Hemoglobin Evanston (alpha 14 Trp----Arg). An unstable alpha-chain variant expressed as alpha-thalassemia.

A new hematologic syndrome with phenotypic features of mild Hb H disease was identified in three children from two unrelated black American families. Erythrocytes from each of these children contained Hb H (beta 4) and Hb Barts (gamma 4), as well as a slowly migrating hemoglobin fraction that made up 7-10% of the total hemoglobin. The parents of the affected children all showed mild thalassemia-like changes, with one of the parents in each family also expressing the variant hemoglobin; in the latter individuals the mutant alpha-chains made up less than 2% of the total, and were present mainly or exclusively in combination with delta-chains in the form of a slowly migrating Hb A2. Purified Hb Evanston showed an increased oxygen affinity, but its Bohr effect, cooperativity, and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate effect were normal. The mutant hemoglobin appeared to have normal stability to heat and to isopropanol, and the stability of its alpha-chain in an extended time course synthesis study also appeared to be similar to that of alpha A. However, the results from short-term globin synthesis studies, and from mRNA translation in vitro, suggest that the two types of alpha-chains were synthesized at relatively equal rates, with a major fraction of the newly synthesized variant alpha-chains undergoing rapid catabolism. The hematologic data taken in combination with DNA hybridization and globin synthesis findings indicate that the proposita in each of these families has the genotype--, alpha A/--, alpha Ev. These observations suggest that two separate mechanisms are contributing to the alpha-thalassemia-like expression of Hb Evanston : the newly synthesized alpha EV-chains are unstable and are subject to early proteolytic destruction; and the mutant alpha-allele is linked to an alpha-globin gene deletion.

INTU is essential for oncogenic Hh signaling through regulating primary cilia formation in basal cell carcinoma.

Inturned (INTU), a cilia and planar polarity effector, performs prominent ciliogenic functions during morphogenesis, such as in the skin. INTU is expressed in adult tissues but its role in tissue maintenance is unknown. Here, we report that the expression of the INTU gene is aberrantly elevated in human basal cell carcinoma (BCC), coinciding with increased primary cilia formation and activated hedgehog (Hh) signaling. Disrupting Intu in an oncogenic mutant Smo (SmoM2)-driven BCC mouse model prevented the formation of BCC through suppressing primary cilia formation and Hh signaling, suggesting that Intu performs a permissive role during BCC formation. INTU is essential for intraflagellar transport A complex assembly during ciliogenesis. To further determine whether Intu is directly involved in the activation of Hh signaling downstream of ciliogenesis, we examined the Hh signaling pathway in mouse embryonic fibroblasts, which readily responds to the Hh pathway activation. Depleting Intu blocked Smo agonist-induced Hh pathway activation, whereas the expression of Gli2ΔN, a constitutively active Gli2, restored Hh pathway activation in Intu-deficient cells, suggesting that INTU functions upstream of Gli2 activation. In contrast, overexpressing Intu did not promote ciliogenesis or Hh signaling. Taken together, data obtained from this study suggest that INTU is indispensable during BCC tumorigenesis and that its aberrant upregulation is likely a prerequisite for primary cilia formation during Hh-dependent tumorigenesis.

