Detection of Tumor-Associated Antigens of Osteosarcoma in Humans by the Mixed Lymphocyte Tumor Cell Culture Assay

Tumor-associated antigens of human osteosarcoma cells were studiedby the mixed lymphocyte tumor cell culture (MLTC) assay. Peripheralblood lymphocytes from patients with osteosarcomas reacted withtheir individual autochthonous cultured osteosarcoma cells inthree of the five cases tested, but did not significantly reactwith allogeneic cultured osteosarcoma cells. This result suggeststhat human osteosarcoma cells possess individual specific tumor-associatedantigens but not common tumor-associated antigens, althoughthere was a limited number of patients.     

Biochemical Studies on the Effect of Maternal Hyperphenyl-alaninemia on Fetal Brain Maturation of Mice

Abstract The effects of maternal hyperphenylalaninemia during pregnancy on the biochemical maturation of neonatal mice brains were examined, thus establishing the critical concentration of phenylalanine in maternal blood and the critical period of maternal hyperphenylalaninemia during pregnancy. Hyperphenylalaninemia was induced by giving chow supplemented with 3%, 4%, 5%, or 6% phenylalanine (Phe.) and 0.12% p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) for at least one month and then throughout pregnancy. Some of the pregnant mice fed the 6% Phe. diet before pregnancy received a normal diet after conception (6%: A).
Offspring from each group were decapitated two days after birth. Their brains were removed and then divided into the cerebrum and the brain stem including the cerebellum. Total protein, RNA and DNA were measured biochemically. All kinds of markers of the newborn mice born to the 5% and 6% mothers, the weight and the contents of the protein, RNA and DNA, were reduced significantly in both the cerebrum and brain stem. In the 4% group, however, only the brain stem was affected. The 3% group showed reductions neither in the weight nor the protein and nucleic acids contents in both the cerebrum and brain stem. In the 6%:A group, in which the diet was returned to normal just after conception, total protein, RNA and DNA were reduced in the brain stem, but not in the cerebrum.
These results suggest that the critical concentration of maternal blood phenylalanine during pregnancy in the mouse is 11mg/dl, which is that corresponding to the 3% group, and also suggest that it is too late to begin the low phenylalanine diet after conception.     

Relevance of postcatheter removal incontinence to postoperative urinary function after radical prostatectomy

AIM: We examined whether postoperative urinary function after radical prostatectomy is associated with immediate incontinence just after catheter removal. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The current study included 80 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer, who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy between January 2002 and May 2004. The amount of immediate incontinence was measured with a 24-h pad test just after catheter removal. The patients were categorized into the three groups based on the stratified grade of immediate urinary incontinence: groups I (0 g; 47 patients), II (1-99 g; 23 patients) and III (100 g and above; 10 patients), respectively. Urinary function and bother were assessed by a self-administered questionnaire using the University of California Los Angeles, Prostate Cancer Index at baseline, and at 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. The differences in scores of urinary function, bother and clinicopathological parameters were assessed in the three groups with one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in the clinicopathological parameters in the three groups. Preoperatively significant difference of urinary function scores was not evident and that of urinary bother scores was not observed in the three groups. Postoperatively urinary function scores were significantly different throughout the postoperative periods investigated, whereas difference in urinary bother scores observed at 3 months tended to disappear with time. CONCLUSION: Postcatheter removal incontinence might be related to postoperative urinary function after radical prostatectomy, although further investigation is necessary regarding the criteria for categorization because of a small number of the patients.     

Neuroleptic-induced Meige's syndrome following akathisia: Pharmacologic characteristics

A 52-year-old schizophrenic patient acutely showed blepharospasm and oromandibular dystonia following neuroleptic-induced akathisia. She had suffered from schizophrenia and been treated with neuroleptics for 15 years and had manifested tardive dyskinesia 5 years ago. Following a change in her neuroleptic medication, severe akathisia developed. Two days after the appearance of akathisia, blepharospasm and oromandibular dystonia appeared. After the disappearance of akathisia, the disorder continued. The frequency of blepharospasm ranged from 30 to 40 (times/min). The oral administration of trihexyphenidyl (6 mg/day), perphenazine (12 mg/day), and fluphenazine (12 mg/day) significantly decreased the frequency of blepharospasm, whereas carbamazepine (600 mg/day) and sulpiride (1200 mg/day) did not. These results suggest that overactivity of both cholinergic and dopaminergic functions in the striatum may be involved in this patient. Our patient, who showed acute onset of Meige's syndrome following neuroleptic-induced akathisia, is of interest to those studying the pathogenesis of Meige's syndrome.     

