In vivo eradication of MLL/ENL leukemia cells by NK cells in the absence of adaptive immunity.

It remains unclear how the immune system affects leukemia development. To clarify the significance of the presence of immune systems in leukemia development, we transferred MLL/ENL leukemia cells into immune-competent or immune-deficient mice without any preconditioning including irradiation. The wild-type mice did not develop leukemia, whereas all the Rag2(-/-)γc(-/-) mice lacking both adaptive immune cells and natural killer (NK) cells developed leukemia, indicating that leukemia cells were immunologically rejected. Interestingly, leukemia cells were also rejected in 60% of the Rag2(-/-) mice that lacked adaptive immune cells but possessed NK cells, suggesting that NK cells play a substantial role in the rejection of leukemia. Moreover, engraftment of leukemia cells was enhanced by NK cell depletion in Rag2(-/-) recipients and inhibited by transfer of NK cells into Rag2(-/-)γc(-/-) recipients. Upregulation of NKG2D (NK group 2, member D) ligands in MLL/ENL leukemia cells caused elimination of leukemia cells by NK cells. Finally, we found that leukemia cells resistant to elimination by NK cells had been selected during leukemia development in Rag2(-/-) recipients. These results demonstrate that NK cells can eradicate MLL/ENL leukemia cells in vivo in the absence of adaptive immunity, thus suggesting that NK cells can play a potent role in immunosurveillance against leukemia.

Frequency of CD4(+)FOXP3(+) regulatory T-cells at early stages after HLA-mismatched allogeneic hematopoietic SCT predicts the incidence of acute GVHD.

Acute GVHD (aGVHD) is a major obstacle to allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (alloHSCT). Although it is thought that aGVHD is initiated in secondary lymphoid organs at a very early stage of alloHSCT, whether CD4(+)FOXP3(+) regulatory T-cells (Tregs) have an impact on aGVHD development during this period remains unclear. Here, we measured Tregs in peripheral blood as early as possible after HLA-mismatched alloHSCT, and assessed the incidence of aGVHD. Flow cytometric analyses revealed that at the second week after HSCT, patients with aGVHD had significantly (P=0.018) lower Treg:CD4(+)T-cell ratios than those without aGVHD. As these differences were seen before the development of aGVHD, these ratios can predict the incidence of aGVHD. The cumulative incidence of aGVHD in patients with ratios of <9% was significantly higher than that in patients with ratios of 9% (P=0.0082, log-rank test). Additionally, the specific ratio of Tregs:CD4(+)T-cells was the most significant value among all other possible lymphocyte-associated ratios and absolute cell counts. These findings suggest that the ratio of Tregs:CD4(+)T-cells at the second week post HLA-mismatched alloHSCT might be a potent predictor of aGVHD in these patients. The practical efficacy of this finding should be verified in further interventional studies.

CD138-negative clonogenic cells are plasma cells but not B cells in some multiple myeloma patients.

Clonogenic multiple myeloma (MM) cells reportedly lacked expression of plasma cell marker CD138. It was also shown that CD19(+) clonotypic B cells can serve as MM progenitor cells in some patients. However, it is unclear whether CD138-negative clonogenic MM plasma cells are identical to clonotypic CD19(+) B cells. We found that in vitro MM colony-forming cells were enriched in CD138(-)CD19(-)CD38(++) plasma cells, while CD19(+) B cells never formed MM colonies in 16 samples examined in this study. We next used the SCID-rab model, which enables engraftment of human MM in vivo. CD138(-)CD19(-)CD38(++) plasma cells engrafted in this model rapidly propagated MM in 3 out of 9 cases, while no engraftment of CD19(+) B cells was detected. In 4 out of 9 cases, CD138(+) plasma cells propagated MM, although more slowly than CD138(-) cells. Finally, we transplanted CD19(+) B cells from 13 MM patients into NOD/SCID IL2Rγc(-/-) mice, but MM did not develop. These results suggest that at least in some MM patients CD138-negative clonogenic cells are plasma cells rather than B cells, and that MM plasma cells including CD138(-) and CD138(+) cells have the potential to propagate MM clones in vivo in the absence of CD19(+) B cells.

Salvage haploidentical transplantation for graft failure using reduced-intensity conditioning.

Graft failure is a major concern after cord blood transplantation (CBT) or HLA-haploidentical transplantation (haplo-SCT). As patients who undergo CBT or haplo-SCT almost always lack both matched-related and -unrelated donors, salvage transplantation would also be limited to either CBT or haplo-SCT. In this study, we assessed eight patients who received haplo-SCT as salvage therapy for graft failure. Five and three patients had received haplo-SCT and CBT, respectively, which resulted in graft failure. The median interval from the failed transplantation to salvage transplantation in six patients with primary graft failure was 33.5 days. The reduced-intensity conditioning regimen consisted of fludarabine, thiotepa, rabbit antithymocyte globulin and low-dose TBI. All eight patients achieved neutrophil engraftment, and seven patients achieved platelet recovery. The median times to neutrophil recovery and platelet recovery were 10 and 20 days, respectively. Three patients died from treatment-related causes: two from GVHD and one from rupture of carotid artery aneurysm. Five patients are alive, at a median follow-up of 946 days. The probability of overall survival at 5 years was 75%. These findings may serve as a rationale for giving precedence to haplo-SCT over CBT in salvage SCT after graft failure.

