Establishment of a neuroblastoma cell line and induction of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity against the autologous neuroblastoma cell line.

We have established a new human neuroblastoma (NB) cell line from the bone marrow of a 1-year-old boy with NB, termed JK-NB1, which showed constant growth for as long as 17 months or more, similar phenotype to those of other reported NB cell lines, colony formation in liquid and methylcellulose culture, N-myc amplification, high expression of N-CAM, and NSE production. We have tried to induce LAK cell activity with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from the patient against the autochthonous JK-NB cells. PBMCs from the patient proliferated up to 20-fold in the presence of interleukin-2 (IL-2) after 9 days of incubation, and LAK activity increased up to 24.

Well-developed infant with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy associated with EEG burst suppression and subcortical leukohypodensity on CT scan.

In the prediction of neurological sequelae after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in the newborn, the electroencephalogram (EEG) burst suppression pattern (BS) and subcortical leukomalacia can mean grave neurodevelopmental problems will develop. This study presents an infant with HIE associated with BS and subcortical leukohypodensity (SLH) on computed tomography scan. At first her neurodevelopmental outcome was considered poor, but unexpectedly she showed good development in 32 months follow-up.

Horizontal component of electro-oculogram as a parameter of arousal in dementia: relationship between intellectual improvement and increasing arousal under pharmacotherapy.

Although nootropics and metabolically active compounds sometimes attenuate intellectual deficits of dementia patients, this mechanism has not been discussed or investigated. The authors hypothesized that these compounds act to enhance attention and/or concentration by increasing the arousal level, and then improve intellectual functions. Based on this hypothesis, the authors investigated the arousal level and the improvement of intellectual functions in ten patients with Alzheimer type dementia and ten patients with multi-infarct dementia before and after 3 months pharmacotherapy using bifemelane hydrochloride.

[Treatment of severe pneumonia due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Candida krusei with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF): a case report].

A 24-year-old male with chronic renal failure on Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) complained of cough and dyspnea. Chest X-ray film showed a pneumonia shadow and MRSA and Candida krusei were detected in the sputum. Pneumonia improved with vancomycin and fluconazole.

Appearance of the inferior phrenic artery and vein on CT scans of the chest: a CT and cadaveric study.

Objective: Central linear densities are often seen at the level of the diaphragm on CT scans of the chest. To determine the cause of these densities, we evaluated helical CT scans and correlated the results with the findings from a study of cadavers.

Subjects And Methods: Forty patients who had normal findings on conventional CT scans had helical CT of the entire chest.

[Kimura's disease (eosinophilic lymphfolliculoid granuloma)].

Eosinophilic lymphfolliculoid granuloma was first described by Kimura et al. under the heading of "On an unusual granulation accompanied by hyperplastic changes of lymphatic tissue" in 1948. There after various terms have been used for this disease, such as eosinophilic granuloma and eosinophilic lymphfolliculosis.

Molecular characteristics in Japanese patients with lipidosis: novel mutations in metachromatic leukodystrophy and Gaucher disease.

The characterization of mutations in Japanese patients with lipidosis, particularly in metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) and Gaucher disease has been studied in detail. Metachromatic leukodystrophy is characterized by an accumulation of sulfatide in nervous tissues and kidney due to a deficiency of arylsulfatase A (ASA). We analyzed the presence of three known mutant arylsulfatase A alleles in Japanese patients with MLD.

[SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) findings in 4 cases of neuronal migration disorders].

We report SPECT findings in four children with various types of neuronal migration disorders. SPECT of a patient with heterotopia showed a protrudent abnormal shadow into the centrum semiovale, the density of which was same as that of normal gray matter. The function and the metabolism of heterotopia appear same as those of the normal gray matter.

Analysis of leukemic cell activity with a simple acridine orange staining method.

Leukemic cells from 28 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were supravitally stained with acridine orange (AO). Based on the staining characteristics of their cells, the patients were divided into an orange cell-dominant group (15 patients) and a green cell-dominant group (13 patients). The prognosis was better in the former than in the latter group.

Novel procedure for measuring psychosine derivatives by an HPLC method.

We developed a sensitive and simple method to determine galactosylsphingosine and glucosylsphingosine as a 4-fluoro-7-nitrobenzofurazan autofluorescent compound, using HPLC equipped with a Showdex sugar column. Amounts of galactosylsphingosine were successfully measured in the picomole range. This novel procedure is more stable and simpler than the previous method using o-phthalaldehyde.

[The neuroendocrinological examinations in mentally retarded boy with self-injurious behavior (SIB) and the effect of naloxone, clomipramine and sulpiride on SIB].

The neuroendocrinological examinations were performed in mentally retarded 7-year-old boy with severe self-injurious behavior (SIB). The thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and prolactine responses to TRH showed lower in the basal and peak levels compared with those in the age matched control group. It is suggested that there may be an enhanced dopaminergic activity.

[Clinical studies on pediatric purulent meningitis--statistical analysis of etiology and therapy].

