T Cell-Intrinsic Vitamin A Metabolism and Its Signaling Are Targets for Memory T Cell-Based Cancer Immunotherapy.

Memory T cells play an essential role in infectious and tumor immunity. Vitamin A metabolites such as retinoic acid are immune modulators, but the role of vitamin A metabolism in memory T-cell differentiation is unclear. In this study, we identified retinol dehydrogenase 10 (Rdh10), which metabolizes vitamin A to retinal (RAL), as a key molecule for regulating T cell differentiation.

Persistence of left atrial abnormalities despite left atrial volume normalization after successful ablation of atrial fibrillation.

Background: Left atrial volume index (LAVI) of >34 mL/m is the cutoff value for identifying an enlarged left atrium. The definition of left atrial (LA) reverse remodeling after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is undetermined. We hypothesized that patients with LA dilatation who achieve normal LA volume (LAVI<34 mL/m) after AF ablation have better long-term outcomes than those who do not.

Corneal thickness profile and posterior corneal astigmatism in normal corneas.

Purpose: To analyze the influence of corneal thickness profile on posterior corneal astigmatism (PA).

Design: Prospective, observational study.

Subjects: We included 418 normal subjects (213 men and 205 women) ranging in age from 6 to 93 years (49.

Age-related changes in anterior, posterior, and total corneal astigmatism.

Purpose: To evaluate age-related changes in anterior, posterior, and total corneal astigmatism by comparing simulated keratometric astigmatism to total corneal astigmatism.

Methods: Corneal topography of the anterior and posterior surfaces was evaluated using three-dimensional optical coherence tomography in 419 patients with normal eyes (218 men and 201 women) with ages ranging from 8 to 93 years (mean ± standard deviation: 49.5 ± 23.

The pore region of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors differentially influences stimulation and block by spermine.

The transmembrane and pore-forming regions of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors containing the NR1 and NR2B subunits were studied by measuring the effects of various NR1 and NR2B mutants on stimulation and block by spermine. Block by spermine was predominantly affected by mutations in the M3 segment of NR1 and especially in the M1 and M3 segments of NR2B. These regions are in the outer vestibule of the channel pore and may contribute to a spermine binding site.

[Continuous infusion of cyclosporine A and C3 monitoring in pediatric stem cell transplantation].

We performed an intravenous cyclosporine (CsA) drip infusion method for 3 hours and C3 monitoring in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and examined the internal change and monitoring method of CsA. A total of six cases comprised five cord blood transplantations and one related allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. We started CsA 1.

Preferential selection of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 provirus lacking the 5' long terminal repeat during oncogenesis.

In adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cells, a defective human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) provirus lacking the 5' long terminal repeat (LTR), designated type 2 defective provirus, is frequently observed. To investigate the mechanism underlying the generation of the defective provirus, we sequenced HTLV-1 provirus integration sites from cases of ATL. In HTLV-1 proviruses retaining both LTRs, 6-bp repeat sequences were adjacent to the 5' and 3' LTRs.

Nephrotic syndrome and aberrant expression of laminin isoforms in glomerular basement membranes for an infant with Herlitz junctional epidermolysis bullosa.

Herlitz junctional epidermolysis bullosa (H-JEB) is a hereditary bullous disease caused by absent expression of laminin-5, a component of anchoring filaments within the dermal-epidermal basement membrane zone. Affected individuals usually die during the first 1 year of life. We studied an infant with H-JEB who presented with nephrotic syndrome, a previously unreported complication that may contribute to early death in this disease.

Successful allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia and cytomegalovirus retinitis.

A 1-year-old boy with acute myeloid leukemia with cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis that was refractory because of severely impaired cellular immunity underwent bone marrow transplantation from an HLA-matched donor after a conditioning regimen of busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide. Although we continued administration of ganciclovir from preparation therapy, retinitis worsened after engraftment. Thereafter retinitis improved gradually as the number of CD4+ T-lymphocytes increased.

[The effectiveness of the long-term treatment with pranlukast in pediatric patients with mild to moderate asthma].

To investigate the efficacy of the long-term treatment with pranlukast, a specific cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist, in pediatric patients with mild to moderate asthma, 77 pediatric asthmatic patients who received pranlukast for up to 36 months (mean duration, 13 months) were evaluated retrospectively. Treatment with pranlukast resulted in improvements from the pretreatment baseline in asthma attacks per month, episodes of hospitalization, and episodes of intravenous amynophiline treatment on emergent clinic visits. The percentage of responders who had marked or moderate improvements in the above-mentioned parameters of asthma control was 79%.