Detection of mumps virus genome directly from clinical samples and a simple method for genetic differentiation of the Hoshino vaccine strain from wild strains of mumps virus.

A simple and sensitive method was developed for the differentiation of the Hoshino vaccine strain from wild strains with a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis in the part of hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) gene. The virus genome was amplified by using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) directly from clinical samples. The PCR product of the Hoshino vaccine strain was cleaved into 2 fragments after digestion with Sca I and Afl II.

Vitamin K2 and its derivatives induce apoptosis in leukemia cells and enhance the effect of all-trans retinoic acid.

Geranylgeraniol, a polyprenylalcohol composing the side chain of vitamin K2 (VK2), was previously reported to be a potent inducer of apoptosis in tumor cell lines (Ohzumi H et al, J Biochem 1995; 117: 11-13). We examined the apoptosis-inducing ability of VK2 (menaquinone 3 (MK3), MK4 and MK5) and its derivatives such as phytonadione (VK1), as well as polyprenylalcohols with side chains of various lengths including farnesol (C15-OH; FO), geranylgeraniol (C20-OH; GGO), and geranylfarnesol (C25-OH; GFO) toward leukemia cells in vitro. MK3, MK4, MK5 and GFO (at 10 microM) showed a potent apoptosis-inducing activity for all freshly isolated leukemia cells tested and for leukemia cell lines such as NB4, an acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL)-derived cell line and MDS92, a cell line derived from a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome, although there were some differences depending on the cells tested.

Inhibition of NMDA-induced increase in brain temperature by N-omega-nitro-L-arginine and indomethacin in rats.

Intracerebroventricular administration of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) caused an increase in brain temperature, which appeared rapidly and preceded that in rectal temperature, in urethane-anesthetized rats. The increase in brain temperature was divided into two phases, an early increase and a late increase. Intracerebroventricular indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, completely abolished the NMDA-induced late increase, but not the early increase, in brain temperature.

Perirenal pseudolymphoma: a case report.

A right nephrectomy was performed on a 51 year-old female with a tumor surrounding the right kidney since the possibility of malignant lymphoma could not be excluded based on radiography or a needle biopsy. An immunohistological examination of the surgically-resected specimen confirmed a diagnosis of pseudolymphoma. A pseudolymphoma involving the urinary tract is rare, and this is only the second reported case of pseudolymphoma in the perirenal space.

Changes in nitric oxide generated by the oxidation of oxymyoglobin by nitrite.

We found that nitric oxide (NO) was produced during the oxidation of oxymyoglobin by nitrite, by using a NO-selective electrode system, which enabled us to measure NO in phosphate solution, continuously and quantitatively. When 500 microM nitrite was added in the solution of oxymyoglobin (65 microM in heme), oxymyoglobin was oxidized to metmyoglobin in a sigmoidal manner. During the reaction, NO was generated quickly at the initial lag phase, and reached its peak (NO approximated to 30 microM), before the burst oxidation of oxymyoglobin occurred.

[Successful treatment of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia with suplatast tosilate].

The patient was a 59-year-old woman who complained of coughing, sputum production, and dyspnea. Abnormal moving shadows were found by chest radiography. There was prolonged eosinophilia in blood.

[Late phase reaction in atopic dermatitis--immunological parameters and immunohistological analysis].

We studied the correlation between late phase reaction (LPR) and laboratory data in atopic dermatitis (AD) and evaluated the pathological findings in LPR. We studied the correlation between LPR and the severity of AD, total IgE, specific IgE, total IgG4, specific IgG4 and eosinophils. There were correlations between immediate reaction (IR) and some laboratory data, but not between LPR and laboratory data.

[A case of vesical endometriosis associated with Wunderlich syndrome].

A case of vesical endometriosis associated with unilateral renal agenesis and uterus didelphys (Wunderlich syndrome) is reported. A 20-year-old unmarried woman visited the gynecologic department with dysmenorrhea. She was referred to us because a bladder mass was detected on abdominal ultrasonography.