A Novel real-time dosimetry technique based on radiation-induced surface activation.

A novel real-time dosimetry technique based on radiation-induced surface activation (RISA) phenomenon has been proposed that is similar to ultraviolet surface activation known typically in anatase-type titanium dioxide. It has been found that the RISA phenomenon occurs on the surface of an oxidised semiconductor or oxidised metal film by radiation incidence. The RISA dosemeter has the following advantageous characteristics: (1) output of the RISA dosemeter is proportional to the dose equivalent rate in harsh environments, (2) fluctuation of output of the RISA dosemeter irradiated by (60)Co gamma-rays is <2.5% beyond the total dose equivalent of 1.8 MSv, (3) the transient current observed in simple insulators for a few seconds or more after onset of irradiation was not detected in the RISA dosemeter and (4) this dosemeter worked well even at high temperatures.

Validity and safety of sputum induction by inhaled uridine 5'-triphosphate.

UNLABELLED: Inhalation of hypertonic saline during sputum induction causes bronchoconstriction. We studied the validity and safety of sputum induction by uridine 5'-triphosphate (UTP). Sputum was induced by a 5-min inhalation of hypertonic saline (3%) on Day 1 and UTP (5 mg/ml in 0.9% saline) on Days 8 and 15 in 16 healthy subjects and 16 patients with mild-to-moderate asthma. Inhaled UTP produced twofold greater amounts of sputum than did hypertonic saline. There were significant differences in oxygen desaturation and bronchoconstriction during the procedure between the two methods: the maximal fall in Sa(O(2)), the AUC of the Sa(O(2))-time response, and the fall in PEF were less in the subjects who received UTP than in those who received hypertonic saline. Sputum total cell and differential cell counts, with a high proportion of eosinophils in asthmatics, were similar between specimens obtained by hypertonic saline and UTP. When we compared two consecutive measurements on the UTP-induced sputum samples, the reproducibility calculated by the intraclass correlation coefficient was high for the proportion of eosinophils, neutrophils, and macrophages. Therefore, inhalation of UTP aerosols may provide an effective, relatively noninvasive, valid, and reproducible method of sputum induction for the assessment of airway inflammation in asthma. KEYWORDS: uridine triphosphate; induced sputum; airway inflammation; bronchoconstriction; asthma

Effect of suplatast tosilate, a Th2 cytokine inhibitor, on steroid-dependent asthma: a double-blind randomised study. Tokyo Joshi-Idai Asthma Research Group.

BACKGROUND: Th2 cytokines play an important part in the pathogenesis of asthma. Our aim was to study the effect of suplatast tosilate, a selective Th2 cytokine inhibitor, on asthma control and asthma exacerbations during reduction of inhaled corticosteroid dose in patients with steroid-dependent asthma. METHODS: 85 patients with moderate to severe asthma taking high doses (> or = 1500 microg per day) of inhaled beclometasone dipropionate, were assigned suplatast tosilate (100 mg three times daily) or placebo for 8 weeks in a double-blind, randomised, parallel-group, multicentre trial. During the first 4 weeks, other medications remained unchanged (add-on phase); during the next 4 weeks, the doses of beclometasone were halved (steroid-reduction phase). Main outcome measures were pulmonary function, asthma symptoms, and use of beta2-agonists. FINDINGS: Data were available from 77 patients. During the add-on phase, suplatast tosilate treatment, compared with placebo, was associated with higher forced expiratory volume in 1 s (mean difference between groups for changes from baseline at week 4, 0.20 L [95% CI 0.16-0.24], p=0.043), morning peak expiratory flow (18.6 L/min [14.1-23.1], p=0.037), and less diurnal variation in peak expiratory flow rate, asthma symptom scores (7.1 [6.6-7.6], p=0.029), and serum concentrations of eosinophil cationic protein and IgE. In the steroid-reduction phase, pulmonary function, asthma symptoms, and use of beta2-agonist deteriorated significantly more in the placebo group than in the suplatast group. INTERPRETATION: Treatment with a Th2 cytokine inhibitor in steroid-dependent asthma improves pulmonary function and symptom control, and allows a decrease in dose of inhaled corticosteroid without significant side-effects. Some improvements in pharmacokinetics are, however, needed.

Impairment of airway mucociliary transport in patients with sinobronchial syndrome: role of nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide (NO) produced within the respiratory tract can stimulate ciliary motility of airway epithelial cells and hence mucociliary transport. In this study, to determine the role of NO in mucociliary dysfunction in sinobronchial syndrome (SBS), we measured NO concentrations in the exhaled air by chemiluminescence analyzer and nasal clearance time (NCT) by saccharin test. Exhaled NO concentrations in patients with SBS were 39% of those in healthy nonsmokers and 55% of those in healthy smokers. The patients also showed prolonged NCT compared with healthy subjects, and there was a significant negative correlation between exhaled NO concentrations and NCT. Furthermore, concentrations of chloride (Cl) in the sputum supernatant were higher in SBS patients than in healthy subjects, and there was a significant negative correlation between sputum Cl concentrations and exhaled NO concentrations. These results suggest that airway mucociliary clearance is impaired in patients with SBS and that this impairment might result from the reduced production of NO and the impaired availability of the molecule in the mucociliary apparatus.