Relation of hemodynamic volume load to arterial and cardiac size.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to assess the relation of Doppler stroke volume (SV) to cardiac and carotid artery size and to determine whether volume load accounts for the parallelism between the two. BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that altered hemodynamic volume load can modify the degree and pattern of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy from that predicted from blood pressure (BP) alone. METHODS: We related Doppler echocardiographic SV in 342 normotensive or unmedicated asymptomatic hypertensive adults to echocardiographic LV mass, LV internal dimension (LVID), wall thickness, carotid ultrasound arterial lumen diameter, intimal-medial thickness (IMT) and cross-sectional area (CSA). RESULTS: SV was positively related to LV mass (r = 0.42), LVID (r = 0.45), ventricular wall thickness (r = 0.20 to 0.29) and carotid diameter (r = 0.23, all p < 0.0001); CSA (r = 0.17, p < 0.002); and IMT (r = 0.12, p = 0.03). In multivariate analyses controlling for awake ambulatory BP and the circumferential end-systolic stress/end-systolic volume index ratio, SV remained an independent predictor of LV mass and chamber size (both p < 0.0001) but not LV wall thickness. SV also predicted carotid diameter (p < 0.0002), CSA (p = 0.001) and, to a lesser degree, IMT (p = 0.02) after controlling for mean awake BP and age. In additional analyses, LV and carotid dimensions were significantly interrelated independent of SV. CONCLUSIONS: SV measured by invasively validated Doppler echocardiography is associated with LV and carotid artery enlargement and eccentric hypertrophy, independent of arterial pressure, LV contractility, age and body size; however, SV and other variables do not account for the previously documented parallelism between cardiac and arterial structure.

A pharmacokinetically guided Phase II study of carboxyamido-triazole in androgen-independent prostate cancer.

We conducted a Phase II clinical trial of the antiproliferative, antimetastatic, and antiangiogenic agent carboxyamido-triazole (CAI), using pharmacokinetic assessment to guide drug dosing. Fifteen patients who had stage D2 androgen-independent prostate cancer with soft tissue metastases were enrolled. Because CAI previously had been shown to decrease prostate-specific antigen secretion in vitro, this marker was not used to assess disease status. The dose of CAI used in this study was calculated so that plasma steady-state maximum concentrations between 2.0 and 5.0 microg/ml would be maintained. Following the initial dosage adjustment, 93% (14 of 15) of patients were within the predicted range. Fourteen of 15 patients were evaluable for response. All of the 14 evaluable patients demonstrated progressive disease at approximately 2 months. Twelve patients progressed by computed tomography and or bone scan at 2 months, whereas two patients demonstrated clinical progression at 1.5 and 2 months. One patient was removed from study at 6 weeks due to grade II peripheral neuropathy lasting >1 month. Although no clinical responses were noted, a 27.7% decrease in serum vascular endothelial growth factor concentration was observed. CAI does not possess clinical activity in patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer and soft tissue metastases. Pharmacokinetically guided dosing, although found to be feasible using a Bayesian approach, was not found to be of practical benefit. Although plasma CAI concentrations were maintained within the designated range, grade III toxicity requiring drug discontinuation was still observed.

Metabolic and anthropometric consequences of interruption of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: HAART has been associated with metabolic abnormalities (hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, alterations in cortisol metabolism) and fat redistribution. SETTING: A prospective study of 26 Caucasian men (median age 43.5 years) with HIV-1 viral loads < 500 copies/ml for 12 months while on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) who interrupted treatment for a median of 7.0 weeks (range 4.9-10.3 weeks). Seventeen (65.4%) patients reported at least one fat redistribution symptom at baseline. METHOD: Serum lipids, glucose and insulin levels during an oral glucose tolerance test, 24-h urinary free cortisol and 17-hydroxycorticosteroids, and anthropometric parameters were measured before HAART cessation and prior to its reinstitution. RESULTS: When baseline values were compared with those obtained after HAART interruption (means +/- SD), there was a significant decrease in total cholesterol (194+/-47.3 versus 159+/-29.3 mg/dl; P < 0.0001), low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (114+/-32.6 versus 96+/-24.7 mg/dl; P = 0.0013), triglycerides (261+/-244.3 versus 185+/-165.4 mg/dl; P = 0.008), and 24-hour urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (15+/-7.9 versus 5+/-2.5 mg/24 h, P < 0.0001) and a significant increase in 24-hour urinary free cortisol (45+/-34.1 versus 62+/-32.2 microg/24 h; P = 0.016). There were no significant changes in glucose or insulin levels or in anthropometric measurements. CONCLUSIONS: A relatively brief interruption of HAART resulted in significant improvements in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. No changes were observed in insulin resistance profiles or anthropometric measurements, perhaps because of the brief duration of HAART interruption. These results suggest that hyperlipidemia and alterations in corticosteroid metabolism in the setting of HAART are a direct drug effect that reverses with drug withdrawal. However, glucose metabolism and fat redistribution do not change over the short term.

