Positron emission tomography with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose of uterine sarcoma: a comparison with magnetic resonance imaging and power Doppler imaging.

Objective: The effectiveness of positron emission tomography with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) for diagnosis of uterine sarcoma was evaluated in comparison to the effectiveness of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and power Doppler imaging.

Method: The cases of five Osaka City University Hospital patients diagnosed with uterine sarcoma based on histopathological examination, in whom FDG-PET, MR imaging, and power Doppler imaging studies had been performed preoperatively, were reviewed. A comparative study of the usefulness of these three imaging modalities for diagnosis of sarcoma was conducted.

Matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases of fibrous humans lens capsules with intraocular lenses.

Purpose: We located immunohistochemically the matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) -1, -2, -3 and -9 and the tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP) -1 and -2 in the fibrous capsule of patients with intraocular lenses (IOLs).

Methods: During vitreoretinal surgery in 10 patients we obtained post-cataract surgery lens capsules with or without an IOL. The mean interval between the previous cataract operation and the extraction of the specimens was 35.

Expression of involucrin by ocular surface epithelia of patients with benign and malignant disorders.

Purpose: Keratinization of the ocular surface epithelium is associated with various disorders impairing vision. We immunohistochemically determined whether the ocular surface epithelia express involucrin, and whether its expression pattern may differ in benign vs. malignant disorders.

A new method for removal of albumin-binding uremic toxins: efficacy of an albumin-dialysate.

It is difficult for conventional hemodialysis to remove albumin-binding uremic toxins (ABUTs) even though they are low molecular weight substances. We investigated the efficiency of albumin-dialysate (AD) for removal of ABUT. Phenols and indoxyl sulfate were selected as ABUT.

Early complications of high-dose methylprednisolone sodium succinate treatment in the follow-up of acute cervical spinal cord injury.

Study Design: A prospective, randomized, and double-blind study comparing high-dose methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS) with placebo, in the treatment of patients with acute cervical spinal cord injury.

Objectives: To evaluate the complications of high-dose MPSS in patients with acute cervical spinal cord injury when administered within 8 hours of injury.

Summary Of Background Data: High-dose therapy with MPSS has been demonstrated to improve the recovery of motor function in patients with acute cervical spinal cord injury.

Haemorrhagic complication following percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for carotid stenosis.

We report 2 cases with haemorrhagic complications following percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for carotid stenosis. Computed tomography (CT) scanning of these cases demonstrated diffuse subarachnoid haemorrhage in 1 case, and intracerebral haemorrhage in the other case on the next day after PTA. In the latter case, we measured cerebral blood flow velocity and mean transit time with transcranial doppler (TCD) and dynamic CT scan, which demonstrated remarkable increases in the blood flow velocity and peak height, respectively.

Effects of beta-endorphin on norepinephrine release in hypertension.

Recent studies have suggested an involvement of the endogenous opioid system in blood pressure control. The purpose of the present study was to determine the role of beta-endorphin in the regulation of sympathetic nervous activity in the central nervous system of hypertension. The effects of beta-endorphin on the electrically evoked release of [3H]norepinephrine (NE) were investigated in superfused slices of rat medulla oblongata.

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of linoleic acid peroxide-derived radicals using electrochemical detection.

High-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection (HPLC-ED) was applied to detect 13-hydroperoxide octadecadienoic acid (13-HPODE)-derived radicals such as the pentyl radical and octanoic acid radical. The 13-HPODE-derived radicals were successfully detected using HPLC-ED by the combined use of the spin-trapping technique with alpha-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert-butylnitrone (4-POBN). The 4-POBN-pentyl radical adduct was detected at the retention time of 18.

Isolated factor VII deficiency diagnosed after a life-threatening brain haemorrhage.

A 65-year-old man was admitted to another hospital with a life-threatening brain haemorrhage, and laboratory examinations on admission revealed prolonged prothrombin time with normal activated partial thromboplastin time. To establish the cause of his abnormal coagulation, he was referred to our clinic. Neither the patient nor his family had any previous history of bleeding symptoms.

Novel polymorphisms of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) gene associated with PSA mRNA expression in breast cancer.

A growing body of evidence suggests that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a novel prognostic factor for breast cancer. The molecular mechanism of variant PSA expression in breast cancer has remained poorly understood in spite of intensive research. Previous studies have shown that the coding region of the PSA gene is not a target for mutations in prostate cancer and breast cancer.

Sonographic characteristics of massive ovarian edema.

Massive ovarian edema (MOE) is a very rare disease characterized by a tumor-like enlargement of the ovary. The ultrasound findings have been reported as a solid tumor-like mass or as a solid mass containing a cystic component. Recent reports using magnetic resonance imaging of MOE have demonstrated that multiple ovarian follicles situated around the periphery of the cortex of the enlarged ovary is the most important diagnostic indicator of MOE.

Transition of apoptotic resistant vascular smooth muscle cells to troptotic sensitive state is correlated with downregulation of c-FLIP.

Fas and its ligand, FasL, are a receptor-ligand pair identified as promoting cell death in several tissues. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are resistant to FasL or anti-Fas antibody (Ab) signal, and a number of in vitro studies show that VSMC death can only be induced by anti-Fas Ab or FasL in the presence of protein inhibitor or additional inflammatory mediators. It remains to be clarified whether known, constitutively expressed cytoprotective molecules are reduced by protein inhibitor, thereby accounting for sensitization to cell death by Fas/FasL signaling.

