Establishment of anti-Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) cellular immunity by adoptive transfer of virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes from an HLA-matched sibling to a patient with severe chronic active EBV infection

We describe an experience of a specific immune transfer treatment in a patient with chronic active EBV infection. The patient had low anti-EBV T cell-mediated cytotoxic activity in his peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), which may have been the primary cause of the disease. An EBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) line was established from PBMC obtained from the patient’s sister whose human leucocyte antigens (HLA) are identical to patient's. The patient received three courses of intravenously administered CTL at 3-week intervals. The number of the cells was increased with each course of treatment. After infusion of the T cell line, anti-EBV CTL activity was detected in the patient's PBMC. CTL activity increased markedly after the second course of immune transfer therapy. The amount of EBV DNA in the patient's plasma showed transient but repeated decreases. Serum levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), which had elevated before treatment, began to decrease after initiation of treatment. No adverse effects were directly associated with CTL infusions. Despite having previously received a pneumococcal vaccine and prophylactic antibodies, the patient died of infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteraemia 27 days after the third infusion. Although the long-term efficacy and safety of this therapy remains to be established, our findings suggest that adoptive transfer of CTL specific for EBV obtained from an HLA-matched donor might be a promising treatment for patients with chronic active EBV infection.     

Diagnosis of Small Pancreatic Carcinoma

A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the clinicalsymptoms and abnormal test findings in small pancreatic carcinoma.Five hundred and thirty-six cases of pancreatic carcinoma withthe histology of duct cell carcinoma were collected from 14medical centers in Japan. In 440 of the cases, tumor size wasmeasured at the time of laparotomy or from the resected specimen.Three hundred and seventy-seven patients (86%) had a carcinomalarger than 3.0 cm; only 30% of these were resectable. Sixty-threepatients (14%) had a carcinoma of 3.0 cm or less, with resectabilityof 97%. Detecting a tumor of "3 cm or less" with a high probabilityof resectability is the objective of early diagnosis with theresulting possibility of a cure. In most cases these small carcinomaswere found easily when obstructive jaundice was present (73%).However, the estimated occurrence of obstructive jaundice associatedwith carcinomas of 3 cm or less was only 10% among the totalcases of pancreatic carcinoma studied. Therefore, it is necessaryfor early diagnosis to detect carcinomas of 3 cm or less presentingwithout jaundice. The symptoms of small carcinoma without jaundiceare weight loss, anorexia, upper abdominal pain, back pain anda palpable abdominal mass. Among the various available examinations,endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, computerizedtomography and ultrasonography were valuable in diagnosing thesesmall carcinomas.     

氧化锆种植体的体外细胞相容性研究

目的探讨成骨细胞对氧化钇稳定的四方相氧化锆材料的生物学反应,为氧化锆种植体用于临床提供基础参考。方法制备直径15mm,厚度1.5mm的氧化锆和纯钛样本,氧化铝水砂纸抛光,白光干涉测量仪测量材料表面三维形貌,接触角测量仪测量材料表面接触角,采用成骨细胞MC3T3-E1接种于材料表面,分别在第1天,4天,7天进行细胞计数,并测定细胞内m RNA含量;在第1天和3天时,采用FDA荧光染色观察细胞形态。采用独立样本t检验进行数据统计分析。结果纯钛表面的粗糙度大于氧化锆,但两种材料具有相似的接触角。细胞增殖试验显示两者具有相似的细胞附着和生长,以及细胞内m RNA含量,FDA荧光染色显示两种材料具有相似的细胞形态。结论氧化锆和纯钛材料相对成骨细胞具有相似的生物学作用。     

Skin Irritation to Glass Wool or Continuous Glass Filaments as Observed by a Patch Test among Human Japanese Volunteers

