Ras P21 EXPRESSION IN NEPHROBLASTOMA GROUP TUMORS

Ras p21 expression in 30 cases of nephroblastoma and related tumors was evaluated by the immunoperoxidase method using monoclonal anti- ras p21 antibody (RAP-5) raised against a synthetic polypeptide fragment of ras p21. In normal renal tissue, the epithelial cells of convoluted and collecting tubules and arterial wall leiomyocytes were positively stained. In nephroblastoma tumors, some of the epithelial cells forming primitive tubular and glomerular-like structures in the nephroblastic-type tumors and the cells with including intimal features were positive. However, the epithelial cells in more differentiated glandular structures of epithelial-type tumors, the rhabdoid cells in rhabdoid tumors and the cells in congenital mesoblastic nephroma failed to show positive staining. Nephroblastic cells, stromal cells and sarcomatous cells were also negative.     

Hepatocyte growth factor as a potential predictor of the presence of atherosclerotic aorto-iliac artery disease

Background Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a member of the endothelial-specific growth factors with the greatest mitogenic activity, may play a role in the protection and/or repair of vascular endothelial cells injured by atherosclerosis. As a result, plasma HGF concentration may increase in response to endothelial cell damage. To test this hypothesis, we measured plasma concentrations of HGF in patients with or without aorto-iliac artery atherosclerotic disease. Methods One hundred ten consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography were enrolled in this study. Abdominal aortography was performed after coronary arteriography to determine whether aorto-iliac artery atherosclerotic disease was present. Peripheral venous blood samples were obtained to measure the plasma HGF concentration. Results Aortography revealed aorto-iliac atherosclerotic disease in 35 patients (32%). The plasma HGF concentration was significantly higher in patients with arteriosclerotic lesions (0.35 ± 0.11 ng/mL) than in patients without atherosclerotic lesions (0.27 ± 0.09 ng/mL, P = .0002). On the basis of multiple logistic regression analysis of the relationships between coronary risk factors, age, sex, severity of coronary artery disease, plasma HGF concentration, and the presence of arteriosclerotic lesions, plasma HGF concentration (P = .0005) and age (P = .035) were found to predict independently the presence of aorto-iliac arteriosclerosis. Conclusion Plasma HGF concentration can be used to predict the presence of arteriosclerotic lesions in the region from the abdominal aorta to the femoral arteries. (Am Heart J 2002;143:272-6.)     

Predictors of hypofibrinogenemia in blunt trauma patients on admission

Purpose

Massive bleeding usually leads to critically low levels of clotting factors, including fibrinogen. Although reduced fibrinogen levels correlate with increased mortality, predictors of hypofibrinogenemia have remained poorly understood. We investigated whether findings available on admission can be used as predictors of hypofibrinogenemia.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed serum fibrinogen levels tested on arrival in 290 blunt trauma patients transported to a level I trauma center during a 3-year period. The primary outcome was prehospital predictors for hypofibrinogenemia. Covariates included age, sex, prehospital fluid therapy, prehospital anatomical and physiological scores, time from injury, base excess, and lactate on arrival. All variables with values of p < 0.10 in univariate analysis were included in a multivariate logistic regression model. The relationships between the variables and the 7-day mortality rate were evaluated in a Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

Patient’s age [odds ratio (OR): 0.97, p < 0.001], Triage Revised Trauma Score (T-RTS) (OR: 0.81, p = 0.003), and prehospital fluid therapy (OR: 2.54, p = 0.01) were detected as independent predictors for hypofibrinogenemia in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Serum fibrinogen level [hazard ratio (HR): 0.99, p = 0.01] and T-RTS (HR: 0.77, p < 0.01) were associated with the 7-day mortality rate.

Conclusion

T-RTS is considered to play an important role in predicting hypofibrinogenemia and 7-day mortality in blunt trauma patients.

     

Immunohistochemical Study of Neuroblastoma and Related Tumors with Anti-S-100 Protein Antibody

Histological sections of 36 cases of neuroblastema and related tumors were studied with anti-S-100 protein antibody (PAP method). Schwann cells in the ganglioneuromas and ganglioneuroblastomas always strongly stained. In addition, varying numbers of spindle-shaped or elongated positively staining cells, which were probably Schwann cells and their precursor cells, were demonstrated in ganglioneuroblastoma and differentiating neuroblastoma. Undifferentiated round cell neuroblastoma showed no reaction. Immunohistochemical findings of these cases were classified into four groups (+ +, +, ±, -) according to the number of the positive cells and compared with prognosis, histological typing, location of the tumors, stage, and age at surgery. The cases with many positive cells, group (+ +) showed excellent prognosis, and group (-) showed very poor prognosis. The results of this study indicate that S-100 protein staining provides a reliable objective method for evaluation of differentiation of the neuroblastoma cells toward Schwann cells, which appears to be an important factor to predict prognosis.     

