Specificity assessment of immunoassay kits for determination of urinary free cortisol concentrations.

Background: In immunoassay kits for determination of urinary free cortisol (UFC) concentrations, the results vary markedly from kit to kit, so we compared in this study the reaction specificity among 4 commercially available immunoassay kits to determine the applicability of these assays in routine determination of UFC concentrations.

Method: Using 4 commercially available kits, cross-reaction was investigated. In addition, urine samples were fractionated by HPLC to investigate endogenous immunoreactive cortisol responses.

Childhood drownings and near-drownings in Japan.

In Japan, the leading cause of death for children over 1 year old is injury, and for children aged 0-14, drowning is the second leading cause of death. The purpose of the present study was to describe the epidemiological factors of drownings and near-drowning among Japanese children and to ascertain whether there are characteristic patterns for different age groups. Epidemiologic data was obtained by questionnaire.

Treatment of an infant with congenital sodium diarrhea by oral rehydration.

We have been following a male case of congenital sodium diarrhea (CNaD), who had a distended abdomen, passed watery stools with high sodium concentration, and showed metabolic acidosis in the first week of life. He also showed hyponatremia, low urine sodium, high serum aldosterone and high renin activity. Other possible causes of secretory diarrhea were ruled out.

Matrix proteins induce neuroblastoma cell differentiation without altering cell growth.

The maturation of embryonal neural crest cells is thought to be regulated in part by the milieu into which these cells migrate. Neuroblastoma (NB) is a tumor of very early childhood that is thought to arise in association with the arrested differentiation of embryonal neural crest cells. In culture, neuroblastoma tumor cells differentiate in the presence of retinoic acid, which is also known to influence extracellular matrix protein synthesis.

Experimental study of the maternal effects on tumor immunity of infant mice with C1300 mouse neuroblastoma.

The spontaneous regression of neuroblastoma (NB), one of the most common malignant tumors in childhood, is found to occur in 1% to 2% of patients with NB, especially in young infants. An unexpectedly favorable response to therapy is also noticed in infants suggesting the potential presence of an immune mechanism. Monoclonal C1300-S and C1300A-4 cell lines were established from polyclonal C1300 cells in our laboratory.

Neuroblastoma. Mass screening for early detection and its prognosis.

Since July 1973, the authors began developing a mass screening system using a VMA (vanilmandelic acid) spot test on 6-to-7 month-old infants for early detection of neuroblastoma in Kyoto city, Japan. Using this method, six infants with this tumor were discovered; five of the six infants were cured, and one is under treatment. These patients showed a favorable prognosis on early diagnosis.

Incidence of neuroblastoma in infancy in Japan.

Since 1974, we have been mass screening for neuroblastoma in 6-month-old infants using a VMA (vanilmandelic acid) spot test in Kyoto City. Fifteen (48.4%) of the 31 childhood neuroblastoma cases registered in this city during the recent 8-year-period, 1974-1982, were under 1 year of age.

Intraspinal metastasis of neuroblastoma--report of a case detected at autopsy.

Metastasis to the brain or spinal cord parenchyma is extremely rare in cases of neuroblastoma. We present a 3-year-7-month-old boy with neuroblastoma, stage IV, with intraspinal metastasis. He had no neurologic manifestation except incontinentia urinae and ataxia at the terminal stage.

DNA contents in Wilms' tumors. A cytofluorometric study.

Cytofluorometric measurement of nuclear DNA was performed on individual tumor cells isolated from paraffin sections of Wilms' tumors. The DNA distribution of one untreated primary tumor showed the first major peak near the diploid range and the second peak in the tetraploid range. There were many cells having amounts of DNA interspersed between the diploid and tetraploid range.

Effects of interferon on C1300 mouse neuroblastoma.

The effects of murine interferon (MuIFN) with and without cyclophosphamide (CY) were evaluated in C1300 neuroblastoma-bearing mice. Mean survival times were prolonged by administration of 25,000 IU of MuIFN three times per week by ip injection. The combination of MuIFN and CY was more effective in the treatment of mouse neuroblastoma than either agent alone.