The correlation of urinary podocytes and podocalyxin with histological features of lupus nephritis.

Objectives The objective of this study was to test the correlation of urinary podocyte number (U-Pod) and urinary podocalyxin levels (U-PCX) with histology of lupus nephritis. Methods This was an observational, cross-sectional study. Sixty-four patients were enrolled: 40 with lupus nephritis and 24 without lupus nephritis (12 lupus nephritis patients in complete remission and 12 systemic lupus erythematosus patients without lupus nephritis). Urine samples were collected before initiating treatment. U-Pod was determined by counting podocalyxin-positive cells, and U-PCX was measured by sandwich ELISA, normalized to urinary creatinine levels (U-Pod/Cr, U-PCX/Cr). Results Lupus nephritis patients showed significantly higher U-Pod/Cr and U-PCX/Cr compared with patients without lupus nephritis. U-Pod/Cr was high in proliferative lupus nephritis (class III±V/IV±V), especially in pure class IV (4.57 (2.02-16.75)), but low in pure class V (0.30 (0.00-0.71)). U-Pod/Cr showed a positive correlation with activity index ( r=0.50, P=0.0012) and was independently associated with cellular crescent formation. In contrast, U-PCX/Cr was high in both proliferative and membranous lupus nephritis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed significant correlation of U-Pod/Cr with pure class IV, class IV±V and cellular crescent formation, and the combined values of U-Pod/Cr and U-PCX/Cr were shown to be associated with pure class V. Conclusions U-Pod/Cr and U-PCX/Cr correlate with histological features of lupus nephritis.

Change in environmental bacterial flora in a new hospital building.

Microbial surveillance of environmental bacteria was performed in order to study the microbial changes in a newly established hospital building. Airborne bacteria and surface-associated bacteria on floors and sinks were systematically collected between 2002 and 2005. The number of isolates obtained from frequently used floors was significantly higher than that obtained from those floors used less often. A significant increase in Staphylococcus aureus, the appearance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and changes among species of Gram-negative bacilli were observed 8-11 months after the new building had been opened. Furthermore, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing of meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and P. aeruginosa showed that strains of the same PFGE groups were isolated from different sinks, floors and the adjoining old buildings. The number of MRSA isolates obtained from the new building increased as time passed. The sinks from which P. aeruginosa strains of the same PFGE type were isolated are connected by the same drainage pipe. Human movement has considerable effects on bacterial flora and their subsequent spread.

[Three-dimensional computed tomography angiography of coronary artery bypass graft with electron beam tomography].

OBJECTIVES: Assessment of coronary artery bypass graft patency by three-dimensional reconstructed computed tomography angiography (3D-CTA) derived from electrocardiography-gated contrast-enhanced electron beam tomography (EBT) was evaluated. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients with 99 grafts (45 arterial grafts and 54 venous grafts) underwent 3D-CTA and selective coronary angiography within a 3-week interval. 3D-CTA images of the coronary bypass grafts were compared with the coronary angiography images used as the control. RESULTS: 3D-CTA defined 42 of 44 arterial grafts as patent (sensitivity: 95%), all 47 venous grafts as patent (sensitivity: 100%) and all 7 venous grafts as occlusive (specificity: 100%). The overall sensitivity and specificity were 98% and 88%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: 3D-CTA is an useful noninvasive technique with adequate sensitivity and specificity to assess coronary artery bypass graft patency.

[Inhibitory effect of vitamin E on rats with bladder tumors induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine].

The anticancer activity of vitamin E may involve its functions as an antioxidant free radical scavenger, and immunomodulater. We studied the effect of vitamin E on rats with bladder tumors induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN). Three-week-old male Wistar rats were given a diet containing 0 (A), 2 mg (B:control), 40 mg (C), and 60 mg (D) of vitamin E per 100 g of food, respectively, until they were 30 weeks old. The carcinogen, 0.05% BBN was given in drinking water to the rats for 8 weeks from the 9th week of age, and all rats were killed at 30 weeks old. The number and the size of the tumors, the thickness of epithelial cell layers in hyperplasia, the diameter of papillary tumor, and the cellular atypia were assessed by using a point method according to U-test. As assessment of immune response, the lymphocyte count in blood, the degree of lymphocyte infiltration in tissue, and CD4 (helper/inducer-T cell)/CD8 (suppressor/cytotoxic-T cell) ratio in blood by flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies were evaluated according to the t-test. Moreover, the correlation between CD4/CD8, cellular atypia, and serum level of vitamin E were evaluated by coefficient of correlation. There were no differences between any two groups in the number or the size of the tumors. The cellularity in group A was significantly higher than that in group D (p less than 0.05). The point of the cellular atypia tended to decrease, with increasing dose of vitamin E, but not significantly, whereas the CD4/CD8 tended to increase by increasing the dose of vitamin E.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Split rib cranioplasty].

