Prostate-specific antigen concentrations in serum in acute illnesses

In light of recent studies showing that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) complexes with certain blood proteins, we studied the effects of acute-phase reactants and alpha 2-macroglobulin (A2MG) on serum concentrations of PSA. Serum samples were obtained from 419 men admitted to an acute-care facility. Various acute-phase reactants-including C-reactive protein, alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, alpha 1-antitrypsin, and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin-and A2MG were measured with a Beckman Array analyzer in parallel with determinations of PSA concentrations by two methods, the Hybritech Tandem RIA and the Abbott PSA IMx. Evaluation by Spearman rank correlation revealed a significant negative correlation of A2MG with PSA values (P < 0.01) and (as expected) a positive correlation of age with PSA values (P < 0.001). The former correlation suggests the possibility that patients with high serum concentrations of A2MG may give falsely decreased results for PSA concentrations in serum.     

p53 mutation is a poor prognostic indicator for survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing surgical tumour ablation

Forty-two patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were resected and their tumours were analysed for p53 mutations by GC-clamped denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and gene sequencing. All the exons have been analysed in this study. Eight of 12 HCCs with cirrhosis due to viral hepatitis and the two patients with sarcomatoid changes displayed p53 mutations. In contrast, no mutation was observed in the fibrolamellar variant (n = 9), non-cirrhotics (n = 13) and alcoholic cirrhosis (n = 6). The mutations observed were in exons 5-8. Two mutations were observed in codons 136 and 213 as well as a T insertion between residues 156 and 157 (exon 5) and these are reported for the first time in HCC. Likewise, the silent mutation polymorphism in codon 213 was noticed in 3 of the 42 patients. Survival analysis of these patients after surgery showed the mean and median survival in patients with wild-type p53 to be 60 and 43 months respectively. In the group with p53 mutations, the mean and median survival was 15 and 12 months. The difference was statistically significant (P= 0.003).     

MRI of groove pancreatitis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work is to describe the findings on MRI in patients with groove pancreatitis, a specific form of chronic pancreatitis affecting the groove between the pancreatic head, the duodenum, and the common bile duct. METHOD: MR images, including MR cholangiopancreatography, of five patients with groove pancreatitis were reviewed. Three patients underwent pancreatoduodenectomy due to serve duodenal stenosis, and the MR findings were compared to the histologic findings. RESULTS: A sheet-like mass was demonstrated between the pancreatic head and the duodenum in all patients. The masses were hypointense relative to pancreatic parenchyma on T1-weighted images and iso- to slightly hyperintense on T2-weighted images. After administration of Gd-DTPA, the masses showed delayed enhancement. Histologically, fibrous scar tissue was detected in the groove. CONCLUSION: MR images can clearly demonstrate the fibrous tissue in the groove in groove pancreatitis, and MR cholangiopancreatography can also provide useful information.     

Pulmonary infection with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare leads to air trapping distal to the small airways

To clarify the structure and function of the airways in Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI) infection, we performed pulmonary function tests and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the thorax in female patients 61 +/- 9 yr of age (n = 12) with pulmonary MAI infection without predisposing lung disease and compared their data with those of normal female volunteers 54 +/- 8 yr of age (n = 9). We calculated the E/I ratio, i.e., the average ratio of HRCT number at full expiration to that at full inspiration, as an index for the evaluation of air trapping distal to the small airways. Patients showed significant increases in residual volume and slope of phase III (DeltaN2) of the single-breath nitrogen test, and significant decreases in flow at 50 and 25% of FVC, suggesting hyperinflation and obstruction of the small airways. HRCT of patients revealed the small nodules and ectasis of bronchioles and small bronchi located mainly in segments (S) S2, S3, S4, and S5. The E/I ratio was significantly elevated in patients, and especially higher in the upper lung field than in the lower lung field, suggesting air trapping distal to the small airways. The difference of E/I ratio between the upper and lower field is probably related to the segmental distribution of CT abnormalities. These findings suggest that MAI infection can lead to air trapping distal to the small airways.     

