A case of takotsubo cardiomyopathy leading to the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis.

A 52-year-old woman presenting with shortness of breath and having no related past medical history was diagnosed with takotsubo cardiomyopathy. However, she revealed respiratory failure atypical with takotsubo cardiomyopathy. We diagnosed myasthenia gravis with myasthenic crisis by acetylcholine receptor-binding antibody titer with mediastinal tumor.

[Response to S-1+paclitaxel in far-advanced gastric cancer].

The patient was a 55-year-old man who was treated with S-1 and paclitaxel(PTX)combination chemotherapy for inoperable advanced gastric cancer in whom an abdominal CT examination had revealed peritoneal dissemination, pancreatic invasion, and ascites. A total of 15 courses of S-1 120 mg/day for 2 weeks followed by a 2-week rest period and PTX 90 mg/ body on day 1, 8, and 15 were administered. The CT examination after the completion of chemotherapy showed resolution of the ascites, and no evidence of peritoneal dissemination was observed on the images.

Correlation between acute rejection severity and CD8-positive T cells in living related liver transplantation.

The Banff schema is the most widely used standard grading system for liver allograft rejection. To investigate the relationship between the Banff rejection activity index (RAI) and the presence of lymphocyte subpopulations in allograft liver tissue, assuming these cells to probably play an important role in the mechanism of acute cellular rejection (ACR), we performed immunohistological examinations using liver tissues with various ACR severities after living related liver transplantation (LRLT). In total, 37 needle liver biopsy specimens with ACR in LRLT were examined using antibodies to CD4, CD8, and CD20.

Selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor induces indefinite survival of fully allogeneic cardiac grafts and generates CD4+ regulatory cells.

Background: Selective inhibition of cyclooxygenase 2 has been reported to have not only anti-inflammatory effects but also effects on the immune response. We investigated ability of a cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor to inhibit alloimmune response in a murine cardiac transplantation model.

Methods: CBA (H2(k)) mice underwent transplantation of C57BL/10 (H2(b)) hearts.

Expression of type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor and nitric oxide generation in ischemic preconditioning of rat liver.

AIMS: Nitric oxide (NO) has protective effects against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and plays an important role in ischemic preconditioning. Type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) regulates plasminogen activators, which may have cytotoxic effects in I/R injury. I/R injury is reduced by the inhibition of fibrinolytic enzymes.

High dose of antithrombin III induces indefinite survival of fully allogeneic cardiac grafts and generates regulatory cells.

Background: The authors investigated whether antithrombin III (AT-III) could induce unresponsiveness to alloantigens.

Methods: CBA mice were given intravenous injection of 50 or 500 U/kg AT-III or control plasma the same day as transplantation of a heart from a C57BL/6 mouse. An adoptive transfer study and mixed leukocyte culture analysis were also performed.

[Patient with bone metastasis of breast cancer who were improved by weekly DXR/TXT therapy].

The patient was a 57-year-old female with the main complaint of left chest pain and gait disturbance. Multiple bone metastases were observed in the vertebral and pelvic bone. Pathological pressure fracture, stegnosis of the spinal canal and edematous changes in the spinal nerves, especially in the 4th and 5th thoracic vertebrae, were observed.

Somatic mutation and SNP in the promoter of dbpA and human hepatocarcinogenesis.

Human DNA-binding protein (dbpA) is a member of a Y-box binding protein family containing a cold shock domain. The increased expression of Y box binding proteins in somatic cells is associated with cell proliferation and transformation. Recently, we isolated a splicing variant of dbpA as a candidate for the cellular recombinogenic protein that leads to genomic instability and inflammation-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis.