Cytomegalovirus infections following umbilical cord blood transplantation using reduced intensity conditioning regimens for adult patients.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a major complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Allo-HSCT); however, we have little information on the clinical features of CMV reactivation after cord blood transplantation using reduced-intensity regimens (RI-CBT) for adults. We reviewed medical records of 140 patients who underwent RI-CBT at Toranomon Hospital between January 2002 and March 2005. All the patients were monitored for CMV-antigenemia weekly, and, if turned positive, received preemptive foscarnet or ganciclovir. Seventy-seven patients developed positive antigenemia at a median onset of day 35 (range, 4-92) after transplant. Median of the maximal number of CMV pp65-positive cells per 50,000 cells was 22 (range, 1-1806). CMV disease developed in 22 patients on a median of day 35 (range, 15-106); 21 had enterocolitis and 1 had adrenalitis. CMV antigenemia had not been detected in 2 patients, when CMV disease was diagnosed. CMV disease was successfully treated using ganciclovir or foscarnet in 14 patients. The other 8 patients died without improvement of CMV disease. In multivariate analysis, grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease was a risk factor of CMV disease (relative risk 3.48, 95% confidential interval 1.47-8.23). CMV reactivation and disease develop early after RI-CBT. CMV enterocolitis may be a common complication after RI-CBT.     

A histological evaluation for guided bone regeneration induced by a collagenous membrane

This study was designed to evaluate the histological changes during ossification and cellular events including osteogenic differentiation responding to collagenous bioresorbable membranes utilized for GBR. Standardized artificial bony defects were prepared at rat maxillae, and covered with a collagenous bioresorbable membrane. These animals were sacrificed at 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after the GBR-operation. The paraffin sections were subject to tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) enzyme histochemistry and immunohistochemistry for alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteopontin (OP) and osteocalcin (OC). In the first week of the experimental group, woven bone with ALP-positive osteoblasts occupied the lower half of the cavity. The collagenous membrane included numerous ALP-negative cells and OP-immunoreactive extracellular matrices. At 2 weeks, the ALP-, OP- and OC-immunoreactivity came to be recognizable in the region of collagenous membrane. Since ALP-negative soft tissue separated the collagenous membrane and the new bone originating from the cavity bottom, the collagenous membrane appeared to induce osteogenesis in situ. At 3 weeks, numerous collagen fibers of the membrane were embedded in the adjacent bone matrix. At 4 weeks, the membrane-associated and the cavity-derived bones had completely integrated, showing the same height of the periosteal ridge as the surrounding alveolar bones. The collagen fibers of a GBR-membrane appear to participate in osteogenic differentiation.     

Light and electron microscopic analyses of immediate and late tissue damage caused by radiofrequency ablation in porcine liver

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an effective procedure for localized hepatocellular carcinoma. Contrast-enhanced CT depicts the ablated area as a hypoattenuated area without hepatic blood flow; however, light microscopy does not show obvious necrosis in the ablated area. We evaluated liver tissue changes after RFA by light microscopy and electron microscopy. The normal livers of three anesthetized pigs were coagulated using RFA after laparotomy. The liver was examined immediately, and 1 week after operation by light and electron microscopy. After RFA, the liver parenchyma surrounding the needle electrode was brown in color and surrounded by a red marginal zone separate from the normal liver parenchyma. Hematoxylin-eosin staining of the central area did not show cell necrosis, and the structures of liver sinusoids, liver cell cord and the nuclei of hepatocytes were preserved. However, electron microscopic examination of tissue immediately after RFA showed destruction of mitochondria of hepatocytes and fixation of sinusoidal cells. One week later, there was a large quantity of debris in the enlarged sinusoids, in addition to irreversible destruction of hepatocyte organelles. RFA of the porcine liver causes hepatocyte damage. This damage was not evident by light microscopy but clearly identified by electron microscopy.     

Chromosome 1q terminal deletion resulting fromde novo translocation with an acrocentric chromosome

Summary Distal deletion of chromosome 1q has been reported in nearly 30 patients, all being associated with a deletion ranging from the 1q42 or q43 band to 1qter region. Here, we describe a girl with 1q terminal deletion resulting from an unbalancedde novo translocation t(1;D or G)(q44; p11), as revealed by the presence of a satellited feature and an NOR-stained region at the tip of 1q. We suggest that most of the phenotypic abnormalities seen in patients with 1q distal deletion are attributable to the monosomy for band 1q44.     

Detection of the putative E2 protein of hepatitis C virus in human liver

The question was asked whether a predicted envelope protein, considered to be processed from the polyprotein precursor encoded by the putative E2/NS1 region of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome, may be observed in HCV-infected humans. Two polyclonal antibodies against recombinant E2/NS1 proteins were prepared and their reactivity tested against liver extracts from HCV-infected patients by immunoblotting analysis. A band corresponding to a size of 44 kDa was detected in liver extracts from patients who were positive for the HCV-specific antibody anti-C100-3 but not in liver extracts from patients who did not have anti-C100-3 antibody. Additionally, no band was detected using preimmune sera or antisera which had been preabsorbed with recombinant E2/NS1 proteins. Deglycosylation studies demonstrated that the 44 kDa protein was a glycosylated form of a 38 kDa protein which corresponds to the predicted molecular weight of the putative E2/NS1 protein. These results suggest that the 44 kDa protein is a product of the E2/NS1 region. Frequent observation of the 44 kDa band in cases of chronic active hepatitis C suggests a correlation between the expression of this protein and the progression of hepatitis. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Voxel-based morphometry of human brain with age and cerebrovascular risk factors

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the correlations of the volumes of the gray matter and white matter with age, and the correlations of the tissue probabilities of the gray matter and white matter with age and several cerebrovascular risk factors. We obtained magnetic resonance (MR) images of the brain and clinical information from 769 normal Japanese subjects. We processed the MR images automatically by correcting for inter-individual differences in brain size and shape, and by segmenting the MR images into the gray matter and white matter. Volumetry of the brain revealed a significant negative correlation between the gray matter volume and age, which was not observed between white matter volume and age. Voxel-based morphometry showed that age, systolic blood pressure, and alcohol drinking correlated with the regional tissue probabilities of the gray matter and white matter.