[Consulting work cited in the hospital laboratory annual progress report of the laboratory information and consulting work and its role in Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital].

Recently, it is difficult for general patients to understand clinical inspection. Therefore we opened the laboratory information and consulting office (called Kensa Yorozu Consulting Room) from April, 2004. It is most characteristic that our office is managed by a clinical laboratory physician.

Demonstration of A antigen and A allele of ABO histo-blood group in nail in a case with the absence of A antigen and anti-A antibody in blood.

We report a case with the inconsistency that the red blood cells lacked both A- and B-antigens while the serum showed reactivity with control B-red cells but not with A-red cells. A- and B-antigens were examined by serological blood typing and immunohistochemical staining, and DNA analyses were performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), DNA sequencing, and hot-stop PCR. A-antigens were demonstrable in the nail of the subject by serological study and immunostaining.

[Gene diagnosis of antithrombin deficiency and factor VII deficiency].

Since 1996 we have performed gene diagnosis of hereditary antithrombin deficiency and factor VII deficiency. We studied twenty-three patients with antithrombin deficiency and identified eighteen distinct gene mutations including single nucleotide substitutions, small nucleotide deletions, a small nucleotide insertion, and whole gene deletions. In two patients, however, we couldn't find out any mutations.

[Effects of the volume and shape of voxels on the measurement of phantom volume using three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging].

Recently, an increasing number of volumetric studies of the human brain have been reported, using three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (3D-MRI). To our knowledge, however, there are few investigations on the relation of the volume and shape of voxels which constitute an MR image to the accuracy in volume measurement of an imaged object. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a different shape of voxel, that is, isotropic or anisotropic, as well as the volume of a voxel on the volume measurement based on the original image data and multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) data, respectively.

The opioid peptide analogue biphalin induces less physical dependence than morphine.

We compared the physical dependence liability of biphalin, a dimeric enkephalin analogue that possesses high antinociceptive activity, with that of morphine in equipotent intravenous doses. Naloxone challenge produced severe withdrawal signs after a 5-day infusion of morphine but only minor withdrawal signs after a 5-day biphalin infusion. In a cross-dependence study, biphalin did not suppress body weight loss after morphine withdrawal, but successfully suppressed weight loss after pentazocine withdrawal.

Basilar artery migraine. Reversible ischemia demonstrated by Tc-99m HMPAO brain SPECT.

The authors present a case of basilar artery migraine in a 33-year-old woman who was initially misdiagnosed as having a cerebrovascular or mental disorder and subjected to MRI and cerebral angiography, which, however, did not show any pathologic findings. During admission to the university hospital, she lost consciousness. An emergency Tc-99m HMPAO brain SPECT showed a significant decrease of regional cerebral blood flow in the right temporal and occipital cortices, and right cerebellar hemisphere, where regional cerebral blood flow was decreased by 10-24% as compared to the left side.

A case report of Moyamoya disease: successfully treated with Chinese medicine.

The incidence of Willis' ring obstruction (Moyamoya disease) in Japan is higher than in Europe and North America. The therapeutic technique usually employed is either surgery or Western drug treatment. But these methods are still not satisfactory.

[Susceptibility of clinically isolated bacterial strains to imipenem/cilastatin sodium].

In vitro antibacterial activities of imipenem/cilastatin sodium (imipenem) and other beta-lactams against clinically isolated 353 bacterial strains were investigated. The results obtained in this study are summarized as follows: 1. Imipenem (IPM) showed potent antibacterial activities against Gram-positive cocci such as Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus agalactiae.

Expansive laminoplasty for lumbar spinal stenosis.

Expansive laminoplasty, a procedure used for cervical myelopathy, was carried out in 4 patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. The method was used in relatively young patients with severe low back and sciatic pain who had intraspinal ossification at multiple segments, with or without developmental spinal stenosis. The advantages of osteoplastic enlargement of the lumbar spinal canal with reinforcement of spinal stability are confirmed by our follow up of 2 to 5 1/2 years.

[Susceptibility of clinically isolated strains to aztreonam].

In vitro antibacterial activities of aztreonam (AZT) and cephems against clinically isolated 334 strains were investigated. The results obtained in the study are summarized as follows: 1. AZT showed excellent antibacterial activities against clinically isolated 334 strains.

[Whole-body transmission scintigraphy using a line source].

Transmission scanning was proposed to be a useful adjunct to conventional emission scanning for accurately keying radionuclide deposition to radiographic anatomy. After introduction of a scintillation camera, transmission whole-body scintigraphy using a flood source has been performed in a patient with differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Recently immunoscintigraphy with radiolabeled monoclonal anti-tumor antibodies has become popular and transmission whole-body scintigraphy has been re-evaluated to make diagnosis for laterality of metastases.