Stevens-Johnson syndrome caused by a health drink (Eberu) containing ophiopogonis tuber.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome is considered to be a severe type of erythema exsudativum multiforme. It is characterized by erythema with bullous and eroded lesions of skin and mucous membranes. We report a case of Steven-Johnson syndrome following consumption of a health drink containing ophiopogonis tuber.

A case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma following long-term corticosteroid therapy for Addison's disease.

A 76-year-old Japanese woman had suffered from fatigue, weight loss, and cutaneous hyperpigmentation at the age of 38 years and was diagnosed as having tuberculous Addison's disease. Since then, corticosteroids had been administered effectively as hormonal replacement. At the age of 75 years, the patient presented with a progressive, painless swelling in the left eyelid due to an ill-defined tumor of rubbery consistency in the superotemporal aspect of the orbit.

A novel splice site mutation in the tissue inhibitor of the metalloproteinases-3 gene in Sorsby's fundus dystrophy with unusual clinical features.

Sorsby's fundus dystrophy (SFD) is an autosomal dominant macular dystrophy which is developed usually in the third or fourth decade of life, and is characterized by central visual loss and nyctalopia due to fundus changes of exudative or atrophic macular lesions. Its functional prognosis is usually poor because of disciform macular scars and peripheral chorioretinal atrophies. To date, five different mutations in the tissue inhibitor of the metalloproteinases-3 (TIMP3) gene have been identified in families of a wide geographic origin, all of which are missense mutations that cause replacement by cysteine of conserved amino acids in the C-terminus of exon 5 of TIMP3.

An applicability study of the aahperd's functional fitness test for elderly american adults to elderly Japanese adults.

In 1990 a functional fitness test for the elderly was proposed by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education,Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). This study was undertaken to determine the applicability of that test for elderly Japanese adults. The fitness parameters of the test were "total body flexibility","agility and dynamic balance","coordination of eye, arm and hand movements","strength and endurance",and "aerobic capacity".

Search for human T-lymphotropic virus type I carriers among northeastern Chinese.

Human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is thought to be the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia/ lymphoma (ATL). This virus infection is endemic in southwestern Japan, parts of Africa and the Caribbean Islands. We examined sera of 1645 subjects of Liaoning province, northeastern China to detect HTLV-I carriers in an effort to reveal the migratory route taken by the early Japanese (Jomon people).

Ultracytochemical demonstration of glycogen in cone, but not in rod, photoreceptor cells in the rat retina.

The presence of native glycogen in photoreceptor cells of the rat retina has not been identified in the literature. We have studied this ultracytochemically. After perfusion with glutaraldehyde fixative, the eyes were enucleated, and the retinal tissues, postfixed with OsO4, were embedded in epoxy resin.

Truncated midkine as a marker of diagnosis and detection of nodal metastases in gastrointestinal carcinomas.

Midkine (MK) is a growth factor identified as a product of a retinoic acid-responsive gene. A truncated form of MK mRNA, which lacks a sequence encoding the N-terminally located domain, was recently found in cancer cells. We investigated the expression of the truncated MK mRNA in specimens of 47 surgically removed human gastrointestinal organs using polymerase chain reaction.

Elastofibroma dorsi.

Elastofibroma dorsi is a rare benign soft-tissue tumor which is solid, ill-defined and marked by slow growth. It is usually found in the subscapular region of older individuals. We report here the case of a 56-year-old Japanese man with elastofibroma dorsi which was located in the left subscapular region and measured 50 x 70 mm in size.

Morphological, biochemical and molecular biological characteristics of a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-producing human eccrine carcinoma cell line.

We describe here a newly established cell line from an eccrine carcinoma which produced an abundant amount of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). An eccrine carcinoma of the scalp of a 69 year-old-Japanese female had metastasized to the pleura. Clinically, she had marked neutrophilia (up to 60,000/mm3), and a high level of G-CSF (38.

Effects of nicotine on peripheral cutaneous blood flow and skin temperature.