[Essential thrombocythemia in transformation to acute leukemia (FAB-M0) as a natural history from myelofibrosis with t(1;7)].

A 34-year-old man was found to have leukocytosis and thrombocytosis in 1983. In 1988, his leukocyte count was 10,400/microliter, Hb 16.5g and a platelet was 73 x 10(4)/microliter.

Subthreshold hyperoxia potentiates TNF-alpha-induced ICAM-1 expression on cultured pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells.

The effects of combined exposure to subthreshold hyperoxia and the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) on the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were examined in bovine lung microvascular endothelial cells (BLuEC). The expression of total ICAM-1 was not affected by 50% hyperoxia conditions alone, indicating that this level is subthreshold for BLuEC. In the presence of 5 ng/mL TNF-alpha, which has minimal influence on BLuEC alone, the amount of total ICAM-1 expression under 50% hyperoxia was higher than that in normoxic conditions (approximately 30%) throughout the culture period.

The relationship between telomere length and therapy-associated cytogenetic responses in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

Background: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal disease with specific cytogenetic changes involving the Philadelphia (Ph) translocation. The authors examined the relationship between telomere length (terminal restriction fragment [TRF]) and therapy-associated cytogenetic responses in CML patients.

Methods: The authors examined the telomere length and telomerase activity in 44 patients with Ph-positive CML in the chronic phase.

Amelioration by cyclosporin A of brain damage following 5 or 10 min of ischemia in rats subjected to preischemic hyperglycemia.

It has recently been shown that the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A (CsA) dramatically ameliorates the selective neuronal necrosis which results from 10 min of forebrain ischemia in rats. Since CsA is a virtually specific blocker of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore which is assembled under adverse conditions, such as mitochondrial calcium accumulation and oxidative stress, the results suggest that the delayed neuronal death is due to an MPT. In the present study we explored whether CsA can also ameliorate the aggravated brain damage which is observed in hyperglycemic subjects, and which encompasses rapidly evolving neuronal lesions, edema, and postischemic seizures.

Serological and virological markers of human parvovirus B19 infection in patients with haemophilia.

Clotting factor concentrates prepared from human plasma are a potential route of parvovirus B19 (B19) infection in patients with coagulation disorders. However, it is not clear whether B19 transmits and persistently infects patients with haemophilia, especially those with HIV infection. We examined serological and virological markers of B19 in samples from 40 patients with haemophilia who had been receiving several brands of clotting factor concentrates.

Clinical implications of telomerase activity levels in acute leukemia.

In the present study, we used the telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay, an internal telomerase assay standard, and an automatic DNA sequencer to detect and quantitate telomerase activity in blood samples obtained from normal and acute leukemia patients. Telomerase activity was analyzed in 78 acute leukemia patients and ranged from 0.65 to 147 relative to the internal standard.

[Use of a bronchoscope for thoracoscopic observation and diagnosis of pleural plaques].

A 62-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of bilateral tumor-like shadows along the ribs. He had been a diamond-grinder for twenty years. Thoracoscopic examination with a flexible bronchoscope revealed many well-circumscribed tumors with shiny, smooth, convex surfaces on the parietal pleura.

[Bilateral hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy accomporying pulmonary infiltration with eosinophilia].

A 46-year-old man had had an occasional dry cough in the early morning since about the age of 20, but had received no treatment. He had been taking an antirheumatic drug for 2 years for rheumatoid arthritis. The patient complained of fever and dry coughing that began in the middle of November 1995, and he was treated for acute bronchitis.

Left ventricular hypertrophic patterns and wall motion dynamics in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: an electron beam computed tomographic study.

To investigate the left ventricular hypertrophic patterns and wall motion dynamics in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 51 patients were studied using electron beam computed tomography. The subject consisted of 26 asymmetrical hypertrophy, 9 diffuse hypertrophy, 14 apical hypertrophy and 2 papillary muscle hypertrophy. Concerning the wall motion dynamics in hypertrophic wall, 7 demonstrated homogeneous wall thickening involving the non-hypertrophic wall, 36 showed decrease wall thickening, 6 showed normal wall thickening, and 2 cases of papillary muscle hypertrophy had increased wall thickening in the apical wall.