Glass wool and continuous glass filaments have been used in industry. We examined the irritability of those among Japanese. A patch test was performed on 43 volunteers for the followings: glass wool for non-residential use with and without a urea-modified phenolic resin binder, that for residential use with and without the binder, and continuous glass filaments with diameters of 4, 7, 9, and 13 µm. Materials were applied to an upper arm of each volunteer for 24 h. The skin was observed at 1 and 24 h after the removal. At 1 h after removal, slight erythema was observed on the skin of a woman after the exposure to glass wool for residential use without the binder. Erythema was observed on the skin of another woman at 1 h after a 24-h exposure to glass wool for non-residential use without the binder. There were no reactions at 24 h after the removal. The low reactions in the patch test suggested that the irritability caused by glass wool, irrespective of a resin component, could be induced mechanically, and that the irritability caused by continuous glass filaments with resin could be slight and either mechanical or chemical.     

Detection of Helicobacter pylori Gene by Means of Immunomagnetic Separation-Based Polymerase Chain Reaction in Feces

Background: Detection of Helicobacter pylori is usually performed by culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), histology, or urease test on gastric biopsy samples. Although methods based on feces are non-invasive, their sensitivity has been relatively low. In this study, to improve its sensitivity, immunomagnetic separation (IMS) was used as a pre-PCR step for direct detection of H. pylori in feces. Methods: Fresh fecal samples were taken from 72 patients attending for endoscopy. Of these, 57 patients had a positive H. pylori status according to the results of culture, histology, and PCR on gastric biopsy samples. Anti-H. pylori antibody-sensitized immunomagnetic beads were used to concentrate the bacteria. PCR was then performed to detect the H. pylori urease A-encoding gene. Results: Of the 57 H. pylori-positive patients, 35 (61.4%) had positive fecal samples by IMS-based PCR method. None of the 15 H. pylori-negative patients had positive fecal samples. The sensitivity of this method was 61.4%, and the specificity 100.0%. Conclusions: This study confirms that non-invasive diagnosis of H. pylori infection could be made from feces by using IMS-based PCR.     

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection

An 8 year old girl with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is described. Elevated serum antibody titers suggested recent Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. T2-weighted image of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disclosed multiple lesions of high signal intensity in bilateral basal ganglia and thalami as well as in the white matter. Postcontrast T1-weighted image revealed an enhanced lesion in the deep white matter. She showed rapid clinical improvement in response to corticosteroid therapy. The lesions had disappeared completely on MRI performed 10 weeks after the onset. ADEM is believed to be a demyelinating disorder of probable autoimmune etiology. MRI findings in this case may support the hypothesis that the primary pathological event is vascular injury and demyelination occurs only as a secondary phenomenon.     

Cerebral energy metabolism in insulin induced hypoglycemia in newborn piglets: in vivo31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

The effect of insulin induced hypoglycemia on cerebral energy metabolism was examined in four newborn piglets. Cerebral energy metabolism was assessed using in vivo ³¹P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. It was demonstrated that the normal level of phosphocreatine/inorganic phosphate (PCr/Pi), an indicator of phosphorylation potential, was maintained at a blood glucose level of 40 mg/dL or above, whereas when blood glucose was reduced to less than 40 mg/dL, PCr/Pi rapidly decreased in parallel with this. Below the critical blood glucose level of 40 mg/dL, a positive correlation (y = 0.02x + 0.632; r = 0.668; P < 0.001) existed between blood glucose and PCr/Pi. In the present investigation, a reduction of blood glucose level to 20 mg/dL or lower resulted in a PCr/Pi of less than 1, indicating a state of cerebral energy failure. The intracellular pH (pHi) was 7.08 ± 0.05 at the onset and 7.15 ± 0.07 in the hypoglycemic state, indicating no significant difference between the two groups. The present study has clarified that cerebral energy failure occurs when the blood glucose level is about 20 mg/dL or lower. The critical point of blood glucose exists to maintain brain energy metabolism.     

F-statistics and analysis of gene diversity in subdivided populations

It is show that Wright's F-statistics can be defined as ratios of gene diversities of heterozygosities rather than as the correlations of uniting gametes. This definition is applicable irrespective of the number of alleles involved or whether there is selection or not. The relationship between F-statistics and Nei's gene diversity analysis is discussed.