Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in Japanese children with ulcerative colitis

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) in the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis (UC) in Japanese children.
Methodology Serum samples from 23 children with UC (17 Japanese, 6 non-Japanese), 27 children with Crohn's disease (CD) (10 Japanese, 17 non-Japanese), 10 children with other diarrhoeal diseases, and 33 normal, healthy adult volunteers were assayed for ANCA using an indirect immunofluorescence technique.
Results ANCA were detected in 6/17 (35%) UC patients and 0/10 (0%) CD patients in Japanese children, and in 3/6 (50%) UC patients and 3/17 (18%) CD patients in non-Japanese children. The difference in prevalence between Japanese and non-Japanese children with UC was not statistically significant ( P >0.05). ANCA were not found in other diarrhoeal patients and volunteers.
Conclusions Although ANCA have been reported to be useful in the diagnosis of UC in adults, they may be of limited use in Japanese children. This might reflect the heterogeneity of UC.     

Normal levels of IgG subclass in childhood determined by a sensitive ELISA

Normal values of all IgG subclasses were determined using a sensitive ELISA in children aged from newborn to 14 years. The upper and lower limits of normal values of all IgG subclasses were obtained in all the age groups using 29 umbilical cord blood samples from full-term newborns and 308 venous blood samples from normal infants and children. The trends in the levels of IgG1, IgG2 and IgG3 with age were almost similar to previous reports. IgG4 levels decreased gradually until reaching the lowest level at 7 to 12 months and increased gradually with age, reaching a plateau at 12 to 14 years of age. Thus, the lower limit of serum IgG4 levels was determined using our method.     

"Beak"-Plasty: A New Effective Modification of Z-Plasty

BACKGROUND: Because the "lateral limbs" resulting from conventional Z-plasty form a steep angle against the relaxation skin tension line (RSTL), they often develop hypertrophic change, whereas the "central limbs" become inconspicuous after being realigned parallel to the RSTL. OBJECTIVE: To alleviate the above-mentioned hypertrophic change of the lateral limbs, we modified the conventional Z-plasty and invented a new technique. Because the shape of the flap resembles a bird's beak, we call the technique "beak-plasty." The purpose of this study is to present the new technique. METHODS: The technique is described and effectiveness of the technique is reviewed on 21 patients. In particular, three representative cases are presented with photographs. RESULTS: In all patients, the lateral limbs of the flaps did not become hypertrophic after a minimum follow-up period of 9 months. CONCLUSIONS: Our technique can effectively reduce Z-plasty's risk of postoperative hypertrophy in the lateral limb. Therefore, it can make the scar less conspicuous than in conventional Z-plasty. For this advantage, we recommend our technique as an effective armament for scar revision. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters.     

The regulation of intestinal hypersensitivity reactions to ovalbumin by ω-3 fatty acid enriched diet: Studies of IEL and LPL in mucosal damage

In order to clarify the mechanisms of food-sensitive enteropathy, a food hypersensitive model was generated by feeding ovalbumin to female BALB/c mice after intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide and morphological and immunological changes in the gut mucosa were investigated. Villus atrophy, crypt hyperplasia and increased numbers of intra-epithelial lymphocytes (IEL) were confirmed in this model, as seen in food-sensitive enteropathy in humans. Subpopulations of IEL and lamina propria lymphocytes were enumerated by immunohistochemical observation. CD8-positive cells were increased both in epithelium and lamina propria, whereas CD4-positive cells were decreased in lamina propria. We document here that orally administered food antigen actually induces food-sensitive enteropathy and mucosal damage is generated by lymphocytes that infiltrate the intestinal mucosa. We also investigated the effect of feeding an ω-3 fatty acid-enriched diet in this model and found that it was efficient in attenuating mucosal damage.     