Safety of direct myocardial administration of an adenovirus vector encoding vascular endothelial growth factor 121.

A gene therapy strategy involving direct myocardial administration of an adenovirus (Ad) vector encoding the vascular endothelial growth factor 121 cDNA (Ad(GV)VEGF121.10) has been shown to be capable of "biological revascularization" of ischemic myocardium in an established porcine model [Mack, C.A. (1998). J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. 115, 168-177]. The present study evaluates the local and systemic safety of this therapy in this porcine ischemia model and in normal mice. Myocardial ischemia was induced in Yorkshire swine with an ameroid constrictor 21 days prior to vector administration. Ad(GV)VEGF121.10 (10(9) or 10(10) PFU), Ad5 wild type (10(9) PFU), AdNull (control vector with no transgene; 10(9) PFU), saline, or no injection (naive) was administered in 10 sites in the ischemic, circumflex distribution of the myocardium. Toxicity was assessed by survival, serial echocardiography, blood analyses, and myocardial and liver histology at 3 and 28 days after vector administration. All pigs survived to sacrifice, except for one animal in the Ad(GV)VEGF121.10 (10(10) PFU) group, which died as a result of oversedation. Echocardiograms of Ad(GV)VEGF121.10-treated pigs demonstrated no differences in pericardial effusion, mitral valve regurgitation, or regional wall motion compared with control pigs. Intramyocardial administration of Ad(GV)VEGF121.10 included only minimal myocardial inflammation and necrosis, and no hepatic inflammation or necrosis. Only a mild elevation of the white blood cell count was encountered on day 3, which was transient and self-limited in the Ad(GV)VEGF121.10 group as compared with the saline-treated animals. As a measure of inadvertent intravascular administration of vector, normal C57/BL6 mice received intravenous Ad(GV)VEGF121.10 (10(4), 10(6), 5 x 10(7), or 10(9) PFU), AdNull (5 x 10(7) or 10(9) PFU), or saline. Toxicity was assessed by survival, blood analyses, and organ histology at 3 and 7 days after vector administration. A separate group of C57/BL6 mice received intravenous AdmVEGF164 (Ad vector encoding the murine VEGF164 cDNA), Ad(GV)VEGF121.10, AdNull (10(8) PFU each group), or saline to assess duration of expression and safety of a homologous transgene. All mice survived to sacrifice except for 40% of the mice in the highest (10(9) PFU; a dose more than 10(3)-fold higher by body weight than the efficacious dose in pigs) Ad(GV)VEGF121.10 dose group, which died on days 5-6 after vector administration. The only differences seen in the blood analyses between treated and control mice were in the very high Ad(GV)VEGF121.10 dose group (10(9) PFU), which demonstrated an anemia as well as an increase in alkaline phosphatase when compared with all other treatment groups. Hepatic VEGF levels by ELISA in AdmVEGF164-treated mice did not persist beyond 14 days after vector administration, suggesting that persistent expression of a homologous VEGF gene transferred with an Ad vector is not a significant safety risk. Although this is not a chronic toxicity study, these data demonstrate the safety of direct myocardial administration of Ad(GV)VEGF121.10, and support the potential use of this strategy to treat human myocardial ischemia.

No evidence for linkage at candidate type 2 diabetes susceptibility loci on chromosomes 12 and 20 in United Kingdom Caucasians.

