Presence of Phlebitis in Aseptic Nasal Septal Abscess Complicated with Ulcerative Colitis; Possible Association with Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis: A Case Report.

Although nasal septal abscesses are uncommon, their cosmetic complications can be severe. Hence, prompt diagnosis and treatment are important. Here, we report a case of aseptic nasal septal abscess in a patient with proteinase 3-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA)-positive ulcerative colitis (UC), in which phlebitis was observed and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) might co-exist.

Intrinsic defect structures of polycrystalline CaKFeAs superconductors.

We investigated the defect structures of polycrystalline CaKFeAs (CaK1144) superconductors by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The STEM studies revealed the presence of a one-layer CaFeAs (∼1 nm size) defect along the -plane, as observed in single crystalline CaK1144. Step-like CaFeAs defects are also observed.

Clinical characteristics of biopsy-proven renal sarcoidosis in Japan.

Although some articles have described renal sarcoidosis, the incidence among biopsy cases remains unclear. Here, we defined the incidence of renal sarcoidosis among renal biopsy cases and analyzed the clinical course. We performed an epidemiological study examining renal biopsy cases treated at 5 centers between January 2000 and September 2015 and identified 16 cases (7 men, 9 women; mean (±SD) age, 59.

Effects of cyclophosphamide on the prognosis of Japanese patients with renal vasculitis associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive microscopic polyangiitis.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of cyclophosphamide (CY) on anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-positive microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) with renal involvement in Japanese patients.

Methods: Eighty-two patients with newly diagnosed ANCA-positive MPA were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they received combination therapy with a corticosteroid (CS) plus CY (CY group) or CS alone or with other therapies (non-CY group).

In vivo antitumor activity of novel water-soluble taxoids.

The antitumor activity of newly developed taxoids possessing a sugar moiety (glucose, galactose or mannose) to improve water solubility was evaluated. Galactose-bound taxoid (10-alpha-GAG-DT) proved superior to all other taxoids in both water solubility and antitumor activity. Therapeutic efficacy of 10-alpha-GAG-DT in terms of in vivo antitumor activity was found to be approximately equivalent to that of docetaxel, which is known to be superior to that of paclitaxel.

Effect of N-terminal mutation of human lysozyme on enzymatic activity.

Using mutant signal peptide introduced Pro at the C-terminal region, 5 kinds of N-terminal mutants of human lysozyme (HLY) were produced. The genes coding chicken lysozyme signal peptide - human lysozyme (HLY) hybrid preproteins were altered as follows: -2Leu to Pro and -lGly to either Ala, Val, Leu, Asn or Lys, and were expressed in yeast cells. The N-terminal sequence data of HLYs secreted from yeast cells, showed that each signal peptide was cleaved only after -2Pro and either Ala, Val, Leu, Asn or Lys was added at their N-terminals of HLYs.

Continuous large-scale production of the cytokine CXCL8 from a novel porcine cell line.

Cytokine production from two unstimulated porcine cell lines (SL-24 and SK-L) was examined using porcine cytokine detection ELISA kits and RT-PCR. Porcine IL-1 alpha, IL-6, and CXCL8 were detected in all samples examined. In particular, the SL-24 cell line (derived from bone marrow cells of a malignant lymphoma-affected pig), produced large amounts of porcine CXCL8.

Comparison of artificial synthesis methods of gene.

The comparative study of the methods for constructing the artificial genes have done. Equine interferon alpha-1 gene and porcine interferon alpha-1 gene were synthesized respectively by several methods from short DNA oligomers and each gene was evaluated about the accuracy of the gene sequence. The gene made by the SPR method was the most accurate.

Gene design of signal sequence for the effective secretion of recombinant protein using insect cell.

