Lectin-reactive profiles of alpha-fetoprotein characterizing hepatocellular carcinoma and related conditions.

Serum alpha-fetoprotein from 146 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, other malignancies, and benign liver diseases, was fractionated by lectin-affinity electrophoresis coupled with our sensitive detection method of antibody-affinity blotting. Compared with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma was characterized by the increase in proportions of lentil lectin A-reactive alpha-fetoprotein-L3 and erythroagglutinating phytohemagglutinin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein-P4; the yolk sac tumor was characterized by the increase of concanavalin A-nonreactive alpha-fetoprotein-C1, lentil lectin-A-weakly reactive alpha-fetoprotein-L2, erythroagglutinating phytohemagglutinin-strongly reactive alpha-fetoprotein-P5, and Allomyrina dichotoma lectin-nonreactive, slow-migrating alpha-fetoprotein-Als; and gastrointestinal tumors were characterized by alpha-fetoprotein-C1, alpha-fetoprotein-L2, alpha-fetoprotein-L3, alpha-fetoprotein-P5 and Allomyrina dichotoma-nonreactive alpha-fetoprotein-A1. By combined evaluation of alpha-fetoprotein-L3 and alpha-fetoprotein-P4, hepatocellular carcinoma was discriminated from chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis with a sensitivity of 97% at a specificity of 99.

Synthesis of platinum complexes of 2-aminomethylpyrrolidine derivatives for use as carrier ligands and their antitumor activities.

In order to study a new antitumor platinum complex, various platinum complexes were prepared from 2-amino-methylpyrrolidine derivatives synthesized to serve as carrier ligands and tested for their antitumor activity against Colon 26 carcinoma (s.c.-i.

[Antitumor activity of a new platinum complex, (R)-(-)-2-aminomethylpyrrolidine (1, 1-cyclobutanedicarboxylato) platinum (II), against cisdiamminedichloroplatinum (II)-resistant murine leukemia cell line].

Antitumor activity of a new platinum complex, (R)-(-)-2-aminomethylpyrrolidine (1, 1-cyclobutanedicarboxylato) platinum (II) (DWA 2114 R) against cisdiamminedichloroplatinum (II) (CDDP)-resistant tumor was examined in in vitro and in vivo experiments. CDDP-resistant line was established from L 1210 mouse leukemia cells by continuous exposure to CDDP in dose-escalation manner. Six clones were isolated from parental resistant line and one of these clones, clone f, which was found to be highly resistant (30-40 fold) to CDDP, was used in the following experiments.

Antitumor activity of a new platinum complex, 2-aminomethyl-pyrrolidine (1, 1-cyclobutanedicarboxylato) platinum (II).

One hundred cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (CDDP) analogs have been evaluated for antitumor activity in male CDF1 mice subcutaneously (s.c.) implanted with tumor fragments of Colon 26 carcinoma.

[Antitumor activity of a new platinum complex (R)-(-)-2-aminomethylpyrrolidine (1,1-cyclobutane dicarboxylato) platinum (II) (DWA2114R) by its serial administration].

Antitumor activity of a newly synthesized platinum complex, DWA2114R, by the serial administration was examined and compared with that of cis-diammine-1,1-cyclobutane dicarboxylato platinum (II) (CBDCA). In mice transplanted s.c.

Alleviation of gallbladder complications by treatment of hepatic arterial embolization with caerulein.

Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) with the concurrent use of caerulein was assessed for the purpose of preventing gallbladder complications often seen after TAE of hepatic carcinoma. Ninety-six cases with primary hepatic carcinoma, who had undergone TAE in the right hepatic arterial region over the past 4 years, were divided into three groups: 22 cases for which embolization was possible on a selective basis by passing the catheter to the peripheral side beyond the bifurcated region of the cystic artery; 40 cases who had undergone TAE in which caerulein was not administered, from the central side of the bifurcated region of the cystic artery; and 34 cases given 20 micrograms caerulein 15-30 min before TAE. A comparison was made using the abdominal pain, pyrexia, rate of leukocytosis and the US findings of the gallbladder as the indices of the gallbladder complications.

Antithrombin III concentrate in the treatment of fulminant hepatic failure.

