Expression of annexin II in experimental abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Annexin II is a receptor of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA). We have previously identified annexin II by immunolocalization in human atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). To investigate possible interactions between annexin II and AAA development, we examined annexin II mRNA and protein expression in a rat model of experimental AAA.

Expression of annexin II in human atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Background: Annexin II is a receptor for tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) that converts plasminogen to plasmin. Although the fibrinolytic system is known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), the relationship between annexin II and AAA development is unknown. Therefore, we examined annexin II localization in the wall of human atherosclerotic AAAs.

Fasciitis ossificans of the breast.

We report a rare case of fasciitis ossificans of the breast. A nodule of the breast was incidentally found in a 77-year-old woman without a history of trauma. The painless lesion was located 3 cm from the nipple in the lower outer quadrant of the left breast.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma of the endometrium with expression of CD10 and hormone receptors.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare tumor of uncertain histogenesis, mainly localized in the extremities. ASPS originating in the uterine corpus is quite rare; only eight such cases have been reported in the literature. We here present another case of ASPS found in the endometrium in a 50-year-old woman.

Adhesiveness of beta5 integrin variant lacking FNK767-769 is similar to that of the prototype containing FNKFNK764-769.

Little is known about the functions of two different beta5 integrins: repeated-FNK (FNKFNK764-769) and single-FNK (FNK764-766) amino acid sequences in the cytoplasmic domain. We examined whether they occurred as germ line mutations or somatic mutations associated with neoplastic transformation, and whether there were functional alterations. Out of six cultured cell lines, only KATO-III cells had the single-FNK beta5 sequence.

High incidence of sudden cardiac death with conduction disturbances and atrial cardiomyopathy caused by a nonsense mutation in the STA gene.

Background: The STA gene encodes emerin and is one of the genes that is affected in Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD). Although it has been reported that EDMD caused by the STA gene mutation is associated with X-linked recessive inheritance, the genotype-phenotype correlations, with special reference to cardiac manifestations, are not well defined.

Methods And Results: We identified 16 carriers (7 male and 9 female) with a nonsense mutation in exon 6 of the STA gene in 2 EDMD families.

Association of metabolic gene polymorphisms with tobacco consumption in healthy controls.

Polymorphisms in genes that encode for metabolic enzymes have been associated with variations in enzyme activity between individuals. Such variations could be associated with differences in individual exposure to carcinogens that are metabolized by these genes. In this study, we examine the association between polymorphisms in several metabolic genes and the consumption of tobacco in a large sample of healthy individuals.

Relationship between genetic polymorphisms of drug-metabolizing enzymes (CYP1A1, CYP2E1, GSTM1, and NAT2), drinking habits, histological subtypes, and p53 gene point mutations in Japanese patients with gastric cancer.

Background: Genetic polymorphisms of drug-metabolizing enzymes have recently been shown to affect susceptibility to chemical carcinogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms of individual susceptibility to gastric cancer have not been fully understood. Therefore, we studied the relationship between the genetic polymorphisms of drug-metabolizing enzymes, drinking habits, histological subtypes, and p53 gene point mutations in Japanese patients with gastric cancer.

Malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumor originating in the lesser omentum, complicated by rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and gastric carcinoma.

A 69-year-old man was admitted with a large elastic mass in the upper abdomen. Computed tomography revealed a massive tumor in contact with the liver and gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a gastric adenocarcinoma. He developed acute renal failure with massive proteinuria and died with a marked enlargement of the tumor.

Overexpression of E2F1 associated with LOH at RB locus and hyperphosphorylation of RB in non-small cell lung carcinoma.

Purpose: E2F1 plays a critical role in cell proliferation, and its function is controlled by the retinoblastoma (RB) protein. We examined the expression of E2F1 and the aberration of RB gene and protein to elucidate what factors contribute to the overexpression of E2F1 in non-small cell lung carcinomas.

Methods: The expression level of E2F1 in tissues of non-small cell lung carcinomas was measured by means of quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry.

Myxoid endometrial stromal sarcoma of the uterus.

A rare case of a myxoid type of endometrial stromal sarcoma of the uterus in a 41-year-old woman is reported. A tumor was found in the myometrium and was well circumscribed, measuring 9 x 7 x 7 cm in size. The tumor was mainly composed of a hypocellular area with tumor cells separated by prominent myxoid stroma.

VAChT-Cre. Fast and VAChT-Cre.Slow: postnatal expression of Cre recombinase in somatomotor neurons with different onset.

The cholinergic gene locus (CGL) consists of the genes encoding the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT). To establish a cholinergic-specific Cre-expressing mouse, we constructed a transgene expression vector (VAChT-Cre) with 11.3 kb human CGL in which a Cre-IRES-EGFP unit was inserted in the VAChT open reading frame.

Immunohistochemical and molecular genetic evidence for type IV collagen alpha5 chain abnormality in the anterior lenticonus associated with Alport syndrome.

Objective: To present evidence for a type IV collagen alpha5 chain (alpha5[IV]) abnormality in the anterior lens capsule of a patient with anterior lenticonus associated with Alport syndrome.

Methods: The anterior lens capsule obtained from a 54-year-old man with anterior lenticonus associated with Alport syndrome was examined ultrastructurally and stained immunohistochemically for the alpha chains of type IV collagen, alpha1(IV) to alpha6(IV). A search was also made for a mutation in the COL4A5 complementary DNA encoding the alpha5(IV) chain by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of illegitimate transcripts.

Expression of alphav integrin family in gastric carcinomas: increased alphavbeta6 is associated with lymph node metastasis.

To investigate the alterations as to integrin expression in human gastric carcinomas, we analyzed the alphav subunit and 5 types of beta subunits using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and competitive RT-PCR. The incidence of alphav, beta6 and beta8 expression was significantly higher in carcinoma tissues than in non-neoplastic gastric mucosal tissues (NGMTs). Out of 18 carcinoma cases with coexpression of alphav and beta6 subunits, which was demonstrated by RT-PCR, 17 cases (94%) showed lymph node metastasis (p = 0.

Helicobacter pylori stimulates inducible nitric oxide synthase in diverse topographical patterns in various gastroduodenal disorders.

Overproduction of nitric oxide by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) acts cytotoxically and contributes to inflammation. We explored the roles of iNOS in the pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori-associated diseases. Using reverse-transcribed PCR, we examined topographical patterns of iNOS mRNA expression in the gastroduodenal mucosa in H.

Collagenofibrotic glomerulopathy with a widespread expression of type-V collagen.

Collagenofibrotic glomerulopathy is considered as a form of glomerulopathy in which organized collagen type III progressively deposits. We report a case of this disease with widespread expression of collagen type V. A 65-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for further evaluation of nephrotic-range proteinuria.

Cholinergic neuronal loss in the basal forebrain and mesopontine tegmentum of progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration.

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) are clinically characterized by atypical parkinsonism and cognitive disorders and classified in the same histopathological category showing neuronal and glial neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). To characterize the vulnerability of the forebrain and midbrain cholinergic systems in PSP and CBD, we performed a comparative study of cholinergic neuronal changes in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) and the laterodorsal tegmental and pedunculopontine tegmental nuclei (LdtgN and PptgN) of brains obtained at autopsy (three cases of PSP, one case of CBD and six cases without neurological diseases) by immunohistochemistry for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and Gallyas-Braak staining. In the NBM, the number of neurons and the ChAT-positivity rate of remaining neurons were decreased more in CBD than PSP.

Genotypes of glutathione S-transferase M1 and N-acetyltransferase 2 in Japanese patients with gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Genetic polymorphisms of some metabolizing enzymes, such as glutathione S-transferase M1 ( GSTM1) and N-acetyltransferase 2 ( NAT2), have recently been shown to affect individual susceptibility to various types of cancers. However, the link between the GSTM1 polymorphism and gastric cancer is controversial and there are few studies focusing on the relation between a combination of the two enzyme genotypes and gastric cancer risk.METHODS: Genotypes of GSTM1 and NAT2 were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) following PCR in 147 Japanese patients with gastric cancer and 112 autopsied Japanese patients without stomach, lung, urinary bladder, or colon cancer.

Heme oxygenase-1 deficiency: the first autopsy case.

This article describes the first autopsy case of heme oxygenase (HO)-1 deficiency. A 6-year-old boy who presented with growth retardation; anemia; leukocytosis; thrombocytosis; coagulation abnormality; elevated levels of haptoglobin, ferritin, and heme in serum; a low serum bilirubin concentration; and hyperlipidemia was diagnosed as HO-1 deficient by gene analysis several months before death. Autopsy showed amyloid deposits in the liver and adrenal glands and mesangioproliferative glomerular changes in kidneys, in addition to an irregular distribution of foamy macrophages with iron pigments.

Protein overexpression and gene amplification of c-erbB-2 in breast carcinomas: a comparative study of immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues.

We evaluated 173 consecutive breast carcinomas for c-erbB-2 using a combination of immunohistochemistry (IHC) with a commercial polyclonal antibody (Nitirei) and dual-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using the c-erbB-2-specific probe and the chromosome 17 centromere-specific probe from Vysis (Downers Grove, IL) and compared the results with the histologic characteristics of intraductal spread, cancer invasion, and intratumoral heterogeneity. With correction for chromosome 17 copy number, c-erbB-2 amplification was observed in 26 tumors (13.5%): high-level amplification in 23 tumors, and low-level amplification in 3.