[Report of immunoassay control surveys conducted in the past 30 years by the Subcommittee for Radioisotope in vitro Test, the Medical Science and Pharmaceutical Committee, and the Japan Radioisotope Association].

Immunoassay control surveys, were conducted by the Subcommittee for Radioisotope in vitro Test, the Medical Science and Pharmaceutical Committee, and the Japan Radioisotope Association, between 1978 to 2008. A total of 40 analytes for 26 hormones, 14 tumor markers and pharmaceutical drugs were investigated in participating facilities. In the first immunoassay control survey in 1978, samples were measured using only RI kits, however, non-RI kits increased gradually during the next 30 years.

[Problems of cortisol assay: confusion in the diagnosis of preclinical Cushing's syndorme].

Cortisol assay is used for the diagnosis of hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal disorders. The Incidence of adrenal incidentaloma has been increasing with advances in imaging tools. The criteria for the diagnosis of preclinical Cushing's syndrome in Japan was made by the Nawata group supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 1995.

The diagnostic standard of preclinical Cushing's syndrome: evaluation of the dexamethasone suppression test using various cortisol kits.

Incidental discovery of an adrenal mass, the so-called adrenal incidentaloma, has been increasing due to the advances in non-invasive diagnostic imaging tools. The criteria of diagnosis for preclinical Cushing's syndrome (preCS) in Japan were made by Nawata et al. supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 1995.

[Fecal elastase-1 test: clinical evaluation of a new noninvasive pancreatic function test].

Unlabelled: We evaluated clinical significance of fecal elastase-1(FE-1) in patients with pancreatic diseases and pancreatic dysfunction, in comparison with other tubeless test and secretin test.

Patients And Methods: FE-1 was determined in healthy controls(n = 131), chronic pancreatitis(CP) (n = 52), acute pancreatitis(AP) (n = 14), pancreatic cyst(Pcyst) (n = 20), pancreatic cancer(Pca) (n = 12), post pancreatic surgery(post P) (n = 28), biliary diseases(B) (n = 6), and gastro-duodenal ulcer(G) (n = 6). Fecal chymotrypsin(FCT) and BT-PABA test were performed in those patients digestive diseases.

[Studies on the gonadal function in patients with anorexia nervosa using a highly sensitive radioimmunoassay kit for estradiol].

We measured serum estradiol (E2) using a highly sensitive radioimmunoassay kit in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). It is possible to determine the ovarian function with hypogonadism in patients with AN whose levels of E2 were below 10 pg/ml. In patients with extremely low levels of BMI (less than 15 kg/m2), basal levels of E2, LH, FSH and IGF-I increased significantly with gain of body weight.

Postoperative plasma cortisol levels predict long-term outcome in patients with Cushing's disease and determine which patients should be treated with pituitary irradiation after surgery.

Transsphenoidal surgery is the treatment of choice for ACTH-producing pituitary adenoma (Cushing's disease) and pituitary irradiation is widely considered the most appropriate treatment for patients with Cushing's disease for whom transsphenoidal surgery has been unsuccessful. We studied 49 consecutive patients who underwent transsphenoidal surgery for the treatment of Cushing's disease at Tokyo Women's Medical University from 1977-1997 with a mean follow-up duration of 87.6 months (range, 24-253 months).

Inhibin alpha, beta A subunit and activin type II receptor mRNAs are expressed in human brain tumors.

Inhibin and activin were initially isolated as regulators of pituitary or gonadal hormone and are now known to be growth factors belonging to the TGF-beta family with diverse influences on the differentiation and proliferation of various tissues. To investigate the role of inhibin and activin in human brain tumors, the expression of inhibin alpha, and beta A mRNA as well as activin type II receptor (ACTR II) mRNA were studied in various human brain tumors. The tumors were divided into the following 4 groups: 3 Rathke's cleft cysts and 2 craniopharyngiomas (group 1), 8 meningiomas (group 2), 8 malignant gliomas (group 3), and various other tumors including 1 each of germinoma, astrocytoma, hemangioblastoma, and osteochondroma as well as 2 malignant lymphomas and 2 metastatic squamous cell carcinomas (group 4).

Expression of inhibin alpha, and beta A subunit and activin type II receptor mRNAs in various human pituitary adenomas.

