Relation between neutrophil counts on admission, microvascular injury, and left ventricular functional recovery in patients with an anterior wall first acute myocardial infarction treated with primary coronary angioplasty

Increased neutrophil counts have been associated with an increased risk of adverse clinical events after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We examined the association of neutrophil counts on admission with degree of microvascular injury and left ventricular functional recovery after primary coronary angioplasty in AMI. We studied 116 patients with a first anterior wall AMI who underwent primary coronary angioplasty within 12 hours of onset. Patients were categorized into 3 groups based on initial neutrophil count: low (<5,000/mm(3)), intermediate (5,000 to 10,000/mm(3)), and high (>10,000/mm(3)). Coronary flow velocity parameters were assessed immediately after reperfusion using a Doppler guidewire. We defined severe microvascular injury as the presence of systolic flow reversal and a diastolic deceleration time <600 ms. Echocardiographic wall motion was analyzed before revascularization and 4 weeks after revascularization. In patients with a high neutrophil count, systolic flow reversal was more frequently observed, diastolic deceleration time was shorter, and coronary flow reserve was lower. By regression analysis, neutrophil count significantly correlated with diastolic deceleration time (r = -0.38, p <0.0001), coronary flow reserve (r = -0.33, p = 0.0004), and score for change in wall motion (r = -0.36, p = 0.0004). Multivariate analysis showed that neutrophil count on admission was an independent predictor of severe microvascular injury (odds ratio 2.94, p = 0.02). In conclusion, neutrophilia on admission is associated with impaired microvascular reperfusion and poor functional recovery after primary coronary angioplasty.     

Oligomannose-coated liposome-entrapped dense granule protein 7 induces protective immune response to Neospora caninum in cattle

Neospora caninum is an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes abortion in cows. Vaccination is an important strategy for control of neosporosis, and a safe and effective vaccine suitable for cattle is required. Dense granule protein 7 of N. caninum (NcGRA7) is a secretory protein with high antigenicity in hosts. We demonstrated previously that NcGRA7 entrapped in liposomes coated with mannotriose (M3-NcGRA7) could induce a parasite-specific T-helper type 1 immune response and produce humoral antibodies that resulted in increased offspring survival and decreased infection in the brains of mice dams. In the present study, the efficacy of M3-NcGRA7 as a vaccine candidate against N. caninum has been evaluated in cattle (n = 12). Cattle were immunized with M3-NcGRA7 containing 50 μg (n = 4) or 200 μg NcGRA7 (n = 4) subcutaneously twice with a 4-week interval and all cattle including the non-immunized controls (n = 4) were inoculated with 10⁷ tachyzoites of Nc-1 strain 27 days after the second immunization and euthanized at 85–87 days post infection (dpi). In immunized cattle, NcGRA7-specific antibody production and IFN-γ production in PBMC was induced before challenge. At 3 dpi, body temperature and concentration of serum IFN-γ tended to be higher in control cattle than in the immunized cattle. Furthermore, the parasite load in the brain significantly decreased in cattle immunized with 50 μg M3-NcGRA7 compared with controls. These results suggest that M3-NcGRA7 can induce protective immune responses to N. caninum tachyzoites in cattle, which could lead to practical application of safe and effective subunit vaccines.     

Coronary artery calcification in Japanese men in Japan and Hawaii

Explanations for the low prevalence of atherosclerosis in Japan versus the United States are often confounded with genetic variation. To help remove such confounding, the authors compared coronary artery calcification (CAC), a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, between Japanese men in Japan and Japanese men in Hawaii. Findings were based on risk factors and CAC measured from 2001 to 2005 in 311 men in Japan and 300 men in Hawaii. Men were aged 40-50 years and without cardiovascular disease. After age adjustment, there was a threefold excess in the odds of prevalent CAC scores of > or = 10 in Hawaii versus Japan (relative odds = 3.2, 95% confidence interval: 2.1, 4.9). Whereas men in Hawaii had a generally poorer risk factor profile, men in Japan were four times more likely to smoke cigarettes (49.5% vs. 12.7%, p < 0.001). In spite of marked risk factor differences between the samples, none of the risk factors explained the low amounts of CAC in Japan. After risk factor adjustment, the relative odds of CAC scores of > or = 10 in Hawaii versus Japan was 4.0 (95% confidence interval: 2.2, 7.4). Further studies are needed to identify factors that protect against atherosclerosis in Japanese men in Japan.     

Gallbladder torsion: case report and review of 245 cases reported in the Japanese literature

We report here a case of torsion of the gallbladder in a 73-year-old woman. The patient was admitted to our hospital with right hypochondralgia. Ultrasonography and computed tomography demonstrated a distended gallbladder, with a multilayered wall, which contained no stones. Since the symptoms did not respond to antibiotics, laparotomy was performed. The gallbladder was found to be twisted around its pedicle and to be gangrenous. Cholecystectomy was performed, and the patient had an uneventful postoperative course. We also reviewed 245 cases reported in the Japanese literature. The clinical features of gallbladder torsion, which include low frequency of fever and jaundice, poor response to antibiotic therapy, and acute onset of abdominal pain, may be helpful in the differential diagnosis from acute cholecystitis. Moreover, a highly suggestive sign of gallbladder torsion observed by ultrasonography or computed tomography is a markedly enlarged “floating” gallbladder with a continuous hypoechoic line indicating edematous change in the wall.     

The development of a mini-array for estimating the disease state of gastric adenocarcinoma by array CGH

Background  

The treatment strategy usually depends on the disease state in the individual patient. However, it is difficult to estimate the disease state before treatment in many patients. The purpose of this study was to develop a BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) mini-array allowing for the estimation of node metastasis, liver metastasis, peritoneal dissemination and the depth of tumor invasion in gastric cancers.     

Possible application to medium-term organ bioassays for renal carcinogenesis modifiers in rats treated with N-ethyl-N-hydroxyethylnitrosamine and unilateral nephrectomy.

The effects of the renal tumor promoters; beta-cyclodextrin (beta-C), DL-serine (DL-S), basic lead acetate (LA), trisodium nitrilotriacetate monohydrate (NTA) and potassium bromate (KB), and diethylene glycol (DEG) as a negative control, on early stage of renal carcinogenesis were investigated in unilaterally nephrectomized male Wistar rats after N-ethyl-N-hydroxyethylnitrosamine (EHEN) administration. Wistar male rats were fed 1000 ppm EHEN diet for 2 weeks and the left kidney was removed at week 3, then the animals were divided into 7 groups of 15 rats each. These groups received the following treatments: 1000 ppm LA, 10000 ppm NTA or 500 ppm KB diet for 18 weeks from week 3; 45 mg/100 g body wt./day of beta-C injected sc for 7 days; 100 mg/100 g body wt. of DL-S injected sc biweekly for 6 weeks; 5% DEG in drinking water as a negative control for two days. Five rats in each group were killed at weeks 8, 12 and 20 and their kidneys were examined histologically. At week 20, the average numbers of adenomatous hyperplasias seen as preneoplastic lesions in the beta-C, DL-S, LA, NTA or KB groups were significantly higher than those in the DEG or control groups. Thus within a relatively short period of 20 weeks, promoting effects of chemicals can be detected as a significant increase of adenomatous hyperplasias in this model.