Chronic acid ingestion promotes renal stone formation in rats treated with vitamin D3

OBJECTIVE: Although hypercalciuria, a well-established adverse effect of vitamin D3, can be a risk factor of renal stone formation, the risk of nephrolithiasis has not been well defined. The consumption of a diet high in acid precursors is often cited as a risk factor for the development of calcium-based kidney stones. In the present study, we investigated the effect of chronic acid ingestion on kidney stone formation in rats treated with calcitriol (1-25[OH]2 D3). METHODS: Control rats (C-C), calcitriol-treated rats (C-V; three treatments of 0.5 microg of calcitriol per week) and acid-ingested (water containing 0.21 mol/L NH4Cl), calcitriol-treated (three treatments of 0.5 microg of calcitriol per week) rats (A-V) were fed in metabolic cages. After 1 month, urine, blood, kidney and bone samples were analyzed. RESULTS: The A-V rats exhibited elevated serum calcium concentrations, urinary calcium and phosphate excretion, urinary type I collagen cross-linked N-peptide (NTx)/creatinine values, mRNA expression of osteopontin in the kidney, and renal calcium contents as well as decreased bone mineral densities, compared with the C-C and C-V rats. Urinary citrate excretion was lower and NaDC-1 mRNA expression in the kidney was higher in the A-V rats than in the C-C and C-V rats. Calcium phosphate kidney stones were found in the A-V rats. CONCLUSIONS: The ingestion of NH4Cl, an acid precursor, promotes calcium phosphate kidney stone formation in calcitriol-treated rats. The chronic intake of a diet rich in acid precursors may be a risk factor for the development of kidney stones in subjects who are being treated with calcitriol.     

Stereophotogrammetric measurement of the nasolabial fold in repose: a study of age and posture-related changes

The nasolabial fold is a significant facial landmark. Its size, shape, and symmetry are important in facial reanimation surgery, while effacement is an important goal in rejuvenation surgery. However, quantitative data for the nasolabial fold volume (NLFV) and depth is still unavailable. We present a new method of measurement using 3D color speckle stereophotogrammetry and its application in the assessment of NLFV. The VECTRA-3D system was validated to determine its minimum resolution and accuracy. Normal volunteers aged 13–84 years (n = 87) were imaged in repose. Mother–daughter pairs (n = 15, aged 13–61) were imaged in the upright and supine positions. All data were processed using custom software and analyzed by linear regression and nonparametric tests as appropriate. NLFV varied from 0.0026 to 0.2306 ml. There was significant correlation between NLFV and age (r = 0.7269, p < 0.0001). Men had significantly higher NLFV than women across all ages. There was no significant difference between the left and right NLFV. NLFV altered significantly from upright to supine in all subjects (p = 0.0012). However, the mothers increased their NLFV by 32% from supine to upright postures, which was a greater change than observed in their daughters. We have demonstrated a rapid, objective, and non-invasive assessment tool for facial reanimation and rejuvenation surgery. We have quantified the effects of age and posture on NLFV, and the efficacy and longevity of rejuvenation procedures are currently under investigation.     

小儿腮腺炎并发中枢神经系统感染52例临床分析

目的:探讨小儿腮腺炎并发中枢神经系统感染的临床特点.方法:对52例小儿腮腺炎并发中枢神经系统感染的临床资料进行回顾性总结分析.结果:3～7月份为小儿腮腺炎并发中枢神经系统感染的发病高峰季节(92.31%).发病年龄以6～12岁为主(82.69%),多发生于腮腺肿痛3天以上伴有持续发热者(78.85%),少数患者同时有其它脏器的损害,一般治疗疗效较好.结论:腮腺炎极易并发中枢神经系统感染,年长儿发生率高,应推广接种流腮活疫苗降低发病率.     

