Chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced or recurrent olfactory neuroblastoma

Background: Olfactory neuroblastoma is a rare sino‐nasal tumor arising from the olfactory epithelium and is often characterized by local invasion or metastasis. The role of chemotherapy in the treatment of this tumor is unclear. The purpose of this study was to review our institution’s experience of chemotherapy for advanced or recurrent olfactory neuroblastoma. Methods: Twenty‐one patients with histologically proven olfactory neuroblastoma were treated at our institution between 1992 and 2002. Twelve of these patients received chemotherapy in the setting of unresectable or recurrent disease and were retrospectively reviewed for clinical characteristics, treatment outcome or survival. Results: Eight patients of the 12 patients received cisplatin‐based chemotherapy and the remaining four patients received chemotherapy consisting of docetaxel plus irinotecan (three patients) or cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and vincristine (1 patient). A partial response was achieved in five patients, with an overall response rate of 42%, although the chemotherapeutic regimens were heterogeneous. Two partial responses were obtained among the three patients who received docetaxel plus irinotecan. The response rate to chemotherapy was 83% in the younger age group (<40 years), as opposed to 0% in the older age group (≥40 years), and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Our study indicated that olfactory neuroblastoma would be sensitive to chemotherapy, especially with young patients. Docetaxel plus irinotecan has the possibility of showing favorable response, and warrants further investigation.     

Effect of manoalide on apoptosis induced by deprivation of growth factors in vascular endothelial cells

研究ｍａｎｏａｌｉｄｅ对除去生长因子（ａＦＧＦ和血清）而诱导的血管内皮细胞凋亡的影响．方法：通过细胞形态观察,ＤＮＡ凝胶电泳及荧光显微术等方法确定ｍａｎｏａｌｉｄｅ对细胞凋亡的抑制或促进作用．结果：向去除ａＦＧＦ和血清的培养液中加低浓度的ｍａｎｏａｌｉｄｅ（１－４μｍｏｌ·Ｌ－１）,培养细胞４８ｈ,细胞的脱壁和ＤＮＡ片断化受到抑制;ｍａｎｏａｌｉｄｅ浓度为７μｍｏｌ·Ｌ－１时,促进细胞脱壁和ＤＮＡ片断化．结论：低浓度的ｍａｎｏａｌｉｄｅ（２μｍｏｌ·Ｌ－１）抑制血管内皮细胞凋亡,而较高浓度的ｍａｎｏａｌｉｄｅ（７μｍｏｌ·Ｌ－１）促进该细胞凋亡．     

A Xanthanolide with Potent Antibacterial Activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

This study was conducted to find constituents of an annual herb, Xanthium sibiricum Patr er Widd, with effective antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). By monitoring antibacterial activity against MRSA strains, it was shown that a sesquiterpene lactone, identified as [3aR-(3aα,7β,8aβ)]-3,3a,4,7,8,8a-hexahydro-7-methyl-3-methylene-6-(3-oxo-1-butenyl)-2H-cyclohepta[b]furan-2-one, or xanthatin, isolated from leaves of the herb, had outstandingly potent activity against S. aureus species, including MRSA; its activity against MRSA and MSSA strains was similar. Other bacteria, e.g. Staphylococcus epidermidis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi, were also susceptible at the concentrations tested but the compound had no inhibitory effect on some other bacteria, including Escherichia coli. The results show that xanthatin has outstandingly potent activity against strains of S. aureus but that the activity of the compound is highly species-specific.     

Studies on the structure of a novel peptide antibiotic,K-582

A novel peptide antibiotic, K-582, which exhibited significant growth inhibition of Candida, viruses and ascites tumor in mice, was found in the culture medium of a strain of Metarhizium anisopliae by Kondo et al. (J. Antibiotics 33 , 535–542 (1980)]. K-582 consisted of two components, designated K-582 A and K-582 B. Threonine, tyrosine, ornithine, and an unusual amino acid were common in both peptides, but lysine was an extra component of K-582 A. The unusual amino acid was identified to be threo-γ-hydroxy-L-arginine (OHArg) by means of mass, nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectrometries of the derivatives and the related compounds. The threonine and the arginine were assigned to be L-configuration, and the ornithine and the tyrosine to be D-configuration in both K-582 A and K-582 B, and the lysine to be L-configuration by comparison of their optical rotatory dispersion spectra with those of standard amino acids. The elucidation of primary structure revealed that they were closely related heptapeptides with the following sequence: K-582 A:H-Arg-OHArg-Orn-Thr-Orn-Lys-Tyr-OH; K-582 B:H-Arg-OHArg-Orn-Thr-Orn-OHArg-Tyr-OH, and had the identical sequence in terms of the configuration of their constituents, namely L-L-D-L-D-L-D.     

A Randomized Comparison of the Straight Linear Approach with Electrogram Mapping Focal Approach in Selective Slow Pathway Ablation

HAYASHI, M., et al. : A Randomized Comparison of the Straight Linear Approach with Electrogram Mapping Focal Approach in Selective Slow Pathway Ablation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the anatomic linear approach in selective AVN slow pathway ablation, in comparison to the widely used electrogram mapping focal approach. It remains undetermined whether or not anatomic linear ablation has a greater potential for eliminating slow pathway conduction than does focal ablation. Fifty consecutive patients (21 men, 29 women, age  56 ± 14  years) with common type AVNRT were randomly assigned to the linear approach (25 patients) or local electrogram mapping approach (25 patients). A linear lesion was created between the tricuspid annulus, at the midlevel of the coronary sinus (CS) ostium, and the anterior aspect of the CS infundibulum. In 22 (88%) patients in the linear group, the AVNRT was successfully eliminated by  1.5 ± 0.8  linear RF applications without any complications. All 25 patients in the focal group satisfied the endpoint criteria after  3.8 ± 2.4  focal RF deliveries. The success rate did not significantly differ between the two groups. Out of the 22 patients with a successful outcome in the linear group, 17 (77%) attained complete abolition of the slow pathway conduction, whereas this was observed in only eight (32%) patients in the focal group (  P < 0.005  ). The session time was significantly shorter in the linear group. Recurrence of the tachycardia was not documented in any patient during a mean follow-up of  18 ± 8  months except one with residual slow pathway conduction in the focal ablation group. In conclusion, the anatomic linear approach can be performed safely and possesses a greater potential for slow pathway interruption compared to the electrogram mapping focal approach.     

The Use of Flexible Hysterofiberscope (FUJINON) in Transcervical Chorionic Villi Sampling, and Its Evaluation

Abstract Under real-time ultrasonographic guidance, chorionic villi sampling (CVS) was performed either by direct punch biopsy with FUJINON therapeutic flexible hysterofiberscope (HYS-FT), or by catheter aspiration biopsy after observation with FUJINON hysterofiberscope (HYS-F). The former method was performed in 2 pregnant women, the latter in 11. The chorion frondosum was observed three dimensionally in all cases. Except for one unsuccessful sampling in our first cases in which CVSs were performed, all attempts were successful, and diagnoses duly completed (11 cases of chromosome analyses and one case of DNA analysis). No serious complications appeared in any case immediately after sampling or on the 1st and 7th days. Ultrasonography showed no adverse effects on fetal heart rate, no hematoma at the site of CVS and no injury to the gestational sac. Uterine bleeding was rarely witnessed. Except for one spontaneous abortion and one intra-uterine fetal death (IUFD) due to placenta previa, all other newborns were healthy. With some improvements, this CVS is believed to be an effective method.     

Factors Influencing the Postoperative Course 113 Patients With Early Gastric Cancer

One hundred and thirteen patients with early gastric canceroperated on during the period from 1967 to 1982 were followedup until 1985; 24 of them died. The 5- and 10-year cumulativesurvival rates of 99 patients, excluding 14 (12.4%) who diedof diseases unrelated to gastric cancer, were 97.8% and 89.1%,respectively. Of the 24 deaths, seven were due to recurrenceof gastric cancer, one to pulmonary metastasis found preoperativelyand 16 to diseases unrelated to gastric cancer. Recurrence took the form hepatic metastasis in four cases, bonemetastasis in two and recurrence in the gastric remnant in one.The metastases were distant in the majority of cases of recurrence,and recurrence characteristically occurred late, with six patientsdying more than 5 years and one dying 10 years after surgery.The recurrences were mostly found in patients with poorly differentiatedadenocarcinoma. On the other hand, the causes of death in 16 patients were diseasesunrelated to gastric cancer, i.e., primary cancer of other organsin six, operative complications, heart diseases, senility, andpneumonia in two each, and a traffic accident and apoplexy inone each. Thus, Many of the deaths were due to primary cancerof other organs. Four patients underwent noncurative resection. One had lungmetastasis found preoperatively and the remaining three hadpositive margins. The latter three did not undergo a secondoperation, but the causes of their deaths were not recurrenceof gastric cancer. It is necessary to follow up patients from the standpoint notonly of recurrence of gastric cancer, but also of diseases otherthan gastric cancer and multiple gastric cancer in elderly patients.