Myoepitheliomas of the soft palate: helical CT findings in two patients.

We describe the enhancement patterns of myoepithelioma in two patients with a soft palate mass. In the first case, helical CT revealed a faintly enhancing mass. Histologically, the tumor was composed of plasmacytoid cells in a background of rich myxoid stroma. Immunostaining for CD34 showed scanty blood vessels. In the second case, helical CT revealed an intensely enhancing mass. Histologically, the mass was a cellular tumor with fibrous stroma. Immunostaining for CD34 also showed frequent blood vessels.     

Obesity in youth and middle age and risk of colorectal cancer in men

To investigate an association between colon cancer and obesity during early adulthood—a potentially important period in the etiology of this disease—the authors assembled, by computer linkage, a population-based historical cohort of 52,539 men born between 1913 and 1927 residing in Hawaii (USA), for whom weight and height had been recorded in 1942–43 and 1972. Linkage of this cohort to the Hawaii Tumor Registry resulted in the identification of 737 incident cases of colorectal cancer for 1972–86. An average of 3.8 cancer-free controls were matched to each case on month and year of birth and ethnicity of the parents. A case-control analysis in each anatomic subsite of the large bowel revealed that both early and middle-age body mass increased the risk of sigmoid cancer in men in a dose-dependent fashion. The odds ratios (OR) for sigmoid cancer for the highest compared with the lowest tertiles of Quetelet index were: 2.1 (95 percent confidence interval [CI]=1.4–3.2) and 1.7 (CI=1.1–2.5), at ages 15–29 and in prediagnostic years, respectively. These associations were additive and idependent of socioeconomic status. Men who were above the median Quetelet index in 1942 and 1972 had an OR of 2.7 (CI=1.8–4.0), compared with those who were below the median in both periods. This study provides further evidence for an association of obesity with colon cancer in men and suggests that this association is limited to the sigmoid colon and may be related to both early and late events of colon carcinogenesis.The authors are with the Epidemiology Program, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, University of Hawaii. Address correspondence to Dr Le Marchand, Epidemiology Program, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, 1236 Lauhala Street, Suite 407, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA. This work was supported in part by Public Health Service grant 5-R29-CA44503 and contract NO1-CN-55424 from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.     

α-地中海贫血种植前基因诊断妊娠成功

【目的】探讨种植前基因诊断的临床应用。【方法】对 1例夫妇均为东南亚缺失型α 地中海贫血携带者 ,经超排取卵、卵母细胞单精子显微注射受精及胚胎细胞活检 ,吸取的单个卵裂球采用针对α SEA基因的 gap PCR引物和荧光探针用荧光定量PCR技术进行诊断 ,将诊断为不致病的 3个胚胎进行宫腔内移植。【结果】胚胎移植后 7周B超诊断单胎妊娠 ,18周羊膜腔穿刺产前诊断证实为不致病胎儿。【结论】应用成熟的显微操作技术进行胚胎细胞活检 ,活检的单个卵裂球用荧光定量PCR技术进行诊断 ,获得国内首例α 地中海贫血胚胎种植前基因诊断后妊娠成功。     

Clinical report of cervical arthroplasty in management of spondylotic myelopathy in Chinese

Objectives  

To investigate clinical effects and manual operational point of Bryan cervical disc prosthesis in Chinese, to observe the stability and range of movement (ROM) post-operatively.     

羊踯躅根治疗慢性肾小球肾炎的实验及临床研究

本文用反复静脉注射小剂量牛血清白蛋白复制家兔慢性肾炎,用羊踯躅根治疗。同时,用该药对慢性肾炎病人进行疗效观察。阳性组兔肾小球呈现中至重度颗粒形免疫荧光,肾组织呈明显慢性硬化性肾小球肾炎改变。尿蛋白±～++。治疗组兔及病人治疗后病变及症状均明显减轻或消失。结果提示循环免疫复合物反复沉着可引起兔类似人类的慢性硬化性肾小球肾炎,羊踯躅根对病变有一定的控制和治疗作用,这可能与其抑制免疫发病机制有关。     

The immunomodulatory effects of 3-monochloro-1,2-propanediol on murine splenocyte and peritoneal macrophage function in vitro.

3-Monochloro-1,2-propanediol (MCPD) is a well-known by-product of acid-hydrolyzed soy sauce during its manufacturing process. MCPD has been reported genotoxic in vitro, and reproductive toxicity and carcinogenicity in rats. To evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of MCPD on murine splenocyte and macrophage in vitro, we investigated splenocyte blastogenesis by concanavalin A (Con A), anti-CD3, and lipopolyssacharide (LPS), the production of cytokines from splenocyte, and the activity of mouse peritoneal macrophages. There was a significant decrease in lymphocyte blastogenesis to Con A or anti-CD3 at subtoxic dose of MCPD. A significant decrease in splenocyte blastogenesis to LPS was also observed. The production level of interferon (IFN)-gamma on splenocyte culture with Con A was significantly reduced at the higher concentration than 1.0mM of MCPD. The levels of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10 were also decreased at high concentrations of MCPD. There was a significant decrease in production of nitric oxide (NO) by peritoneal macrophages treated with MCPD. MCPD also inhibits tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha production of stimulated macrophages. These results indicate that MCPD might be able to reduce the functionality of lymphocytes and peritoneal macrophages in vitro.     

