Adsorption of Human Recombinant Erythropoietin on Dialysis Membranes In Vitro

Abstract: The adsorptive characteristics of 5 dialysis membranes for recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) were studied in vitro in a closed circuit system. For 120 min, EPO added with bovine serum was significantly adsorbed by polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA) and polyacry–lonitrile (PAN) membranes but not by Cuprophan, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVAL), or polysulfone (PS) membranes. In addition the EPO adsorptive rate, as well as that of β₂–microglobulin (β₂–MG), was greater with a PMMA membrane than with a PAN membrane. EPO was not detected in the ultrafiltrate at 15 min with 5 membranes. These results indicate that EPO was eliminated by membrane adsorption only with some dialysis membranes.     

Scintigraphic detection of recurrence of medullary thyroid cancer

A case of recurrent medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) was evaluated with¹²³I-MIBG,^99mTc(V)-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), and²⁰¹Tl scintigraphy. This patient had been operated on for MTC in the right thyroid. Recently a left neck mass was noticed, and was suspected of being a. recurrence of MTC based on increased plasma calcitonin (CT) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). He was operated on for the neck mass which revealed MTC, and papillary thyroid cancer was incidentally found in the left thyroid, but the CT and CEA levels remained high, and remaining MTC tumor was suspected. But the location of the tumor was unknown. Although^99mTc(V)-DMSA scintigraphy is generally believed to be superior in sensitivity to¹²³I-MIBG scintigraphy, it did not demonstrate the tumor site but²⁰¹Tl and¹²³I-MIBG did. Furthermore,¹²³I-MEBG scintigraphy has greater specificity for tumors which arise in the neural crest. Judging from the results of this case and cases reported in the literatures, both¹²³I-MIBG and^99mTc(V)-DMSA should be performed in the detection of recurrent MTC.     

Histological study of effect of bone morphogenetic protein derived from bovine tooth on periosteum in rats

Summary In this study, we examined histologically the effect of a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) derived from bovine tooth on the periosteum. Supraperiosteal injection of crude BMP into femurs of Wistar rats (28 day old) resulted in periosteal cell proliferation with subsequent bone and cartilage formation. Moreover, proliferating periosteal cells migrated into injected BMP, and formed both cartilage and bone. These observations show that exogenous BMP stimulates mesenchymal cells of the periosteum to proliferate and differentiate into osteoblasts, and therefore BMP may be one of factors which are involved in differentiation of osteoblasts in the periosteum.     

A case of polycythemia vera complicated by chronic renal failure under hemodialysis requiring parathyroidectomy for secondary hyperparathyroidisim

A case of polycythemia vera complicated by chronic renal failure under maintenance hemodialysis requiring parathyroidectory (PTH) for secondary hyperparathyroidism (2° HPT) is reported. A 62 year old female presented with 75000 white blood cells (WBC)/μl, 703×10⁴ red blood cells (RBC)/μl, 23×10⁴ platelets (PLT)/μl, hyperuricemia and hypertension in 1970 and the diagnosis of polycythemia vera was made. Hemodialysis was started in October 1974 for chronic renal failure. Blood cells in peripheral blood rapidly decreased in number after the beginning of dialysis, reaching the level of 10000∼20000 WBC/μl, and 150∼250×10⁴RBC/μl. In August 1988, marked bone resorption in X-ray picture and high serum alkaline phosphatase and parathyroid hormone (PTH) noted along with 17400 WBC/μl, 370×10⁴RBC/μl and 35.9×10⁴PLT/μl. After subtotal PTX removing 3.21g parathyroid gland, serum PTH rapidly fell. At 3 months after PTX, WBC rose to 23600/μl, RBC 372×10⁴/μl and PLT 94.0×10⁴/μl. At 6 months, WBC was to 31000/μl, RBC 429×10⁴/μl and PLT 78.0×10⁴/μl, suggesting an inhibitory action of PTH on not only RBC, but also WBC and PLT.     