Several studies have identified evidence for linkage between type 2 diabetes and the regions on chromosomes 12 and 20 containing the maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) genes, hepatocyte nuclear factor-1alpha (HNF-1alpha) and HNF-4alpha. Two studies examining the HNF-1alpha region have demonstrated evidence for linkage at genome-wide levels of significance, whereas four studies examining the HNF-4alpha locus have resulted in evidence for linkage at more suggestive levels of significance. The demonstration of linkage to these regions in additional patient series will strengthen the evidence that susceptibility alleles exist at these loci. We therefore assessed the evidence for linkage to these regions using a large cohort of United Kingdom Caucasian type 2 diabetes-affected sibling pairs. A maximum total of 315 affected full sibling pairs were typed for microsatellite markers across the MODY regions and, in a subset of families, for markers spanning the whole of chromosome 20. Evidence for linkage was assessed using a multipoint, mode of inheritance-free method. Linkage analysis did not reveal any significant evidence for excess allele sharing at any of the regions studied. Loci contributing sibling recurrence risks, relative to the general population risk, of 1.75 and 1.25 could be excluded for the HNF-1alpha and HNF-4alpha regions, respectively. We have not confirmed in United Kingdom Caucasians the evidence for linkage previously reported on 12q and 20q. Our results highlight further the problems of replicating previous positive linkage results across different ethnic groups.

Plasma codeine and morphine concentrations after therapeutic oral doses of codeine-containing analgesics.

Plasma concentrations of codeine and morphine were determined by specific radioimmunoassays in healthy human subjects at various times following oral administration of analgesic preparations containing therapeutic doses of codeine phosphate. Following administration of codeine phosphate (60 mg) in combination with aspirin (650 mg) or acetaminophen (600 mg) to two separate groups, mean peak codeine plasma concentrations and beta-phase elimination half-lives were 159 ng/ml and 2.9 hr or 138 ng/ml and 2.4 hr, respectively. Mean maximum concentrations of metabolically produced morphine were 6.8 ng/ml (aspirin-codeine phosphate administration) and 7.4 ng/ml (acetaminophen-codeine phosphate). Following drug administration, the mean ratio of the areas under the respective plasma concentration-time curves for morphine and codeine was 0.095 for the aspirin-codeine phosphate study and 0.12 for the acetaminophen-codeine phosphate study. Thus, free morphine represented about 10% of the free codeine area in each case. These results support the hypothesis that metabolically produced morphine may influence or be responsible for the analgesic efficacy of codeine.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of codeine in end-stage renal disease.

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of codeine and its metabolites codeine glucuronide, morphine, and morphine glucuronide were assessed after the administration of a single 60 mg oral dose of codeine sulfate and a single 60 mg intravenous dose of codeine phosphate in six healthy volunteers and six patients on chronic hemodialysis. Plasma and urine drug and metabolite concentrations were determined by sensitive and specific RIA procedures. Pharmacodynamics were assessed by pupillometry and vital sign determinations. Codeine elimination half-life and mean residence time were increased significantly in the hemodialysis group (18.69 +/- 9.03 hours and 12.77 +/- 7.09 hours, mean +/- SD, respectively) compared with the healthy volunteer group (4.04 +/- 0.60 hours and 3.90 +/- 0.52 hours, respectively). The total body clearance and volume of distribution of codeine were not significantly different between groups. Peak concentrations, times to peak concentrations, and AUCs for the three metabolites were also not significantly different between the groups, in part as a result of significant interpatient variability in the hemodialysis group. Examination of pupillometry and vital sign data did not reveal clinically significant differences in pharmacodynamics between the groups. Adjustment of dosage regimen may be required in some patients with uremia receiving multiple-dose codeine therapy.

Codeine disposition in smokers and nonsmokers.

