For color Doppler criteria, there were 47 cases classified as hypervascular (81%), eight as hypovascular (14%), and three as avascular (5%). Most of the SGCTs were divided into types I and II; the NSGCTs into types III, IV, and V; the LHTs into only type II; and the TPSs into type VI.

Conclusion

We established a sonographic classification of testicular tumors with various histological types. This sonographic classification is potentially useful for estimating the histological type of testicular tumors.