[Changes in tracheal and lung sounds before and after resection of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the trachea].

A 79-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with complaints of wheezing and dyspnea. Adenoid cystic carcinoma was diagnosed from the findings on biopsy specimens obtained by fiberoptic bronchoscopy. The tumor was resected and end-to-end anastomosis was performed.

Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease in pulmonary Langerhans' cell granulomatosis.

This report describes unusual clinical and pathological findings in a 29-yr-old female with pulmonary Langerhans' cell granulomatosis (LCG). During a 7-yr clinical course her condition deteriorated despite corticosteroid therapy, and she died of respiratory failure and pulmonary hypertension. At autopsy, there were widespread pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD) lesions as well as abundant advanced and healed lesions of pulmonary LCG composed of multiple cysts and stellate fibrosis.

[Dissecting aneurysm of the middle cerebral artery: case report].

We present a surgical case of a dissecting aneurysm of the right middle cerebral artery associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracranial hemorrhage. A 61-year-old woman with consciousness disturbance and left hemiplegia was referred to our hospital. She had suffered severe headache for a week.

[Clinical problems of home mechanical ventilation management for neuromuscular disorders].

Medical management is important for home mechanical ventilation of neuromuscular disorders. We report some problems experienced with five patients and methods to improve the care. The problems were inadequate suction of sputa, sialorrhea, underestimation of patients' symptoms and signs and excessive physical and psychological burden on patients and their families.

Adjuvant effect of clarithromycin on chemotherapy for murine lung cancer.

Clarithromycin (CAM) increased the median survival of patients with unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer who had received chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy [Chemotherapy 1997;43:288-296]. The present study was performed to ascertain whether CAM alone exhibits an antitumor effect against Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) and to analyze the nature of its adjuvant effect on LLC-inoculated C57BL/6 mice. CAM at 10 mg/kg/day retarded the growth of subcutaneously inoculated LLC cells; consequently, the mean survival time of mice with LLC increased.

Transcription factor GATA-4 is expressed in pediatric yolk sac tumors.

Yolk sac tumors (YSTs) are malignant tumors that occur in the gonads of children and young adults, and at extragonadal sites in young children. The histological features of YSTs are variable and can be superimposed on other germ cell tumor histologies. Malignant endodermal cells within YSTs express alpha-fetoprotein, which can be detected in tumor tissue or serum.

[A case of common variable immunodeficiency that responded to long-term erythromycin chemotherapy].

A 32-year-old woman with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) accompanied by sinopulmonary infection was evaluated for purulent sputum, cough, and nasal obstruction that did not respond to regular intravenous immunoglobin (IVIG) infusion. Chest X-ray films revealed bronchiectasis affecting both lung bases, and a bacteriological examination of sputum was positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Long-term chemotherapy with erythromycin (EM) was started, and the patient's respiratory symptoms gradually subsided.

Distribution of Th1, Th2, and Th0 and the Th1/Th2 cell ratios in human peripheral and endometrial T cells.

Problem: To examine whether normal pregnancy involves type 2 T-helper (Th2) immune condition or not.

Method Of Study: We measured the percentage of Th0, Th1, and Th2 and the Th1/Th2 cell ratios of human peripheral blood and endometrial T cells using flow cytometry, which can analyze both the surface marker CD3, and intracellular cytokines, interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interferon gamma (IFNgamma).

Results: No significant differences were found in the percentages of Th1, Th2, and Th0 and the Th1/Th2 cell ratios in the peripheral blood T cells of nonpregnant women and women in early pregnancy.

[Enterococcus gallinarum septicemia in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia].

A 62-year-old male was admitted with complaints of fever and body weight loss. The patient was diagnosed as acute myeloid leukemia (M1) and chemotherapy was started. About 80 days after admission, the patient developed diarrhea with high fever.

A clinicopathological study of lung cancer patients with occupational exposure to chrysotile asbestos fibers.

Objective: To summarize the features of asbestos-related lung cancer.

Patients: Thirty-one lung cancer patients with occupational exposure to chrysotile asbestos fibers. They worked or had worked in one asbestos factory or its subcontracters.

[Clinical evaluation of anaerobic infections in patients with bronchopulmonary infections diagnosed by transtracheal aspiration].

