Survey of Japanese dermatological vasculitis specialists on cases of cutaneous arteritis (cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa)

We developed a questionnaire to examine the findings of cutaneous arteritis among dermatological specialists experienced in vasculitis as certified by the Committee for guidelines for the management of vasculitis and vascular disorders of the Japanese Dermatological Association. We sent a questionnaire to 12 dermatological facilities identified through the revised Committee for guidelines for the management of vasculitis and vascular disorders of the Japanese Dermatological Association. Retrospective data obtained from 84 patients at the 12 dermatological facilities between 2012 January 2016 December were evaluated. The 84 patients were categorized into two groups, a systemic steroid treatment group (group 1, n = 52) and a no systemic steroid treatment group (group 2, n = 32). C-reactive protein in group 1 patients was significantly higher than that in group 2 patients. Frequency of fever, arthritis, myalgia- and peripheral neuropathy in group 1 was significantly higher than that in group 2. We propose that these symptoms could serve as early markers for the transfer from cutaneous arteritis to systemic polyarteritis nodosa. We further suggest that patients who are subsequently associated with cerebral hemorrhage and infarction, who are originally diagnosed as having cutaneous arteritis, could progress to systemic polyarteritis nodosa. The study demonstrated that it is important for dermatologists to detect these findings early in order to establish an accurate diagnosis and a timely treatment.     

Leukemia serum reactive with retrovirus-related antigen in normal human placenta

Serum antibody reactive with a retrovirus-related p30 antigen in human normal term placenta was investigated and characterized by immunohistologic and immunoblotting methods. Sera obtained from patients with acute leukemia and malignant lymphoma were used as first antibody, and cryostat sections of placenta were the target antigen. An IgM antibody that reacted mainly with the basal aspect of syncytiotrophoblast of chorionic villi, where a putative human endogenous retrovirus p30 antigen is located, was directed by indirect immunofluorescence. This antibody activity, termed anti-basal aspect of syncytiotrophoblast (anti-BAST), was detected in the sera of many patients with acute leukemia (AML, ALL) and malignant lymphoma, and less frequently in sera of pregnant women and normal controls. As shown by immunoblotting analysis, the main reactive antigen recognized by anti-BAST was a non-glycosylated 32-kDa placental protein which was antigenically related to SSAV p30. A non-glycosylated 19-kDa protein was also considered to be one of the anti-BAST-corresponding antigens. This suggests the presence of a new antigen-antibody system of human retrovirus(es) revealed by subinfectious antigenic expression and by specific antibody activity in conditions of human health and disease, particularly, acute leukemias and malignant lymphomas of common types.     

Xenografts derived from patients with head and neck cancer recapitulate patient tumour properties

Rodent models mimic the heterogeneity of head and neck cancer (HNC) malignancies and are used to investigate HNC-associated biomarkers and evaluate drug responses. To assess the utility of patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) as an HNC model, 18 tumour samples were obtained from surgical specimens of patients with HNC and implanted into non-obese diabetic severe combined immunodeficient mice. The histological features of PDXs and corresponding patient samples were compared. Furthermore, the present study investigated how PDX responses to anticancer drugs mimic patient clinical responses, as well as the expression of adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporters through chemotherapy in an HNC-PDX model. A total of five PDXs from patients with HNC exhibiting high correspondence with histopathological features of the original patient samples were established (establishment rate, 28%). The responses of three PDXs to cisplatin were associated with clinical responses of the patients. ABC transporter expression was augmented in one PDX model after anticancer drug treatment, but not in PBS-treated passaged PDXs. PDX models exhibited similar biological and chemosensitive characteristics to those of the primary tumours. PDXs could be a useful preclinical tool to test novel therapeutic agents and identify novel targets and biomarkers in HNC.     

Effect of anaerobic metabolic changes on the creatine kinase reaction in frog muscle studied by 31P saturation transfer NMR

The effect of anaerobic metabolic changes on the flux of the creatine kinase reaction in bullfrog skeletal muscle was evaluated by 31P saturation transfer NMR. During an anaerobic time course the reduction ratio (M+/M0) of the phosphocreatine signal and the spin-lattice relaxation time measured in the presence of saturating irradiation at the ATP gamma-phosphate resonance were decreased; however, the intrinsic spin-lattice relaxation time of phosphocreatine was constant (4 s). The pseudo-first-order rate constant for the forward reaction of creatine kinase (i.e., phosphocreatine to ATP) was increased during the time course, accompanied by a decrease in phosphocreatine concentration and an intracellular acidification. However, the flux was constant (4 mmol.kg-1 wet wt.s-1) over the anaerobic time course. The fluxes analysed in several locations along the fibers, which were simultaneously measured by means of the one-dimensional chemical shift imaging technique, were almost the same along the entire length of the fibers. These results indicate that the creatine kinase reaction is at equilibrium along the entire length of the frog muscle fibers.     

Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type II in Japan

Serum specimens were assayed for human T-lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV-II) infection in 1,500 individuals known to be seropositive for HTLV-I and 30,000 blood donors in Japan. All HTLV-I-positive individuals were negative for HTLV-II. However, one of the blood donors was clearly seropositive for HTLV-II. Further, the donor was shown to be positive for HTLV-IIb. Here we report at least one case with HTLV-II in Japan and discuss the origin of the infection.