A Case of a Short-Coupled Variant of Torsades De Pointes with Electrical Storm

TAKEUCHI, T., et al. : A Case of a Short-Coupled Variant of Torsades De Pointes with Electrical Storm. This case report describes a short-coupled variant of Torsades de Pointes with a characteristic ECG pattern consisting of a prominent J wave in leads V₃–V₆, in which an electrical storm was evoked with autonomic receptor stimulation and a blockade test. The patient's frequent VF attacks were triggered by short-coupled premature ventricular contractions with a right bundle branch block morphology and left-axis deviation, and were suppressed by deep sedation followed by a combination therapy using verapamil and mexiletine. Interestingly, with the use of those drugs, the prominent J wave diminished. The mechanism underlying this syndrome is discussed. (PACE 2003; 26[Pt. I]:632–636)     

A new oral margarine loading test in children

Margarine (2g/kg) was orally administered to 39 children with normal fat digestion and absorption (control group) and 17 children with abnormal fat digestion and absorption (malabsorbed group). The serum triglyceride (TG) level was serially determined by capillary blood sampling. In the control group, the TG level was significantly elevated after 2, 3 and 4 h as compared with the level before margarine ingestion (basal TG). The maximum TG elevation rate [MTER - (maximum TG-basal TG)/basal TG x 100] was > 50% in all but three children. In contrast, a significant increase in TG was not observed in the malabsorbed group after margarine ingestion, and the MTER was < 50% in all but two children. The MTER was significantly lower in children with a high microscopic score of fecal fat than that in children with a low score. This oral margarine loading test is a simple and semi-quantitative evaluation of fat digestion and absorption, and is considered to be useful for the assessment of the presence or severity of fat maldigestion and malabsorption in children.     

SYNTHESIS AND RADIORECEPTOR BINDING ACTIVITY OF TURKEY β-ENDORPHIN AND DEACETYLATED SALMON ENDORPHIN

Des-acetylated salmon endorphin and turkey β endorphin have been synthesized by the solid-phase method. Relative opiate activities in a radioreceptor binding assay are: human β-endorphin, 100; des-acetylated salmon endorphin, 169; turkey β-endorphin, 94. Thus, non-mammalian endorphins can show high activity in a mammalian assay system.     

HUMAN β-ENDORPHIN: SYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF ANALOGS WITH SUBSTITUTIONS IN POSITIONS 2, 9, 18, 27 AND 31

Four analogs of the opioid peptide human β-endorphin (β_h-EP) have been synthesized: [d -Lys⁹,Phe²⁷,Gly³¹]-β_h-EP, [d -Phe¹⁸,Phe²⁷,Gly³¹)-β_h-EP, [d -Thr²,d -Lys⁹,Phe²⁷,Gly³¹]-β_h-EP, and [d -Thr²,d -Phe¹⁸,Phe²⁷,Gly³¹]-β_h-EP. All are practically indistinguishable from β_h-EP in the guinea pig ileum assay. All show diminished analgesic potency in the mouse tail-flick assay.     

Chemical synthesis of insulin-like growth factor II

Human insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) with 67 amino acids and three disulfide bridges has been synthesized by the solid-phase method. The synthetic hormone is shown to be homogeneous in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), high performance partition chromatography (HPPC), and chromatofocusing. It is indistinguishable from natural hormone in HPLC, peptide map of thermolysin digests, amino acid composition and radioreceptor binding assay. Thus, synthetic and natural IGF-II are identical.     

The effect of deprenyl (selegiline) on intra-and extraneuronal dopamine oxidation

ABSTRACT — It was found that in that rat striatum DA was oxidized extrasynaptosomally to 11 % by MAO-A and to 3 % by MAO-B. The corresponding intrasynaptosomal oxidations were 84 % and 2 %, respectively. Those figures were virtually unchanged even if the rat brain MAO-B was selectively inhibited to 87 % by deprenyl. In the human brain extrasynaptosomal oxidation was 16 % and 66 %, respectively, by MAO-A and -B. Intrasynaptosomally the corresponding figures were 12 % and 6 %, respectively. Selective inhibition of human caudate MAO-B was calculated to give a total reduction of DA oxidation of 63 %. The differences between man and rat are due to the proportionately greater oxidation of DA by MAO-B in man, which is a consequence of a higher ratio of concentration of MAO-A/-B in the rat.