We evaluated the clinical and bacteriologic features in the patients with bronchopulmonary infections isolated anaerobes from transtracheal aspirates between April 1990 and March 1998. Some anaerobe was isolated in 42 (10.9%) in 387 patients whom we performed transtracheal aspiration (TTA), in 42 (15.

Patients' attitude toward consultations by a physician without a white coat in Japan.

Object: To know how Japanese patients perceive their physicians without a white coat during consultations.

Subjects And Methods: The patients who visited a university clinic were divided into two groups: those seen by a physician in a white coat (the white-coat group) and those seen by a physician in private clothes (the private-clothes group). Questionnaires were distributed to the patients, which asked the tension and satisfaction of consultations as well as their preference for physician's attire.

Distinct roles for visceral endoderm during embryonic mouse development.

The murine visceral endoderm is an extraembryonic cell layer that appears prior to gastrulation and performs critical functions during embryogenesis. The traditional role ascribed to the visceral endoderm entails nutrient uptake and transport. Besides synthesizing a number of specialized proteins that facilitate uptake, digestion, and secretion of nutrients, the extraembryonic visceral endoderm coordinates blood cell differentiation and vessel formation in the adjoining mesoderm, thereby facilitating efficient exchange of nutrients and gases between the mother and embryo.

The cDNA cloning of human placental ecto-ATP diphosphohydrolases I and II.

The cDNA clones of two isoforms (enzymes I and II) of human placental ecto-ATP diphosphohydrolases have been isolated based on the N-terminal amino acid (aa) sequence of the immunopurified 82 kDa protein and characterized. The cDNA clone encoding enzyme I consists of 2081 nucleotides and the predicted enzyme I consists of 517 aa residues. Enzyme I has a 5'-UTR and an N-terminal 11 aa sequence that differ from CD39, but the rest of the sequence is the same as CD39.

[A study of factors relating to aggravation of patients with pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex disease--with special reference to malnutrition].

We examined physical and blood statuses of 24 patients with pulmonary M. avium complex disease who entered our hospital from April 1993 to March 1997. Ten patients (41.

[A case of leukemic lymphoma complicated by M-proteinemia: effectiveness of long-term daily administration of oral low-dose etoposide in continuing remission].

A 51-year-old man was admitted with systemic lymph node adenopathy. Hematological examination on admission revealed leukocytosis, and 35% of leukocytes were classified as pathologically abnormal. Moreover, increases in serum IgM (kappa type) and plasma viscosity were recognized.

Effects of functional disruption of lateral pericentral cerebral cortex on primate swallowing.

Bilateral cold block of the intracortical microstimulation (ICMS)-defined swallow cortex markedly affected the ability of monkeys to carry out swallowing. Significant changes also occurred in swallow-related electromyographic (EMG) activity patterns. These findings provide further evidence that the lateral pericentral cortex plays a critical role in the initiation and regulation of swallowing in the primate.

[Usefulness of power Doppler sonography for the assessment of subpleural lesions].

We investigated the usefulness of color Doppler power mode imaging for the assessment of subpleural lesions in 48 patients (27 with pneumonia, 4 with pulmonary abscesses, 12 with primary lung cancer, and 5 with metastatic lung cancer). We classified the patterns obtained by color flow imaging of subpleural lesions into six groups: type 0, no color flow; type I, spotty color flow; type II, linear color flow; type III, branchy color flow; and type IV, tortuous color flow, with type IV-A, for partial tortuous flow and type IV-B, for general tortuous flow. The color Doppler power mode proved better than velocity mode in terms of ability to generate clear color flow patterns.

[Successful lithium carbonate therapy for a patient with intractable and severe aplastic anemia].

A 16-year-old female patient who had been given a diagnosis of severe aplastic anemia underwent 2 courses of a combined regimen of corticosteroid pulse therapy and androgen therapy. This proved ineffective. Antilymphocyte globulin therapy was also ineffective.

Body composition analysis by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and exercise performance in underweight patients with COPD.

Study Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of body composition on maximal exercise performance in patients with COPD.

Methods: The study was carried out on 27 patients with COPD and was confirmed by pulmonary function testing. Body composition was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).