Relationship between the number of steps taken and body mass index for male workers in the metropolitan area]

The present study examined the relationship between number of steps and body mass index (BMI) among male workers in the metropolitan area. The number of subjects were 310 (aged 30-59) and they were studied for seven consecutive days. The number of steps was measured by a pedometer. Energy expenditure was assessed by the activity record method. Energy intake was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. Height and body weight were examined by a self-administered questionnaire. BMI of 81 subjects (26.1%) was greater than 25 kg/m2. The number of steps was 10,682 +/- 4,365 on working days, and 7,135 +/- 4,536 on holidays. Average energy expenditure in seven days was 2,259 +/- 378 kcal/d. The physical activity level (PAL) was 1.5 +/- 0.1. There was a significant correlation between BMI and the number of steps in a working day (r=-0.188, p<0.01). In addition, there were significant correlations between PAL and daily steps on working days (r=0.301, p<0.001), and on holidays (r=0.296, p<0.001). Subjects were divided into four groups according to the median number of steps on working days and energy intake (I; > or =9,894 steps, <1,901 kcal, II; > or =9,894 steps, > or =1,901 kcal, III; <9,894 steps, <1,901 kcal, IV; <9,894 steps, > or =1,901 kcal). BMI of Group IV (24.7 kg/m2) was significantly higher than that of the other Groups. Group III had the highest proportion of subjects (15.7%) with lifestyle related diseases.     

A case of multiple cranial neuropathy after Campylobacter jejuni infection]

We report a patient who developed overlapping symptoms of ophthalmoplegia and oropharyngeal palsy after Campylobacter jejuni infection. A 15-year-old man had diarrhea and fever, and developed dysarthria, diplopia and ptosis two weeks later. He did not show ataxia, weakness or abnormal tendon reflexes in the extremities during the clinical course. In the acute phase of the disease, we found significant elevation of anti-GQlb and anti-GTla IgG antibodies in the serum, and high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin therapy remarkably ameliorated the symptoms. Our patient was atypical of Fisher syndrome or pharyngeal-cervical-brachial (PCB) weakness, and this is the first case of multiple cranial neuropathy associated with C. jejuni infection.     

Genomic structure around joining segments and constant regions of swine T-cell receptor alpha/delta (TRA/TRD) locus

A complete genomic region of 131.2 kb including the swine T-cell receptor alpha/delta constant region (TRAC/TRDC) and joining segments (TRAJ/TRDJ) was sequenced. The structure of this region was strikingly conserved in comparison to that of human or mouse. All of the 61 TRAJ segments detected in the human genomic sequence were detected in the swine sequence and the sequence of the protein binding site of T early alpha, the sequence of the alpha enhancer element and the conserved sequence block between TRAJ3 and TRAJ4 are highly conserved. Insertion of the repetitive sequences that interspersed after the differentiation of the species in mammals such as short interspersed nucleotide elements is markedly suppressed in comparison to other genomic regions, while the composition of the mammalian-wide interspersed sequences is relatively conserved in human and swine. This observation indicates the existence of a highly selective pressure to conserve this genomic region around TRAJ throughout the evolution of mammals.     

Short half-lives of ataxia-associated aprataxin proteins in neuronal cells

Early-onset ataxia with ocular motor apraxia and hypoalbuminemia (EAOH)/ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 1 (AOA1) is caused by mutations in the gene encoding aprataxin (APTX). Although several in vitro findings proposed that impaired enzymatic activities of APTX are responsible for EAOH/AOA1, potential instability of mutant proteins has also been suggested as the pathogenesis based on in vivo finding that mutant proteins are almost undetectable in EAOH/AOA1 tissues or cells. The present study aimed to experimentally prove instability of mutant proteins in neuronal cells, the cell type preferentially affected by this disease. Results of pulse-chase experiments demonstrated that all of the disease-associated mutants had extremely shorter half-lives than the WT. We further found that mutants were targeted for rapid proteasome-mediated degradation. These results help establish pathogenic and physiological protein characteristics of APTX in neuronal cells.     