Biallelic inactivation of retinoic acid receptor beta2 gene by epigenetic change in breast cancer.

A growing body of evidence supports the hypotheses that retinoic acid receptor beta2 (RAR beta2) is a tumor suppressor gene. Although the loss of RAR beta2 expression has been reported in many malignant tumors, including breast cancer, the molecular mechanism is still poorly understood. We hypothesized that loss of RAR beta2 activity could result from multiple factors, including epigenetic modification and loss of heterozygosity (LOH).

Walking 10,000 steps/day or more reduces blood pressure and sympathetic nerve activity in mild essential hypertension.

We investigated the effects of walking 10,000 steps/day or more on blood pressure and cardiac autonomic nerve activity in mild essential hypertensive patients. All subjects were males aged 47.0+/-1.

A comparative study of surgical approaches for cervical compressive myelopathy.

Since 1986, the authors have used anterior decompression and fusion to treat patients with one- or two-level lesions without spinal canal stenosis (Group A) and laminoplasty for patients with more than three-level lesions or spinal canal stenosis (Group P). The aim of this study was to compare surgical outcomes of anterior and posterior approaches for patients with cervical myelopathy because of spondylosis and disc herniation and to determine the cause of poor neurologic recovery after surgery. One hundred thirty-six patients were followed up for an average of 5.

Disappearance of desmosomal components in rat corneal epithelium during wound healing.

Purpose: Epithelial migration is essential for healing of the ablated corneal epithelium. To reveal the mechanism which enables the corneal epithelial cells to dissociate during migration, we investigated the immunolocalization of the components of the desmosome, which is the main constituent of the intercellular junction attaching the intermediate filaments to the cell surface, desmoplakin 1, desmoglein and plakoglobin, in the corneal epithelium during wound healing in rats.

Methods: Under general anesthesia with ether inhalation, Wistar rats (n = 48) underwent removal of the central corneal epithelium of one eye with a small trephine and a scalpel.

Bisphosphonate therapy for bone metastases from breast cancer: clinical results and a new therapeutic approach.

Background: We evaluated the usefulness of bisphosphonate (BIS) monotherapy, the safety of rapid infusion of BIS and the efficacy of BIS-sequential therapy for bone metastases from breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-nine patients with bone metastasis or invasion were treated with BIS monotherapy. Each BIS (pamidronate 30 mg, alendronate 10 mg, or incadronate 10 mg) was infused over 30 minutes every two weeks a median of 12 times.

Recent trends in viral hepatitis among Japanese children.

The prevalence of viral hepatitis in Japan were very high as peak HBsAg positive rate of 2-3% and HBsAb positive rate of 25% of peoples born in the 1930th and 1940th. But recently in Japan hepatitis A has completely eradicated and hepatitis B and C were seldom seen in our pediatric clinics. Many strategies were done beginning from sterilized water service to introduction of HCV-Ab screening system for blood transfusion in 1989.

Endovascular Surgery for Internal Carotid Stenoses. Results of PTA vs. Stenting.

This paper will overview our results of endovascular therapy (PTA or stenting) for cervical ICA stenosis and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment. 60 cases with 62 lesions were treated with PTA 68 times, while 36 cases with 37 lesions were treated with stenting 37 times. A total of 99 lesions were treated with PTA or stenting 105 times.

Measurement of the intracranial arterial wedge pressure in cases of acute cerebral arterial occlusion to determine the indication of intraarterial thrombolytic therapy.

Wedge pressure of the occluded major cerebral artery (distal pressure beyond the occlusion) was measured to estimate the residual cerebral blood flow in thirteen patients with acute ischemic stroke. There existed the relationship that patients with higher wedge pressure tolerated longer ischemic insults than those with lower wedge pressure. Wedge pressure is measured with minimum time loss before starting thrombolytic therapy and may be a good indicator to estimate the brain tissue reversibility.

The strategy for internal carotid stenosis with thrombus.

We report 3 cases of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis with thrombus. The initial symptom is transient ischemic attack (TIA) in 1 case, and cerebral infarction due to artery-to-artery embolism in 2 cases.We started anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy after the angiography on admission in all cases.

Alterations in ultrastructure and c-met expression in a case of ocular epithelial dysplasia following topical mitomycin C treatment.

Purpose: Topical mitomycin C (MMC) administration is reportedly effective in treating ocular surface neoplasms such as squamous cell carcinoma. We treated a case of ocular epithelial dysplasia that had spread too diffusely to be completely removed. We examined the ultrastructure of and c-met (hepatocyte growth factor receptor) expression in dysplastic epithelial cells from this case to evaluate the efficacy of MMC treatment.

Evaluation of Axillary Lymph Node Status in Breast Cancer with MRI.

BACKGROUND: We performed a retrospective study to establish the optimal radiological criteria for axillary lymph node metastases from breast cancer by measuring all dissected nodes, and to determine whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could reliably reveal axillary involvement. METHODS: Pathological findings and MRI scans of 202 patients with invasive breast cancer were reviewed. The long- and short-axis dimensions of all level I an II lymph nodes were measured microscopically, and then the long-to-short axis (L/S) ratio of each node was calculated.