We hypothesized that if nicotine was used in a form that was not adulterated with other hazardous substances found in tobacco, it would increase cutaneous blood flow (CBF) resulting in an increase in skin temperature. The effects of nicotine on CBF was investigated in 80 healthy volunteers and 6 patients with peripheral circulation disturbances. Each subject was required to chew nicotine gum (containing 2 mg nicotine) for 15 min and the CBF was then measured with laser blood flowmetry.

Membranocystic lesions in a patient with cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis associated with subcutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

A 51-year-old Japanese woman had erythematous, tender subcutaneous nodules on her lower legs and buttocks, as well as fever, pancytopenia, and liver dysfunction. Histopathologic examination of the nodules showed subcutaneous T-cell lymphoma with cytophagocytosis and membranocystic lesions. Our patient was unique in having the combination of cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis due to subcutaneous T-cell lymphoma and membranocystic lesions.

Large eventration of diaphragm in an elderly patient treated with emergency plication.

Total eventration of the hemidiaphragm is a rare condition in adults. We report a 75-year-old woman with large eventration of the right diaphragm who required an emergency plication because of acute progressive respiratory distress. The symptom disappeared immediately after operation.

Influence of the flow rate during flushing on porcine multivisceral preservation.

The effect of flushing flow rate during multiple organ procurement (MOP) on viability of the liver, pancreas, and intestine were investigated in porcine multivisceral transplantation. Splanchnic organs were flushed in situ with 50 ml/kg of 4 degrees C UW solution via the aorta using a pump at a flow rate of 10, 30, or 50 ml/kg/min. After storage and transplantation, we assessed the clearance of hyaluronic acid (CHA) for hepatic endothelial cells function, liver enzymes, amylase, and histology.

[Preoperative autologous donation of blood in cardiac surgery--age related factors].

We have studied influence of the age related factors on preoperative autologous donation (PAD) of blood in cardic surgery. PAD was undertaken in 246 cases of elective cardiac surgery by means of simple or leap-frog method, starting at approximately 4.5 weeks before operation.

Linear lichen planus in the region of the mandibular nerve caused by an allergy to palladium in dental metals.

We observed a case of linear lichen planus extending from the right cheek to the jaw, which was accompanied by itching and an unusual sensation in the mouth. The eruption was located along the mandible and aligned with the mandibular nerve. The right molars of the patient contained metal compounds and these were considered to be the cause of his disease.

Intra-abdominal testis with mature teratoma.

Tumors in an undescended testis are rare in children. We report a mature teratoma arising in the intra-abdominal testis (IAT) of a 1-year-old boy. Preoperative laparoscopy revealed a right IAT near the inguinal ring.

Retinal manifestations in mitochondrial diseases associated with mitochondrial DNA mutation.

Purpose: To scrutinize retinal involvement associated with distinct mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) defects, we reviewed the records of a consecutive series of patients with various mitochondrial diseases.

Methods: Clinical, laboratory and mtDNA studies were performed in: five patients with Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS); six patients with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO); three patients with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episode (MELAS); three patients with myoclonic epilepsy and ragged-red fibers (MERRF); 20 patients with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON); 30 patients with simple diabetes mellitus.

Results: All KSS patients with neurologic and cardiac symptoms associated with a deletion of mtDNA in muscle biopsy specimens showed widespread retinal pigmentary changes characterized by salt- and pepper-like appearance of the fundus.

Prurigo as a clinical prodrome to adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma.

We report a case of adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATLL) with prurigo as a prodromal skin manifestation. The patient was a 52-year-old woman with a 2-year history of a fluctuating skin condition consisting of pruritic papules and pigmentation on her lower legs and right buttock. Prurigo was diagnosed at her first visit in October 1995, and she was found to be seropositive for human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1).

Drug eruption (erythema multiforme type) due to a digestive enzyme drug.

An 84-year-old Japanese male had pruritic indurated erythema on his upper limb and left lower abdomen, which had developed abruptly two months before visiting our hospital. Hematological examination showed eosinophilia, 550/mm3. Histopathological findings were suggestive of erythema multiforme in response to a drug.