Presented are an operative technique and clinical indications for split rib cranioplasty, and the results of its practical application. This technique was applied to 6 patients, in five of whom infection after previous cranioplasty had been noted before split rib cranioplasty. Two patients out of the 5 had been suffering from inveterate and repetitive postoperative infections; one patient had been operated on twice and the other three times, respectively. Operative results were excellent without serious and/or infectious complications, except initially in one patient who presented hemothorax after rib harvest. This method can be applied for those who have extensive defect of the skull or who need additional reconstruction using split rib graft because of infectious complications after previously performed cranioplasty. This technique also has the following advantage; cranial contour is easy to reconstruct and good cosmetic results can be expected.

[Clinical study of prostatic cancer].

Eighty patients with prostatic cancer, who first visited Kyorin University School of Medicine from January 1976 through December 1986, were analyzed. Incidence of prostatic cancer was 3.9% among male inpatients. Age distribution was between 55 and 88, with an average of 72 years old. The most common symptoms were dysuria followed by pollakisuria, hematuria, lumbago and lower extremity pain. Duration from onset of symptom to examination ranged from 6 to 84 months, with an average of 22 months. Clinical stage was A in 7.5%, B in 10%, C in 11.3% and D in 71.3%. According to histological grade, well, moderately, and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas were observed in 29.9, 29.9 and 40.2%, respectively. According to the General Rules for Clinical and Pathological Studies on Prostatic Cancer, clinical T classification were T0 in 8.7%, T1 in 3.8%, T2 in 47.5%, T3 in 27.5% and T4 in 12.5%. In the correlation between stage and grade, the largest number of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma cases was in stage D. There was no correlation between stage and T classification. Of the 80 patients, 71.25% were treated with antiandrogen therapy, 16.25% with radiation therapy chiefly, 7.5% by surgery chiefly, and 5% with chemotherapy. Survival rate was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Overall survival rate of the 80 patients was 54.4% at 5 years. Survival rate by stage were 100% in stage A at 4 years, and 100% in B, 87.5% in C and 40.5% in D at 5 years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Ultrastructural study of a cerebral gangliocytoma.

A pure cerebral gangliocytoma leaving no sign or symptom of recurrence after surgical removal is reported, with special reference to its CT scan and the ultrastructural findings. Unusual, large, dense bodies having the size of 800-1200 m mu and radiating from a central core were identified on the ultrastructural study. Microcystic formations might have been produced by active secretory granules containing dense core vesicles. The literature concerning the dense core vesicle of ganglion cell tumors is reviewed.

[Intracranial hemorrhage caused by metastatic brain tumors (author's transl)].

Metastatic brain tumors are known to produce the symptoms of stroke and intracranial high density areas are demonstrated by CT scan. But exact preoperative diagnosis is sometimes difficult. Recently, we have experienced three cases of metastatic brain tumors which began with the symptoms of vascular accident and were demonstrated as high density area by CT scan. Two of them are metastasis of lung cancer and another, hepatoma. Characteristic CT findings are as follow: 1) atypical location 2) non-homogeneous high density area extending from the margin of the tumor (sometimes ring-like appearance) 3) surrounding massive edema 4) positive contrast enhancement 5) multiple lesions Two of our cases were demonstrated the recurrence by CT scan which was performed at earlier postoperative stage. The dissemination of tumor cells in the hematoma was thought to be the main factor of it. We also discussed the operative procedures and the postoperative care.

Voluntary exercise during pregnancy and lactation and its effect on lactational performance in mice.

The amount of voluntary exercise during pregnancy and lactation and its effect on the lactational performance in mice were investigated. Female mice were housed in exercise cages with treadwheels during periods of growth, pregnancy and lactation and the amounts of exercise were measured. It was observed that growing female mice exercised voluntarily at a level of approximately 5,000 rotations (diameter of treadwheel; 13.5 cm) per day during the 4-week growth period. After conception, the amount of exercise gradually decreased and in late pregnancy running activity decreased markedly. Throughout the lactational period dams exercised lightly. As indices of lactational performance, the body weights of pups nursed in litters of 8, milk yield and cellular development of abdominal-inguinal mammary glands were examined. There were no significant differences in the final body weights of pups, milk yield per day or development of mammary glands between exercise and non-exercise groups.

Studies on soybean factors which produced goiter in rats.

The goitrogenicities of various preparations obtained from soybean were studied using rats. Thyroid weight, 131I uptake and the ratio of 131I-monoiodotyrosine to 131I-diiodotyrosine of the gland in rats fed the preparation was measured to determine the activity of these preparations. It was resulted that the group of rats receiving the curd had the most hypertrophied thyroid, the enlargement being equal to that in the group of these receiving soybean in the 8 weeks' feeding experiment. No difference on the content of iodine were found with the various diet preparations. The proteolytic digestion of soybean curd did not eliminate the goitrogenic property, thus, the goitrogen seems not to be a protein or peptide-like substance.