[Sonographic appearance of benign subcutaneous nodules--including color Doppler sonography].

Objective: Color Doppler sonography is used to distinguish malignant from benign subcutaneous nodules because many malignant tumors show an increased number of vessels. But benign lesions, such as inflammatory epidermal cysts, pilomatricomas, palmoplantar fibromatoses show vascular flow signals. We analyze diagnostic factors for subcutaneous nodules on the basis of ultrasonographic appearance including color Doppler sonography.

Analysis of the plasma concentration of tacrolimus: a useful method for distinguishing falsely elevated tacrolimus concentrations reported by the ACMIA.

Unlabelled: Tacrolimus monitoring is essential because tacrolimus has a narrow therapeutic dose range. A 35-year-old male after kidney transplantation showed unusually high tacrolimus concentrations in the affinity column mediated immunoassay (ACMIA).

Methods: His whole blood tacrolimus concentrations were measured by the ACMIA, microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT).

Effect of rapamycin on hepatocyte function and proliferation induced by growth factors.

Background: Rapamycin is a specific inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). The effect of rapamycin on proliferation and cellular function was studied in hepatocytes stimulated by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or transforming growth factor-alpha (TGFalpha).

Methods And Results: When isolated rat hepatocytes were cultured at low density, the addition of HGF or TGFalpha increased DNA synthesis but did not affect albumin or fibrinogen concentrations in the medium.