Ectopic production of human chorionic gonadotropin by poorly differentiated transitional cell tumors of the urinary tract

We performed a 5-year histopathological review of 41 consecutive cases of transitional cell carcinoma. Of these cases 8 were positive for human chorionic gonadotropin immunoperoxidase tissue staining. All tumors were grade III and stages ranged from A to D. Three patients presented with gynecomastia as the clinical manifestation of elevated serum levels of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin. These findings document the association of this phenomenon with lesions of an aggressive nature. As with the loss of cell surface antigens, the appearance of human chorionic gonadotropin within the tumor cells may be further evidence of dedifferentiation. Human chorionic gonadotropin production may be a potential marker to gauge tumor response to chemotherapy and, perhaps, a predictor of future aggressiveness and over-all progression.     

High-dose 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine therapy in patients with high-risk neuroblastoma in Japan

Annals of Nuclear Medicine - The aim of the study was to investigate the outcomes and prognostic factors of high-dose 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (131I-MIBG) therapy in patients with refractory or...     

The memory effect of heteropolyoxotungstate (PM-19) pretreatment on infection by herpes simplex virus at the penetration stage.

The keggin-type heteropolyoxotungstate K(7)[PTi(2)W(10)O(40)].6H(2)O (PM-19) is a potent polyoxometalate (PM) inhibitor of the replication of herpes simplex virus (HSV). Pretreatment of Vero cells with PM-19 prior to HSV-2 infection enhanced the antiviral potency of PM-19 almost 10-fold compared with treatment of the cells only after infection. The pretreatment effect of PM-19 is called "the memory effect". The memory effect was reflected by inhibition of plaque formation and decrease of intracellular virus DNA quantity, and was strongest when PM-19 was present during the penetration stage of HSV-2 infection. The effect was maintained under conditions of fusion induced by polyethyleneglycol treatment. This suggests that PM-19 does not act at the fusion stage of infection. Using the infectious center assay method, it was clarified that a second round of infection was inhibited by about 30% in the presence of PM-19 at the penetration stage compared with the virus control in nontreated cells. The inhibition was enhanced to about 60% by PM-19 pretreatment prior to infection. This suggests that PM-19 pretreatment of the cells protects them against HSV-2 infection.     

The further investigation on the gastric acid secretion in the primary hyperparathyroidism.

The gastric acid output was studied in the 11 patients of hyperparathyroidism before and after parathyroidectomy. The gastric acid output before operation was almost equal to the normal control in our hospital. After the correction of serum calcium by parathyroidectomy, the gastric acid output and serum gastrin were decreased. The decreased gastric acid output was recovered as the days passed since operation and approached to the preoperative level. The acid output in hyperparathyroidism was less in the case whose activity of alkaline phosphatase was more, which suggested that the calcium deposition on gastric mucosa might damage the parietal cell as the result of long lasting hypercalcemia.     

Selection of the bronchial tube for one-lung anesthesia by multidetector-row computed tomography (MD CT) evaluation

One-lung anesthesia is a method of anesthesia performed by inserting the tip of a bronchial tube into either the right main bronchus or the left main bronchus. The right bronchial tube is a special structure. Since the distance of the carina to the right upper lobe bronchus is short, a side hole is made to prevent blockading of the right upper lobe bronchus, and the cuff is attached aslant to it. When inserting a bronchial tube into the right main bronchus, care is required to prevent the occurrence of atelectasis though a gap in the bronchial tube. We evaluated the structure of a trachea and a bronchus using the multidetector-row computed tomography (MD CT), and tried to select the right bronchial tube most suitable for each structure. There are individual differences in the structure of a trachea and a bronchus. By creating a 3-dimensional image of a trachea and a bronchus, the structure could be easily grasped, and therefore selection of the most appropriate bronchial tube according to the structure was possible.     

Inhibition of proliferation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 by novel heteropolyoxotungstates in vitro

Fifteen heteropolyoxotungstates were tested for their effects on the proliferation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) using an in vitro system consisting of MT-4 cells and HTLV-IIIb. Eight heteropolyoxotungstates (HPOTs) with the Keggin structure or dimerized deficient Keggin structure proved to be potent inhibitors of HIV-1. In contrast, seven non-Keggin HPOTs including HPA 23 did not have significant effects on HIV-1 proliferation at non-toxic doses. [PTi2W10O40]7- (PM-19) was the most potent inhibitor of HIV-1 among the 15 HPOTs tested. The inhibition of HIV-1 replication by PM-19 presumably results from impaired virus adsorption and/or penetration into target cells. Viral spread of HIV-1 and HIV-2 on cell-to-cell basis was also susceptible to PM-19. In combination, PM-19 and 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine were synergistic in inhibiting HIV-1 proliferation.     

Immune responses in monkeys to lenses from patients with contact lens induced giant papillary conjunctivitis

The clinicopathologic findings in contact lens-induced giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) suggest that the syndrome is the result of a complex immunological process, an idea supported by the presence of elevated tear concentrations of IgG and IgE in GPC. Several groups of investigators have proposed that GPC may be due, in part, to the coating of the contact lens. To test this hypothesis we undertook development of an animal model of GPC in cynomolgus monkeys. Two soft contact lenses from patients with GPC, two from asymptomatic contact lens wearers, and two clean, unused lenses were each placed in one eye and held in place with a partial tarsorrhaphy. Tears from the two monkeys with GPC lenses showed increased levels of IgG (43 +/- 10 micrograms/mL), IgA (54.3 +/- 12.8 micrograms/mL) and IgE (7.7 +/- 3.3 IU/mL) 35-75 days post-lens placement. While the tears from the two monkeys with clean lenses, and the two monkeys with lenses from asymptomatic contact lens wearers had elevated levels of IgG compared to the contralateral control eye without a lens, the tear IgE levels remained normal. Histopathology studies of tarsal conjunctival biopsy material from the monkeys with GPC lenses showed an intense round cell infiltrate at the epithelial-stromal junction. Mast cells were seen in the epithelial layers. These studies suggest that some factor (or factors) in the lens coating from GPC patients was able to induce a local tear IgE response and histopathological changes in monkeys. These changes are similar to the histopathological and immunological findings in human patients with GPC.