Down's syndrome associated with seminoma in undescended testis.

In patients with Down's syndrome, the coincidence of testicular cancer with the syndrome has recently been emphasized. We present a case of Down's syndrome associated with seminoma in undescended testis and discuss the relationship between testicular cancer and Down's syndrome.

Esophageal strictures in children with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa: experience of balloon dilatation in nine cases.

Background: Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is a rare disorder characterized by extreme vulnerability of the squamous epithelium and mucous membranes. Minor trauma such as is caused by swallowing solid food is followed by blistering and scarring. Stricture formation at the pharyngoesophageal junction (C6 or C7) is the severest complication of this disease.

Dynamics of cell wall formation in fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Studies on the dynamics of surface and intracellular structures during cell wall formation from the reverting protoplast of Schizosaccharomyces pombe were reviewed, and the correlation between cell wall formation and actin cytoskeleton, which is the most important conductor of the mechanism, is described in this paper. A close spatial and temporal relationship between actin cytoskeleton and cell wall formation was found by using wild type and actin point-mutant cps8 of S. pombe.

The effect of triathlon on urinary excretion of enzymes and proteins.

In order to investigate the effect of triathlon and renal function of normal subjects, we evaluated the excretion of urinary enzymes and proteins before and after triathlon. From 6 subjects samples were obtained 24 hours after the first urine collection. We performed quantification of urinary total protein, beta2-microglobulin (beta2-M), N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity (NAG), and concentration of urinary creatinine from each participant.

Involvement of high density lipoprotein as substrate cholesterol for steroidogenesis by bovine adrenal fasciculo-reticularis cells.

Adrenocorticosteroids are known to be synthesized from cholesterol which may arise from de novo synthesis or from the uptake of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or high-density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL is reported to be a main substrate for corticosteroid synthesis by bovine adrenocortical cells, although the role of HDL, which is well known to be used for steroid biosynthesis in rat adrenals, is still obscure. Therefore, we examined the role of HDL in the regulation of corticosteroidogenesis in bovine adrenals in order to clarify whether or not HDL was selectively utilized for corticosteroid synthesis in vitro.

The expression of endothelin-1 and its binding sites in mouse skin increased after ultraviolet B irradiation or local injection of tumor necrosis factor alpha.

Endothelin (ET)-1 is a 21-amino acid peptide which has vasoconstrictor and growth regulatory activity. Recently, cultured keratinocytes have been reported to express ET-1 and its receptor when irradiated by ultraviolet (UV) B. In order to further understand the role of ET-1 in vivo during UVB-induced inflammation, we examined the localization, intensity and time course of the expression levels of ET-1 and its binding sites in UVB-exposed BALB/c mouse skin.

[Gait disturbance without motor and sensory involvement in cervical myelopathy--clinical course and radiological findings].

Among 100 patients with cervical myelopathy, we found 7 patients with gait disturbance in which motor or sensory involvements were absent (group A). In these patients, the gait was unsteady, but not ataxic nor spastic. Some of them showed mild hyperreflexia, but no one had Romberg's sign.

Plasmapheresis for the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris and bullous pemphigoid.

Forty-two cases of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and bullous pemphigoid (BP) were treated with plasmapheresis by one of 3 techniques: centrifugation, double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP), or a combination of the two. Each plasmapheresis resulted in a rapid reduction in the autoantibody titer and an improvement in clinical symptoms, thereby allowing a lower dose of corticosteroid to be administered and remission to be achieved. These findings suggest that plasmapheresis is an effective treatment for PV and BP patients who have been unresponsive to conventional therapy, for those for whom conventional drugs are contraindicated due to complications, and for those who show severe clinical manifestations.

Efficacy of enalapril after ineffective theophylline treatment on erythrocytosis after renal transplantation.

Erythrocytosis represents a common complication in renal allograft recipients. Traditional therapies including phlebotomy and bilateral native nephrectomies are cumbersome for both the clinical personnel and the patient. Recently, pharmacological agents such as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor and theophylline have been proposed as effective therapies for post-transplant erythrocytosis (PTE).

Adrenal myelolipoma with abdominal pain.

We report a case of adrenal myelolipoma with abdominal pain. Preoperative diagnosis was correctly made by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. We have reviewed the literature and discuss the contribution of modern imaging techniques to the diagnosis of this tumor.

Immunolocalization of epimorphin in skin.

Epimorphin was originally identified as a mesenchymal cell surface-associated protein that modulates epithelial morphogenesis in embryonic skin and lung epithelia. A previous report which utilized embryonic mouse skin, showed that epimorphin was localized non-homogeneously in a region adjacent to the epidermis and in a mesenchymal cell condensation located in front of growing hair follicles. We report herein a further detailed localization of this protein in adult mouse skin using immunoelectron microscopy.

[Early steroid withdrawal after kidney transplantation].

Background: The side effects of steroid are serious problems in renal transplant patients. However, withdrawal of steroid has been controversial. We evaluated the benefits and risk of early steroid withdrawal after renal transplantation.

