The influence of cutaneous factors on the transcutaneous pO2 and pO2 at various body sites

The transcutaneous partial pressures of oxygen (tcpO2) and carbon dioxide (tcpCO2) were measured at eight different sites in 10 adult male subjects with an electrode at a temperature of 44 degrees C. The mean tcpO2 values (mmHg) were significantly lower on the face (forehead 26.6, cheek 29.6) and the palm (26.4) than at other sites (60.6-69.6). The tcpCO2 values (mmHg) were only slightly higher on the face. Removal of the stratum corneum produced an average increase of the tcpO2 on the palm of 37.6 mmHg and on the forehead of 19.6 mmHg. However, in 10 children with an age range of 3-9 years, the difference in the mean pO2 between the cheek and forearm was very small. There was no significant difference in the cutaneous blood flow at 44 degrees C between the cheek, palm and forearm.     

Antiviral effect of lymphoblastoid interferon-alpha on hepatitis C virus in patients with chronic hepatitis type C

Abstract To study the antiviral effect of lymphoblastoid alpha interferon (IFN) on hepatitis C virus (HCV) we conducted a randomized, controlled trial on 80 patients with chronic hepatitis C using three different doses. Patients were randomly assigned to treatment with 1, 3 or 6 million units of lymphoblastoid IFN-alpha daily for 2 weeks. To assess the antiviral effect of IFN, the amount of HCV present in the serum was estimated by competitive nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) before and after 2 weeks of treatment. The multiple logistic analysis was used to evaluate factors associated with virus clearance, adjusting the imbalance in predictive factors among patients. Hepatitis C virus became negative as assessed by nested PCR after therapy in 26, 50 and 63% of patients receiving 1, 3 and 6 mega units, respectively. Hepatitis C virus was cleared more often in patients having initially low (< 10⁵/mL) amounts of virus. No significant decrease in the amount of virus was observed in the untreated, control group. Patients without bridging fibrosis in liver histology and with HCV genotypes other than K1 (type II) tended to respond well. These results indicate that lymphoblastoid IFN-alpha suppresses HCV in a dose dependent manner. Higher initial virus amounts, bridging fibrosis and genotype K1 were factors associated with poor response.     

The effects of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt on portal hypertensive gastropathy

In addition to variceal bleeding, haematemesis may occur due to haemorrhagic gastritis in patients with portal hypertension. This has been known as portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG). We have evaluated the effects of the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) on portal venous pressure (PVP) and endoscopic gastric mucosal changes observed in patients with portal hypertension. We performed TIPS in 12 patients with complications due to portal hypertension as follows: variceal bleeding in nine patients (bleeding from oesophageal varices in seven and gastric varices in two), refractory ascites in three and haemorrhage from severe PHG in one. Endoscopic examinations were performed before and after TIPS for all patients. Changes of PVP and gastric mucosal findings on endoscopy were analysed. Before TIPS, PHG was seen in 10 patients. Portal venous pressure decreased from an average of 25.1 ± 8.8 to 17.1 ± 6.2 mmHg after TIPS ( P < 0.005). On endoscopy, PHG improved in nine of 10 patients. Oesophagogastric varices improved in eight of 11 patients. In one patient with massive haematemesis, haemorrhage from severe PHG completely stopped after TIPS. Because TIPS effectively reduced PVP, this procedure appeared to be effective for the treatment of uncontrollable PHG.     

Adenosine increases anagen hair growth and thick hairs in Japanese women with female pattern hair loss: A pilot,double‐blind,randomized, placebo‐controlled trial

Adenosine upregulates the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and fibroblast growth factor‐7 in cultured dermal papilla cells. It has been shown that, in Japanese men, adenosine improves androgenetic alopecia due to the thickening of thin hair due to hair follicle miniaturization. To investigate the efficacy and safety of adenosine treatment to improve hair loss in women, 30 Japanese women with female pattern hair loss were recruited for this double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study. Volunteers used either 0.75% adenosine lotion or a placebo lotion topically twice daily for 12 months. Efficacy was evaluated by dermatologists and by investigators and in phototrichograms. As a result, adenosine was significantly superior to the placebo according to assessments by dermatologists and investigators and by self‐assessments. Adenosine significantly increased the anagen hair growth rate and the thick hair rate. No side‐effects were encountered during the trial. Adenosine improved hair loss in Japanese women by stimulating hair growth and by thickening hair shafts. Adenosine is useful for treating female pattern hair loss in women as well as androgenetic alopecia in men.     

