[Targeted chemotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma using Lipiodol as a carrier].

For targeted chemotherapy using Lipiodol as a carrier, it was found that anticancer agents had to be dissolved in Lipiodol and diffused gradually from it. Dose forms having properties for targeted chemotherapy were named "oily anticancer agents". Oily anticancer agents are completely different from simple mixture of Lipiodol and anticancer agents by pumping methods in antitumor activities and adverse effects.

Number of specific antibody-secreting cells in the peripheral blood among children with mycoplasma pneumonia.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) in the peripheral blood were enumerated with an enzyme-linked immunospot assay in 12 children with mycoplasma pneumonia. Those cells were detected in the acute phases and declined in number in the convalescent stage. The maximum numbers of M.

Antibody responses in volunteers induced by nasal influenza vaccine combined with Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit containing a trace amount of the holotoxin.

Evaluation of the efficacy of nasal influenza vaccine combined with Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (LTB) containing a trace amount of the holotoxin (LT) in inducing antibody responses among volunteers, which was conducted during the winter season of 1993-1994, is reported. A trivalent inactivated vaccine, composed of A/Yamagata/32/89 (H1N1), A/Kitakyusyu/159/93 (H3N2) and B/Bangkok/163/90 influenza virus strains, was used alone or together with the adjuvant, recombinant LTB supplemented with 0.5% recombinant LT (LTB*).

Epidemiological study of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in japan based on PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism of the P1 cytadhesin gene.

Two hundred fifty strains of Mycoplasma pneumoniae isolated during the past 20 years in Japan were classified into two groups (I and II) based upon different PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns of their P1 cytadhesin genes. Clear shifts between the M. pneumoniae groups were observed but did not appear to be correlated with M.

The retrospective assessment of surgical resection in the management of small cell carcinoma of the lung.

Role of surgical resection for small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) was retrospectively assessed in 16 patients with pTNM-stage I and 13 with pTNM-stages II and IIIA. The 3-year and 5-year survival rates in patients with stage I were 61% and 45%, respectively, and the median survival time (MST) was 23.5 months.

Enhanced engraftment of HTLV-I-infected human T cells in severe combined immunodeficiency mice by anti-asialo GM-1 antibody treatment.

The effects of anti-asialo GM-1 antibody (AAGM) treatment on the engraftment of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I)-infected human T cells in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice were studied. The frequency of tumor formation in an HTLV-I-transformed human T-cell line, MT-2 cells, at the site of inoculation was significantly higher in AAGM-treated than untreated mice (P<0.05): 16/18 (89%) and 16/26 (62%), respectively.

Treatment of multiple primary squamous cell carcinomas of the lung.

Background: The prevalence of multiple primary bronchogenic cancers, especially squamous cell carcinoma, has been increasing as a result of improvements in early detection and cancer therapy.

Materials: We treated 14 patients with multiple squamous cell carcinoma of the tracheobronchial tree and lung, which corresponded to 2.3% of all squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing resection.

Specific deposition of passively transferred monoclonal antibodies against herpes simplex virus type 1 in rat brain infected with the virus.

The kinetics of human monoclonal antibody (anti-gB) to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) were investigated after intravenous injection of anti-gB into an HSV-1 encephalitis animal model. Immunohistochemical study revealed specific deposition of passively transferred anti-gB in the hippocampus and thalamus of the infected rat brain, and it bound to the same neurons in which HSV-1 antigen was positively stained. To examine the macroscopic distribution of anti-gB in the infected brain, we undertook an 125I-labeled anti-gB injection study, and the same distribution of 125I-labeled anti-gB deposition was observed by brain semimicroautoradiography as in the immunohistochemical study.

Detection of measles virus genome directly from clinical samples by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and genetic variability.

A simple and sensitive method for the detection of measles virus genome was developed, amplifying the regions encoding the nucleocapsid (N) protein and hemagglutinin (H) protein of measles virus by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We examined a variety of measles patients: 28 patients with natural infection, 4 with measles encephalitis and 1 with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). In 28 patients with natural measles infection a single step PCR amplifying the N region resulted in a high detection rate for all plasma samples (28/28) within 3 days of the onset of rash and 80% (20/25) even on day 7 of the onset of rash and later.

Acceleration of DNA cleavage by benzidine derivatives under weakly acidic conditions.

Benzidine derivatives, especially 2,7-diaminofluorene and benzidine, accelerated the cleavage of a plasmid DNA (form I) under weakly acidic conditions at 37 degrees C. The acceleration was not inhibited by EDTA, superoxide dismutase, catalase, or hydroxyl radical scavengers. The rate of the cleavage was influenced by the pH value of the reaction buffer.

Case report: new sonographic finding in renal infarction.

We observed a unique sonographic finding in a patient with right global renal infarction associated with an abdominal aortic dissection. Sonography in the acute phase revealed a highly echogenic and thickened perirenal fascia without demonstrable abnormality of the renal parenchyma. This finding may be helpful in the early diagnosis of renal infarction by routine sonography.

Eosinophil cationic protein in the sera of patients with Mycoplasma pneumonia.

