Immunoglobulin G4-related disease with several inflammatory foci.

We herein report the case of a 62-year-old Japanese man who presented with jaundice, dry eyes and abdominal discomfort. Imaging studies revealed swelling of the periorbital tissue, parotid and submandibular glands, pulmonary hilar lymph nodes, pancreas, bile ducts, gall bladder walls, bilateral kidneys, arterial walls and prostate. A significant increase in the serum level IgG4 was seen, and the patient was diagnosed with IgG4-related disease after undergoing a biopsy of the pancreas and prostate.

The effect of vitamin E-bonded polysulfone membrane dialyzer on a new oxidative lipid marker.

The use of vitamin E-bonded cellulose membrane dialyzers has been reported to cause a decrease in oxidative lipid marker levels (Nakai et al., Ther Apher Dial 14:505-540, 1; Nakai et al., J Jpn Soc Dial Ther 45:1-47, 2; Mashiba et al.

Novel electric power-driven hydrodynamic injection system for gene delivery: safety and efficacy of human factor IX delivery in rats.

The development of a safe and reproducible gene delivery system is an essential step toward the clinical application of the hydrodynamic gene delivery (HGD) method. For this purpose, we have developed a novel electric power-driven injection system called the HydroJector-EM, which can replicate various time-pressure curves preloaded into the computer program before injection. The assessment of the reproducibility and safety of gene delivery system in vitro and in vivo demonstrated the precise replication of intravascular time-pressure curves and the reproducibility of gene delivery efficiency.

Hepatic angiomyolipoma: diagnostic findings and management.

Angiomyolipoma (AML) is a benign mesenchymal tumor that is frequently found in the kidney and, rarely, in the liver. The natural history of hepatic AML has not been clarified, and, because of the similar patterns in imaging studies, such as ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, some of these tumors have been overdiagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma in the past. With an increase in the number of case reports showing detailed imaging studies and immunohistochemical staining of the tumor with human melanoma black-45, the diagnostic accuracy is also increasing.

Perlecan regulates bidirectional Wnt signaling at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) play pivotal roles in the regulation of Wnt signaling activity in several tissues. At the Drosophila melanogaster neuromuscular junction (NMJ), Wnt/Wingless (Wg) regulates the formation of both pre- and postsynaptic structures; however, the mechanism balancing such bidirectional signaling remains elusive. In this paper, we demonstrate that mutations in the gene of a secreted HSPG, perlecan/trol, resulted in diverse postsynaptic defects and overproduction of synaptic boutons at NMJ.

Cognitive dysfunction in elderly females with depressive symptoms.

Background: A depressive state is a common symptom in the elderly and often accompanies cognitive impairment. The coexistence of depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment is a serious problem, as it increases adverse outcomes for health, functional status, and mortality. It would thus be of great value to clarify the cognitive dysfunction associated with depressive symptoms.

Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging features of hepatic hemangioma compared with enhanced computed tomography.

Aim: To clarify features of hepatic hemangiomas on gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriaminpentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared with enhanced computed tomography (CT).

Methods: Twenty-six patients with 61 hepatic hemangiomas who underwent both Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI and enhanced CT were retrospectively reviewed. Hemangioma appearances (presence of peripheral nodular enhancement, central nodular enhancement, diffuse homogenous enhancement, and arterioportal shunt during the arterial phase, fill-in enhancement during the portal venous phase, and prolonged enhancement during the equilibrium phase) on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI and enhanced CT were evaluated.

Tetrathionate-forming thiosulfate dehydrogenase from the acidophilic, chemolithoautotrophic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.

Thiosulfate dehydrogenase is known to play a significant role in thiosulfate oxidation in the acidophilic, obligately chemolithoautotroph, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Enzyme activity measured using ferricyanide as the electron acceptor was detected in cell extracts of A. ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 grown on tetrathionate or sulfur, but no activity was detected in ferrous iron-grown cells.

Phase I study of miriplatin combined with transarterial chemotherapy using CDDP powder in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: There is no standard therapeutic procedure for the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with poor hepatic reserve function. With the approval of newly developed chemotherapeutic agent of miriplatin, we have firstly conducted the phase I study of CDDP powder (DDP-H) and miriplatin combination therapy and reported its safety and efficacy for treating unresectable HCC in such cases. To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) for the combination of transarterial oily chemoembolization (TOCE) and transarterial chemotherapy (TAC) using miriplatin and DDP-H for treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Effect of a human-type communication robot on cognitive function in elderly women living alone.

Background: Considering the high prevalence of dementia, it would be of great value to develop effective tools to improve cognitive function. We examined the effects of a human-type communication robot on cognitive function in elderly women living alone.

Material/methods: In this study, 34 healthy elderly female volunteers living alone were randomized to living with either a communication robot or a control robot at home for 8 weeks.

Reconsideration of the Iwasaki-Waggener iterative perturbation method for reconstructing high-energy X-ray spectra.

We have reviewed applicable ranges for attenuating media and off-axis distances regarding the high-energy X-ray spectra reconstructed via the Iwasaki-Waggener iterative perturbation method for 4-20 MV X-ray beams. Sets of in-air relative transmission data used for reconstruction of spectra were calculated for low- and high-Z attenuators (acrylic and lead, respectively) by use of a functional spectral formula. More accurate sets of spectra could be reconstructed by dividing the off-axis distances of R = 0-20 cm into two series of R = 0-10 cm and R = 10-20 cm, and by taking into account the radiation attenuation and scatter in the buildup cap of the dosimeter.

Formula to predict platelet count after partial splenic arterial embolization in patients with hypersplenism.

Purpose: To establish a formula to guide appropriate embolization volume for postprocedural platelet gain following partial splenic arterial embolization (PSE) for hypersplenism.

Materials And Methods: The hepatic volume (Vh) and splenic volume (Vsp) were measured by using 2-mm-thick computed tomography images before and after PSE in 20 patients with various chronic liver diseases. A formula was derived from the relationship between the platelet count increase ratio (dPlt%) and the organ volumes, which was then evaluated in another cohort.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma: variability of diffusion-weighted MR imaging findings.

Purpose: To compare the apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) of pancreatic adenocarcinomas that appear hyperintense with clearly defined borders (clear hyperintense) with those that do not show clear hyperintense borders on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images.

Materials And Methods: Institutional review board approval was obtained and informed consent was waived. Eighty patients with histologically confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mean tumor size, 32 mm) underwent fat-suppressed single-shot echo-planar 3.

Efficient palliative involved-field radiotherapy on highly progressive diffuse large B-cell primary gastric lymphoma with liver cirrhosis.

We report the case of a 73-year-old woman having diffuse large B-cell primary gastric lymphoma with a cirrhotic liver caused by hepatitis C virus infection. She visited our hospital with symptoms of nausea and vomiting, which appeared to be caused by stenosis due to the tumor. Metastatic tumors were seen in the gastric and jugular lymph nodes.

Advances in Gene Delivery Systems.

The transfer of genes into cells, both in vitro and in vivo, is critical for studying gene function and conducting gene therapy. Methods that utilize viral and nonviral vectors, as well as physical approaches, have been explored. Viral vector-mediated gene transfer employs replication-deficient viruses such as retro-virus, adenovirus, adeno-associated virus and herpes simplex virus.

Recurrent bacterial meningitis by three different pathogens in an isolated asplenic child.

Isolated congenital asplenia (ICA) is a rare condition at risk for overwhelming infection. When complicated by invasive infection, the mortality remains high, at greater than 60%. We describe a girl with ICA who developed recurrent meningitis by three different pathogens.

Stable hydrogen isotopic analysis of nanomolar molecular hydrogen by automatic multi-step gas chromatographic separation.

We have developed a new automated analytical system that employs a continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer to determine the stable hydrogen isotopic composition (δD) of nanomolar quantities of molecular hydrogen (H(2)) in an air sample. This method improves previous methods to attain simpler and lower-cost analyses, especially by avoiding the use of expensive or special devices, such as a Toepler pump, a cryogenic refrigerator, and a special evacuation system to keep the temperature of a coolant under reduced pressure. Instead, the system allows H(2) purification from the air matrix via automatic multi-step gas chromatographic separation using the coolants of both liquid nitrogen (77 K) and liquid nitrogen + ethanol (158 K) under 1 atm pressure.

Effects of CFTR gene silencing by siRNA or the luminal application of a CFTR activator on fluid secretion from guinea-pig pancreatic duct cells.

Aims: The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a cyclic AMP regulated chloride channel expressed in the apical plasma membrane of pancreatic duct cells where it plays an important role in fluid secretion. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the role of the CFTR chloride channel on ion and fluid secretion from the guinea-pig pancreas by manipulating the expression of CFTR by RNA interference or by luminal application of a CFTR selective activator, MPB91, in isolated cultured pancreatic ducts.

Materials And Methods: Using cDNA isolated from the guinea-pig small intestine, fragments of the CFTR gene were generated by polymerase chain reaction and directly sequenced.

A convolution/superposition method using primary and scatter dose kernels formed for energy bins of X-ray spectra reconstructed as a function of off-axis distance: comparison of calculated and measured 10-MV X-ray doses in thorax-like phantoms.

We performed experimental studies on the convolution/superposition method reported in the former companion paper (Iwasaki in Radiol Phys Technol 4, 2011) using 10-MV X-ray beams from open-jaw-collimated fields. The method uses primary and scatter dose kernels formed for energy bins of X-ray spectra reconstructed as a function of off-axis distance. We made a comparison of calculations and measurements in water phantoms and thorax-like phantoms with respect to percentage depth dose curves, tissue-phantom ratio curves, and dose profiles.

A convolution/superposition method using primary and scatter dose kernels formed for energy bins of X-ray spectra reconstructed as a function of off-axis distance: a theoretical study on 10-MV X-ray dose calculations in thorax-like phantoms.

A convolution/superposition method is proposed for use with primary and scatter dose kernels formed for energy bins of X-ray spectra reconstructed as a function of off-axis distance. It should be noted that the number of energy bins is usually about ten, and that the reconstructed X-ray spectra can reasonably be applied to media with a wide range of effective Z numbers, ranging from water to lead. The study was carried out for 10-MV X-ray doses in water and thorax-like phantoms with the use of open-jaw-collimated fields.

Parvovirus B19-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a child with precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia under maintenance chemotherapy.

Development of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is quite rare among acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. We present a 3-year-old boy with precursor B-cell ALL, who was complicated by HLH because of parvovirus B19 infection during maintenance chemotherapy. Remarkable erythroid hypoplasia, giant normoblasts, and hemophagocytosed macrophages in bone marrow were important clues for the diagnosis.

Characterization of an OmpA-like outer membrane protein of the acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacterium, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.

An OmpA family protein (FopA) previously reported as one of the major outer membrane proteins of an acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was characterized with emphasis on the modification by heat and the interaction with peptidoglycan. A 30-kDa band corresponding to the FopA protein was detected in outer membrane proteins extracted at 75°C or heated to 100°C for 10 min prior to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). However, the band was not detected in outer membrane proteins extracted at ≤40°C and without boiling prior to electrophoresis.

Multicentric occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Aim: To reveal the manner of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) focusing on multicentric occurrence (MO) of HCC.

Methods: We compared clinicopathological characteristics between patients with and without MO of HCC arising from NASH background. The clinical features were implicated with reference to the literature available.