In situ mRNA hybridization technique for analysis of human telomerase RNA in gastric precancerous and cancerous lesions

Telomerase, the ribonucleoprotein enzyme that elongates telomerase, is repressed in normal somatic cells but is reactivated during tumor progression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the localization of human telomerase RNA (hTR) expression in human gastric precancerous and cancerous lesions by using in situ mRNA hybridization (ISH) with avidin-biotin staining. We also examined telomerase activity in these lesions by using hybridization protection assay connected with a telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP/HPA). Analyzed tissue samples were as follows; 132 cases of chronic atrophic gastritis without intestinal metaplasia, 115 incomplete-type intestinal metaplasias, 40 complete-type intestinal metaplasias, 23 hyperplastic polyps, 23 tubular adenomas and 26 adenocarcinomas. In ISH analysis, high levels of hTR expression were observed preferentially in the nuclei at the single-cell level. hTR-expressing cells in carcinomas and adenomas were significantly more frequent than those of the other lesions (P < 0.001). The expression pattern of hTR in carcinoma and adenoma tissues was heterogeneous and similar intratumor heterogeneity was detected in Ki-67 immunoreactivity. Infiltrating lymphocytes in tissue also exhibited high levels of hTR expression. In TRAP/HPA analysis, carcinomas had significantly more frequent positivity for telomerase activity and a higher level of telomerase activity than the other lesions (P < 0.05). However, the amount of telomerase activity did not parallel the expression level of hTR. Our data suggest that hTR expression increases in the early stages of stomach carcinogenesis and that sufficient synthesis of hTR is a prerequisite for telomerase reactivation in tumorigenesis.     

A case of neurologic type of Wilson's disease with increased aluminum in liver: comparative study with histological findings to metal contents in the liver

Histological findings and metal contents in the liver were studied in a patient with neurologic type of Wilson's disease. Copper and aluminum contents in the biopsied liver of the patient with Wilson's disease were measured simultaneously by neutron activation analysis at Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University. Four cases of adult cirrhosis were selected as the control for cirrhosis and five cases of adult liver as the control for neurologically normal. The biopsied liver showed markedly increase in the copper content (814.4 micrograms/g: dry weight) and extremely high content of aluminum (479.4 micrograms/g: dry weight), compared to those of the controls. On the other hand, macroscopically no cirrhosis was observed and the characteristic appearances of macronodular cirrhosis failed to detect histologically. Interestingly the fibrosis or inflammation of the liver was seen faintly. It is likely that toxic metals in the liver such as aluminum, copper and manganese might be implicated in the pathogenesis of neurologic type of Wilson's disease.     

A case of amyloidosis of the tracheobronchial tree and inferior nasal concha

A 50-year-old man resented at a local medical clinic with nasal obstruction. He was treated but did not improve. He then consulted our institution. Chest X-ray disclosed infiltrative shadows in the basal region of the left lung. A computed tomography scan of the lung showed marked thickening of the airway walls extending from the trachea to both bronchial trees and obstructive changes in the left lower lobe of the lung. On bronchoscopic examination the bronchial mucosa was reddened and edematous with a pinhole bronchial obstruction in one region. Congo red staining of biopsy samples taken from the bronchial mucosa showed deposition of an amorphous substance. Tracheobronchial amyloidosis was diagnosed. The amyloid material was resistant to potassium permanganate and tested positive for lambda-chain of L immunoglobulin. Otorrhinolaryngological examination disclosed a tumor in the inferior nasal concha as the cause of his nasal obstruction. The nasal tumor was resected and AL lambda-type amyloidosis was diagnosed pathologically. Tracheobronchial and inferior nasal concha amyloidosis is an extremely rare pathological condition. The patient was followed for one year and remain asymptomatic without treatment.     

The accessory middle cerebral artery as a collateral blood supply

We describe two cases of acute embolic occlusion of the internal carotid artery and the middle cerebral artery in association with a patent accessory middle cerebral artery. Because of the presence of the accessory middle cerebral artery, the frontal lobe was salvaged to some extent, but it did not provide sufficient collateral blood supply to the middle cerebral artery territory to spare the rest of the frontal lobe, the temporal lobe, and the basal ganglia.     

Prostaglandin E1 from the tip of an intraaortic balloon catheter for lower limb ischemia

A method to treat lower limb ischemia associated with the insertion of an intraaortic balloon catheter is herein reported. A low dose of prostaglandin E1 was administered into the descending aorta continuously from the tip of the intraaortic balloon catheter. Immediately after the administration of prostaglandin E1 in patients whose lower limbs were ischemic due to obstruction with the catheter, the peripheral circulation of the ischemic limbs recovered with minimal changes in the systemic arterial blood pressure. This method is simple and noninvasive and was found to induce a satisfactory effect.     

Process performance and change in sludge characteristics during anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge with ozonation.

A new process configuration combining anaerobic digestion with ozonation, and operated at long SRT, was studied with the objective of on-site reduction in sludge quantity and improving biogas recovery. The process performance with respect to solid reduction efficiency and other important process parameters like accumulation of inorganic solids, changes in sludge viscosity and dewatering characteristics were evaluated from the data of long term pilot scale continuous experiments conducted using a mixture of primary and secondary municipal sewage sludge. Due to sludge ozonation and long SRT, high VSS degradation efficiency of approximately 80% was achieved at a reactor solid concentration of 6.5%. A high fraction of inorganic solid (>50%) consisting mainly of acid insoluble and iron compounds was found to accumulate in the reactor. The high inorganic content accumulated in the digested sludge did not, however, contribute to the observed increase in sludge viscosity at high solid concentration. The sludge viscosity was largely found to depend on the organic solid concentration rather than the total solid content. Moreover, higher inorganic content in the digested sludge resulted in better sludge dewaterability. For a quick assessment of the economic feasibility of the new process, an economic index based on the unit cost of digested sludge disposal to unit electric cost is proposed.     

TAT (time-axis transform) bandwidth compression system of picturesignals

A bandwidth compression system for picture signals called the time-axis transform (TAT) system is introduced. It can be applied to various systems for transmission and recording of picture signals, such as the satellite broadcast system of high-definition television. The TAT compresses the bandwidth by reducing the number of transmitted pixels. The transmitted pixels consist of two kinds: basic pixels and additional pixels. The location of the former is fixed and that of the latter varies from picture to picture to minimize the interpolation error in the reconstructed picture. Thus, the TAT is a hybrid of fixed sampling and variable sampling systems. It compresses the bandwidth of the picture signal to one half or less, keeping high picture quality for both still and moving pictures. The feasibility of the TAT is demonstrated by an experimental system     

Cloning and characterization of a mouse homologue (mNthl1) of Escherichia coli endonuclease III

The association patterns between maternal anthropometric characteristics (stature, prepregnancy weight, prepregnancy body mass index, pregnancy weight gain) and newborn size (birth weight, length, head circumference) were tested with 10,240 single births taking place between 1985 and 1995 in Vienna, Austria, and 3,452 single births taking place between 1989 and 1995 in Westerstede-Ammerland (Friesland), northern Germany. Maternal size and newborn size differed highly significantly (p < 0.001) between the two genetically and socioeconomically different population groups. Furthermore, the incidence of macrosomia among newborns (birth weight greater than 4000 g) was extraordinarily high (17.9%) in the Frisian group from northern Germany. In both populations taller and heavier women with a higher weight gain during pregnancy gave birth to heavier offspring. Nevertheless, the pregnancy weight gain, which indicates environmental conditions of the mother, had only a minor impact on newborn size compared with stature and prepregnancy weight, which reflect the maternal genetic potential to a higher degree.