Relationship between response to interferon therapy and detection of hepatitis C virus RNA by differential flotation centrifugation.

Circulating hepatitis C virus (HCV) particles can be fractionated by means of differential flotation centrifugation. It is reported that in the bottom fraction HCV is in the form immune complexes, whereas in the top, it is free of antibodies. We evaluated the significance of circulating complex and free HCV in chronic hepatitis C, and assessed the relationship in terms of the response to interferon (IFN) therapy.

[A case of early gastric cancer transformed from adenoma by chemotherapy and radiotherapy].

A 69-year-old male had a gastric adenoma at the greater curvature of the antrum. At the same time, malignant lymphoma of the liver and several bones were disclosed, but these tumors had become remarkably smaller after chemotherapy, radiotherapy and transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization. Five and one half years later, however, the gastric adenoma had developed into gastric cancer that invaded submucosal layer.

Molecular detection and differentiation of enteroviruses in endomyocardial biopsies and pericardial effusions from dilated cardiomyopathy and myocarditis.

Enteroviruses (EVs), especially group B coxsackieviruses, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). To determine whether a specific type of EV is present in DCM hearts, we examined the genotypes of EVs detected in endomyocardial biopsies and pericardial effusions by polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis. Positive PCR results were obtained from biopsies in 6 (19 percent) of 31 patients with DCM, 5 (18 percent) of 28 with myocarditis, 5 (22 percent) of 23 with other cardiac diseases, and from pericardial effusions in 4 (57 percent) of 7 patients with pericarditis.

Effects of bezafibrate on erythrocyte membrane phospholipids in alcohol-treated rats.

Male rats of the Wistar strain were divided 4 groups, and give a liquid diet of control feed, bezafibrate (150 mg/kg), ethanol, and ethanol plus bezafibrate for 5 week. The effect of bezafibrate supplementation on rats fed ethanol was examined in terms of the fatty acid composition of the phospholipids in the erythrocyte membrane. In the phospholipids profiles of erythrocyte membranes, PI was significantly decreased.

Effect of Uniconazole and Gibberellin on the Flowering of Pharbitis nil.

The role of endogenous gibberellin (GA) in the flowering of the short-day plant, Pharbitis nil, was investigated by using uniconazole, which is a specific inhibitor of GA biosynthesis. Both the endogenous GA level and flowering response decreased with increasing concentration of uniconazole applied via the roots. The strongest inhibition of flowering was observed when uniconazole was applied one day before a 15-h dark treatment.

Small intestinal metastasis from esophageal carcinoma associated with small intestinal obstruction: report of a case.

The small intestine is rarely involved with metastatic tumors from outside the abdomen, and few case reports have been documented in the literature. We describe herein what to our knowledge is the third case of a solitary metastasis from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the esophagus being found in the jejunum, causing small intestinal obstruction.

Decrease in intra-abdominal visceral fat may reduce blood pressure in obese hypertensive women.

We investigated the relationship between changes in blood pressure and fat distribution after a 12-week low-calorie diet in 26 obese hypertensive women whose average age was 50 +/- 13 years, mean body mass index was 33.7 +/- 3.1 kg/m2, and mean blood pressure was 112 +/- 9 mm Hg.

[A case of chylothorax caused by mesenteric panniculitis].

A 76-year-old female was referred to our hospital for examination of milky pleural effusion. We diagnosed her illness as chylothorax because of the high concentration of triglyceride in the effusion. There was neither obstruction nor damage of the thoracic duct.

Evaluation of serum KL-6 levels in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Setting: KL-6, a human MUC-1 mucin preferentially expressed on type II pneumocytes, is a sensitive serum marker for evaluating alveolar damage of interstitial pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis. Some patients with pulmonary tuberculosis develop severe respiratory dysfunction caused by extensive pulmonary fibrosis, compensatory emphysema and fibrous pleural thickening.

Objective: To evaluate the clinico-pathological significance of KL-6 in pulmonary tuberculosis.

Evaluation of soluble IL-6 receptor concentration in serum and epithelial lining fluid from patients with interstitial lung diseases.

We measured soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) from patients with interstitial pneumonia of unknown etiology (IP) (n = 17), sarcoidosis (n = 8) and normal control subjects (n = 10), to investigate its role in pulmonary diseases. Soluble IL-6R was determined by an ELISA. The volume of epithelial lining fluid (ELF) in BALF was estimated using an urea method.

Circulating interleukin-6 levels in patients with bronchial asthma.

Circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were determined using a sensitive enzyme immunoassay in adults with asthma in stable condition during naturally occurring attacks and before and after allergen inhalation tests. IL-6 was significantly elevated even in asymptomatic asthmatic subjects (n = 17) compared with normal control subjects (n = 17). During naturally occurring asthmatic attacks, serum IL-6 levels were significantly elevated in comparison with those in a symptom-free condition (4 wk interval; n = 8, p < 0.

[Small cell lung cancer that appeared as a strange shape on chest X-ray films].

A 70-year-old man was admitted for diagnosis of an abnormal shadow on chest X-ray film. Chest X-ray films and chest tomograms showed a club-like shadow close to the pulmonary artery. The tumor was diagnosed as a small cell lung cancer, after transbronchial biopsy.

Kernohan's notch in chronic subdural hematoma: findings on magnetic resonance imaging.

A 69-year-old man presented with mild left-sided hemiparesis of 2 years' duration. A computerized tomography scan revealed a left-sided chronic subdural hematoma and a midline shift to the right. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging obtained on admission to the hospital also disclosed a deformity of the right crus cerebri.

Ubenimex activates the E-cadherin-mediated adhesion of a breast cancer cell line YMB-S.

It has been reported that ubenimex, a biological response modifier, has a direct anti-tumor effect. To clarify the mechanism involved, we examined the effects of ubenimex on the growth and adhesive property of a breast cancer cell line YMB-S. The cells proliferate in a floating manner without aggregation in normal complete medium.

Analysis of enterovirus genotypes using single-strand conformation polymorphisms of polymerase chain reaction products.

Enterovirus genotypes were identified rapidly by reverse (RT-PCR) followed by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. The primer pair was chosen from the highly conserved sequence at the 5' non-coding region of enterovirus genomes. RT-PCR amplified a 154 bp sequence in all samples from 14 serotypes of enteroviruses, including group A and B Coxsackie viruses, echoviruses and polioviruses.

Significance of elevated thrombin-antithrombin III complex and plasmin-alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor complex in the acute stage of nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) and plasmin-alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC) were examined in the acute stage in 51 patients with nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. TAT and PIC values were correlated with severity at the time of onset and with outcome. In the patients whose TAT levels were 25 ng/ml or more and PIC levels were 3.

[Evaluation of serum thrombomodulin in patients with interstitial pneumonia].

We encountered a 63-year-old man whose dry cough due to interstitial pneumonia had been successfully with an anti-thrombin drug, argatroban, which was given to treat exacerbated Buerger's disease. We therefore prospectively evaluated fibrinogen, fibrin-degradating product D-dimer, thrombin anti-thrombin III complex, and plasmin anti-plasmin complex in patients with interstitisal lung diseases. In a preliminary study, we found that some patients actually had elevated levels of these markers.

Occlusion of internal carotid artery and formation of anterior communicating artery aneurysm in cervicocephalic fibromuscular dysplasia--follow-up case report.

A 44-year-old female with cervicocephalic-fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage 10 years after presenting with left impaired extraocular movement. Carotid and vertebral angiography had shown string-of-beads sign in the left external carotid artery and fusiform aneurysms in the left carotid cavernous portion and in the left vertebral artery. On admission, the left carotid angiogram showed complete occlusion of the left internal carotid artery and the right carotid angiogram showed a new anterior communicating artery aneurysm.

Increased plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein in obese subjects. A possible mechanism for the reduction of serum HDL cholesterol levels in obesity.

It is well known that obesity is frequently associated with low levels of serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. However, the mechanism for this reduction has not been fully clarified. Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) transfers cholesteryl ester from HDL to apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins and plays an important role in regulating the concentration and composition of HDL.

Origin of heterogeneity of interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in malignant pleural effusions.

We measured interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations from 48 malignant pleural effusions by an enzyme immunoassay and found a marked heterogeneity of the concentrations. The histological type of the malignant cells and total counts or differentials of the cells in effusions could not account for the heterogeneity. We newly established five malignant cell lines and found that the amounts of IL-6 produced by them were well correlated with IL-6 concentrations of the effusions from which these lines were derived (r=0.

[Mixed angioma of the brain: report of two cases].

Clinical features of two patients with mixed angiomas are presented. One patient with a cerebral venous angioma with arterial components was successfully treated with radiation therapy; and the other, who had a common draining vein with cerebellar arteriovenous malformation and venous angioma, was treated with surgical removal of the arteriovenous malformation. These two cases suggested that there is a similarity between the pathogenesis of arteriovenous malformation and venous angioma in the brain.