Twenty-six patients with fulminant hepatic failure were treated with daily infusions of antithrombin III concentrate until recovery of consciousness or death. Seven patients were alive (group A), 7 survived 17 to 47 days after treatment (group B), and 12 died within 9 days (group C). Decreased plasma antithrombin III levels increased on the day after treatment, irrespective of the pretreatment levels in all patients.

Distribution of estradiol and percentage of free testosterone in sera of Japanese women: preoperative breast cancer patients and normal controls.

For the purpose of investigating a possible correlation between the genesis of breast cancer and the serum contents of free (non-protein-bound) estradiol (E2) and free testosterone (T) in Japanese women, the distributions of free and total E2 and T and the binding capacity of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in serum were compared for 39 patients with preoperative breast cancer and 40 normal women (controls). The patients were found to have significantly higher free E2 and free T (in terms of the percentage of the total) than did controls. Conversely, percentages of SHBG-bound E2 and albumin-bound E2 were not significantly different for patients and controls.

[Usefulness of caerulein in suppressing post-TAE complications of the gallbladder].

While transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization (TAE) has been extensively performed as a form of treatment for nonresectable malignant hepatic tumors, complications, such as abdominal pain, fever or leukocytosis due to gallbladder infarction by embolic materials frequently occur and have not yet been overcome. We devised a new procedure for reducing the incidence of gallbladder infarction by administering caerulein prior to TAE. Between 1984 and 1986, 63 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were treated by TAE with the use of Gelfoam.

Effects of prolonged oral cimetidine, ranitidine, and famotidine therapy on antipyrine elimination.

The effects of three histamine H2-receptor antagonists on the antipyrine metabolizing capacity of the liver were studied in 32 patients with gastrointestinal disorders and in three healthy volunteers. The drugs studied were 800 mg and 400 mg of cimetidine, 300 mg of ranitidine, and 40 mg of famotidine daily. Only cimetidine at 800 mg/day inhibited hepatic antipyrine metabolism, and the inhibitory effects disappeared rapidly with no accumulation.

Inhibitory activity of the serum from patients with fulminant hepatitis against liver regeneration.

The effect of sera from 8 patients with fulminant hepatitis, including 2 survival cases, on DNA and protein synthesis in primary cultured rat hepatocytes was studied. The serum from patients at an early stage or within 10 days after onset tended to intensify DNA synthesis in isolated hepatocytes, whereas the serum from patients with a history of over 50 days distinctly inhibited synthesis. When the serum was fractionated by gel filtration or free-flow electrophoresis, only the albumin fraction inhibited DNA synthesis in cultured hepatocytes.

Increased asialo-alpha-fetoprotein in patients with alpha-fetoprotein-producing tumors: demonstration by affinity electrophoresis with erythroagglutinating phytohemagglutinin of Phaseolus vulgaris lectin.

Affinity electrophoresis of human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) with the erythroagglutinating phytohemagglutinin of Phaseolus vulgaris (E-PHA) gave up to five resolved bands (y, h, i, l and a; given in the order of decreasing affinity for E-PHA); band a having no affinity and bands y and h representing asialo-AFP's. The proportion of band y increased in extrahepatic tumors producing AFP, including yolk sac tumor, and of band h, in addition, in hepatocellular carcinoma. The proportion of either band y or h (or y + h) increased, over the means plus 2 standard deviations of the respective bands of cord serum AFP, in 20 out of 25 cases (80%) of hepatocellular carcinoma, including cell lines, and in all the patients with extrahepatic malignancy.

In vivo significance of NK cell on resistance against virus (HSV-1) infections in mice.

Susceptibility to infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) was examined in euthymic as well as athymic nude mice which were continuously depleted of natural killer (NK) cell activity by i.v. injection of anti-asialo GM1.

A case report of abetalipoproteinemia (Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome)--the first case in Japan.

The clinical and pathophysiological features of a case of abetalipoproteinemia in a 34-year-old patient are described. This patient is the first case reported in Japan. The patient was diagnosed as abetalipoproteinemia by confirming the Apo-B deficiency in the patient's serum and the slightly high cholesterol level in his mother's and borderline normal level in his father's.