In a total of 149 children with purulent meningitis we encountered in our institute in the last 20 years, the causatives, the changes in therapeutic management and the prognosis were investigated. The causatives could be detected in 109 patients (73%): H. influenzae; 30 patients (20%), S.

[Clinical studies on pediatric purulent meningitis--clinical symptoms and prognosis].

In 149 patients with purulent meningitis we encountered in the period of 20 years from 1970 to 1990, their clinical symptoms and prognosis were investigated. Death or sequela was noted in many of the patients having loss of consciousness, stiffness of the members and/or cyanosis as primary clinical symptoms, or having hypoalbuminemia (less than 2.5 g/dl) and/or thrombocytopenia as abnormal laboratory findings, or having excessive protein levels and/or excessively low sugar levels in cerebro-spinal fluid.

BUN/Cr ratio as an index of gastrointestinal bleeding mass in children.

Determining the site and severity of blood loss is important in the management of children with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Cr) were measured on the day of hospitalization and the ratio of BUN/Cr was calculated in 11 children with 16 episodes of upper GI bleeding and 49 with lower GI bleeding. There was a significant difference between the two GI bleeding groups with regard to BUN/Cr ratio (p less than 0.

Relationship between arterial blood gas tensions and a clinical score in asthmatic children.

In order to evaluate the severity of acute asthma in young children, we used the clinical scoring system devised by Mitsui. This scoring system is constructed by reference only to clinical symptoms and signs such as dyspnea, wheezing, auscultation of rales, speech impairment, cyanosis, and mental status. All patients were less than 5 years old.

[A patient with epilepsy presenting developmental regression after seizures--consideration of the mechanism from the findings of CT-scan and SPECT].

We report a 6-month-old female infant with frequent brief seizures who subsequently showed developmental regression. CT-scans right after her seizures revealed enlargement of bilateral subdural space more on the right side with an evidence to suggest destruction of the blood brain barrier in enhanced CT-scan, CT-scan, one month after the onset, showed diffuse brain atrophy. 123I-SPECT, which was performed 11 days after cessation of her seizures, still showed diffuse hypoperfusion predominantly in the right temporal area, and it returned to normal 3 months after the onset.

Mechanism of cross-resistance to a camptothecin analogue (CPT-11) in a human ovarian cancer cell line selected by cisplatin.

We established a cisplatin-resistant human ovarian cancer cell line (HAC2/0.1) from the parent cell line (HAC2/P) by continuous exposure of HAC2/P to 0.1 microgram of cisplatin/ml.

Airway responses to repeated exercises detected by krypton-81m in asthmatic children.

A repeated exercise program was used to test 7 asthmatic children for changes in ventilation. These changes were examined by continuously inhaled Krypton-81m and compared in subjects with positive and negative refractoriness, as defined by forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). Three of the seven patients showed significant refractoriness (% reduction in FEV1 > 50%).

[A case of visual allesthesia].

A case of visual allesthesia is reported. A thirty-year-old right-handed man with a right temporo-occipital arteriovenous malformation underwent the surgery for extirpation of the lesion. Postoperatively he had left homonymous hemianopsia.

Psychosine cytotoxicity toward rat C6 glioma cells and the protective effects of phorbol ester and dimethylsulfoxide: implications for therapy in Krabbe disease.

Psychosine cytotoxicity was tested as to its effects on rat C6 glioma cells. At a low concentration--below 40 microM--psychosine appeared to stimulate cell proliferation. Above the concentration range of 40 microM-60 microM, however, it showed a cytotoxic effect.

[Effects of procaterol on arterial blood gas and pulmonary function in asthmatic children].

We examined the changes in arterial blood gas, FEV1 and V50 after the inhalation of procaterol on 19 occasions in 16 asthmatic children. The initial value of PaO2 had statistically significant correlation with the initial values of %FEV1 and %V50. PaO2 fell down in 11 out of 19 (57.

Abnormality in cultured oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells isolated from the twitcher mouse.

Oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells were isolated from the brain and dorsal root ganglia of the twitcher mouse, a murine model of Krabbe's disease (globoid cell leukodystrophy), and grown in tissue culture. Oligodendrocytes were cultured for up to 22 d in vitro and were immunostained with a galactocerebroside antibody, a specific marker for oligodendrocytes. The control oligodendrocytes developed well-branched processes and membrane sheets, whereas the twitcher oligodendrocyte had wirelike processes with no membrane expansion and progressive degeneration.

[Two cases of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection in children].

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Y. pseudotuberculosis) infection is an intestinal infectious disease comparable in importance as those with Campylobacter or Salmonella. Clinical symptoms of Y.

Effect of procaterol on arterial blood gas in asthmatic children.

We determined changes in arterial blood gas after the inhalation of procaterol, a highly beta 2-selective and long-acting adrenergic agonist, in 11 asthmatic children. Seven of the patients, with a maximum fall of 14 mmHg (63.6%), showed a decrease in PaO2 (mean +/- SD = -7.