Biochemical and histological features of hepatitis G virus infection

To assess the biochemical and histological characteristics of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection, we examined four patients who were infected with HGV only (HGV group), and compared them with 16 patients infected with both HGV and hepatitis C virus (HCV; HGV + HCV group) and 18 patients infected with HCV only (HCV group). Biochemical examination showed a significantly low level of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the HGV group, and that the gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP)/ALT ratio in the same group was significantly higher than in the other two groups. Although all three patient groups had a similar degree of liver fibrosis, both the degree of periportal inflammation and total histological activity index were significantly lower in the HGV group than in the other two groups. Fibrous enlargement of the portal tract without lymphoid infiltration and thin fibrous septa was characteristically observed in the HGV group. No significant difference was found between the HGV + HCV group and HCV group. Our results suggest that biochemical and histological changes in HGV infection are very mild and quite different from those of HCV infection.     

Mitogenic effect of HIV-infected human T cell lines on mouse B cells mediated by surface immunoglobulin

Following HIV-1 infection, a number of disorders are induced in both normal T and B cells by virus products derived from infected CD4⁺ T cells. In the present study, we found that HIV-infected, but not uninfected, human T cell lines generated vigorous blastogenesis and proliferation of freshly isolated mouse B cells in a short-term culture. Neither human B cells nor rat B cells showed significant responses to the HIV-infected T cell lines in the present condition. The mitogenic effect of HIV-infected human T cell line requires direct cell–cell interaction between mouse B cells and HIV-infected T cell lines. Since either mitomycin c treatment or paraformaldehyde fixation of HIV-infected T cell lines resulted in complete loss of the mitogenic effect, it seems that de novo synthesized viral products are responsible for this effect. Furthermore, anti-mouse immunoglobulin antibody inhibited completely the B cell stimulation by the HIV-infected human T cell lines. Thus, surface immunoglobulin (sIg) on mouse B cells appears to be an essential molecule which transduces activation signals from HIV-infected human T cells into cytoplasm of the B cells.     

The Superiority of Laparoscopic Examination in Predicting Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Inteferon Therapy for Chronic Type C Hepatitis

Abstract: To explain the appearance rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients treated with interferon (IFN) and to assess the risk factors for hepatocellular carcinogenesis, we studied 442 patients with chronic type C hepatitis for one to 7.6 years (median 2.8 years). Of these 442 patients, 135 (30.5%) showed a complete response with persistent HCV-RNA negativity for more than six months after completing IFN therapy. During the observation period, HCC developed in 16 patients. We divided the patients into three groups based on laparoscopic findings of the liver surface : smooth, irregular, and nodular. The cumulative appearance rates of HCC in these three liver types were zero, 6.6% and 14%, respectively, at the end of the fifth year. As to the efficacy of IFIM, the HCC appearance rate in patients who responded was lower than that in patients who did not (p<0.05). However, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the laparoscopic findings correlated most strongly with liver carcinogenesis. Therefore, we conclude that laparoscopic findings before IFN therapy are significantly associated with liver carcinogenesis over the short term observation period after IFN therapy.     

Systemic sclerosis in children: A national retrospective survey in Japan

A retrospective questionnaire survey of pediatric departments, for childhood collagen disease from 1985 to 1994 was used to clarify the clinical features of scleroderma in Japan. In the primary survey, 0.9% of the children with a rheumatic condition had scleroderma. Answers to this questionnaire were received on 18 (localized 9; systemic 9) patients from 15 institutions. In order to examine systemic sclerosis (SSc), seven cases of SSc in Japanese articles during the same period as the questionnaire were added to these answers and compared to the Japanese epidemic study investigated by Fukuyama in 1974. There were 16 children, seven boys and nine girls, with SSc during the 10-year period in Japan. The mean age of onset of symptoms was 8.0 ± 2.8 years and the age at diagnosis was 10.1 ± 3.0 years. Eighty percent of children had Raynaud's phenomenon at the onset of SSc, and skin and musculoskeletal involvement was highly recognized during the course of the disease. Atrophy of the frenulum linguae and lung fibrosis were commonly seen in SSc. In serological studies, 80% of children have antinuclear antibodies and approximately 50% of patients have anti-Scl-70 (topoisomelase I) antibodies at the onset and during the course of childhood SSc. The prognosis is poor, as remission occurred in only one child. The clinical symptoms and examination of serological autoimmune antibodies were supportive of an early diagnosis of SSc. When compared to the previous national survey of children with SSc, the present results showed that the male-to-female ratio was reduced, the age at onset was low, the positive incidence of serological autoimmune antibodies elevated, and the usage of vasodilators and nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) increased, with corticosteroids decreased. But, the positive percentage of clinical symptoms were not changed in both studies. For a complete retrospective nationwide epidemic survey carried out on children with scleroderma, especially SSc, it is important to include dermatology departments.