In order to increase the proteinic secretion quantity of production in insect cell, the chicken lysozyme signal peptide (CLSP) was altered, and the effect of mutations on secretion of human lysozyme (HLY), the bovine interferon beta-3, and the equine interferon alpha-1 were studied. A hybrid gene composed of CLSP gene and HLY gene was used for the production of recombinant HLY in insect cell (BmN4) using vacuole virus expression system. In contrast with the Leu rich signal peptide in previous reports, Val rich type, or Ile rich type decreased the secretion of HLY, and Phe rich type prevented it completely, in spite of the increase of hydrophobicity in the central core region of each signal peptide.

Structural requirements of signal peptide in insect cell.

In order to increase the proteinic secretion quantity of production in insect cell, the N-terminal and the hydrophobic core region of the chicken lysozyme signal peptide (CLSP) was altered. A hybrid gene composed of CLSP gene and human lysozyme (HLY) gene from short DNA oligomers was used for the production of recombinant HLY in insect cell using vacuole virus expression system. In contrast with the results in yeast, the introduction of basic residues in the N-terminal region did not make the amount of secretion increase in insect cell.

Effect of tranilast in early-stage diabetic nephropathy.

Background: Tranilast is an antifibrotic drug known to suppress collagen synthesis by fibroblasts by interfering with the effects of TGF-beta. We recently reported that it slowed the progression rate of advanced diabetic nephropathy (DN) by reducing the accumulation of collagens in renal tissue. The present study was undertaken to examine the effect of tranilast on early-stage DN.

High-energy phase-contrast X-ray imaging using a two-crystal X-ray interferometer.

To broaden the scope of phase-contrast X-ray imaging in biomedical applications, the energy of X-rays in a large-area imaging system using a two-crystal X-ray interferometer has been increased from 17.7 keV to 35 keV. The use of higher-energy X-rays makes it possible to observe larger samples having greater variation in density within shorter measurement periods, at higher spatial resolution, and at lower X-ray doses.

Coherence-contrast x-ray imaging based on x-ray interferometry.

Coherence-contrast x-ray imaging--which detects changes in the degree of coherence caused by the placement of a sample in an x-ray interferometer--was developed for biomedical applications. Because the technique's sensitivity depends on the density gradient in the sample, it is particularly suitable for observing biomedical samples with large density differences, such as samples that include both biological soft tissue and bone. A measurement principle and method of this technique are described, and a fine coherence-contrast image of a mouse leg is given as an example result.

Abnormal retention of 99mTc-TF in a hamster model of cardiomyopathy analyzed by 99mTc-TF and 125I-BMIPP autoradiography.

Objective: Enhanced washout of 99mTc-tetrofosmin (TF) has been reported in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Here, using quantitative dual-autoradiography, the relationship between TF retention abnormality and metabolism depicted by 125I-BMIPP uptake was investigated quantitatively in a hamster model of cardiomyopathy.

Methods And Results: Early and delayed TF images were obtained at 5 min (7 cardiomyopathic and 5 normal hamsters) and 60 min (8 cardiomyopathic and 5 normal hamsters) after injection, respectively.

Gene design of signal sequence for effective secretion of protein.

To improve the secretion level of recombinant protein, the gene sequence coded the chicken lysozyme signal peptide (CLSP) connected with human lysozyme (HLY) was altered to substitute the amino acid sequence, and the effect of mutations on secretion of HLY in yeast was elucidated. The effect of mutations on secretion of recombinant HLY was elucidated in yeast. As the result of experiments, it has been shown that the positive charge in the N-terminal region of signal peptide plays an important role in the function of the eukaryotic signal peptide as well as that of prokaryote.

[Phase-contrast x-ray imaging with x-ray interferometer for medical applications].

Phase-contrast x-ray imaging with x-ray interferometer can depict the minute difference within the biological object, and its sensitivity is about 1000 times higher than that of absorption-contrast method. For biomedical use of this technique, a large monolithic x-ray interferometer and 2 crystal interferometer having a field of view with 25 mm x 25 mm is being developed. Phase-contrast x-ray CT could reveal detail structures within tumor and surrounded tissue, and the vessel imaging of rat liver is also possible using physiological saline at 17.