A comparative study of CHOP therapy and COP-BLAM therapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in elderly patients]

Elderly patients (aged greater than or equal to 65 years) with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated either with CHOP or COP-BLAM therapy, and the effectiveness and reverse effects of COP-BLAM therapy were compared with those of CHOP therapy. Thirty-three patients (aged greater than or equal to 65 years) with previously untreated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were entered either on CHOP or COP-BLAM regimen between September, 1979 and February 1990. To CHOP therapy was performed in 15 patients (median age; 70 years). Eight of them had diffuse large cell type lymphoma (large), five had diffuse medium-sized cell type (medium) and two had diffuse mixed cell type (mixed). As to clinical stage, there were patients in stage II, 4 in stage III and 9 in stage IV in CHOP group. Of 18 patients (median age; 68 years), who were treated with COP-BLAM therapy, 8 had of large lymphoma and 10 medium lymphomas in histopathological classification. In terms of clinical stage, there were 5 patients in stage II, 4 in stage III and 9 in stage IV. CHOP therapy and COP-BLAM therapy were performed according to the method reported by McKelvey et al, and by Laurence et al., respectively, using the full doses of drugs without consideration the age. Complete remission (CR) was achieved in seven (46.7%) of 15 patients treated with CHOP therapy. In this group, five (38.5%) of 13 patients in advanced stages (stage III or IV) entered CR. Of 18 patients subjected to COP-BLAM therapy, 15 (83.3%) achieved CR. Among 13 patients in advanced stage treated with COP-BLAM therapy, CR was achieved in 11 (84.6%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Different effects of casein and soyabean protein on gastric emptying of protein and small intestinal transit after spontaneous feeding of diets in rats.

The effects of dietary casein and soyabean-protein isolate (SPI) on gastric emptying and small intestinal transit were observed in rats fed on an 80 g casein or 80 g SPI/kg diet. After a 24 h fast, rats were given 2 g of both the test diets containing 10 g guanidinated casein/kg diet as a marker protein. The amounts of the marker protein remaining in the stomach of the rats fed on the casein or SPI diet were similar and decreased to about 50% after 20 min. The emptying rate then slowed, especially in the casein group, so that the amount leaving the stomach after 1 h in the SPI group was slightly higher (P < 0.05). The small intestinal transit of chyme was estimated by a bolus injection of colloidal carbon suspension or of colloidal carbon and 3H-labelled polyethylene glycol through an implanted duodenal catheter 6 min before death. The average value of transit at 12, 20, 40 and 60 min after feeding of SPI diet was about 25% faster than that after casein diet. The transit velocity of the SPI group was also faster than that of the non-protein group 40 min after feeding. These findings reveal that SPI enhances the small intestinal transit of the liquid phase of chyme. There was no correlation between the gastric emptying of homarginine and small intestinal transit. This result suggest that the small intestinal transit of lumen contents is controlled by the dietary protein regardless of the gastric emptying of protein.     

Study of the duration of antimicrobial chemotherapy in mycoplasmal pneumonia]

We assessed the period of administration of antibiotics required for cases of mycoplasmal pneumonia. The subjects were 38 patients with mycoplasmal pneumonia admitted to our hospital. These patients were treated with 100 mg minocycline or 500 mg erythromycin by intravenous infusion twice a day. They were divided into a 6 day-administration group (Group A; 16 cases) and a 9 day-administration group (Group B; 17 cases). Administration was discontinued on the 4th day or earlier in 5 cases due to side effects. A comparative assessment was made between Groups A and B with respect to body temperature, WBC, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP, and chest X-ray on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th days of treatment, but no significant difference was observed. Residual shadows at the end of treatment were present in 100% of Group A and in 47% of Group B, but they disappeared gradually in both groups. No cases of recurrence were observed in either Group A or B within 1 month after the completion of treatment. Regarding the treatment period for mycoplasmal pneumonia by intravenous infusion of minocycline or erythromycin, no significant clinical difference was observed between the 6 day-administration group and the 9 day-administration group, suggesting that 6 days of administration is sufficient for treatment.     

Operation of female stress incontinence--comparison between Raz procedure and Gittes procedure]

We performed Raz procedure and Gittes procedure for female stress incontinence since October 1986. Raz procedure was performed on 19 patients between October 1986 and February 1990, and Gittes procedure was performed on 18 patients between June 1990 and May 1991. We followed up 17 patients who underwent Raz procedure and all the patients who underwent Gittes procedure at the time August 1991. Disappearance or marked improvement of incontinence was confirmed in 12 patients by Raz procedure, and 16 patients by Gittes Procedure. No serious complications were recognized. The reason why the result of Raz procedure was not sufficient was due to our immature operative technique and incorrect patient selection in our early experience. From this experience, we believe that both procedures can be very useful and minimal invasive operation for female stress incontinence.     

Effects of inhibitors of protein kinase C and Na+/H+ exchange on alpha 1-adrenoceptor-mediated inotropic responses in the rat left ventricular papillary muscle.

1. Alpha 1-adrenoceptor stimulation of rat left ventricular papillary muscle produced a triphasic inotropic response: an initial transient positive inotropic effect (PIE) followed by a transient negative inotropic effect (NIE) and a sustained PIE. 2. The protein kinase C inhibitor, staurosporine, at concentrations ranging from 30 nM to 100 nM inhibited the sustained PIE, but had no significant effect on the transient PIE and NIE. 3. H-7, 1-(5-isoquinoline sulphonyl)-2-methylpiperazine, a less specific inhibitor of protein kinase C than staurosporine, at a concentration of 100 microM inhibited both the transient NIE and the sustained PIE without affecting the transient PIE. 4. Amiloride, an inhibitor of Na+/H+ exchange, at concentrations ranging from 0.1 mM to 1 mM inhibited the sustained PIE and, at higher concentrations, also inhibited the transient NIE. 5. An amiloride analogue, 5-(N-methyl-N-isobutyl)amiloride (MIBA), inhibited only the sustained PIE with an IC50 of 0.3 microM which is approximately two orders of magnitude lower than amiloride. 6. The receptor-linked stimulation of Na+/H+ exchange through protein kinase C activation may be a mechanism for alpha 1-adrenoceptor-mediated sustained PIE.     

