Clinicopathologic Study of Angiogenesis in Japanese Patients with Breast Cancer

p = 0.0007) and tumor necrosis (TN) (HMC: p = 0.0050). Univariate analysis showed that AMC or HMC was a statistically significant predictor of overall survival in all patients ( p = 0.0086 and p = 0.0307, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that AMC was an independent predictor of node status when we fitted a model with node status, BVI, and either AMC or HMC; but HMC was not independent. However, when we fitted a model including all 11 of the other indicators and AMC or HMC, the node status, HG, and LI were independent predictors, but AMC and HMC were not. Although AMC was a better method than HMC for evaluating angiogenesis, we cannot confirm angiogenesis as a significant independent prognostic factor associated with long-term survival in Japanese breast cancer patients.     

A case of pregnancy in a woman with cloacal dysgenesis and a rudimentary uterine horn

Cloacal dysgenesis is frequently associated with uterine anomalies. We report a case of pregnancy which resulted in an abortion in a woman with a persistent cloaca. Presumptive diagnosis before operation was ectopic pregnancy of the left tube. Postoperatively, the site of implantation of the conceptus was found to be the cavity of a unicornuate uterus in association with a rudimentary horn, the presence of which misled us to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy.      

Cyclic mechanical stretching and interleukin-1alpha synergistically up-regulate prostacyclin secretion in cultured human uterine myometrial cells.

Prostacyclin (PGI2), a potent uterine smooth muscle relaxant, is postulated to be a major prostaglandin (PG) secreted from the human myometrium. PGI2 metabolite concentrations in the maternal plasma were reported to be elevated during pregnancy, especially during labor. Recently, we developed cultured human myometrial cells from pregnant women and reported that cyclic mechanical stretching mimicking labor increased PGI2 secretion from these cells by up-regulating PGI2 synthase promoter activities. Since elevation of cervical/vaginal interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) concentrations is also a characteristic feature of delivery, and IL-1alpha is a known stimulator of PG synthesis, we investigated a possible synergistic effect of cyclic mechanical stretching and IL-1alpha on PGI2 production in cultured human myometrial cells. Treatment with IL-1alpha (10 ng/ml) significantly augmented (4- to 60-fold) the secretion of PGI2, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) from cultured human myometrial cells obtained from non-pregnant and pregnant women as well as in cultured human umbilical artery and cultured human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). However, labor-like cyclic mechanical stretching up-regulated IL-1alpha-augmented PGI2 secretion from myometrial cells obtained from non-pregnant and pregnant women 2.1- to 2.8-fold (p < 0.05 for all comparisons), but not PGE2, PGF2alpha nor TXA2. Moreover, such an augumentation of PGI2 secretion by cyclic mechanical stretching was not observed in cultured human umbilical artery nor in cultured human coronary artery smooth muscle cells. These results suggest that cyclic mechanical stretching by labor, in concert with IL-1alpha stimulation, contributes to the increase in myometrial PGI2 secretion during delivery.     

Pharmacokinetic and clinical studies with imipenem/cilastatin sodium in the pediatric field. Pediatric Study Group for Imipenem/Cilastatin Sodium

Pharmacokinetic and clinical studies of imipenem/cilastatin sodium (MK-0787/MK-0791), a new carbapenem antibiotic and a dehydropeptidase-I inhibitor, respectively, were carried out in a joint study in the pediatric field by a study group consisting of investigators at 16 institutions. The results were summarized below. Pharmacokinetic studies Peak plasma concentrations of MK-0787/MK-0791 were 27.7-190.0/28.3-216.4 micrograms/ml at doses of 10/10-50/50 mg/kg administered by a 30 or 60-minute drip infusion. The above findings proved that dose response was clearly observed. Over a period of 6 or 7 hours, the urinary excretion of MK-0787 and MK-0791 totaled 54.2-88.0% and 53.6-89.0% of the dose administered, respectively. Plasma half-lives of MK-0787 and MK-0791 in the beta-phase were 0.87-1.05 hours and 0.59-0.95 hour, respectively. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of MK-0787 in patients with purulent meningitis were 2.0-14.4 micrograms/ml; however, the penetration rate of the drug into the CSF was relatively poor in patients with normal meninges. Clinical study Clinical efficacy was evaluated in 283 patients. In 112 patients the daily dosage ranged from 30/30 mg/kg to 59/59 mg/kg, and in 138 patients it ranged from 60/60 mg/kg to 99/99 mg/kg. The maximum dose administered was 222/222 mg/kg. The drug was administered either 3 or 4 times per day. The clinical efficacy rate was 92.5% among 187 patients with identified etiologic pathogens. The drug was effective in 3 out of 4 patients with purulent meningitis and in 7 out of 10 patients with septicemia. The clinical efficacy rate was 96.7% in 90 patients with respiratory tract infection (pneumonia, lung abscess, etc.), 96.5% in 57 patients with urinary tract infection, 90.9% in 11 patients with SSTI. The clinical efficacy rate in those with no identified etiologic pathogen was 97.0% among 101 patients. Bacteriologically, the eradication rate for S. aureus was 87.9% of 33 isolates. Comprehensively, the eradication rate for Gram-positive bacteria was 94.7% of 75 isolates. The eradication rate for P. aeruginosa was 87.5% of 8 isolates. Including these strains, the eradication rate for Gram-negative bacteria was 90.3% of 134 isolates. The MK-0787/MK-0791 exhibited an eradication rate of 91.9% among a total of 211 Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria including anaerobes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Biliary cystadenoma with mesenchymal stroma of the liver: Correlation between unusual MR appearance and pathologic findings