Trichohyalin expression in skin tumors: retrieval of trichohyalin antigenicity in tissues by microwave irradiation.

Background: The antitrichohyalin antibody AE 15 is effective for identifying the cell lineage that undergoes the pathway of inner root sheath-type differentiation. Unfortunately, the AE 15 does not react with trichohyalin in tissue that is formalin-fixed and embedded in paraffin according to routine procedures.

Methods: We attempted to retrieve the trichohyalin antigenicity in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens that included normal skin as well as skin tumors such as trichofolliculoma and pilotricoma.

Expression of keratohyalin-trichohyalin hybrid granules in molluscum contagiosum.

Background: Recently, in the filiform papillae epithelium of mouse dorsal tongue, we showed the presence of hybrid granules in which filaggrin and trichohyalin were both present, but physically segregated. Further, trichohyalin was also detected in scattered granular cells of a number of hyperplastic skin diseases.

Methods: The epidermis infected with molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) was studied by conventional electron microscopy in conjunction with light and electron-microscopic immunohistochemistry, using both antifilaggrin and antitrichohyalin antibodies as probes.

Malacoplakia of the bladder: efficacy of enoxacine therapy.

Malacoplakia of the urinary bladder was seen in a 69-year-old woman with haematuria. We firstly treated her with distigmine bromide, ascorbic acid and trimethro-prim-sulfamethoxazole. Haematuria subsided but the lesion did not change after 6 weeks.

Ultrahigh-resolution low-voltage SEM reveals ultrastructure of the glucan network formation from fission yeast protoplast.

The refined field emission SEM, S-900 LV which gives better resolution especially at low voltages below 5 kV was developed for ultrahigh resolution scanning electron microscopy. A visualization test at x 300,000 was made using a gold-evaporated magnetic tape, and the resolution was found to be about 1 nm at 2.5 kV.

[Pharmacokinetic study of UFT in cancer patients receiving maintenance dialysis].

Six post-operative cancer patients receiving chronic dialysis (4 colorectal and 2 gastric cancer) were given daily UFT (300 mg/day tid). To determine the clearance of UFT with dialysis, the plasma concentration of tegafur, 5-FU and uracil were measured on the day with dialysis and without dialysis. The plasma concentrations of tegafur at 2 hours after oral administration of UFT showed no difference between the day with dialysis and without dialysis.

Skene's duct cyst in adult women: report of two cases.

Skene's duct cysts in the adult are uncommon lesions. Complete urologic examinations are necessary because these lesions simulate other clinically important lesions. Herein we report two cases of Skene's duct cyst in adult women.

A case of angiocentric T-cell lymphoma presenting as lethal midline granuloma.

A case of angiocentric T-cell lymphoma with glabellar skin being the only affected site was reported. A 43-year-old woman had a several months' history of glabellar swelling followed by progressive and destructive ulceration of the region. Histopathology of the biopsied specimen showed panniculitis with atypical lymphocytes and degenerative vessels filled with atypical cells.

Cytomegalovirus-associated hepatitis and duodenal ulcer in kidney allograft recipients.

We report here on two patients with kidney allografts who had hepatitis and duodenal ulcer caused by cytomegalovirus. In one case, hepatosplenomegaly and jaundice appeared after high fever lasting for ten days. Laboratory examinations showed liver dysfunction and lymphocytosis with atypical forms.

Acute hemorrhagic cystitis caused by adenovirus after kidney transplantation.

We report on 10 kidney transplant patients with acute hemorrhagic cystitis caused by adenovirus, accompanied by the deterioration of kidney function. They developed macrohematuria with urgency, frequency and micturition pain for more than 7 days within 1 year after transplantation. Adenovirus type 11 was isolated from the urine of 6 patients, and complement-fixing antibody became positive in 9 patients.

Successful renal autotransplantation with Y-prosthetic aortic replacement in a patient with complete occlusion of abdominal aorta and renal artery.

Occlusion of the abdominal aorta represents the end stage of an atherosclerotic process and often is associated with stenosis of renal artery inducing renal failure and hypertension. Surgical and medical treatments are indicated to preserve and restore renal function in patients with these conditions. We report herein the first successful renal autotransplantation combined with aortic replacement by Y prosthesis in a patient with complete occlusion of abdominal aorta and bilateral renal arteries, resulting in limb-threatening ischemia and progressive renal failure.

Mixed prostatic carcinoma containing malignant squamous element. Reports of two cases.

Two cases of mixed prostatic carcinoma are reported. A 67-year-old man with mixed urothelial and squamous cell carcinoma died 10 months after diagnosis despite hormonal therapy and pelvic irradiation. A 70-year-old man with adenosquamous carcinoma responded well to such treatment.

Successful surgical management and long-term follow-up of epidermolysis bullosa.

Background: Esophageal stenosis and hand deformity are serious complications of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa that influence the prognosis of patients. To control such complications we have used surgical treatments with favorable results. Additional objectives were to summarize the results of long-term follow-up.