[Spinal cord ischemia caused by dissecting aortic aneurysm in a patient with acute exacerbation of pulmonary emphysema].

A 61-year-old man with pulmonary emphysema was admitted due to acute exacerbation of chronic respiratory failure and a complaint of chest pain. A chest CT scan on admission showed aneurysmal dissection from the ascending aorta to the descending aorta. Analgesia was noted below the fourth thoracic vertebra, which supplies the accessory respiratory muscles including the intercostal muscles.

Comparison of the surgical results of lobectomy with bronchoplasty and pneumonectomy for lung cancer.

Background: We retrospectively compared sleeve lobectomy (SL) and pneumonectomy (PN) for lung cancer in terms of surgical complications and postoperative disease-free survival, as well as incidence and pattern of recurrent disease.

Methods: From 1977 to 1993. 29 patients with primary lung cancer underwent sleeve resection at our institution.

Determination of fascicle length and pennation in a contracting human muscle in vivo.

We have developed a technique to determine fascicle length in human vastus lateralis muscle in vivo by using ultrasonography. When the subjects had the knee fully extended passively from a position of 110 degree flexion (relaxed condition), the fascicle length decreased from 133 to 97 mm on average. During static contractions at 10% of maximal voluntary contraction strength (tensed condition), fascicle shortening was more pronounced (from 126 to 67 mm), especially when the knee was closer to full extension.

Clinical evaluation of serum type IV collagen 7S in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Type IV collagen is one of the major components of the basement membrane (BM). 7S domain (7S collagen) of type IV collagen is an N-terminal peptide which is stable against protease and heat. We investigated serum concentration of 7S collagen in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other pulmonary diseases.

[Surgical treatment for small cell lung cancer].

Surgical treatment for small cell lung cancer had been largely discontinued until the early 1980s, when a retrospective analysis found a high cure rate in some patients. The Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) also performed a retrospective analysis of 114 patients with small cell lung cancer who underwent surgical resection from 1981 to 1985. The 5-year survival rate was 47% for those in clinical stage I and 20s% for those in stage II and stage IIIA.

Interleukin-2 receptors in pulmonary adenocarcinoma tissue.

We previously reported that the serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) level increased with the advance of disease stage in non-small cell lung cancer. The present study was thus conducted to investigate the origin of serum sIL-2R in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Fresh tumor cell suspensions were prepared from surgically resected specimens of pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

TNF-alpha-mediated expression of membrane-type matrix metalloproteinase in rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts.

Degradation of the extracellular matrix plays an important role in rheumatoid articular destruction. Rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts secrete a large amount of matrix-degrading metalloproteinases (MMPs), which initiate tissue damage by proteolytic degradation of collagens and proteoglycans. Cytokines, such as interleukin-1 alpha, -1 beta or tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, are potent inducers of MMPs in rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts, MMPs are synthesized and secreted as latent pro-enzymes and their activation is achieved by proteolytic cleavage or the propeptide domain at the N-terminus of the molecule.

[Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation].

We report a patient who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for ALL. The patient presented low grade fever, cough and dyspnea at day 3 after after bone marrow transplantation. Imaging studies showed bilateral patchy infiltrates on chest X-ray and chest CT.

[Pulmonary metastatic carcinoma of the rectum growing extensively in the bronchial lumen--a case report].

A 75-year-old man secondly developed a solitary pulmonary metastatic carcinoma of the rectum, who had undergone an operation for the first pulmonary metastatic disease in the left upper division segment before three years. The second tumor was about 2.0 cm in diameter, and located in the central area of the left lower lobe.

Tumor-induced hypercalcemia and parathyroid hormone-related protein in lung carcinoma.

Background: Although lung carcinoma is the most common cause of tumor-induced hypercalcemia (TIH), the precise incidence of TIH remains obscure. Furthermore, the role of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) has not been clearly elucidated.

Methods: This study included 690 consecutive patients who were newly diagnosed as having lung carcinoma between 1989 and 1994 (379 adenocarcinomas, 207 squamous cell carcinomas, 75 small cell carcinomas, and 29 large cell carcinomas).

Skip metastasis to the mediastinal lymph nodes in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Whether any difference exists in clinical characteristics between resected non-small cell lung cancer with either skip or ordinary mediastinal lymph node metastases (N2 disease) needs to be clarified.

Methods: There were 110 patients with stage IIIA N2 disease. Thirty-three patients demonstrating no metastasis at the hilar nodes [skip (+) group] were compared with the other 77 patients [skip (-) group].

[Study of erythrocyte sedimentation rate in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis].

We studied the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ERS) and related factors that influence ESR in 326 patients with Pulmonary tuberculosis. The ESR tended to be higher for aged subjects and showed a difference between patients under 59 years old and patients over 60 years old. Besides, patients under 30 years old tended to present lower ESR.

Tendinous movement of a human muscle during voluntary contractions determined by real-time ultrasonography.

The degree of shortening or lengthening of muscles during joint actions has not been clarified in humans, although such information is essential in understanding human muscle functions. In this study, the tendinous movement of a muscle was determined by real-time ultrasonography during voluntary contractions. The tibialis anterior muscle (TA) was tested in five healthy men who performed dorsi- and plantar flexion movements (shortening and lengthening of TA) at two frequencies (0.

Increased circulating serum amyloid A protein derivatives in rheumatoid arthritis patients with secondary amyloidosis.

Secondary amyloidosis, a serious complication of chronic inflammatory diseases, is caused by the deposition of amyloid fibrils in various organs. The major component of amyloid fibrils is derived from serum amyloid A protein (SAA) by proteolysis. To explore the mechanisms of amyloidogenesis, we measured SAA concentrations in the sera of 38 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) without secondary amyloidosis and in the sera of 18 RA patients with secondary amyloidosis, using the latex agglutination immunoassay.

Alpha-fetoprotein-producing adenocarcinoma of the lung.

We herein present a case of metachronous primary lung cancers, the first of which was adenosquamous cell carcinoma and the second of which was poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. At the time the second lung cancer was detected 5 years after being operated on for the first cancer, a high level of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was noticed, but no elevation of other tumor markers was observed. In addition, no liver metastases, chronic liver diseases or other systemic abnormalities were seen either.

The clinical significance of serum soluble interleukin-2 receptors in lung cancer.

It has been recently reported that the soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) levels in the sera of cancer patients were higher than those of normal controls. The present study was conducted in order to clarify the clinical significance of serum soluble IL-2R in patients with lung cancer. Using commercially available EIA kits, we measured the serum levels of soluble IL-2R in 102 lung cancer patients and 18 normal controls.

[Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim-induced pneumonitis in a patient with hemophilia B who was infected with the human immunodeficiency virus].

Severe cellular immunosuppression developed in a 25-year-old man with hemophilia B who was infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Four days after administration of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SMX-TMP) for prophylaxis against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), diffuse uptake of both lungs was confirmed on a 67Ga scintigram. Reticular shadows were also seen throughout both lung fields on a chest CT scan.

Analysis of cis-regulatory elements involved in the activation of a member of chalcone synthase gene family (PsChs1) in pea.

Cis-regulatory elements involved in the activation of the plant defense-related gene encoding chalcone synthase 1 (PsChs1) in pea (Pisum sativum L.) were examined by transient transfection, gel mobility shift assay and in vitro DNase I-footprinting analysis. Transient transfection assay revealed that a 61 bp DNA fragment spanning from -242 to -182 of PsChs1 was required for the maximal promoter activity and possibly involved in the enhancement of elicitor-mediated activation.

A new model of active specific immunotherapy using interleukin-1 and sonicated tumor supernatant in murine tumor system.

The possibility of active specific immunotherapy using interleukin-1 (IL-1) plus sonicated tumor supernatant (SS) was examined in a murine tumor model. The growth of intraperitoneally or subcutaneously inoculated plasmacytoma MOPC104E, which is syngeneic to BALB/c mice, was significantly suppressed by intraperitoneal pretreatment with IL-1 and SS from MOPC104E cells (MOPC-SS), on days 10, 7, and 4 before tumor inoculation. Pretreatment with IL-1 plus MOPC-SS or MethA-SS (SS from MethA cells) suppressed the growth of subcutaneous tumor of only the corresponding tumor cells, indicating the development of tumor-specific immunity in vivo.

[Subsets of lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar-lavage fluid from patients with idiopathic bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia].

Lymphocyte activation may be involved in interstitial inflammatory processes in the lungs. We analyzed lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid obtained from 5 patients with idiopathic bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia and from 7 control subjects. Lymphocytes were analyzed by two-flow cytometry.

[Lymphocyte subsets in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia].

Lymphocyte activation may be involved in interstitial inflammatory processes in the lungs. We analyzed lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid obtained from 15 patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) and from 7 controls. Clinical criterial were used to divide the patients with IIP into two groups: acute (n = 5) and chronic (n = 10).

A classical strain of Vibrio cholerae with diminished ability to process the proteolytically sensitive site in the A subunit of cholera toxin.

Vibrio cholerae O1, No. 31, a strain isolated from a patient with mild diarrhea, produced mainly the unnicked cholera toxin. The amount of toxin that had accumulated in the cells was approximately 200 times lower than that secreted into the culture medium.

Peripheral superior cerebellar artery aneurysm.

A 48-year-old male harboring a rare peripheral superior cerebellar artery aneurysm presented with sudden severe headache. Neurological examination on admission revealed no deficit except stiff neck. Computed tomography showed subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Tracheal lipoma obstructing the right main bronchus: report of a case.

Most tracheal tumors are malignant, and benign neoplasms are extremely rare. We herein report the case of a 60-year-old woman with a tracheal lipoma obstructing the right main bronchus in whom a preoperative diagnosis was not able to be established. Thus, a thoracotomy was performed followed by complete resection of the tumor including two rings of the tracheal wall.