We reported a case of the biliary cystadenoma of the liver. The cystic mass had labulation and septation and showed marked hyperintensity on T1-weighted images and hypointensity on T2-weighted images; MR findings were very unusual for cystadenoma. The content of the cystic mass was jelly-like, thick mucinous fluid without intracystic hemorrhage. We concluded that these unusual signal intensities of the cyst were due to hyperproteinous mucinous fluid.     

Development of new immunoradiometric assay for CA 125 antigen using two monoclonal antibodies produced by immunizing lung cancer cells

CA 125 is an antigen associated with non-mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer, which is defined by OC 125 antibody developed by immunizing ovarian cancer cells. We have produced two monoclonal antibodies, 130-22 and 145-9, by using the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line PC-9. Both 130-22 and 145-9 antibodies recognized CA 125 antigen. However, the binding sites seemed to be separate from those of OC 125. Testing by 9 immunoradiometric assays (IRMA), using different combinations of the 3 monoclonal antibodies 130-22, 145-9 and OC 125 demonstrated that the best standard curve for detecting CA 125 could be obtained by a "simultaneous sandwich" assay based on a mixture of 125I-labeled OC 125 and 130-22 or 145-9 coated beads. One-step IRMA, using 130-22 as a tracer and 145-9 as an immunoadsorbent, also showed good reproducibility and sensitivity for measuring CA 125. Antigens were detectable in the culture supernatants of PC-9 cells and 5 of 6 ovarian cancer and endometrial adenocarcinoma cells. These results indicate that one-step IRMA using 130-22 and 145-9 is useful for detecting CA 125 antigen.     

Ipsilateral atrophy in children with hemispheric cerebral tumors: CT findings

The CT findings of 19 children under 16 years of age with primary brain tumors in the cerebral hemisphere were investigated with special reference to the existence of cerebral hemiatrophy ipsilateral to the side of the tumor. "Ipsilateral cerebral hemiatrophy" was observed in four of 19 cases (21%). These included two cases with germinoma in the basal ganglia and two with low-grade astrocytoma in the frontal and occipital cortex. This peculiar CT finding was not specific to the location or histology of the tumor. The four cases were characterized by slow progression, which contrasted with the rapid progression of tumors shown in seven cases with a mass effect on CT.     

Treatment of delayed brain injury after pituitary irradiation

Treatment for delayed brain injury after pituitary irradiation is discussed. Six cases with delayed brain injury were treated with a combination of dexamethasone or betamethasone, with heparin, glycerol, dextran 40 and some vasodilators. Two cases with temporal lobe syndrome were treated in the early stages of brain injury for a period of over 12 months were almost completely cured, another two cases with chiasma syndrome were treated in the relatively late stages, showed a partial improvement. One case which was irradiated 120 GY during 13 years did not improve. The final case treated with steroids for a short period also resulted in failure and the patient underwent an operation for the removal of the necrotic mass three years after the radiotherapy. Steroid therapy started in the early stages of brain injury after irradiation for over the 12 months is thought to be effective. Heparin therapy was also effective in one out of three cases, but in one of the cases subarachnoid hemorrhage from a traumatic aneurysm occurred during the therapy. In an acute phase, showing edematous change of the injured brain, the administration of glycerol is also thought to be useful. But the effectiveness of the other medicines containing some vasodilators was obscure or doubtful. We propose the following: (1) A meticulous observation is essential for the patients who received high doses of irradiation to diagnose brain injury in the early reversible stage. (2) Steroids should be given immediately in this reversible stage of brain injury before the irreversible "necrosis" occurs. (3) Steroids should be maintained for a long period over 12 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)