Orientation dependence of displacements by a single one-headed myosin relative to the actin filament

Displacements of single one-headed myosin molecules in a sparse myosin-rod cofilament were measured from bead displacements at various angles relative to an actin filament by dual optical trapping nanometry. The sparse myosin-rod cofilaments, 5-8 micron long, were synthesized by slowly mixing one-headed myosin prepared by papain digestion with myosin rods at molar ratios of 1:400 to 1:1500, so that one to four one-headed myosin molecules were on average scattered along the cofilament. The bead displacement was approximately 10 nm at low loads ( approximately 0.5 pN) and at angles of 5-10 degrees between the actin and myosin filaments (near physiologically correct orientation). The bead displacement decreased with an increase in the angle. The bead displacement at nearly 90 degrees was approximately 0 nm. When the angle was increased to approximately 150 degrees-170 degrees, the bead displacements increased to 5 nm. A native two-headed myosin showed similar size and orientation dependence of bead displacements as a one-headed myosin.     

A case of neutropenic enterocolitis in high dose chemotherapy with peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for relapsed testicular tumor

High dose chemotherapy with peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) is safe and useful for the treatment of refractory or relapsed testicular tumors, but is sometimes accompanied by serious complications. We report a case of relapsed testicular tumor complicated by neutropenic enterocolitis during high dose chemotherapy with PBSCT.     

Surgical management for lymph node recurrence of resected fibrolamellar carcinoma of the liver: a case report

Fibrolamellar carcinoma of the liver (FLC), which is very rare in Japan, is reported to be frequently accompanied by lymph node metastasis in Europe and the United States. We describe a 22-year-old man with recurrent FLC in the lymph nodes after undergoing partial hepatectomy. He underwent a second operation for removal of recurrent lymph node tumors in the mediastinum and abdominal cavity one year after initial surgery. However, a third operation became necessary seven months later, because of recurrence in a lymph node in the abdominal cavity. We discuss the management of lymph node metastasis from FLC.     

Central administration of vitamin B12 aggravates cataplexy in canine narcolepsy

Experimental evidence in canine narcolepsy suggests that central cholinergic systems are critically involved in the regulation of cataplexy, an abnormal manifestation of REM sleep atonia. In the current study, we found that intracerebroventricular perfusion of methyl-B12, (10(-5)-10(-2) M), significantly aggravated cataplexy and enhanced REM sleep in narcoleptic dogs. Choline, a direct precursor of acetylcholine, was also found to aggravate cataplexy, while cyano-B12, a vitamin B12 analog without methyl donating abilities, had no effect on cataplexy. Since both methyl-B12 and choline are reported to enhance acetylcholine synthesis, enhancement of the biosynthesis of acetylcholine may be involved in the effects observed in canine narcolepsy. Our results suggest that central administration of methyl-B12 has the potential to modulate both normal and pathological REM sleep.     

Adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue on mesoporous metallosilicates

Mesoporous silica and mesoporous metallosilicates with Al, Ti and Fe as foreign metal species were successfully synthesized by the rapid room temperature method. Mesoporous metallosilicates with low contents of foreign metals possessed high surface area (S_a), large mesopore volume (V_mp) and highly ordered hexagonal mesoporous structure. Increases in foreign metal contents caused disordering the mesoporous structures and lowering the S_a and V_mp values. Bleaching of aqueous methylene blue (MB) by mesoporous silica and metallosilicates was investigated. Mesoporous aluminosilicate and ferrosilicate with cation-exchangeable ability showed the excellent property for the adsorption of MB of cationic dye, while mesoporous ferrosilicate and titanosilicate which absorbed UV lights catalyzed the photocatalytic decomposition of MB under UV-illumination.     

Linearity and bisimulation

Exploiting linear type structure, we introduce a new theory of weak bisimilarity for the π-calculus in which we abstract away not only τ-actions but also non-τ actions which do not affect well-typed observers. This gives a congruence far larger than the standard bisimilarity while retaining semantic soundness. The framework is smoothly extendible to other settings involving nondeterminism and state. As an application we develop a behavioural theory of secrecy in the π-calculus which ensures secure information flow for a strictly greater set of processes than the type-based approach, while still offering compositional verification techniques.