An FH domain-containing Bnr1p is a multifunctional protein interacting with a variety of cytoskeletal proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Proteins containing formin homology domains, FH1 and FH2, are involved in cytokinesis or establishment of cell polarity in a variety of organisms. Bni1p and Bnr1p are FH proteins and potential targets of the Rho family small GTP-binding proteins in S. cerevisiae. We have shown that Bnr1p is localized at the bud neck to interact with Hof1p, involved in cytokinesis. We report here that the overexpression of BNR1 causes a cytokinesis deficiency which is similar to the phenotypes of the septin mutants, including cdc3, cdc10, cdc11, and cdc12. The region required for the septin mutant phenotypes was mapped to Bnr1p (35-500), which coincided with the region required for the bud-neck localization. To further isolate a gene interacting with BNI1 or BNR1, a multicopy suppressor of the bni1 bnr1 mutant was isolated. This gene encoded Smy1p, a kinesin-related protein. Bnr1p, but not Bni1p, directly interacted with the C-terminal region of Smy1p. The Smy1p-interacting region of Bnr1p was mapped to a region containing the FH2 domain. Bnr1p also directly interacted with Bud6p, a novel actin-binding protein. Bnr1p is thus a multifunctional protein which interacts with the septin system, a microtubule-dependent motor protein, and the actin system, to regulate cytoskeletal functions in S. cerevisiae.     

Recurrence of endometrial cancer and its pathological factors

The number of patients with uterine endometrial cancer has increased in recent years in Japan. The studies on the prognostic factors of endometrial cancer, however, have not been made in detail as compared with those on the prognostic factors of cervical cancers. We have therefore investigated retrospectively the prognoses of 94 cases with endometrial cancer treated in our clinic from 1973 to 1984. Out of 31 cases (32.9%) with recurrence, 13 cases were at the Stage I and II, and the recurrence ratios were 11.4% for Stage Ia, 18.2% for Stage Ib and 31.3% for Stage II. The prognosis of endometrial carcinoma appears to depend on the endocervical involvement of the cancer. Five prognostic factors for Stage I and II endometrial cancers analyzed here are as follows; (1) histologic differentiation (grade), (2) size (diameter) of the primary tumor, (3) myometrial invasion, (4) vascular invasion, (5) lymphnode metastasis. (1) The recurrence ratio was 15.0% in the well differentiated (Grade 1) group, 25.0% in the moderately differentiated (Grade 2) group, 27.3% in the poorly differentiated (Grade 3) group, and 12.5% in adenoacanthoma. (2) The ratio of recurrence was 2.9% with less than 3 cm diameter, 24% with 3-6 cm diameter, and 30% with greater than 6 cm diameter in tumor size. (3) The ratio of recurrence was 2.9% with less than 1/3, 24% with 1/3-2/3, and 30% with greater than 2/3 myometrial invasion. (4) The ratio of recurrence was 43.8% with vascular invasion, and 5.6% without it. (5) The ratio of recurrence was 75% with lymphnode metastasis, and 8.8% without it.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A simple head-mountable LED device for chronic stimulation of optogenetic molecules in freely moving mice

We describe a low-cost, small, remotely triggerable LED device for wireless control of transcranial optical stimulation of cortical neurons, for use in freely moving mice. The device is easily mountable on the head of a mouse with a high-polymer block. Using the Thy1-ChR2-YFP transgenic mice, we demonstrate that the device is capable of remotely triggering muscle twitches upon activation of the primary motor cortex in freely moving conditions.     

Experience of DMAT rescue activity by doctor-helicopter in Tohoku Area after the earthquake

We operated rescue activities in Tohoku area after the earthquake of March 11th, 2011. From our hospital, a doctor-helicopter flew to the staging care unit at Hanamaki airport with two members of the disaster medical assistance team (DMAT), one of whom was an anesthesiologist. The helicopter carried ten patients by nine flight missions, who were the victims of tsunami after the earthquake. There were seven doctor-helicopters from all over Japan and did the missions based at Hanamaki airport. The missions was quite different from our usual job as an anesthesiologist, but we could transfer the patients safely by using some knowledge of stabilizing the unstable patients as flight doctors. We report the details of our activities by our doctor-helicopters in Tohoku area.     

Identity of brain-associated small cell lung cancer antigen and the CD56 (NKH-1/Leu-19) leukocyte differentiation antigen and the neural cell adhesion molecule.

Previous studies have demonstrated the monoclonal antibody, TFS-4, to recognize a cell surface antigen, 124,000 Daltons, of molecular weight expressed selectively on small cell lung cancer but not on non-small cell lung cancer, and to cross-react with the human brain, cardiac muscle and some smooth muscle cells. The cross-reactivity of TFS-4 with peripheral blood lymphocytes was examined by two color immunofluorescence analysis, using monoclonal antibodies to leukocyte differentiation antigens. Flow cytometric analysis revealed an identical subset of cells to express both BASCA and CD56(NKH-1 antigen). The immunofluorescence profiles for both TFS-4 and NKH-1 were, furthermore, identical to those of the background controls, identicating identical quantities of the antigens to be present on each cell within the population. Since CD56 has been show to be identical to the neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM), we determined the amino-terminal amino acid sequence of BASCA purified from the human brain. The amino-terminal amino acid sequence of BASCA was identical to that of N-CAM.