In 1985 we reported that eosinophilia was found in many children with Mycoplasma pneumonia. We measured the serum concentrations of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) produced by eosinophils in 25 children with Mycoplasma pneumonia, 25 with asthma and 11 with no disease (normal controls). The mean concentrations (+/- SD) of serum ECP in children with Mycoplasma pneumonia, with asthma and the normal controls were 18.

Intracavital chemotherapy for peritoneal and pleural carcinomatosis with lipid-formulated anticancer agents.

A clinical pilot study of intracavital chemotherapy with anticancer agents dissolved in lipids for malignant effusion in pleural and peritoneal cavity was performed. Seven patients with pleural or peritoneal metastases were treated with a cocktail of anticancer agents dissolved in Lipiodol individually administered via the intracavitary route. All the patients revealed cytological and physical improvement.

[A successful case of omentopexy for bronchopleural fistula and empyema after right pneumonectomy].

A 59-year-old male was performed right pneumonectomy with R 2 b lymph node dissection and intercostal muscle flap to the bronchial stump for squamous cell carcinoma of right upper lobe of the lung (cT 2 N 2 M 0-stage III A). But four weeks later bronchial stump was suddenly reopened and he developed empyema. Omentopexy for bronchopleural fistula (15 x 11 mm in size) and thoracoplasty for empyema was performed.

Association of HTLV-I antibody profile of asymptomatic carriers with proviral DNA levels of peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

The human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) antibody profile of 216 asymptomatic carriers in Miyazaki, Japan, was analyzed in conjunction with the HTLV-I proviral DNA levels in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) determined by the semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The geometric mean HTLV-I titer by particle agglutination assay (PA) of 58 subjects (27%) with a high DNA level was 1:1, 240; 94 (44%) with a medium DNA level, 1:740; 38 (18%) with a low level, 1:476; and, 26 (12%) with an undetectable level, 1:263. Moreover, when the subjects were divided into four groups according to titer from high to low, the correlation between DNA level and antibody titer level was highly significant (p < 0.

Targeted chemotherapy for unresectable primary and metastatic liver cancer.

In targeted chemotherapy, Lipiodol Ultrafluid was used as a carrier of anticancer drugs; these combinations were termed oily anticancer agents. Arterial injection therapy with these oily anticancer agents was performed in 330 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 110 patients with unresectable metastatic liver cancer. The alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level decreased in 178 of 186 AFP-positive patients with HCC.

[A case of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma of the superior mediastinum].

A 58-year-old man, who had undergone right hepatic lobectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma 6 years before, complained of hoarseness because of right recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. Chest X-ray film showed a large mass shadow in the superior mediastinum. On chest CT scan the mass was considered to be swollen paratracheal lymph nodes.

DNA cleavage by benzidine derivatives in weak acidic conditions.

A plasmid DNA was cleaved by aromatic amines in weak acidic conditions at 37 degrees C. The cleavage was not inhibited by 4 hydroxylradical scavengers, EDTA, SOD and catalase. It was strongly influenced by the pH value of the reaction buffer.

Promotion of hepatic metastases by liver resection in the rat.

In the early period following radical hepatectomy for hepatoma, recurrences in the remaining liver are frequently found. In regenerating liver, implantation and growth of tumour cells released into the portal system during surgical treatment might be promoted. We examined the relationship between liver regeneration and the formation of metastases following hepatic resection.

[Acute lymphocytic leukemia (L1) preceded by hypercalcemia].

A 37-year-old female with hypercalcemia presented with lumbago, nausea and vomiting. Peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) smears revealed no lymphoblasts on the first admission. The value of parathyroid hormone related protein (PTHrP) was increased and osteoporosis was found in the lumbar vertebrae.

Ocular microangiopathy in familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy, type I.

To obtain precise information on ophthalmological manifestations in patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP), we performed ophthalmological and histopathological studies on 18 FAP patients and 6 asymptomatic individuals with a mutant transthyretin (TTR) gene. The incidence of vascular abnormalities of the conjunctiva and retina was surprisingly high in FAP patients. Abnormal conjunctival vessels were found mainly in the limbal area of FAP patients, but not in asymptomatic individuals with a mutant TTR gene.

Theta waves and behavioral manifestations of alertness and dreaming activity in the rat.

Electro-oscillographic recordings show that when rats wake up, behavioral manifestations such as head dorsal extension and snout and eye movements (which occur in this sequence), occasionally followed by brief ear and limb twitches, are preceded by and are simultaneous with theta waves (around 6.5 Hz in frequency) in neocortical areas 3 and 17 and in the hippocampus. Heart rate increases when the animal passes from synchronized sleep to relaxed wakefulness to exploratory behavior.

[A case of subclavian paraganglioma in the superior mediastinum extending to the neck].

A 52-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with left anterior chest pain. On physical examination, an elastic hard mass sized in 3.0 x 2.

The zinc fingers of human poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase are differentially required for the recognition of DNA breaks and nicks and the consequent enzyme activation. Other structures recognize intact DNA.

The recognition of double-stranded DNA breaks and single-stranded nicks by human poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and the consequent enzymic activation were examined using derivatives of the enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli. The N-terminal 162 residues encompass two zinc fingers. Deletion or mutation of the first finger results in a loss of activation by DNA with either single-stranded or double-stranded damage.