Can a leukocyte depletion filter (LDF) reduce the risk of reintroduction of hepatocellular carcinoma cells?

During liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, HCC could theoretically be introduced into the systemic circulation when salvaged blood is used with an autotransfusion device. Several reports have shown that some types of leukocyte depletion filters (LDFs) could completely reduce the risk for reintroducing some types of tumor cells. In this study, we tested the ability of the LDF (RCEZ1T, Pall Biomedical Co, NY, USA) to reduce the risk for reintroducing HCC cells in vitro by using a very sensitive detection method. We divided the test group into 6 groups: group I was 10 cells, group II was 20 cells, group III was 2 x 10(3) cells, group IV was 2 x 10(5) cells, group V was 2 x 10(6) cells, and group VI was 2 x 10(7) cells. The counted cells in 200 mL saline were passed through the RCEZ1T using the force of gravity. To identify the presence of cells, the pellet was resuspended, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), a housekeeping gene, was used as a primer. In groups I and II, the HCC cells were completely filtered in all experiments. However, in groups III, IV, and V, the HCC cells were not completely filtered in a few of the repeated experiments, with the unfiltered rate of tumor cells being between 8% and 20%. In group VI, the HCC cells were not completely filtered in all the repeated experiments. In conclusion, the RCEZ1T filter markedly reduced the risk for reintroduction of HCC cells. However, at high HCC cell load the filter cannot completely remove all the tumor cells. Further studies are required to assess the impact in clinical settings.     

Ultrasonographic Evaluation in Plantar Fasciitis

The heels of 23 patients who were diagnosed with unilateral/bilateral plantar fasciitis were evaluated via ultrasonography and compared with their asymptomatic feet and a control group of 23 people. Plantar fascial thickness, echogenity, and heel pad thickness were evaluated, and the results were statistically analyzed. For symptomatic feet, increased thickness of the fascia and reduced echogenity were constant ultrasonographic findings (mean, 4.79 mm for symptomatic feet; 2.17 mm for control group, P < .05). No significant difference was found between heel pads of the diseased and healthy feet (mean, 12.96 mm for symptomatic feet; 13.10 mm for control group; P > .05). Ultrasonography seems to be a valuable, noninvasive diagnostic tool for the evaluation of plantar fasciitis.     

Clinical Significance of an Early Protocol Biopsy in Living-Donor Renal Transplantation: Ten-Year Experience at a Single Center

We report here our 10-year experience of a biopsy performed at day 14 after transplantation in 304 patients with stable graft function. The factors that may have influenced subclinical rejection were analyzed according to histology. The incidence of subclinical rejection was 13.2%. Addition of mycophenolate mofetile (MMF) as a primary immunosuppressant significantly decreased the incidence of subclinical rejection compared with patients without such treatment (odds ratio, 0.23; p < 0.05). On the other hand, HLA-DR antigen mismatch (odds ratio, 2.39) and unrelated donor (odds ratio, 2.10) were also significantly associated with decreased subclinical rejection (p < 0.05). The incidence of acute rejection in patients with normal findings was lower than in those with borderline changes or subclinical rejection (0.23 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.48 +/- 0.07 and 0.60 +/- 0.11, respectively; p < 0.05). The graft survival rates in patients with subclinical rejection were lower than in patients with normal or borderline changes at 1 (88.4% vs. 97.9% and 99.1%; p < 0.05), 5 (77.8% vs. 96.2% and 95.9%; p < 0.05) and 10 (62.3% vs. 96.2% and 93.7%; p < 0.05) years. Thus, a protocol biopsy performed on day 14 after transplantation is useful for predicting graft survival. Triple therapy including MMF, related donor and HLA-DR antigen match are important factors for reducing subclinical rejection in living-donor renal transplantation.     

Schizotypal disorder and schizophrenia: a profile analysis of neuropsychological functioning in Japanese patients.

This study compares neuropsychological functioning in a Japanese schizophrenia spectrum disorder group and a group of healthy Japanese volunteers. Participants were 37 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, 28 schizotypal patients, and 99 psychiatrically-normal volunteers. A wide range of cognitive measures were examined. All participants completed a Japanese version of a neuropsychological battery assessing executive function, working memory, processing speed, language, verbal memory, and spatial organization. Comparisons of neuropsychological function demonstrated similarities and differences between patients diagnosed with schizotypal disorder and those diagnosed with schizophrenia. Impairments in verbal memory, language, and processing speed were common to both patient groups and may represent a vulnerability to schizophrenia. Impairments in aspects of working memory, spatial organization and executive function were preferentially observed in schizophrenia and may be features of the overt manifestation of psychosis. Possible differences in the contributions of prefrontal and temporo-limbic structures provide direction for further studies.