Gallium scintigraphy in patients with adult T-cell leukemia lymphoma

Gallium scintigraphy was evaluated in 25 patients with adult T-cell leukemia lymphoma (ATLL). Anterior and posterior images were obtained at 72 h after administration of 3 mCi ⁶⁷Ga-citrate using a gamma camera (Maxi-Camera 400T, General Electric Co.) with a medium energy standard parallel hole collimator. Abnormally high accumulations were observed in 17 out of 25 cases (superficial lymph node, 8; hilar and mediastinal lymph node, 7; paraaortic lymph node, 2; lung, 9; liver, 1; bone, 1). There were 10 malignant lesions detected by ⁶⁷Ga scintigraphy in 9 out of 17 cases (superficial lymph node, 1; hilar and mediastinal lymph node, 6; paraaortic lymph node, 1; liver, 1; bone, 1). White blood cell count and serum LDH levels were raised in patients with abnormally high accumulations of ⁶⁷Ga. In conclusion, ⁶⁷Ga scintigraphy seemed to be a useful examination to detect malignant lesions in patients with ATLL.     

Downward deviation of progressive addition lenses in a myopia control trial

PURPOSE: To clarify how the downward deviation of progressive addition lenses (PALs) reduces their near-addition effect in schoolchildren participating in a myopia control trial. METHODS: Among 95 schoolchildren wearing PALs for 6 months (age range: 6-12 years; refractive error range: -6.00 to -1.25 D), facial images were captured with a digital still camera placed 60 cm in front of the eyes while he or she was looking ahead with natural head posture. The vertical deviations of PALs from their ideal position (mm) were evaluated by analysing these images. RESULTS: The mean (+/-SD) downward deviations of PALs for the right and left eyes were 3.7 +/- 2.3 and 3.7 +/- 2.0 mm, respectively, and the largest downward deviation was 10.2 mm. For simulations using the average downward deviation, the near-addition effect of PALs was reduced to 30 and 63% of the expected value at the 10 degrees and 20 degrees downward eye positions, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The downward deviation of PALs is a significant factor in reducing their therapeutic effect for near-addition. To ensure the proper alignment of PALs in children, the conventional spectacle-frame-fitting procedure is not sufficient, and repeated confirmation using a testing method similar to that used in this study is required.     

Locus of a virus neutralization epitope on the Japanese encephalitis virus envelope protein determined by use of long PCR-based region-specific random mutagenesis

We prepared recombinant Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus populations possessing random mutations at the envelope (E) protein region by a long PCR-based method. Neutralization-resistant mutants were selected from these populations by application of JE-specific virus neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb) 503, which possessed a 51,200-fold neutralization titer. We classified the mutants into three groups, each bearing two amino acid alterations at the E protein region: 52, Gln-Arg, and 136, Lys-Glu; 136, Lys-Glu, and 275, Ser-Pro; and 126, Ile-Thr, and 136, Lys-Glu, respectively. Three different genetically engineered variants, each bearing a single mutation, 126, Ile-Thr; 136, Lys-Glu; and 275, Ser-Pro, respectively, showed partial but not complete recovery of reactivity to mAb 503. Our results indicate that the amino acid substitutions at amino acid positions 52, 126, 136, and 275 altered the structure of the neutralization epitope for mAb 503 on the E protein. All these mutations were clustered at the junction of domains I and II of the E protein and it is likely that the epitope for mAb 503 is composed of at least E(0)-e, D(0)-a, and k strands of the E protein. We also demonstrated the efficacy of the long PCR-based recombinant virus technique as a useful tool for the creation of a variety of mutants bearing random mutations at targeted areas of the virus genome.     

Biological activities of Bacteroides forsythus lipoproteins and their possible pathological roles in periodontal disease

Bacteroides forsythus is a gram-negative, anaerobic, fusiform bacterium and is considered to be an etiological agent in periodontal disease. A lipoprotein fraction prepared from B. forsythus cells by Triton X-114 phase separation (BfLP) activated human gingival fibroblasts and a human monocytic cell line, THP-1, to induce interleukin-6 production and tumor necrosis factor alpha production. BfLP was found to be capable of inducing nuclear factor-kappaB translocation in human gingival fibroblasts and THP-1 cells. By using Chinese hamster ovary K1 cells transfected with Toll-like receptor genes together with a nuclear factor-kappaB-dependent CD25 reporter plasmid, it was found that signaling by BfLP was mediated by Toll-like receptor 2 but not by CD14 or Toll-like receptor 4. BfLP induced apoptotic cell death in human gingival fibroblasts, KB cells (an oral epithelial cell line), HL-60 cells (a human myeloid leukemia cell line), and THP-1 cells but not in MOLT4 cells (a T-cell leukemia cell line). Caspase-8, an initiator caspase in apoptosis, was found to be activated in these cells in response to BfLP stimulation. Thus, this study suggested that BfLP plays some etiological roles in oral infections, especially periodontal disease, by induction of cell activation or apoptosis.