Clinical features of a new disease concept, IgG4-related thyroiditis.

OBJECTIVES: Immunoglobulin (Ig)G4-related disease is a recently proposed systemic disorder that includes autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), Mikulicz's disease, and various other organ lesions. In the present retrospective study, we examined whether thyroid lesions should also be included in IgG4-related disease (Ig4-RD) under the new term IgG4-related thyroiditis. METHOD: We enrolled 114 patients with Ig4-RD, including 92 patients with AIP, 15 patients with Mikulicz's disease, and seven patients with IgG4-related cholangitis, and analysed clinical findings, function, serum values of activity markers, computed tomography (CT) images, and histology of the thyroid gland. RESULTS: Among the 22 patients (19%) in our cohort who were found to have hypothyroidism [thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) > 4 mIU/L], 11 patients had clinical hypothyroidism [free thyroxine (FT4) < 1 ng/dL] and 11 patients had subclinical hypothyroidism (FT4 ≥ 1 ng/dL). Serum concentrations of IgG, IgG4, circulating immune complex (CIC), and ß2-microglobulin (ß2-MG) were significantly higher in the hypothyroidism group compared with the remaining 92 euthyroid patients, and serum C3 concentration was significantly lower. After prednisolone treatment, TSH values had decreased significantly (p = 0.005) in this group and FT4 values had increased significantly (p = 0.047). CT images showed that the thyroid glands of patients with clinical hypothyroidism had a significantly greater volume than those of the euthyroid and other groups. Pathological analysis of one resected thyroid gland disclosed a focused lesion with infiltration of lymphocytes and IgG4-bearing plasma cells and loss of thyroid follicles. CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid lesions associated with hypothyroidism can be considered as a new disease termed IgG4-related thyroiditis. Awareness of this condition should lead to appropriate corticosteroid treatment that may prevent progression to a fibrous state.

Effect of protease inhibitors on focus formation by murine sarcoma virus.

The effect of six protease inhibitors, isolated from various species of actinomycetes, on focus formation by murine sarcoma virus was examined. Pepstatin was the only inhibitor. The treatment of cells with pepstatin at various times possibly retards the early stage of infection with murine sarcoma virus.

The 19-kDal protein encoded by early region 1b of adenovirus type 12 is synthesized efficiently in Escherichia coli only as a fused protein.

We have constructed recombinant plasmids that direct the synthesis of the Mr 19 000 protein encoded by the adenovirus type 12 (Ad12) E1b region as either a native protein or a protein fused to the amino-terminal portion of the elongation factor EF-TuB in Escherichia coli cells. Using these recombinants, we could synthesize a large amount of the fused protein, while only a small amount of the native Mr 19 000 protein was produced. The failure to synthesize the native Mr 19 000 protein in E. coli cells was ascribed to inefficient translation.

Effects of hyperbaric oxygen on procollagen messenger RNA levels and collagen synthesis in the healing of rat tendon laceration.

In the present study, we examined the effect of intermittent exposure to hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on experimentally induced tendon laceration in the right hind limb of 56 male Wistar rats. We compared animals treated by HBO (2 atmospheres absolute [ATA] 100% O(2) x 60 min x once per day) with control animals (without HBO) at 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after wound creation. Histology, and pro-alpha1 (I) mRNA by Northern hybridization, pro-alpha1 (III) mRNA, transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) mRNA by RT-PCR were studied. Our results indicate the use of HBO influences the pro-a1 (I) mRNA expression. The level of pro-alpha1 (I) mRNA was especially increased at 7 14 days after laceration by HBO. These results suggest that intermittent oxygen exposure may play a significant role in collagen synthesis and be beneficial for producing the extracellular matrices in tissue engineering.

Early phase adaptations of muscle use and strength to isokinetic training.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of short periods of isokinetic resistance training on muscle use and strength. Seven men trained the right quadriceps femoris muscles (QF) 9 d for 2 wk using 10 sets of 5 knee extensions each day. Isometric and isokinetic torques of QF were measured at six angular velocities. Cross-sectional areas (CSA) of QF were determined from axial images using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Transverse relaxation time (T2) and activated area of QF, which represented the area greater than the mean resting T2 + ISD in MR[pixels, were calculated at rest and immediately after repetitive isokinetic knee extensions based on T2-weighted MR images. Muscle fiber types, fiber area, and phosphofructokinase (PFK) activities were determined from biopsies of the vastus lateralis muscle. No changes were found in CSA of QF, muscle fiber types, fiber area, and PFK activities after the training. Isometric and isokinetic peak torques at 60-240 degrees x s(-1) and relative area of QF activated by knee extensions increased significantly after the training. These results suggest that muscle strength increases after short periods of isokinetic resistance training without muscle hypertrophy would be due to increased muscle contractile activity.

The effects of various therapeutic measures on shoulder range of motion and cross-sectional areas of rotator cuff muscles after baseball pitching.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of various therapeutic measures on the shoulder range of motion (ROM) and muscle cross-sectional area (mCSA) of rotator cuff muscles after baseball pitching. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: a mode of therapeutic measures was classified in 4 groups; the control (CON), ice treatment (IT), light shoulder exercise (LSE) and ice treatment with LSE (ILSE) groups. Each therapeutic measure was performed after pitching. PARTICIPANTS: 7 healthy, skilled baseball pitchers. MEASURES: ROM and mCSA were measured before pitching, immediately after pitching, at the time of the therapeutic measure, and 24 hours after pitching. Shoulder ROM at 90 inverted exclamation mark of abduction included internal rotation (IROM), maximum internal rotation (IMROM), external rotation (EROM) and maximum external rotation (EMROM). RESULTS: In all groups, both IROM and IMROM were significantly decreased after pitching compared with the pre-exercise values and conversely both EROM and EMROM were significantly increased. The mCSA of all rotator cuff muscles were increased significantly after pitching. For IMROM, ILSE showed a significant recovery at the post-therapeutic measure compared with the others and at 24 hours after pitching compared with IT, respectively. For IROM, both LSE and ILSE showed significant recovery compared with CON at the post-therapeutic measure. For the mCSA of external muscles, ILSE showed a greater decrease at the post-therapeutic measure than the others, and at 24 hours after pitching than CON. CONCLUSION: This study suggested the possibility that ILSE was more effective to recover ROM and decrease mCSA than the other methods.

The effects of various therapeutic measures on shoulder strength and muscle soreness after baseball pitching.

AIM: This study was intended as an investigation of the effects of various therapeutic measures on the shoulder strength and muscle soreness after baseball pitching. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: participants threw 98 pitches in a simulated single game. The mode of the therapeutic measures after pitching were classified into 4 groups; the control group (CON), the ice treatment group (IT), the light shoulder exercise group (LSE) and the ice treatment with LSE group (ILSE). Each therapeutic measure was applied to the dominant shoulder immediately after pitching. PARTICIPANTS: 7 healthy, skilled baseball pitchers. MEASURES: both shoulder strength and muscle soreness were measured before pitching, immediately after pitching (Post-P), at the time of the therapeutic measure (Post-TM), and 24 hours after pitching (Post-24 h). RESULTS: All 4 groups showed shoulder strength losses in shoulder abduction, internal/external rotation with no shoulder abduction or with the shoulder abducted to 90 degrees immediately after pitching. ILSE had greater recovery from Post-P values at Post-TM or Post-24 h than the other methods in all 5 shoulder strengths. On the other hand, the soreness in shoulder internal rotation was increased significantly from Post-P and continued by Post-24 h. Both IT and ILSE had beneficial effects on reducing the shoulder muscle soreness at Post-TM or Post-24 h. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggested that ILSE was the optimal therapeutic measure against decreased shoulder strength or increased shoulder muscle soreness resulting from the repetitive baseball pitching.

Overexpression of O-GlcNAc by prostate cancer cells is significantly associated with poor prognosis of patients.

BACKGROUND: O-linked ß-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a glycan essential for fundamental cellular processes such as transcription/translation, nuclear transport, protein stability and protein-protein interactions. However, the role of O-GlcNAc in prostate cancer progression of patients remains poorly unknown. Here we investigated the clinicopathological significance of O-GlcNAc expression level in prostate cancer. METHODS: O-GlcNAc expression level in prostate cancer cells was determined by immunohistochemistry of prostate biopsy specimens obtained from 56 patients later treated with hormone deprivation therapy comparing with adjacent normal prostate glands in the same sections. Overall survival was determined by the Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards methods with univariate and multivariate models. The effects of reduced O-GlcNAc expression level on proliferation and invasion of prostate cancer LNCaP cells were examined using small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), the enzyme responsible for O-GlcNAc biosynthesis. RESULTS: Defining cancer cells showing stronger cytoplasmic staining than normal prostate glands as overexpression of O-GlcNAc, 39% of prostate cancer patients were categorized as overexpression. The Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards methods with univariate model analysis revealed that O-GlcNAc overexpression was associated with overall survival (P=0.0012 for the Kaplan-Meier and P=0.0021 for Cox univariate hazard model analysis). Furthermore, O-GlcNAc was the only item in which a significant difference was observed at overall survival by multivariate analysis (P=0.0475). Finally, siRNA-mediated OGT knockdown in LNCaP cells resulted in decreased expression of O-GlcNAc and promoted decreased proliferation and tumor cell invasion compared with control siRNA-transfected LNCaP cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that O-GlcNAc expression level in prostate cancer cells is associated with poor prognosis of prostate cancer patients and likely enhances tumor cell proliferation and invasion.