[Application of measuring 99mTc-MAG3 plasma clearance based on one-compartment model (MPC method) to pediatric patients].

Measurement of 99mTc-MAG3 plasma clearance based on 1-compartment model (MPC method) were applied to 12 pediatric patients and evaluated for the factors which might affect the calculated results. Depth correction is a critical factor for the measurement of renal uptake. Three different equations for estimating renal depth were compared with the real depth measured by ultrasonography.

[Possible role of immunocompetent cells on periodic exacerbation of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura].

A 44 year-old man was admitted to our hospital in October, 1992 with epistaxis. Fifteen months before admission, thrombocytopenia had been pointed out, but he had no bleeding episode. At admission, neither hepatosplenomegaly nor lymph node swelling was observed.

Roles of synaptotagmin C2 domains in neurotransmitter secretion and inositol high-polyphosphate binding at mammalian cholinergic synapses.

To determine the functional role of synaptotagmin (Syt) regulatory domains, affinity-purified antibodies specific for C2A or C2B domains were injected into presynaptic neurons of cholinergic synapses formed between rat sympathetic neurons in culture. Following injection of anti-C2A antibody, postsynaptic responses evoked by presynaptic action potentials at a frequency of 0.05 Hz decreased rapidly, while anti-C2B antibody slowly decreased synaptic transmitter release.

[Age-related changes of diffusional anisotropy in the cerebral white matter in normal subjects].

To investigate age-related changes of diffusional anisotropy in the cerebral white matter, we performed diffusion-weighted MRI studies in 21 normal subjects aged 25 to 96 years. The anisotropic rations (ARs), defined as the apparent diffusion coefficients perpendicular to the nerve fibers to those parallel to the nerve fibers, were significantly higher in elderly than in young subjects in the anterior and posterior white matter surrounding the lateral ventricle. Moreover, significant correlation between age and AR was found in the anterior white matter.

Localized diffuse large-cell lymphoma possibly coated with anti-tumor autoantibody: kappa lambda-dual-positive lymphoma.

We report a case of diffuse large-cell lymphoma which pursued a clinically indolent course while remaining untreated. The tumor cells expressed surface IgG, CD10, CD19 and CD20, but not surface IgM, IgD, IgA, CD5, CD16, CD32 and CD64. In addition, these cells appeared to coexpress kappa- and lambda-light chains on their surface.

Prednisolone therapy for intra-abdominal desmoid tumors in a patient with familial adenomatous polyposis.

The management of intra-abdominal desmoid tumors in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is very difficult. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), anti-estrogenic agents, and steroids are most commonly used, because surgical removal of these tumors may result in severe morbidity, with local recurrence being common. We report a patient with FAP and intra-abdominal desmoid tumors that regressed markedly after prednisolone therapy.

Protein kinase inhibitor attenuates an increase in endothelial monolayer permeability induced by tumour necrosis factor-alpha.

We questioned the mechanism of the increase in pulmonary endothelial permeability induced by tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of adult respiratory distress syndrome. As a measure of permeability, we determined the albumin transferred across cultured pulmonary endothelial monolayers prepared on a porous filter. The agents evaluated included protein kinase inhibitors H-7 and H-8, a calmodulin antagonist W-7, and protein kinase C (PKC) activators, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and SC-9.

Retrovirus in salivary glands from patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

Aims: To investigate the possibility of an immune response to retroviral antigens or of detecting retrovirus in Sjögren's syndrome.

Methods: Retroviruses were sought in labial salivary glands and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with Sjögren's syndrome by immunoblotting assay, immunohistochemical assay, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reverse transcriptase (RT) activity assay, and transmission electron microscopy.

Results: Sera from five of 15 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (33%) reacted against p24 group specific antigen (gag) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).