2{alpha},3{alpha}-Epithio-5{alpha}-androstan-17{beta}-yl 1-Methoxycyclopentyl Ether in the Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer --A Preliminary Clinical Trial--

A new orally active anti-estrogenic steroid, 2,3-epithio-5-androstan-17ß-yl1-methoxycyclopentyl ether (10364-S) was given to 41 advancedbreast cancer patients. Most patients were given a daily doseof 20 mg. The study was preliminary and not a controlled trialusing an already proven androgenic steroid. The remission rateon giving this compound to advanced breast cancer was 11/41or 26.8% and the average duration of the remission was 10.5months. Hoarseness (8/41, 19.5%) and hirsutism (5/41, 12.2%) were relativelyoften seen as virilizing side effects. No unfavorable effectson the hematopoietic organs, the liver or on calcium metabolismwere recognized in the study.     

Reduced liver function is the trigger for renal sodium retention following portal vein ligation in the rat

Sodium retention along with peripheral vasodilation are features of prehepatic portal hypertension. In several models of experimental liver damage, sodium retention occurs only when hepatic function, measured by the aminopyrine breath test (ABT-k), falls below a critical threshold. The relationship between renal sodium handling, ABT-k and systemic and renal haemodynamics in partial portal vein ligated (PVL) rats was examined to test the hypothesis that peripheral vasodilation was responsible for initiating sodium retention. Haemodynamic measurements were conducted early after surgery in portal hypertensive rats with and without sodium retention and in sham-operated controls. Compared with control, both PVL groups of rats had elevated portal pressure and lower peripheral vascular resistance (P<0.05). Sodium retaining-PVL rats had both lower ABT-k (0.95 ± 0.05 vs 1.38 ± 0.06 times 10^-2/min; P<0.05) and higher sodium balance (1.38 ± 0.09 vs 0.43 ± 0.09 mmol/day; P< 0.05) than non-sodium retaining PVL rats. No differences in plasma renin activity or noradrenaline concentrations were observed. In a separate group of rats, hydralazine-induced peripheral vasodilation did not induce sodium retention. These results suggest that the presence of peripheral vasodilation alone is not sufficient to trigger a sodium-retaining status. A factor, probably liver function-dependent, acting directly on renal tubules may be necessary for changes in renal sodium handling in this model.     

Evaluation of Xerotomography for Diagnosing Peripheral-Type Lung Lesions

The diagnostic value of the xerotomogram was evaluated in comparisonwith that of the conventional tomogram in 55 patients with peripheral-typelung lesions, who were operated on. Thickened drainage bronchi,pleural retraction and infiltrative or expanding margins ofthe lesions were visualized more clearly by the xerotomogram.The xerotomogram was also useful for examining the pathologicalthickening of bronchial walls, and the ratio of third orderbronchi (inner diameter/outer diameter) in the patients withpathologically thickened walls was below 0.6, which was significantlyless than that observed in normal bronchi. The positive pictureof the xerotomogram was useful for revealing the linear structuresin the peripheral lung field. These data indicate that the xerotomogram is useful for examiningthe detailed features of peripheral-type lung lesions. The X-rayskin dose of the xerotomogram, however, is about 10 times thatof the conventional tomogram. Therefore, attention should bepaid to the indications for the xerotomogram.     

Shortcut Link Between the Fast and Slow Pathways and the Mechanism of Cure in Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia by Catheter Ablation

The mechanism of cure in AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) by catheter ablation has not been fully clarified. We hypothesized that disruption of a shortcut link between the fast and slow pathways is responsible for the elimination of tachycardia. Results: AVNRT was eliminated in 20 patients by catheter ablation. In five patients (25%; group 1) slow pathway conduction disappeared 1 week after ablation. In six patients (30%; group II), the effective refractory period of the slow pathway was prolonged by more than 50 ms (212 ± 81 ms vs 340 ± 81 ms; P < 0.05). In the remaining nine patients (45%; group III), there was no change in the refractory period (270 ± 65 ms vs 273 ± 74 ms), although tachycardia was not inducible. A shortcut link between the fast and slow pathways was examined by comparing the A-H intervals over the slow pathway during the tachycardia and during atrial pacing at the tachycardia cycle length. Prior to ablation, a shortcut link was assumed in 1 of group I patients, 2 of group II patients, and 8 of group III patients. Of the 9 patients in whom the slow pathway was not impaired after ablation (group III), 8 patients were found to have a shortcut link, while 8 of 11 patients with impairment of the slow pathway after ablation (groups I and II) had no shortcut link between the fast and slow pathways (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In patients with a shortcut link between the fast and slow pathways, slow pathway conduction itself does not need to be impaired to eliminate the AVNRT, whereas in patients without this shortcut link, slow pathway conduction must be impaired.     

Selected Slow Pathway Ablation in a Patient with Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries and Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia

AVNRT in Corrected TGA. We report the first known case of AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) associated with a corrected transposition of the great arteries to be treated successfully by ablation of the slow pathway. Triple AV nodal pathways were observed in the anterograde direction and two types of AVNRT were induced. Input of the fast pathway to the AV node was located at the anterior portion of the left-sided A V annulus, while the input of the intermediate and slow pathways was located at the anteroseptal portion of the right-sided AV annulus. Radiofrequency energy ablation at the right anteroseptal site eliminated the intermediate and slow pathways.