The bioavailability of codeine and extent of its transformation to morphine were stated in 12 smoking and 11 nonsmoking subjects after single doses 60 mg IM codeine and 60 mg codeine sulfate orally, given 1 wk apart. Codeine and morphine plasma concentrations over the 12-hr period after drug were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA). No differences were found between smokers and nonsmokers with respect to maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of codeine, time to attain this concentration (tmax), codeine plasma half-life (t1/2), or areas under plasma concentration-time curves (AUC) for codeine or morphine. There was a faster, but clinically unimportant, mean apparent plasma clearance in smokers (52.8 +/- 2.3 (SEM) ml/min/70 kg) than in nonsmokers (45.0 +/- 2.1 ml/min/70 kg) after intramuscular injection only. Mean oral codeine bioavailability in smokers (54.8 +/- 4.9%) and in nonsmokers (50.2 +/- 2.1%) did not offer. Plasma morphine AUC values were higher after oral doses than after intramuscular injections, suggesting a first-pass O-demethylation of codeine. For six of these subjects plasma morphine AUC values were very low after both routes of administration, suggesting less O-demethylation of codeine in these than in the remaining 17 subjects. The observation of higher morphine AUC values after oral codeine, coupled with clinical reports of greater analgesic potency with intramuscular codeine, does not support the hypothesis that the analgesic properties of this drug are mediated entirely by biotransformation to morphine.

Effect of tamoxifen on mammographic density.

There are strong data showing that increased breast cancer risk is associated with increased mammographic density. Tamoxifen has been shown to decrease the risk of invasive breast cancer and decrease breast density. We sought to demonstrate and calculate the extent of change in mammographic density in women who have taken tamoxifen for up to 2 years. We evaluated mammograms from 28 high-risk women who were taking tamoxifen. Four different methods of evaluation were used: (a) two qualitative methods (Wolfe criteria and the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging and Reporting Data System criteria); (b) one semiquantitative method (mammograms were assigned one of five semiquantitative scores by visual inspection); and (c) one quantitative method (computer-aided calculation of fibroglandular area from digitized mammograms). The Wolfe criteria showed a 0.03 category decrease per year (P = 0.50). The American College of Radiology Breast Imaging and Reporting Data System criteria showed a 0.1 category decrease per year (P = 0.12). Semiquantitative criteria showed a 0.2 category decrease per year (P = 0.039). Digitized scores showed a 4.3% decrease per year (P = 0.0007). In conclusion, tamoxifen causes a decrease in mammographic density with use, an effect that is better quantitated with semiquantitative criteria or digitized images. Density change might become useful as a surrogate end point for the effect of tamoxifen and other chemopreventive measures, although our data do not predict an individual's degree of risk reduction.

Prevalence and correlates of mitral valve prolapse in a population-based sample of American Indians: the Strong Heart Study.

PURPOSE: Mitral valve prolapse is heritable and occurs frequently in the general population despite associations with mitral regurgitation and infective endocarditis, suggesting that selective advantages might be associated with mitral valve prolapse. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Clinical examination and 2-dimensional and color Doppler echocardiography were performed in 3340 American Indian participants in the Strong Heart Study. RESULTS: Mitral valve prolapse (clear-cut billowing of one or both mitral leaflets across the mitral anular plane in 2-dimensional parasternal long-axis recordings or >2-mm late systolic posterior displacement of mitral leaflets by M mode) occurred in 37 (1.8%) of 2077 women and 20 (1.6%) of 1263 men (P = 0.88); 32 (3.5%) of 907 patients with normal glucose tolerance, 11 (2.3%) of 486 patients with impaired glucose tolerance, and 13 (0.7%) of 1735 patients with diabetes (P <0.0001). Participants with mitral valve prolapse had lower mean (+/- SD) body mass index (28 +/- 5 kg/m(2) vs. 31 +/- 6 kg/m(2), P = 0.001) and blood pressure (124/71 +/- 19/10 mm Hg vs. 130/75 +/- 21/10 mm Hg, P <0.05), as well as lower levels of fasting glucose, triglycerides, serum creatinine, and log urine albumin/creatinine ratio (all P <0.001), than did those without mitral valve prolapse, although all subjects were similar in age (60 +/- 8 years). Participants with mitral valve prolapse had lower ventricular septal (0.87 +/- 0.08 cm vs. 0.93 +/- 0.13 cm) and posterior wall thicknesses (0.82 +/- 0.08 cm vs. 0.87 +/- 0.10 cm), mass (38 +/- 7 g/m(2.7) vs. 42 +/- 11 g/m(2.7)), and relative wall thickness (0.33 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.35 +/- 0.05), and increased stress-corrected midwall shortening (all P <0.01). Mitral valve prolapse was associated with a higher prevalence of mild (16 of 57 [28%] vs. 614 of 3283 [19%]) and more severe mitral regurgitation (5 of 57 [9%] vs. 48 of 3283 [1%], P <0.0001). Regression analyses showed prolapse was associated with low ventricular relative wall thickness, high midwall function, and low urine albumin/creatinine ratio, independent of age, sex, body mass index, and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Mitral valve prolapse is fairly common and is strongly associated with mitral regurgitation in the general population. However, it is also associated with lower body weight, blood pressure, and prevalence of diabetes; a more favorable metabolic profile and ventricular geometry; and better myocardial and renal function.

Sclerosing adenosis of the prostate gland. A clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study of 11 cases.

Eleven cases of sclerosing adenosis of the prostate gland, a recently reported uncommon pseudoneoplastic lesion with characteristic histological, histochemical, and immunohistochemical features, are described. The well-circumscribed cellular lesions were composed of variably sized and shaped, often compressed, glands and small clusters of epithelial cells embedded in a cellular, often myxoid stroma. Mild cytologic atypia was occasionally present, and one case had moderate cytologic atypia. A distinct basement membrane often surrounded the glands and clusters. Luminal acid mucin was typically present. Keratin-positive basal cells were present in the glands and as spindle cells in the stroma. The basal cells were also immunoreactive for S-100 and muscle-specific actin, suggesting myoepithelial differentiation. Clinical follow-up has shown no evidence of prostatic carcinoma. The available evidence suggests that sclerosing adenosis of the prostate gland is a benign lesion with distinctive features that should enable it to be distinguished from prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Metanephric adenoma of the kidney. A clinicopathological, immunohistochemical, flow cytometric, cytogenetic, and electron microscopic study of seven cases.

We report seven examples of a distinctive adenomatous tubular cortical neoplasm of the adult kidney. The average age of the patients (six women and one man) was 48.6 years (range, 38-64 years). In six patients the tumor was discovered during investigation of unrelated conditions, and all were treated with total nephrectomy. One tumor was found at autopsy. The tumors were well-circumscribed, nodular, tan-pink masses localized to the kidney, ranging in size from 0.6 to 8 cm. Histological examination demonstrated orderly, closely packed, small round tubules lined by bland, darkly staining oval cells with little cytoplasm, merging with rounded nests of similar cells. Occasional branching, elongated tubules, and papillary infoldings of glomeruloid-like bodies were present but blastema was absent. The tumor cells were immunoreactive for Leu 7 (three of five cases) and vimentin (four of six cases), and a few tumors were immunoreactive for cytokeratin (two of six cases), epithelial membrane antigen (one of six cases), and muscle-specific antigen (one of six cases). Ultrastructural examination of two tumors revealed tubular and solid nests of epithelial cells surrounded by basal lamina, with prominent cell junctions, microvilli, and apical secretory granules. DNA content analysis by flow cytometry yielded diploid histograms (four of four cases). Cytogenetic analysis of one case revealed a normal male karyotype. Clinical follow-up, available for six patients, revealed no evidence of recurrence (mean follow-up, 60.8 months). We believe this is a benign tumor, best classified as a metanephric adenoma because of its embryonic architectural and cytological appearance, that can be recognized by its very characteristic pathological features.

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the urinary bladder. A clinicopathological, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and flow cytometric study of 13 cases.

We report 13 cases of inflammatory pseudotumor of the urinary bladder in patients having no history of recent local trauma. The average age of the patients (eight females, five males) was 35.4 years (range, 19 to 60 years). Gross hematuria (nine of 13 cases) and recurrent cystitis (three of 13 cases) were the most common presentations. Cystoscopy and gross examination revealed either a polypoid intraluminal mass or a submucosal mural mass, ranging in size from 2 to 7 cm. The lesions were commonly gelatinous. Histological examination showed that the lesions consisted of spindle cells with tapering eosinophilic cytoplasm, typically widely separated in a vascular myxoid matrix with acute and chronic inflammatory cells. In four cases the lesions had more compact cellularity with areas of fibrosis and less myxoid change. The muscularis propria was involved in 10 cases, the perivesical fat in two cases. The spindle cells were immunoreactive for vimentin (10 of 10) and muscle-specific actin (10 of 10). A few cases exhibited immunoreactivity for smooth-muscle-specific actin (three of eight), cytokeratin (two of 10), desmin (two of nine), and epithelial membrane antigen (two of eight). Ultrastructural examination of four cases revealed myofibroblasts, fibroblasts, or a mixture of the two cell types. DNA content analysis by flow cytometry yielded diploid histograms (six of six). Clinical follow-up in all cases demonstrated no evidence of recurrence (mean follow-up, 25.8 months). The findings indicate that this lesion is a benign, likely inflammatory or reparative, mesenchymal lesion that can be recognized by its distinctive pathological features.

Mixed epithelial and stromal tumor of the kidney.

We describe the clinicopathologic features of 12 patients with a distinctive tumor of the kidney characterized by a mixture of epithelial and stromal elements that form solid and cystic growth patterns. Similar tumors were reported previously in the literature under various names, including adult mesoblastic nephroma. All but one of the patients were women. The only man had a long history of treatment with lupron and diethylstilbesterol. Seven of the women had histories of long-term oral estrogen use of whom six had undergone total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy several years prior, and the seventh patient had been using oral contraceptives for many years. Another woman had this operation but did not receive any hormone therapy. Ages ranged from 31 to 71 years (mean, 56 yrs). Six patients presented with symptoms, including pain and infections attributable to mass effect, and in six the tumor was detected incidentally. Grossly, the tumors were well-circumscribed (mean size, 6 cm; range, 3-12 cm) and consisted of solid and cystic components, most often in equal proportions but in variable distribution. Microscopically, the spindle cell component ranged in appearance from scar-like fibrous tissue to leiomyoma-like interlacing fascicles; usually there was a mixture of both. More cellular foci reminiscent of ovarian stroma or solitary fibrous tumor were also present. No blastema was present. Epithelial elements (composed of clusters of tubules with variable lining) were scattered amidst the spindle cells, and focally transformed into large cysts lined by cells with abundant pink cytoplasm and a hobnail appearance. Immature epithelial elements typical of Wilms' tumor were not present. Muscle markers (desmin and smooth muscle actin) were positive diffusely and strongly in the spindle cells of all tumors, whereas HMB-45 and CD34 were absent. Estrogen receptors were detected in the nuclei of spindle cells in seven tumors and progesterone receptors in three. The distinctive clinicopathologic characteristics of these lesions warrant their classification as a separate category of kidney tumor. We suggest the descriptive term "mixed epithelial and stromal tumor" for this group until its nature and relationship to other kidney lesions are further clarified. Its preponderance in females with a history of long-term estrogen replacement and the history of long-term sex-steroid use in the only male patient, combined with the frequent content of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the spindle cells, suggest that the hormonal milieu plays a role in the evolution of these tumors. The clinical and pathologic parallels with mucinous cystic tumors of pancreas and liver raise the possibility of a common pathogenetic mechanism that may be linked to the periductal fetal mesenchyme. We think this entity is a benign composite neoplasm in which stroma and epithelium are both integral neoplastic components.

Relationship of effective arterial elastance to demographic and arterial characteristics in normotensive and hypertensive adults.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate demographic and vascular correlates of the effective arterial elastance noninvasively in normotensive and hypertensive adults. METHODS: In 202 subjects carotid ultrasonography and external arterial tonometry were simultaneously performed; carotid cross-sectional area, absolute and relative wall thicknesses, Peterson's and Young's elastic moduli and beta', a pressure-dependent index of arterial stiffness, were calculated. The impact of reflected waves on central pressure waveforms was evaluated by the 'augmentation index' (the relative increment in systolic pressure caused by the late-systolic peak). Left ventricular mass and relative wall thickness were assessed echocardiographically. The effective arterial elastance was estimated by dividing the pressure at the dicrotic notch by the Doppler-determined stroke index. RESULTS: The effective arterial elastance was higher in women among normotensives but similar between sexes among hypertensive subjects. It was correlated to age, mean blood pressure, body mass index and measures of arterial function, including Peterson's and Young's elastic moduli and beta', and to the augmentation index. It was also related to absolute and relative carotid wall thicknesses, lumen diameter and indexed cross-sectional area. Age, beta' and carotid cross-sectional area independently predicted effective arterial elastance in multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Effective arterial elastance is related to demographic and arterial structural and functional characteristics. Increases in effective arterial elastance resulting from altered arterial structure and function may play a role in inducing left ventricular adaptative modifications.

Prevalence and correlates of mitral regurgitation in a population-based sample (the Strong Heart Study).

Evidence suggesting that mitral regurgitation (MR) may be induced by appetite suppressant medications heightens the importance of understanding the prevalence and correlates of MR, especially its relation to obesity, in population-based samples. MR was assessed by color Doppler echocardiography in 3,486 American Indian participants in the Strong Heart Study. Mild (1+) MR was present in 19.2%, moderate (2+) MR in 1.6%, moderately severe (3+) in 0.3%, and severe (4+) in 0.2% of participants. In univariate analyses, MR was unrelated to gender, diabetes, or lipid levels, but was more frequent in North/South Dakota (28.3%) than in Oklahoma (21.6%) or Arizona (14.3%) (p <0.001). MR was related to lower body mass index (BMI) (p <0.001), older age (p <0.001), higher systolic blood pressure (p = 0.003), higher serum creatinine (p <0.001), and higher urine albumin/creatinine ratio (p <0.001). In multivariate analyses, the presence and severity of MR were independently associated with higher serum creatinine, lower BMI, mitral stenosis, prior myocardial infarction, female gender, mitral valve prolapse and, variably, older age. In conclusion, MR, mostly mild, is detected by color Doppler echocardiography in >20% of middle-aged and older adults. MR is independently associated with female gender, lower BMI, older age, and renal dysfunction, as well as with prior myocardial infarction, mitral stenosis, and mitral valve prolapse. It is not related to dyslipidemia or diabetes.

Mapping a tumor suppressor gene to chromosome 2p13 in metanephric adenoma by microsatellite allelotyping.

Twelve metanephric adenomas (MA) were studied for allelic imbalance at chromosomal regions known to be involved in the genetics of papillary renal cell tumors (RCT) and Wilms' tumors as well as for loci on chromosome 2p13-21. DNA was isolated from paraffin slides, and allelic status was established by fluorescently-labeled microsatellite markers. No allelic changes were seen in the Wilms' tumor gene region at chromosome 11p13 and in the papillary RCT gene region at chromosome 17q21.32. We delineated a tumor suppressor gene region of approximately 8-centimorgan genetic distance between loci D2S2153 and D2S380 on chromosome 2p13. Allelic changes at this region occurred in 56% of informative cases. Our results provide molecular evidence that MA is a genetic entity, and it can be differentiated from both Wilms' tumor and papillary renal cell adenoma.