Polyarthritis associated with hepatitis C virus infection.

Two cases of polyarthritis associated with hepatitis C infection are reported. In Patient 1, stiffness and polyarthritis occurred during the acute stage of hepatitis. The arthritic symptoms lasted for 4 months.

Mixed mode fracture characterization of hydroxylapatite-titanium alloy interface.

Cantilever beam and four-point bend specimen geometries were used to experimentally determine the critical energy release rates for a plasma sprayed hydroxylapatite-titanium alloy (HA-Ti alloy) interface. A locus of energy release rates as a function of crack tip phase angle was determined where a 0 degree phase angle represented tensile opening (mode I) loading and a 90 degree phase angle represented in-plane shear (mode II) loading. Energy release rates were found to increase substantially with an increase in phase angle.

[Intranasal administration of nitroglycerin solution and nitroglycerin spray during general anesthesia].

Nitroglycerin spray is a newly developed nitroglycerin (TNG) form, which delivers 0.3 mg of TNG with each spray emission. We compared the efficacy of intranasal administration of TNG spray and that of TNG solution during general anesthesia.

[Diagnosis of pheochromocytoma using 131I-MIBG scintigraphy].

131I-MIBG scintigraphy was performed on 18 patients with pheochromocytoma and 25 patients with essential hypertension. In comparison of grade of 131I-MIBG accumulation in various organs the heart accumulation of pheochromocytoma group was significantly lower than that of essential hypertension group. And between the positive and false negative accumulation group of pheochromocytoma reverse relationship was observed between the heart and tumor.

SPECT evaluation of simulated white matter lesions: experimental study using a brain phantom.

An experimental study using a brain phantom was performed to evaluate the detectability of simulated white matter lesions on two types of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems. A ring-type SPECT system with high spatial resolution was able to demonstrate these lesions in the white matter, while a widely used general-purpose single-head rotating gamma camera failed to show them. The detectability of white matter lesions was decreased by photons scattered from the highly radioactive gray matter and the poor spatial resolution of the SPECT system.

Single photon emission computed tomography in children with idiopathic seizures.

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with N-isopropyl-p[123I]-iodoamphetamine (IMP), X-ray computed tomography (X-CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in 20 children with idiopathic seizures. In children with idiopathic seizures, SPECT could detect the abnormal sites at the highest rate (45%) compared with CT (10%) and MRI (12%), but the abnormal sites on SPECT correlated poorly with the foci on electroencephalograph (EEG). Idiopathic epilepsy with hypoperfusion on SPECT was refractory to treatment and was frequently associated with mental and/or developmental retardation.

[Anesthetic and postoperative management of a patient with Gilbert's syndrome and another with Dubin-Johnson syndrome].

Anesthesia and postoperative management of a patient with Gilbert's syndrome and one with Dubin-Johnson syndrome is reported. The former patient underwent open heart surgery and the latter had a partial resection and reconstruction of the esophagus. The anesthetics used in these two cases were fentanyl and nitrous oxide.

[Clinical evaluation of isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) spray: a study on the plasma concentrations of ISDN and on its hemodynamic effects using three administration routes].

The effects of ISDN spray has been evaluated using oral, nasal or tracheal routes in patients under enflurane anesthesia. These 30 patients were in ASA I or II physical status without cardiovascular, kidney or liver diseases. Under enflurane anesthesia, hemodynamic parameters (blood pressure and heart rate), blood gas and plasma concentration of ISDN were measured at several points before and after drug administration.

Increased lysyl oxidase activity in culture medium of nonparenchymal cells from fibrotic livers.

Lysyl oxidase, which plays an important role in collagen deposition in chronic liver diseases, was studied in nonparenchymal cell cultures from fibrotic human livers. Liver biopsy specimens were obtained from control patients without apparent hepatic disease, and from patients with chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis, or liver cirrhosis. Nonparenchymal cells from biopsy specimens were cultured.

Immunoprophylaxis of hepatitis A of the children by immune serum globulin.

An outbreak of hepatitis A occurred in Kyoto. Immune serum globulin was administered prophylactically to children who had not yet developed the disease. However 52 children in succession contracted hepatitis A.

Chronic hepatitis B: correlation between viral replication and clinical course.

Twenty carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) were followed for two to seven years, and their histologic progression was correlated with HBV core-associated DNA polymerase (DNAP) activity as a marker of viral replication. Seventeen patients were divided into two groups according to their pattern of viral replication: group 1, consistently high levels of DNAP; group 2, low levels of DNAP. Chronic persistent hepatitis predominated in group 1; chronic active hepatitis predominated in group 2.

Indirect hyperbilirubinemia in HBV carriers.

Indirect hyperbilirubinemia without any other abnormalities of liver function tests was seen in 14.3% in HBV carriers and 1.2% in controls in the previous study.

Lack of correlation between interferon production of mononuclear cells and virus replication in chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Interferon production in hepatitis B virus carriers with normal liver functions was preserved, whereas in carriers with chronic hepatitis it was depressed. The lower interferon production in hepatitis B virus carriers with chronic hepatitis appears to be the result rather than the cause of chronic hepatic disease.