BK Virus-Specific Antibodies and BKV DNA in Renal Transplant Recipients with BKV Nephritis

We evaluated twenty renal transplant subjects at various stages of BKV nephritis (BKVN) for BKV-specific IgG and IgM antibodies using ELISA technique and BKV-DNA using PCR. They were divided as early onset (n = 7), stabilizing (n = 3), resolved (n = 8) and late onset (n = 2) BKVN. BKV-specific antibodies and BKV-DNA were simultaneously determined. The mean BKV-specific IgG level in early onset and stabilizing BKVN were 64 and 39 EIA units, and were significantly lower than 138 EIA units seen in resolved BKVN, P = 0.007, P = 0.008. The mean BKV-specific IgM levels in stabilizing BKVN was higher than resolved BKVN (130 vs 51 EIA units), P = 0.006. Mean plasma BKV loads for each group were 955,925, 5642 and 42 copies/mL of plasma, respectively. Prospective study in six BKVN cases revealed mean IgG, IgM levels and BKV-DNA at the time of diagnosis of BKVN as 39, 110 EIA units and 586,758 copies/mL of plasma, respectively. After a mean period of 5.2 months, IgG level increased to 120 EIA units (p = 0.0058) and had no detectable viral copies in circulation. Recovery from BKVN and elimination of BKV is associated with the development of BKV-specific IgG antibodies and this provides insight into the role of humoral immunity to BKV in the pathogenesis of BKVN.     

Oncolytic herpes viral therapy is effective in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines

The rising incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in western countries, along with the poor prognosis offered by present-day treatment modalities, makes novel therapies for this disease necessary. Oncolytic herpes simplex viruses (HSV) are replication-competent viruses that are highly effective in the treatment of a wide variety of experimental models of human malignancies. This study seeks to investigate the effectiveness of oncolytic herpes viruses in the treatment of primary HCC cell lines. Sixteen commercially available human HCC cell lines were studied. G207 is an attenuated, replication-competent, oncolytic HSV engineered to selectively replicate within cancer cells. Cell lines were tested for viral sensitivity to G207 and their ability to support viral replication using standard cytotoxicity and viral replication assays. Eleven of 16 cell lines were moderately to highly sensitive to G207 viral oncolysis. HCC cell lines additionally demonstrated the ability to support viral replication in vitro with as high as 800-fold amplification of the administered viral dose observed. G207 is cytotoxic to, and efficiently replicates within, HCC cell lines in vitro. From these data, we suggest that oncolytic HSV therapy may have a role in the treatment of HCC, and in vivo studies are warranted. Presented in part at the 2005 American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Congress, Hollywood, Florida, April 14–17, 2005. Supported by grants R01CA75461 and R01CA72632 from the National Institutes of Health, and by grant MBC-99366 from the American Cancer Society (Yuman Fong).     

间接免疫荧光法检测婴幼儿急性下呼吸道合胞病毒感染的特异性IgM

本文对1984年1～3月和1985年3～8月共107例急性下呼吸道感染的住院患儿,采用间接免疫荧光法检测其急性期血清抗RSV特异性IgM抗体,并与病毒分离和/或中和试验比较,敏感性为82.1％,特异性为71.8％。RSV感染患儿发病后3天内大多数病例即可从血清中检测出RSV-IgM,因此该法具有早期诊断价值。     

大鼠维生素D受体蛋白表达载体的构建及遗传性高钙尿性结石大鼠十二指肠维生素D受体cDNA序列分析

目的构建大鼠维生素D受体（VDR）蛋白表达载体，测定并分析遗传性高钙尿性结石（GHS）大鼠VDRcDNA序列。方法采用半定量逆转录-聚合酶链反应（RT—PCR）方法扩增含VDR蛋白编码基因序列，将扩增产物克隆至真核表达载体pcDNA3．1／Zero（＋），对5只GHS大鼠和4只正常尿钙对照（NC）大鼠十二指肠VDRcDNA序列进行测序分析。结果琼脂糖凝胶电泳示PCR扩增产物碱基数目与目的片段大小一致。对重组质粒的分析表明，插入片段的序列与发表的VDR基因编码序列相同。5只GHS鼠和4只NC鼠肠VDR cDNA序列均有3个相同的位点不同于已公布的大鼠肠VDR cDNA序列：在256bp位点：C取代G；569bp位点：G代替A；1658位点：A替代G。另外，GHS鼠在1795bp位点发生改变，G取代A，而NC鼠则无改变。结论大鼠维生素D受体蛋白编码序列被成功地克隆至表达载pcDNA3．1／Zero（＋）上。GHS大鼠基因编码区的序列组成同NC大鼠相一致，但GHS鼠1795bp位点的碱基改变未见于NC鼠。     

