Ulcerative colitis after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

A 54-year-old woman with peripheral T cell lymphoma in second complete remission (CR) received an autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT). Antibiotic-resistant bloody diarrhea, and fever developed 110 days after transplant. Blood and stool cultures were negative. Skin rash was not observed. Barium enema and colonoscopy showed typical features of pancolonic-type ulcerative colitis (UC). Endoscopic biopsies confirmed the diagnosis of UC. Mesalazine and immunosuppressive therapy improved symptoms dramatically. We detected serum antibodies against synthetic tropomyosin (TM) peptide when UC was diagnosed. We postulate that autoimmunity including autoreactive anti-TM antibodies may be involved in the pathogenesis of UC after autologous PBSCT in this patient.

[A case of Sairei-to-induced pneumonitis diagnosed by lymphocyte stimulation test of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid].

A 51-year-old woman was admitted with fever, cough and dyspnea. She had been taking Sairei-to, a traditional Chinese medicine, for 2 months. On admission, chest X-ray revealed a ground-glass appearance in the lung fields bilaterally and serum LDH was elevated. A differential cell count of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) showed that lymphocytes were increased, with a decreased ratio of CD4/CD8 cells. A lymphocyte stimulation test (LST) for Sairei-to using the lymphocytes in BALF was a positive, although a test of peripheral blood was negative. Sairei-to-induced pneumonitis was diagnosed based on the clinical course, laboratory findings, BALF cell analysis and LST of BALF. Only 4 cases of pneumonitis due to Sairei-to have been reported. This case suggests that LST of BALF is useful for diagnosing drug-induced pneumonitis.

[Anti-inflammatory effect of Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase on carrageenin-induced arthritis in rabbits].

Anti-arthritic action of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was studied in rabbits. Arthritis was induced by intraarticular injections of lambda-carrageenin (1%, 1 ml) into the knee joint weekly for two weeks. In this experimental arthritis, acid phosphatase activity, quantities of protein, uronic acid and lipid peroxide, and leukocyte counts in the synovial fluid increased; and the quantity of uronic acid in the articular cartilage decreased. Microscopic findings of the synovial membrane showed a proliferative synovitis. The responses of the left and right knee joint to carrageenin were much to the same in degree, so that the anti-arthritic action of SOD by intraarticular injections was evaluated on one knee joint, referring to the other joint as a control (saline injections). Two injections of SOD (350 SOD unit = 0.1 mg), one a week, suppressed the inflammatory changes in the biochemical parameters of the synovial fluid and the articular cartilage; particularly, significant inhibitory effects on acid phosphatase, lipid peroxide and leukocyte were observed. The microscopic findings of the synovial membrane also revealed that SOD was efficacious. On the other hand, 0.1 mg of denatured SOD, prepared by reducing the S-S bond or heating under an alkaline condition, did not show any anti-arthritic activity. These results suggest that the anti-arthritic action of SOD actually depends on the enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase.