Metabolic study on chondroitin sulfates in rabbits

The metabolic studies on three types of chondroitin sulfates in rabbits were performed. The analyses of chondroitin sulfates gave the following results concerning their metabolic behavior. 1) Desulfation of chondroitin sulfates on GalNAc C6 position was observed more clearly after the administration of low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate (molecular weight, 6000 and 16,000) than after that of high molecular weight one (molecular weight, 50,000). 2) The disappearance velocities of the administered low molecular weight chondroitin sulfates in the blood and those of excretion into the urine were faster than those of high molecular weight one. 3) Intact chondroitin sulfates were excreted into the urine after the administration of low molecular weight chondroitin sulfates, while chondroitin sulfates having more than 30000 molecular weight were not detected in the collected urine after the administration of high molecular weight one.     

Rupture of the flexor pollicis longus in von Recklinghausen''s disease

An unusual cause of inability to flex the interphalangeal joint of the thumb in a patient with von Recklinghausen's disease is reported. A tumor in the cubital fossa and the basic characteristics of this disease led to a preoperative misdiagnosis of anterior interosseous nerve paralysis. However, surgical exploration and histological examination showed that the correct diagnosis was rupture of the flexor pollicis longus tendon caused by intratendinous proliferation of a neurofibroma. This is the first report in the English-language literature of a flexor tendon rupture caused by intratendinous tumor proliferation.     

Dynamic MR cholangiography after fatty meal loading: cystic contractility and dynamic evaluation of biliary stasis.

PURPOSE: Dynamic MR cholangiography was conducted on patients with cholelithiasis or choledocholithiasis who had consumed a fatty test meal (Molyork) and the cystic contractility and dynamics of biliary stasis was evaluated. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The subjects were 25 with intracystic cholelithiasis, 10 with choledocholithiasis and 10 normal controls. For an imaging sequence, the rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) method was employed and imaging was conducted for 40 min (every 30 s following Molyork administration) without breath-holding. The gallbladder contraction ratio was computed and the contractile ratio for the common bile duct was calculated. To determine the bile flow to the duodenum, the high-intensity signal, indicating the flow from the lower common bile duct, and perfusion of the duodenum were observed in dynamic mode on the monitor with the naked eye and interpreted as positive bile flow. The frequency of this flow was visually monitored. RESULTS: The gallbladder contractile ratio was significantly reduced in patients with cholelithiasis or choledocholithiasis compared with the controls. In a comparison with the normal controls, no sequential changes were noted in the mean contractile ratio of the common bile duct of the patients with cholelithiasis or choledocholithiasis. The mean frequency of bile flow observed for each 40 min period was 13+/-2.4, 6+/-2.2, and 4+/-1.3 times for the controls, those with intracystic cholelithiasis, and those with choledocholithiasis, respectively. Compared with the controls, the latter two patient groups showed evident reductions in the frequency of bile flow to the duodenum (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Dynamic MRC combined with Molyork loading makes it possible to compute cystic contractile ratios and perform a dynamic examination of bile flow under non-invasive, near-physiological conditions.     

Renal metastasis of thyroid carcinoma

We report here the sixth known case of metastatic renal tumor of thyroid carcinoma. In 1999, a 37-year-old man was referred to us with a left renal mass found incidentally by ultrasound during an annual check-up. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a well-defined, hyperdense mass 3 cm in diameter in the middle of the left kidney. Left radical nephrectomy was performed under the preoperative diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. Histologically, the tumor was metastatic of typical papillary thyroid carcinoma.     

Efficacy of dynamic MRI with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SH U 555 A): vascularity evaluation in hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: A study was conducted to determine the possibility of evaluating the blood flow in cases of hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by employing dynamic MRI with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SH U 555 A), which can be rapidly injected via an intravenous route. METHODS: Six patients with hypervascular HCC (23 nodules) served as the subjects. Dynamic MRI includes images obtained at precontrast and at 10 (perfusion phase), 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 and 600 s after the start of injection of SH U 555 A. CT hepatic arteriography (CTHA) and CT during arterial portography (CTAP) were used as the standards of reference, and these were performed in all patients three days after dynamic MRI. The signal changes were evaluated at each phase, especially at the perfusion phase from the viewpoints of a lesion-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and visual examination. RESULTS: A total of 23 hypervascular HCC were detected on CTHA and CTAP. Of the 23 lesions, 17 were detected on SH U 555 A enhanced MRI. Incorrect timing during acquisition of the perfusion phase was considered in two cases with three lesions. Of 14 lesions, excluding two cases with incorrect timing, a reduction in the transient signal in the lesions at the perfusion phase was visually recognized in 10 lesions (71%). Significant differences were seen in tumor size between visible and non-visible tumors involving transient signal reduction (p< 0.05). CNR gradually increased after rapidly decreasing in the perfusion phase. CONCLUSION: SH U 555 A enhanced MRI is valuable in limited cases. Evaluation of tumor blood flow employing dynamic MRI with SH U 555 A is affected by tumor size and requires optimal timing of the perfusion phase.     

Human lymphocytes synthesize C-reactive protein

We obtained evidence for the synthesis and secretion of C-reactive protein (CRP) by peripheral mononuclear cells in culture. Human mononuclear cells isolated from peripheral blood, after depletion of platelets, were cultured in giutamine-depleted RPMI 1640 supplemented with [³H]glutamine in the presence of 10-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Anti-CRP antiserum was added to the culture medium, and the resultant immunoprecipitate was analyzed in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The immunoprecipitate consisted of CRP, heavy and light chains of IgG, and only the CRP protein band had radioactivity, indicating that CRP was synthesized by mononuclear cells. In the populations of mononuciear cells, T-cell preparations mainly synthesized CRP, under stimulation of a factor derived from activated monocytes. Studies using the inhibitors of phospholipid metabolism suggested that generation of the monocyte factor was relevant to metabolites of an arachidonate cascade.