Practical application of nutritional assessment protein and inflammatory marker in the nutrition support team (NST)

Recently nutrition support team (NST) has been established for the purpose of prevention of complications which are caused by nutrition disorders and reduction of the medical expenses. Although physical examinations and blood biochemical data had been used as the indexes evaluating nutritional of patients, they were not suitable for the evaluation for the short-term in-patient. On the contrary, serum albumin (ALB) has been wildly used as a nutritional marker. However, it is impossible to evaluate nutrition state for the short-term in-patient and acute phase disease patient accurately, because the plasma half-life is 21 days and it takes long time to detect the change in nutritional state by its value. Rapid turnover proteins (RTP), whose plasma half-life is shorter, has paid attention to evaluate nutritional state for the short-term in-patients and acute phase disease patients. Although, prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index (PINI) was considered as a useful maker for evaluating inflammatory and nutritional states using the concentrations of transthyretin (TTR), a RTP, alpha1-acid glycoprotein (alpha1-AG), a chronic inflammation marker, C reactive protein (CRP), a acute inflammation marker, and ALB, However, it has several pitfalls. We newly made serum amyloid A (SAA) index using SAA instead of CRP. When we compared SAA index with PINI in many diseases, it turned out that SAA index became a more effective index which reflected the patient condition than did PINI. As for this index, it is expected to be used by NST while further alternation may be needed.     

Isolation and mapping of a polymorphic CA repeat sequence at the human VRK1 locus

VRK1 is a novel human putative serine/threonine kinase, and is located on chromosome 14 at band q32 where an autosomal recessive congenital microphthalmia (CMIC) is mapped. We isolated a polymorphic dinucleotide CA repeat marker from a genomic clone containing the human VRK1 gene. This polymorphism will be useful in genetic studies of disorders localized at the 14q32 region, such as CMIC. Received: October 8, 1998 / Accepted: October 16, 1998     

The influence of bioglass on the growth of fibroblasts

The influence of Bioglass (BG) on the growth of L cells was studied by means of tissue culture, to get an idea on its bone-bonding mechanism. Growth rate of L cells on BG was lower than that on the control silica glass (SG). L cells on BG diminished in size and took up long and slender polygonal shapes with radially spread long pseudopods, which probably meant that the cell cycle was detained at the synthetic period. From these findings, BG is thought to have an inhibitory effect on the growth of L cells, which might arrest the fibrous tissue encapsulation and allow bonding with bone.     

Prostaglandin D2 increases Cl secretion across canine tracheal epithelium through cyclo-oxygenase stimulation and cAMP production.

Prostaglandin (PG) D2 is one cyclo-oxygenase product of arachidonic acid metabolites that may play a role in the pathogenesis of asthma. To determine the effect of PGD2 on ion transport by airway epithelium and its mechanism of action, we measured bioelectric properties of canine cultured tracheal epithelium under short-circuit conditions in vitro. PGD2 (10(-7) M) increased short-circuit current (Isc) from 5.5 +/- 1.2 to 14.1 +/- 2.9 microA cm-2 (means +/- SE, P less than 0.01) when added to the mucosal solution, and to 22.2 +/- 3.8 microA cm-2 (P less than 0.001) when added to the submucosal solution, an effect that was accompanied by the corresponding increases in transepithelial potential difference and conductance. These effects were dose-dependent. The PGD2-induced increase in Isc was not altered by preincubation of cells with autonomic antagonists (phentolamine, propranolol, atropine), the lipoxygenase inhibitor AA-861, the protein kinase C inhibitor H-7, or the Na channel blocker amiloride, but it was inhibited by each of indomethacin, piroxicam, the Cl channel blocker diphenylamine-2-carboxylate, the Cl transport inhibitor furosemide, and Cl-free medium. Intracellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) levels were dose-dependently increased by PGD2. These results suggest that PGD2 may selectively stimulate airway epithelial Cl secretion via cyclo-oxygenase- and cAMP-dependent pathway.     

Synthesis of poly(vinyl alcohol) having a thiol group at one end and new block copolymers containing poly(vinyl alchohol) as one constitent

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(vinyl acetate) having a thiol group at one end were synthesized by free-radical polymerization of vinyl acetate in presence of thioacetic acid as a chain transfer agent followed by treating with sodium hydroxide/methanol and ammonia, respectively. It was found that block copolymers containing the PVA sequence as one constituent were obtained by the redox-initiated polymerization of some vinyl monomers, for example, acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AAm), using PVA having a thiol end group as reductant and an oxidant such as potassium bromate and potassium persulfate.     

A novel translocation involving chromosomes 2, 9, 14, and 22 in chronic myeloid leukemia

A 46-year-old man with chronic myelogenous leukemia was found to have a new complex translocation. In chronic phase, all of the bone marrow cells had a rearrangement of a t(2;9;14;22) (p21;q34;q32;q11). Southern blot analysis of leukocyte DNA revealed rearrangement of the breakpoint cluster region (bcr) within the 5.8-Kb bcr. The patient eventually died in blast crisis 28 months later. The cytogenetic findings of bone marrow cells showed a 46,XY,t(2;9;14;22)(p21;q34;q32;qll),add(lp),del(3q) karyotype in blast crisis.     

CHEMOTACTIC ACTIVITY FOR POLYMORPHONUCLEAR AND MONONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES IN RHEUMATOID SYNOVIAL FLUIDS

In order to why polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) are predominant and mononuclear leukocytes (MNLs) are few in rheumatoid synovial fluids, chemotactic factor(s) for PMNs and MNLs were studied in the synovial fluids of rheumatoid arthritis (RA-SF) and osteoarthritis (OA-SF) using both Boyden's and agarose methods. The RA-SF showed strong chemotactic activity for human peripheral blood PMNs compared with non-rheumatoid OA-SF. The chemotactic activity for PMNs was well correlated with the number of PMNs in RA-SF, suggesting that it was a natural mediator for PMN emigration into rheumatoid joint cavity. The major chemotactic factor for PMN in RA-SF was of apparent molecular weight of 14,000 and its activity was suppressed to less than 10 percent by anti-C5a antibody, but it failed to show any anaphylatoxin activity which was an attribute of C5a. It was, therefore, suggested to be C5a-like molecule but not C5a itself. The possibility that the factor may be a C5a des-Arg was discussed. On the contrary, the chemotactic activity for MNLs was not found neither in RA-SF nor OA-SF. These findings may explain the fact that PMNs are predominant in rheumatoid synovial fluids.