A 14-year-old with pulmonary hamartomatous lymphangiomyomatosis associated with bilateral pneumothoraces]

A 14-year-old girl was admitted because of cough, chest pain and hemosputum. Chest roentgenogram on admission showed a pneumothorax and a cavitary lesion with niveau formation in the right lung and cystic lesions in the bilateral lung fields. After bed rest and intravenous administration of antibiotics for two weeks, the right lung inflated well and the niveau formation disappeared, and the patient was discharged. One week later, she was readmitted with sudden-onset severe dyspnea, caused by bilateral pneumothoraces. Emergency tube thoracostomy and wedge resection of the bullous lesion was performed. Macroscopically, multiple small cystic changes were seen on the surface of the right lung. Histological examination revealed nodular proliferations of smooth muscle cells in the interstitium and vessel walls in the lung, which contained slit-like lymphatic channels. The diagnosis of pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis was made. In this case, we could not measure receptors for estrogen and progesterone. Recently, hormonal therapy and oophorectomy have been reported as being useful. Tamoxifen (Norvadex) was therefore initiated, and the patient has remained well with slight dyspnea on exertion. There has been no recurrence of pneumothorax. Lymphangiomyomatosis is a rare disease of unknown etiology which occurs exclusively in women, mostly in those of reproductive age. We report a 14-year-old female patient with lymphangiomyomatosis associated with repeated pneumothorax, who had been under treatment for epilepsy. We believe this case to be of importance because of the long discussed relation between pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis and tuberous sclerosis.     

Study of the transformation of weddellite to whewellite in calcium oxalate stones by x-ray diffraction

A clay film was made of the stone powder and water drops on a slide glass and dried at 100 to 110 degrees C or at room temperature in the horizontal position for 20 calcium oxalate stones which had been received between April, 1978 and August 1980. Each clay film was scanned with an X-ray diffractometer using CuK alpha radiation, stored at room temperature in a wooden sample case and analysed again by X-ray five to seven years after the first X-ray analysis. Then the recent diffractograms of 20 powder samples were compared with the previous ones regarding the peak heights at 14.2 degrees, 14.8 degrees and 25.8 degrees (2 theta), which were considered representative of weddellite, whewellite and apatite contents and designated as Iwe, Iwh and Iap, respectively. Since there was a good correlation between Iwe/Iwe + Iwh + Iap and weddellite/weddellite + whewellite + apatite that was determined by thermogravimetry (Fig. 1), the transformation rate of weddellite to whewellite can be expressed as the change of Iwe/Iwe + Iwh + Iap. One sample Iwe/Iwe + Iwh + Iap of which decreased by 48% in seven years (Fig. 3) and another sample Iwe/Iwe + Iwh + Iap of which increased by 10% in five years (Table) were excluded from this study because the clay films of these samples might have been overheated or incompletely dried before the first X-ray analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Superovulation-induced transient hyperprolactinemia in human in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer

To examine the effects of transient hyperprolactinemia on in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, 61 cycles in 50 euprolactinemic ovulatory women with irreparable tubal diseases were stimulated with clomiphene (CC) alone or CC and human menopausal gonadotropin followed by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Serum prolactin (PRL) increased after hCG administration with peak values of 45.4 +/- 4.2 ng/ml on the day of laparoscopic oocyte aspiration. The highest serum estradiol (E2) concentration was found on the day before PRL peak and serum progesterone (P) began to increase after hCG injection concomitant with the PRL rise. The group having 50 ng/ml or more of PRL (34 cycles) had significantly higher levels of E2 during preovulatory and early luteal phase compared to those of the group having less than 50 ng/ml of PRL (27 cycles) but there was no significant difference between the P levels in the two groups. In the higher PRL group 72 (62.1%) of 116 collected oocytes were fertilized and 6 (20.0%) conceived. In the lower PRL group 45 oocytes (58.4%) of 77 were fertilized and 3 (12.5%) became pregnant. These data suggest that elevated serum PRL concentrations may have no effect on fertilization of oocytes in vitro or embryonic development.     

Phenotypic and genetic analyses of T-cell-mediated immunoregulation in patients with Type 1 diabetes.

AIMS: To investigate the contribution of regulatory T cells and co-stimulatory molecules in CD4(+) T cells to the development of Type 1 diabetes (T1D). METHODS: Twelve patients with T1D, nine patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 12 age-matched healthy control subjects participated. We analysed the proportions of CD25(+)CD4(+) T cells and natural killer T cells (NKT cells), and the expression levels of Foxp3, CTLA-4, CD28, ICOS, PD-1 and BTLA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and purified CD4(+) T cells. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the proportions of CD25(+) CD4(+) T cells or NKT cells among the three groups. PD-1 expression levels of peripheral CD4(+) T cells from T1D patients were significantly lower than those from healthy control subjects (P = 0.00066). In contrast, PD-1 expression levels were similar in SLE patients and healthy control subjects. The expression levels of Foxp3, CTLA-4, CD28, ICOS and BTLA were similar in the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased expression of the PD-1 gene in CD4(+) T cells may contribute to the development and/or maintenance of autoimmune T1D. As the population studied was small and heterogeneous, further studies are required to confirm the findings.