Inhibin and activin are known to be involved in the pituitary hormone secretion as well as proliferation of the pituitary. We studied the expression of inhibin alpha, and beta A subunit and activin type II receptor (ACTR 2) mRNAs in human pituitary adenomas to determine the significance of inhibin and activin in pituitary hormone secretion. Tumor tissues were homogenized immediately after resection in guanidinium thiocyanate to extract total RNA.

Reduction of telomeric length and c-erbB-2 gene amplification in human breast cancer, fibroadenoma, and gynecomastia. Relationship to histologic grade and clinical parameters.

Background: Telomeric deletions contribute to genetic instability and may represent an important mechanism of carcinogenesis. Amplification of the c-erbB-2 gene has been demonstrated in breast carcinoma. The clinical significance of telomeric deletions and c-erbB-2 gene amplification therefore was studied in patients with breast disorders.

Activin and inhibin secretion by cultured porcine granulosa cells is stimulated by FSH and LH.

Follistatin-free activin and inhibin levels were measured in the culture medium of porcine granulosa cells by a competitive protein binding assay and N-fragment RIA, respectively. Cultures were maintained for 6 days in MEM containing 10% fetal calf serum. FSH and HCG (1-1,000 IU/L) were added on day 2 to cultures containing 1 x 10(5) cells/ml and the medium was changed every 2 days.

Human plasma free activin and inhibin levels during the menstrual cycle.

The role of inhibin in gonadal function and reproduction has been confirmed by the measurement of plasma inhibin levels, but there has been no clinical data available on activin because of the lack of a good assay method. We measured plasma free activin levels during the normal menstrual cycle using a newly developed competitive protein binding assay with follistatin as the binding protein. Plasma inhibin levels were measured simultaneously using an alpha-subunit N-terminal fragment RIA with recombinant inhibin as the reference standard.

Competitive protein binding assay for activin A/EDF using follistatin determination of activin levels in human plasma.

A sensitive and specific protein binding assay for activin A/EDF (activin) was developed using follistatin as a binding protein and [125I] labelled activin as a tracer. As 50% acetonitrile (CH3CN) separated free and follistatin-bound activin, plasma pretreated with an equal volume of CH3CN was used as the assay sample and B/F separation was also done with 50% CH3CN. The recovery of the assay was 85.

Effect of hemodialysis on the concentration of the seven tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen, alpha-fetoprotein, squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen, neuron-specific enolase, CA 125, CA 19-9 and CA 15-3 in uremic patients.

The incidence of the 7 tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen (SCC), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), CA 125, CA 19-9 and CA 15-3 was studied before and after hemodialysis (HD) in 144 uremic patients who had no malignancies. Before HD, of all tumor markers, the mean concentration of SCC only exceeded the normal value. The positive rate was highest in SCC (95.

[A clinical evaluation of the CA 72-4 serum level as a possible tumor marker].

The level of CA 72-4 in serum has been measured in various diseases by an immunoradiometric assay using CA 72-4 RIA Kit for an evaluation of its clinical significance as a possible tumor marker. CA 72-4 showed a high positive rate in patients with ovarian and bile duct cancers. In contrast, the false positive rate was low in benign gynecological and digestive diseases.

[Clinical evaluation of various tumor markers in pleural effusion and in the serum].

Various tumor markers and enzymes in the pleural effusion and serum have been measured in 47 patients with carcinoma and in 43 patients with benign disease, by means of a radioimmunoassay and biochemical methods. CEA in the pleural effusion showed a high specificity and sensitivity for the detection of the malignancy. In patients with a lung cancer, measurement of the NSE in the serum was more useful than in the pleural effusion.

Effect of immobilization stress on testosterone and inhibin in male rats.

Adult male Wistar rats were subjected to acute and chronic immobilization stress. Changes in plasma levels of LH, FSH and testosterone and in the content of testicular inhibin and testosterone were studied. Plasma LH levels decreased significantly in response to both acute and chronic stress.

The changes in plasma cortisol and urinary free cortisol by an overnight dexamethasone suppression test in patients with Cushing's disease.

We studied the suppressibility of cortisol secretion in 15 patients with Cushing's disease by measuring morning plasma cortisol level as well as the 24-hour urinary free corisol (UFC) excretion following single doses of increasing amounts of dexamethasone (ranging from 0.5 to 32 mg) given at 11 p.m.