Intrapulmonary lymph nodes: thin-section CT findings, pathological findings, and CT differential diagnosis from pulmonary metastatic nodules

We compared the thin-section CT findings of 11 intrapulmonary lymph nodes with pathological findings and evaluated the possibility of CT scan differential diagnosis from pulmonary metastatic nodules. First, we retrospectively reviewed CT scan and pathological findings of intrapulmonary lymph nodes. The median size of these nodules was 6.2 mm. The nodules appeared round (n=3) or angular (n=8) in shape with a sharp border, and they were found below the level of the carina. The median distance from the nearest pleural surface was 4.6 mm, and 3 of the 11 nodules were attached to the pleura. On thin-section CT scan, linear densities extending from the intrapulmonary lymph nodes were frequently visualized, and were pathologically proven to be ectatic lymphoid channels. We then compared the thin-section CT findings of 8 metastatic nodules less than 1 cm in diameter with those of the 11 intrapulmonary lymph nodes. The median size of these nodules was 6.8 mm, and the median distance from the nearest pleural surface was 16 mm. All nodules appeared round in shape. None of the nodules had linear densities extending from the nodules. The linear densities on thin-section CT scan may be the most useful characteristic of intrapulmonary lymph nodes, when differential diagnosis from metastatic nodules is necessary.     

The inhibitory effect of oxatomide, an anti-allergic agent, on eosinophil-mediated and eosinophilic cell line-mediated natural cytotoxicity against bronchial epithelial cells

Recently, eosinophils have been implicated as inflammatory effector cells in allergic and inflammatory reactions such as bronchial asthma. In this study eosinophil-mediated and eosinophilic cell line-mediated natural cytotoxicity against bronchial epithelial cells and the effects of oxatomide, an anti-allergic agent, on their cytotoxicity were investigated. Treatment with oxatomide diminished both eosinophil-mediated and eosinophilic cell line-mediated natural cytotoxicity in vitro. We concluded from these results that oxatomide not only has anti-allergic activity but also anti-inflammatory properties for eosinophils. In addition this method for isolating eosinophils seems to well serve the purpose of evaluating eosinophil function as in this investigation, as we have reported previously.     

A Consideration on the new classification of latest lung ventilators

Concerning the classification of ventilators, Elam (1958), Faireley (1959), and Hunter (1961) reported some simple ones such as pressure limited, volume limited, pressure preset, or volume preset models. Mapleson (1969) also classified them by the generating force or cycling together with the above-mentioned types.The latest ventilators applicable to patients with respiratory failure usually have some cut-off function at high airway pressures as a safety measure. Therefore, all of them belong to the pressure limited type. Some ventilators are of two types such as the time cycled and pressure cycled type.Therefore, we attempted to classify ventilators into four groups, i.e. the time cycled, volume cycled, pressure cycled and selective time-pressure cycled types according to the fundamental mode of ventilator function, the so-called change of cycling from inspiration to expiration. Each group was further divided into subgroups according to preset dials such as respiratory rate, I/E ratio, inspiration time, expiration time, tidal volume, flow rate and airway pressure.By this method, fifty one ventilators on the market in Japan can be classified without overlapping. Although this classification seems complex, it will be of use in selecting ventilators by emphasizing preset dials according to the users needs, ability or both.(Goto Y, Takahashi K, Harada J et al.: A consideration on the new classification of latest lung ventilators. J Anesth 1: 178–182, 1987)     

RAS-blocking bisphosphonate zoledronic acid inhibits the abnormal proliferation and differentiation of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia cells in vitro

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a clonal myeloproliferative/myelodysplastic disorder of early childhood with a poor prognosis. JMML cells are characterized by hypersensitivity to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) caused by a continuously activated GM-CSF receptor-retrovirus-associated sequence (RAS) signal transduction pathway through various molecular mechanisms, resulting in spontaneous GM colony formation in vitro. Bisphosphonate zoledronic acid (ZOL), a RAS-blocking compound, suppressed colony formation from bone marrow (BM) cells of 8 patients with JMML and 5 healthy control subjects without and with GM-CSF (10 ng/mL), respectively, in a dose-dependent manner in clonal culture. At 10 microM ZOL, however, spontaneous GM colony formation from JMML BM cells decreased to 3%, but the formation of G colonies containing granulocytes, but no macrophages, was enhanced, whereas 40% of GM colonies were retained and G colony formation was not affected in culture of normal BM cells with GM-CSF. In suspension culture, cytochemical and flow cytometric analyses showed that 10 microM ZOL also inhibited spontaneous proliferation and differentiation along monocyte/macrophage lineage of JMML BM cells but not the development of normal BM cells by GM-CSF. The inhibitory effect of ZOL on JMML cells was confirmed at a single-clone level and observed even at 3 microM. The current result offers a novel approach to therapy in JMML.