Morphological evaluation of areas of damage in blunt cardiac injury and investigation of traffic accident research

Purpose  

This study investigated the relation between the cause of blunt cardiac injury and areas of damage. For the purpose of injury prevention, we also examined traffic accident cases in a micro study using engineering-based medicine.     

Analysis of clinical significance of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP antibody) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)]

OBJECTIVE: To examine clinical significance of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP antibody) in RA. METHODS: Hundred fifteen patients with polyarthralgia (89 females, 26 males) were recruited, and subjected for the study. We studied anti-CCP antibody, ESR, CRP, IgM-RF, IgG-RF, RAPA, MMP-3, CARF, C1q-IC, Stage, Class, Joint score, Sharp score, KL-6, SP-D, chest CT. RESULTS: Anti-CCP antibody test had high specificity (93.5%). In RA with positive anti-CCP antibody, Sharp score (10.9+/-22.4) was higher than those with negative anti-CCP (1.7+/-1.8), and may serve as a prognostic marker of joint destruction (P<0.05). Anti-CCP antibody in RA with interstitial pneumonia is higher (84.5+/-36.4 U/mL) than those without interstitial pneumonia (52.6+/-44.7 U/mL) (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Anti-CCP antibody is useful for diagnosis of RA, and could be a specific marker of joint destruction. Further investigation is necessary to clarify the relation of anti-CCP antibody with organ involvement and activity of RA.     

Clinical diagnosis of soft tissue tumors

In the clinical diagnosis of a soft tissue tumor, it is important to determine whether the lesion is malignant as soon as possible. To establish such a diagnosis we perform aspiration cytology and needle biopsy simultaneously with computed radiography (CR) and echosonogram at the first visit. After the first day's investigations, it is usually possible to select the surgical procedures based on the working diagnosis in almost all patients. When the lesion is clearly benign by diagnosis, excision can be performed. For large lesions or lesions that are suspected to be malignant, CT, magnetic resonance imaging , isotope-investigation, and arteriography are also performed, effectively providing precision in an already established diagnosis. These imaging findings are useful for establishing a surgical plan by anticipating the surgical line of the safety margin. For these few patients in whom the diagnosis still remains uncertain or when preoperative treatment is planned, an incisional or excisional biopsy may be necessary to establish the final diagnosis. When preoperative treatment is performed, the effectiveness of this treatment can be evaluated by medical imaging. Received for publication on Nov. 16, 1997     

Plasma 18-oxocortisol levels in the patients with adrenocortical disorders

OBJECTIVES 18-Oxocortisol (18oxoF) shares structural characteristics with cortisol and aldosterone and is secreted from the adrenal cortex. It has been reported that 18oxoF has weak gluco and mineralo-corticoid activities and increases blood pressure when administered to animals. We tried to clarify the characteristics of the production of 18oxoF in patients with adrenocortical disorders compared with the control subjects.
DESIGN AND PATIENTS In patients with primary aldosteronism due to aldosterone producing adenoma (APA) ( n = 21) and Cushing's disease or syndrome (Cushing's disease n = 13; adrenocortical adenoma n = 10), plasma 18oxoF level early in the morning following an overnight fast was evaluated as well as plasma cortisol and aldosterone levels.
RESULTS The plasma 18oxoF levels were significantly higher in the patients with adrenocortical disorders than in control subjects. The ratios of 18oxoF/cortisol and 18oxoF/ aldosterone were high in APA and in Cushing's disease and syndrome patients, respectively. In the control subjects and combined group of patients with Cushing's disease and syndrome, plasma 18oxoF level significantly correlated with plasma cortisol level but not with aldosterone level. However, in APA patients plasma 18oxoF level correlated significantly with both cortisol and aldosterone levels.
CONCLUSION The production of 18oxoF was elevated as a result of the hyperactivity of 18-hydroxylase and excess cortisol production in APA patients and in patients with Cushing's disease and syndrome, respectively. An excess 18oxoF production could be playing a role in the pathogenesis of hypertension in these patients. The correlation of plasma 18oxoF levels with plasma cortisol and aldosterone levels suggests that the production of 18oxoF is more dependent on the supply of cortisol than on 18-hydroxylase activity in normal subjects and patients with Cushing's disease and syndrome.     

Alpha9beta1: a novel osteoclast integrin that regulates osteoclast formation and function.

We identified a previously unknown integrin, alpha(9)beta(1), on OCLs and their precursors. Antibody to alpha(9) inhibited OCL formation in human marrow cultures, and OCLs from alpha(9) knockout mice had a defect in actin ring reorganization and an impaired bone resorption capacity. INTRODUCTION: Integrins play important roles in osteoclast (OCL) formation and function. Mature OCLs mainly express alpha(v)beta(3) integrin, a heterodimer adhesion receptor that has been implicated in osteoclastic bone resorption. We identified ADAM8, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase, as a novel stimulator of OCL differentiation and showed that the disintegrin domain of ADAM8 mediated its effects on OCL formation. Because the disintegrin domain of ADAM8 does not bind Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequences, we determined which integrin bound ADAM8 and characterized its role in OCL formation and activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) expressing different integrin subunits were tested for their capacity to bind the disintegrin domain of ADAM8. Mouse or human bone marrow cells and purified OCL precursors were tested for alpha(9)beta(1) integrin expression by Western blot, immunocytochemistry, and real-time RT-PCR. A monoclonal antibody to human alpha(9) was used to block alpha(9)beta(1) on OCL precursors stimulated by 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3)] or RANKL. Vertebrae of 7-day-old alpha(9)(-/-) mice and wildtype (WT) littermates were compared using bone histomorphometry and 3D microCT analysis. RESULTS: Alpha(9) integrin was expressed by mouse and human bone marrow-derived OCLs and their precursors. Importantly, the anti-alpha(9) antibody inhibited human OCL formation stimulated by 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) or RANKL dose-dependently. Furthermore, analysis of OCLs formed in marrow cultures from alpha(9)(-/-) mice showed that the OCLs formed were more contracted and formed significantly less bone resorption pits on dentin slices. Histologic analysis of alpha(9)(-/-) vertebrae showed thickened trabecular regions and retained cartilage within vertebral bodies of alpha(9)(-/-) mice. 3D microCT analysis of alpha(9)(-/-) vertebrae also showed a significant increase in trabecular bone volume/total tissue volume and a tendency for decreased trabecular separation compared with WT mice. CONCLUSIONS: These results support a previously unknown role for alpha(9)beta(1) integrin in OCL formation and function.     

Angiographic demonstration of no-flow anatomical patency of internal thoracic-coronary artery bypass grafts.

To clarify the no-flow situation of the stringlike internal thoracic artery graft, we angiographically examined such grafts by temporarily occluding the recipient coronary artery with a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty balloon and were able to reveal anatomical patency of the internal thoracic artery graft in 2 patients 1 year and 3 years after the operations. Thus, there is a possibility that internal thoracic artery grafts may continuously maintain anatomical patency even under no-flow situations just like nonfunctioning collateral vessels and may function properly later as a graft when the native coronary flow decreases. Also, this angiographic technique can be a new method for detecting anatomical patency of no-flow and functionally closed internal thoracic artery grafts.     

New method for bioavailability assessment of slow-release preparations of theophylline

Variability in an individual's clearance of theophylline is an important consideration when estimating bioavailability. A method is described for compensating for this problem, using the serum concentration of theophylline and urinary excretion data on its major metabolites to make an estimation of the clearance after oral administration using the intravenous dose as reference. The method is particularly useful for assessing the bioavailability of slow-release theophylline preparations.