[A case of benign cystic teratoma growing in the thoracic cavity].

A case with benign cystic teratoma growing in the thoracic cavity, which is rare in Japan, in a 49-year-old woman is reported. She complained a chest pain suddenly. Chest X-ray examination revealed an abnormal shadow and pleural effusion in the right lung field.

Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) antigen in sera of bronchial asthmatics.

Previous studies have suggested that intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1, CD54) may be involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. In addition, a soluble form of ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) has been detected in increased concentrations in the sera of patients with certain inflammatory conditions. To determine whether bronchial asthma is associated with increased levels of sICAM-1 in serum and to assess the effects of therapy on these levels, the concentrations of sICAM-1 were measured in sera of healthy donors and asthmatic patients.

[Clinical study of bronchial asthma in adult, intractable asthmatics after introduction of guideline therapy].

Introduction of Guideline for asthma treatment proposed by the committee of Japanese allergology have a tremendous impact on patients with bronchial asthma. Intractable asthmatics who have had to take some oral steroid to overcome disease severity, may have also some merit by this treatment, so that some of them might be no longer considered as intractable asthmatics. To clarify this, multicenter study was conducted.

[A case of chondrosarcoma of the low grade malignancy originated in rib].

A case with chondrosarcoma of rib, which is relatively uncommon in Japan, in a 61-year-old man is reported. Chest X-ray examination revealed an abnormal shadow in the right of the chest wall. Chest CT scan and MRI disclosed the tumor to have been arosen from the right 5th rib protruding into the thoracic cavity.

[A case of tuberculosis in which hemoptysis was caused by bleeding from intercostal arteries].

A 60-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of persistent hemoptysis. Chest roentgenogram and computed tomogram revealed that the right hemithorax was almost completely occupied by solid material with scattered calcifications. Mycobacteria were detected in the sputum culture.

[Computed tomography findings of malignant pleural mesothelioma].

Computed tomography (CT) findings were assessed in 7 patients with malignant mesothelioma. CT findings were also reviewed in 9 patients with lung cancer and pleuritis carcinomatosa and in 11 patients with tuberculous pleuritis. Five patients with malignant mesothelioma underwent CT scans twice, on admission and from 1 to 7 months after admission.

[Serum levels of soluble ICAM-1 in asthmatic patients].

Serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) levels were measured in 54 asthmatic patients and 32 healthy subjects by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum sICAM-1 levels in the asthmatic patients not undergoing steroid therapy were significantly higher than those in the healthy subjects and those in the asthmatic patients undergoing steroid therapy (p < 0.01 and p < 0.

A novel 37-Kd adhesive membrane protein from cloned murine bone marrow stromal cells and cloned murine hematopoietic progenitor cells.

The adhesion of hematopoietic progenitor cells to bone marrow stromal cells is critical to hematopoiesis and involves multiple effector molecules. Stromal cell molecules that participate in this interaction were sought by analyzing the detergent-soluble membrane proteins of GBI/6 stromal cells that could be adsorbed by intact FDCP-1 progenitor cells. A single-chain protein from GBI/6 cells having an apparent molecular weight of 37 Kd was selectively adsorbed by FDCP-1 cells.

[Serum levels of soluble CD25 (soluble interleukin 2 receptor) in asthmatic patients].

Serum sCD25 levels were measured in 64 asthmatic patients and 22 healthy subjects by enzyme-liked immunosorbent assay. Serum sCD25 levels in the asthmatic patients were significantly higher than those in the healthy subjects (p < 0.02).

[Serum soluble CD23 and soluble CD25 in bronchial asthmatic patients].

Serum sCD23 and sCD25 levels in asthmatic patients and healthy subjects were assayed. Serum sCD23 levels in asthmatic patients were significantly higher than those in healthy subjects (p < 0.05).

Induction of upmodulation of homing receptors in cloned hemopoietic progenitors by growth factors.

Recognition and selective seeding of hemopoietic cells to the marrow after intravenous transplantation is a function of membrane protein known as homing receptor (HR), which is a lectin with galactosyl and mannosyl specificities. We have previously shown that ex vivo incubation of marrow cells with IL-3 or GM-CSF enhances the seeding efficiency and that this enhancement may be the result of upmodulation of homing receptors. In the present work, we have shown that incubation of two cloned progenitor cell lines, FDCP-1 and FDCP-mix, with IL-3 or GM-CSF resulted in a dose-dependent increase in the number of HR per cell.

Enhancement of the grafting efficiency of transplanted marrow cells by preincubation with interleukin-3 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

To improve the grafting efficiency of transplanted murine hematopoietic progenitors, we briefly preincubated mouse bone marrow cells with interleukin-3 (IL-3) or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) ex vivo before their transplantation into irradiated recipients. This treatment was translated into an increase in the seeding efficiency of colony-forming unit-spleen (CFU-S) and CFU-GM after transplantation. Not only was the concentration of CFU-S in the tibia increased 2 and 24 hours after transplantation, but the total cell number and CFU-S and CFU-GM concentrations were persistently higher in IL-3- and GM-CSF-treated groups 1 to 3 weeks after transplantation.

[CEA and CA19-9 in BALF from patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia].

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in 21 patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) and 7 healthy volunteers. The concentrations of both CEA and CA19-9 in the BALF were significantly higher in patients with IIP than those in healthy subjects. Significant correlations were present between the concentration of CEA and neutrophil percentage of the total BALF cells and between the concentration of CA19-9 and neutrophil percentage of the total BALF cells in the patients with IIP.

Tuberculous mediastinal lymphadenitis in an adult patient.

A 40-year-old woman was presented with a fever, which proved to be due to mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis. Up to 1988, 149 cases of tuberculous mediastinal lymphadenitis have been reported in the literature in Japan. This case was very rare because a chest plain film revealed neither mediastinal widening nor lung parenchymal involvement.

A case of intralobar pulmonary sequestration with high serum CA19-9 levels.

A 38-year-old female presented with cough and fever. A chest X-ray examination revealed an abnormal shadow in the posteroinferior portion of the left hemithorax, and a laboratory examination showed that the serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level was markedly high (1000 U/ml). A left thoracotomy showed an intralobar pulmonary sequestration of the left lower lobe, and after a left lower lobe lobectomy, the serum level of CA19-9 decreased to normal.

Classification of asthma based on clinical symptoms: asthma type in relation to patient age and age at onset of disease.

Seventy-one cases of bronchial asthma were classified into three types: bronchospasm, bronchospasm-hypersecretion and bronchiolar obstruction types. The characteristics of each type were studied in relation to patient age and age at onset of the disease. In the 71 subjects studied, the most frequent type was the bronchospasm type followed by the bronchospasm-hypersecretion type and bronchiolar obstruction type.