Immunoregulatory function of PIR-A/B+ DCs in the inflammatory responses of dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis.

BACKGROUND: Dendritic cells (DCs) may play an important role in forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. DCs are generally recognized as initiators of acquired immunity and also serve as regulators of both innate and acquired immunity. We used the animal model of colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), and examined whether DCs prepared from the colon show immunoregulatory roles in the termination of DSS-induced colitis. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice exposed to DSS for 5 days developed acute colitis. DCs were isolated from the large intestinal lamina propria, and then analyzed for phenotypical, functional, and genetic data. RESULTS: Only PIR-A/B(low) conventional DCs (cDCs) were detected in the steady state. However, after the treatment of DSS, PIR-A/B(high) cDCs appeared and gradually increased from day 5 to day 7, at which time the DSS-induced colitis was terminated. Then, allogeneic mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR) was performed. The stimulatory activity of PIR-A/B(high) cDCs obtained on day 7 was very low, and the addition of PIR-A/B(high) cDCs suppressed the T cell proliferation in MLR, indicating the immunoregulatory role of PIR-A/B(high) cDCs. The immunoregulatory role of PIR-A/B(high) cDCs was confirmed by the in vivo transfer experiment, showing their therapeutic effect on DSS-induced colitis. The message level of TGFßi was significantly higher in PIR-A/B(high) cDCs, while that of IFN-γ was highly upregulated in PIR-A/B(low) cDCs, being well in accordance with the fact that PIR-A/B(high) cDCs showed a suppressive function against activated T cells. CONCLUSION: PIR-A/B(high) cDCs showed a suppressive function against activated T cells by producing inhibitory cytokines.

Transcutaneous monitoring of partial pressure of carbon dioxide during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography using a double-balloon endoscope with carbon dioxide insufflation under conscious sedation.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: A double-balloon (DB) endoscope can be selectively inserted into the afferent loop to carry out endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with surgically altered anatomy, allowing various types of endoscopic treatments for pancreaticobiliary diseases to be successfully carried out. In order to make such a lengthy procedure more comfortable and safe, sedatives and carbon dioxide (CO2 ) insufflation are widely used for gastrointestinal endoscopy. However, these techniques can increase the risk of CO2 retention. Recently, a new sensor for transcutaneous measurement of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2 ) has been introduced. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the changes in transcutaneous PCO2 (PtcCO2 ) during DB-ERCP with CO2 insufflation under conscious sedation and assess any complications related to sedation and CO2 insufflation. METHODS: A total of 312 patients underwent DB-ERCP with CO2 insufflation at our hospital between March 2009 and December 2012. The patients were moderately sedated using midazolam with or without pentazocine. PtcCO2 was measured by a non-invasive sensor throughout DB-ERCP in all patients. RESULTS: The mean peak PtcCO2 during the procedure was significantly higher than the mean PtcCO2 value before and after DB-ERCP. Body mass index, procedure time and dose of pentazocine were significantly higher in the CO2 retention group (peak PtcCO2 ≥ 50 mmHg). CO2 narcosis was observed in one case. CONCLUSIONS: DB-ERCP with CO2 insufflation under conscious sedation might have the potential to increase the risk of CO2 retention. Hence, non-invasive and continuous PtcCO2 measurement is useful for early detection of hypercapnia.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma diagnosed via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with a short double-balloon enteroscope.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) using a double-balloon enteroscope (DBE) in patients with bowel reconstruction due to a previous abdominal surgery is now widely accepted. In particular, a short DBE, which has a 2.8-mm working channel and 152-cm working length, is useful for ERCP because of its good rotational and straightening ability and the availability of various conventional ERCP accessories through the working channel. Herein we report a case of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma via ERCP with a short DBE. This is the first report in which the pre-cutting and the brush cytological examination were performed successfully under a DBE to diagnose intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma pathologically. The short DBE allowed us to perform all diagnostic and therapeutic procedures accepted in conventional ERCP in patients with surgically altered anatomies.

A case of IgG4-related disease associated with diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

In June 2008, a 74-year-old male was diagnosed with IgG4-related disease including histologically proven IgG4-related prostatitis, and then followed as an outpatient. In July 2011, cervical, chest, and abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed right parotid gland swelling and lymph node enlargement of the supraclavicular, mediastinal, left hilar, porta hepatis, and para-aorta. A biopsy of the right parotid gland was performed, and we diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). As malignancies are possible complications for patients with IgG4-related disease, we must be careful in the follow-up of IgG4-related disease patients.

Autoimmune pancreatitis with histologically proven lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing pancreatitis with granulocytic epithelial lesions.

Recent histological and clinical studies have suggested the existence of 2 distinct types of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP): type 1 AIP related to IgG4, exhibiting lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing pancreatitis (LPSP), and type 2 AIP related to granulocyte epithelial lesions (GELs), exhibiting idiopathic duct-centric chronic pancreatitis (IDCP). We herein present a case of type 1 AIP with histologically proven LPSP with GELs. This patient had neither serum IgG4 elevation nor MPD narrowing. In this case, the clinically and histologically atypical findings for type 1 AIP are intriguing.

Amelioration of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis in mice by immunoregulatory dendritic cells.

BACKGROUND: Dendritic cells (DCs) are widely distributed throughout the lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues, and are important initiators of acquired immunity. They also serve as regulators by inducing self-tolerance. However, it has not been thoroughly clarified whether DCs are somehow involved in the regulation or treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases. METHODS: We established an ileitis model by transmurally injecting 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) into the lumen of the ileocolonic junction. The kinetic movement of DCs at the inflammatory sites was analyzed histologically and by flow cytometry, and DCs obtained from the small intestine were analyzed in order to determine the expression of paired immunoglobulin-like receptor-A/B (PIR-A/B) by flow cytometry and quantitative RT-PCR. Furthermore, the regulatory role of DCs was directly determined by a transfer experiment using TNBS-induced colitis model mice. RESULTS: We observed three DC subsets (PIR-A/B(high), PIR-A/B(med), and PIR-A/B(-) DCs) in the conventional DCs (cDCs) from day 3, and the number of PIR-A/B(med) cDCs increased from the time the inflammatory responses ceased (day 7). PIR-A/B(med) cDCs actually migrated to the inflamed colon, and ameliorated the colitis induced by TNBS when transferred to colitis-induced recipients. The colitis was greatly exacerbated when mice had been treated with the indoleamine-pyrrole 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) inhibitor 1-methyltryptophan (1-mT) at the time PIR-A/B(med) cDCs were transferred, indicating that the therapeutic ability of PIR-A/B(med) cDCs is partially dependent on IDO. CONCLUSION: The PIR-A/B(med) cDCs, which increase in number during the final stages of inflammation, can be used to treat colitis via an IDO-dependent mechanism.

[A case of hepatic actinomycosis diagnosed by thin needle aspiration biopsy successfully treated with antibiotics].

A 57-year-old man presented with chief complaints of right hypochondrial pain and fever. Laboratory tests revealed severe inflammatory reactions. Abdominal ultrasonography disclosed a mass with non-homogeneous internal echoes suggesting hepatic abscess. Percutaneous liver biopsy revealed a lump of actinomycetes, allowing a diagnosis of hepatic actinomycosis. The abscess disappeared following long-term treatment with penicillin antibiotics. Actinomycosis developing primarily in the liver is very rare. This condition needs to be distinguished from tumorous lesions of the liver, including malignancy. It seems noteworthy that the diagnosis of this condition was possible on the basis of percutaneous liver biopsy.