Glycopathological study of eyelid tumors and pseudotumors.

The expression of MUC1, Tn (GalNAc alpha 1-O-Ser/Thr) and sialosyl Tn (STn) (NeuAc alpha 2,6 GalNAc alpha 1-O-Ser/Thr) antigens, which are useful markers for the prognosis of cancer in other organs, was examined immunohistochemically in a series of 45 eyelid tumors and 5 pseudotumors: basal cell carcinoma, 18; squamous cell carcinoma, 11; sebaceous gland carcinoma, 6; seborrheic keratosis, 4; papilloma, 3; verruca vulgaris, 2; nevus, 1; and granuloma, 5. The MUC1 antigen was identified in all squamous cell and sebaceous gland carcinomas, but not in basal cell carcinoma or the benign tumors. The Tn antigen was expressed in all the sebaceous gland, half of the squamous cell, and only rarely in the basal cell carcinomas.

Detection of HTLV-1 by polymerase chain reaction in situ hybridization in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

A method for nonradioactive polymerase chain reaction in situ hybridization was developed and used to determine the distribution of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) proviral DNA in paraffin-embedded surgical specimens of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). As controls, we used biopsy samples of five cases of mycosis fungoides, cells of an HTLV-I-infected cell line (MT2), as well as HTLV-1-negative cells (YAS). We successfully detected the amplicon of the HTLV-1 tax sequence in the nuclei of the cutaneous infiltrating lymphoid cells in 90% (9/10) of ATLL cases.

[Temporary extracorporeal axillofemoral venous bypass--a beneficial device in operation for superior vena caval syndrome due to intrathoracic malignancies].

Life-threatening complications can occur unexpectedly during general anesthesia in operations for superior vena caval (SVC) syndrome due to intrathoracic tumors. To prevent such sequelae, we have placed a temporary extracorporeal axillofemoral venous bypass graft with satisfactory results. In six patients (malignant mediastinal tumor, four; lung cancer, two), under local anesthesia before induction of general one, the cannulas, each appropriately sized in accordance with the diameter of the axillary and femoral veins, were directly introduced into the corresponding veins after systemic heparinization.

Prenatal dexamethasone exposure alters brain monoamine metabolism and adrenocortical response in rat offspring.

In this study, it has been clearly demonstrated that prenatal dexamethasone treatment (Dex; 0.05 mg/kg on gestational days 17, 18, and 19) resulted in the significant reductions of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) turnover in four brain regions, including the neocortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and midbrain + pons-medulla (M + P-M) but not in the striatum in the offspring at 3 and 14 wk of life, as well as dopamine turnover in the hypothalamus. [3H]paroxetine binding densities were increased in the hypothalamus and M + P-M at 14 wk of life, which corresponded to increased 5-HT contents in both regions.

[Immunohistochemical localization of MUC 1 and keratin 14 in the invasive regions of malignant eyelid tumors].

The distributional patterns of MUC 1 (the mucin whose cDNA was first cloned) and Keratin 14 (K14) in the invasive regions of malignant eyelid tumors were immunohistochemically examined by comparing with other histochemical markers. The MUC 1-positive tumor cells were detected in several serial, small, invasive tumor masses in the deep subepithelial region of the low differentiated carcinoma. They were also continuously detected in the border region between accumulated lymphocytes including T cells and tumor masses of the sebaceous carcinoma.

[Selective binding of fucose-recognizing lectin on the cone photoreceptor outer segments].

The distribution of fucose-containing glycoconjugates in the photoreceptor cell layer of rat and human retinas was examined by lectin histochemistry using Aleuria aurantia lectin (AAL), which recognizes L-fucose alpha 1, 6 residue. In the rate retina, AAL diffusely bound to the apical outer segments and to the basal inner segments, whereas it bound to the entire outer segments of other photoreceptors, which were considered to be cones due to their proportion. In the human retina, AAL bound diffusely to the basal inner segments and to the retinal pigment epithelia, but it bound selectively to the outer segments of the cones.