A clinical study on primary renal pelvic tumors

Sixteen cases of primary renal pelvic tumor treated at our Department between July, 1971 and June, 1984, were reviewed. The sixth decade predominated over other age groups and occupied 47.3% of all cases (average: 63.9 years). The sex ratio was 4.3:1 with male patients predominating over female patients. The incidence of the affected side was equal; 8 cases in the right and 8 cases in the left renal pelvis. The most common initial symptom was macroscopic hematuria in 13 cases (81.2%), followed by flank pain in 2 cases (12.5%). The major findings in IVP were filling defect in 11 cases (68.7%) and non-visualizing kidney in 4 cases (25.0%). Positive urinary cytology was obtained in 6 cases (49.1%) by voided urine specimen and 4 cases (50.0%) by catheterized urine specimen. Histologically, all cases were transitional cell carcinoma; 11 of them were low stage and 5 were high stage at the initial diagnosis. Nine patients(56.1%) were treated by total nephroureterectomy associated with partial cystectomy. The over all survival rate at 1,2,3,4 and 5 years was 86%, 78%, 78%, 68% and 68%, respectively, by the Kaplan-Meier method. The five year survival rate was 80% for the low stage group and 0% for the high stage group. (p less than 0.05, generalized Wilcoxon test). The five year survival rate was 83% for the low grade group and 40% for the high grade group. (p less than 0.05, Generalized Wilcoxon test) Among several factors, stage and grade of the tumor were the most influencing factors for prognosis.     

Malignant progression of adenomyoepithelial adenosis of the breast

A case of breast tumor is described, which consisted of dense and uniform proliferation of ducts and lobules composed of both epithelial and myoepithelial cells and in which multiple foci of adenocarcinoma were observed. The tumor surrounding the carcinoma foci was identified as 'adenomyoepithelial adenosis'. Adenomyoepithelial adenosis was not monoclonal by clonal analysis, but revealed a relatively high labeling index for proliferating cell nuclear antigen by immunohistochemistry. Although it was still undetermined whether adenomyoepithelial adenosis is a non-clonal nonneoplastic lesion or a biclonal neoplastic one, the lesion was shown to reveal high proliferative activity in both glandular epithelial and myoepithelial cells and was considered to be prone to progress to obvious carcinoma.     

Ultracytochemistry of glycogen particles in human erythroblasts

Summary We examined the fine structural distribution of glycogen particles in the cells of the erthrocyte series from thirty individuals with or without hematological disorders using the periodic acid-thiocarbo hydrazide-silver proteinate (PA-TCH-SP) technique, which is known to extend PAS staining to the ultrastructural level. In diseases exhibiting dyserythropoiesis, such as refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB) and juvenile chronic myelocytic leukemia (JCML), glycogen particles remarkably increased. In diseases showing hypererythropoiesis such as iron deficiency anemia, hemolytic anemia, or in cells obtained from very small premature infants, an increase in glycogen particles was observed in most cases. Compared to the PAS staining technique, which also utilizes the periodic acid reaction, the PA-TCH-SP technique appears to be more sensitive for visualizing glycogen particles in PAS negative cells, in addition to its capability of demonstrating the distribution of periodate reactive substance at the fine structural level.     

Use of chlorhexidine gluconate to inhibit dental plaque accumulation in Macaca speciosa.

Oral swabbing with 2% aqueous chlorhexidine gluconate together with thorough approximal flossing effectively reduce plaque accumulation to negligible levels in M. speciosa.     

Quantitation of Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia by Morphometry in Japanese Patients

With the aid of an image processor, the length of the intestinal metaplasia (IM) was recorded in 33 gastrectomy specimens (23 with early gastric cancer and 10 with gastric peptic ulcer). A total of 1917 sections were analyzed. The length of the areas with IM and the total length of the muscularis mucosa were measured in individual sections. The resulting ratio (length of IM/length of muscularis mucosa) was noted as the intestinal metaplasia index (IMI), as an expression of the extension of IM in the specimens. The IMI was influenced by the age of the patient and by the histologic type of the tumor: a higher IMI was found among older patients and among patients with adenocarcinoma of intestinal type. A comparison with a similar study done in gastrectomy specimens from Swedish patients indicates that despite the latter group being older, and the tumors being more advanced, the IM was much more extended in the gastric mucosa of the Japanese patients with gastric adenocarcinomas of intestinal type. From the results it is suggested that extended IM in the gastric mucosa may have some bearing on the histogenesis of gastric carcinomas, particularly adenocarcinomas of intestinal type.     

Expression of HGF and cMet in the peripheral nervous system of adult rats following sciatic nerve injury

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) exhibits neurotrophic properties on different types of neuron, including motor, sensory and parasympathetic neurons. We demonstrate that sciatic nerve ligation induces an increase of the HGF receptor, c-met, mRNA in the distal segment of the sciatic nerve to the ligation site and a delayed elevation in the proximal segment. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed co-localization of cMet and GFAP and indicates that Schwann cells express cMet in the sciatic nerve after injury. HGF mRNA was detected in the spinal cord and DRG, and nerve injury did not alter the expression. These data demonstrate that the expression of HGF and cMet in the peripheral nervous system shows the unique pattern of regulation following nerve injury.