Immunohistochemical localization of cathepsin D, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and epidermal growth factor receptor in human breast carcinoma analysed by computer image analyser: correlation with histological grade and metastatic behaviour

 

Aims:

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between immunohistochemical localization of cathepsin D (CD), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in 65 cases of breast carcinoma in Japanese women and traditional prognostic factors such as histological grade, lymph node status, mitotic rate and clinical stage, in order to possibly identify some indicator(s) that may be specifically associated with prognosis.  

Methods and results:

Serial sections of 5-μm thick were cut from the archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks, and processed for CD, PCNA and EGF-R immunostaining. The results were analysed by computer-based image analysis system. All samples showed a positive immunoreaction for cathepsin D in both the parenchyma and stroma. However, the staining area and intensity varied from cell to cell in the parenchyma and stroma as well as among samples. Subsequently, the evaluation of immunostaining for CD was separately performed in both the parenchyma and stroma (CDpar and CDstr, respectively) and the combination of both components (CDtotal). PCNA and EGF-R showed positive immunostaining almost exclusively in the parenchymal component of the carcinoma tissue specimens. CDtotal significantly correlated with the histological grade, PCNA index (PI), mitotic rate (MR), EGF-R and lymph node metastasis. Significant correlation was also demonstrated between CDpar and the histological grade, EGF-R and lymph node metastasis, or between CDstr and MR, EGF-R and lymph node metastasis. EGF-R correlated highly with the histological grade, MR score, lymph node metastases and recurrence-free survival.  

Conclusions:

Both the CD parameters and EGF-R are valuable indicators for predicting the biological behaviour of human breast carcinoma.     

A comparative study of acute and chronic diseases induced by two subgroups of Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus

Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis viruses (TMEV) are divided into two subgroups on the basis of their different biological activities. The GDVII strain produces acute polioencephalomyelitis in mice, whereas the DA strain produces demyelination with virus persistence in the spinal cord. A comparative study of GDVII and DA strains suggested that low host immune responses are responsible for the development of acute GDVII infection and that the persistence of infected macrophages plays a crucial role in the development of chronic white matter lesions in DA infection. All 78 mice infected with GDVII died or became moribund by day 13, while none of 54 mice infected with DA died. In the acute stage, the distribution of viral antigens in the central nervous system (CNS) tissue was similar in both GDVII and DA infections, although the virus titer was higher in GDVII infection. In DA infection, a substantial number of T cells were recruited to the CNS on day 6 when they were virtually absent in GDVII infection. The titer of neutralizing antibody was already high on day 6 in DA infection but was negligible in GDVII infection. Development of chronic paralytic disease from day 35 of the DA infection was accompanied by focal accumulation of viral antigen-positive macrophages in the spinal white matter. In addition, white matter lesions comparable to those in chronic DA infection were induced in the spinal cord within 7 days after intracerebral injection of DA-infected murine macrophages. Received: 26 June 1995 / Revised, accepted: 27 December 1995     

婴儿肝炎综合征63例临床分析

对我科1989-1990年中收治的婴儿肝炎综合征63例的临床表现、合并症、治疗等方面进行了分析。笔者认为婴儿肝炎综合征为一组临床症候群。病因诊断有其重要性。腹部B超检查有助于肝炎和胆道闭锁的鉴别,可作为常规检查方法。并认为用肾上腺皮质激素治疗有效。