[Role of nitric oxide in airway mucociliary dysfunction in diffuse panbronchiolitis].

Nitric oxide (NO) stimulates the ciliary motility of the airway epithelium, thereby assisting in the regulation of mucociliary transport in the respiratory tract. In the present study, to elucidate a possible involvement of NO in mucociliary disturbance in diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB), we measured nasal clearance time (NCT) using the saccharin test, NO concentration in the exhaled air with a chemiluminescence analyzer, and electrolyte concentration in the sputum. Compared with healthy nonsmokers and smokers, patients with DPB showed a lower NO concentration in the exhaled air (p < 0.05), prolonged NCT (p < 0.01), and a higher Cl concentration in the sputum (p < 0.05). Among these variables, exhaled NO concentration was negatively correlated with NCT (p < 0.01) and sputum Cl concentration (p < 0.05). These results suggest that the inhibition of NO generation associated with an elevated Cl concentration in the airway surface liquid may contribute to airway mucociliary dysfunction in DPB.

Ginsenoside-induced relaxation of human bronchial smooth muscle via release of nitric oxide.

Ginsenoside, an extract of Panax ginseng, is an essential constituent of anti-asthmatic Chinese herbal medicine. To elucidate whether ginsenoside affects airway smooth muscle tone and, if so, what the mechanism of action is, we studied relaxant responses of human bronchial strips under isometric condition in vitro, and directly measured the release of nitric oxide (NO) by an amperometric sensor for this molecule. Addition of ginsenoside relaxed the tissues precontracted with acetylcholine in a dose-dependent manner, the maximal relaxation and the ginsenoside concentration required to produce 50% relaxation being 67+/-8% and 210+/-29 microg ml(-1), respectively. The relaxant responses to ginsenoside were inhibited by N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) and removal of the epithelium, but not by N(G)-nitro-D-arginine methylester (D-NAME) or tetrodotoxin. This inhibitory effect of L-NAME was reversed by L-arginine but not by D-arginine. Addition of ginsenoside to the medium containing bronchial tissues dose-dependently increased NO-selective electrical current, and this effect was greatly attenuated by the epithelial removal or Ca(2+)-free medium. Ginsenoside also increased tissue cyclic GMP contents, an effect that was abolished in the presence of L-NAME. It is concluded that ginsenoside induces relaxation of human bronchial smooth muscle via stimulation of NO generation predominantly from airway epithelium and cyclic GMP synthesis. This action might account for the anti-asthmatic effect of Panax ginseng.

Effect of a thromboxane A(2) antagonist on sputum production and its physicochemical properties in patients with mild to moderate asthma.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of a specific thromboxane A(2) (TxA(2)) receptor antagonist, seratrodast, on asthma control and airway secretions. DESIGN: Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. PATIENTS: Forty-five patients with mild to moderate asthma who had been continuously expectorating sputum of > 20 g/d. Patients with a current pulmonary infection or taking oral corticosteroids, antibiotics, or mucolytic agents were excluded from the trial. INTERVENTIONS: Following a 2-week run-in period, while pulmonary function, sputum production, and mucociliary function were assessed, patients were assigned to receive seratrodast, 40 mg/d, or placebo for 6 weeks. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: During the treatment period, the changes in FEV(1) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were not different between the two patient groups, but there were significant reductions in diurnal variation of PEF (p = 0.034), frequency of daytime asthma symptoms (p = 0.030), and daytime supplemental use of beta(2)-agonist (p = 0.032) in the seratrodast group. For sputum analysis, seratrodast treatment decreased the amount of sputum (p = 0.005), dynamic viscosity (p = 0. 007), and albumin concentration (p = 0.028), whereas it had no effect on elastic modulus or fucose concentration. Nasal clearance time of a saccharin particle was shortened in the seratrodast group at week 4 (p = 0.031) and week 6 (p = 0.025), compared with the placebo group. CONCLUSION: Blockade of TxA(2) receptor has minimal effects on pulmonary function, but may cause an improvement in mucociliary clearance by decreasing the viscosity of airway secretions.

[An automated electronic anesthesia record using a hospital LAN (local area network)].

We have developed an automated electronic anesthesia record system using a hospital LAN. As the number of monitors we can use in the operating room is increasing, it is impossible to record all physiologic parameters in a handwritten anesthesia record. Physiologic parameters are recorded every 10 seconds from the anesthesia monitor. An operation ordering system by a hospital LAN has been completed and the patient's data are stored in a host computer, and we can use its data for the automated electronic anesthesia record preoperatively. The advantages of the automated electronic anesthesia record are continuous high quality, more data collection than the handwritten anesthesia record, and the electronic database. During a critical period, the anesthesiologist is too busy to plot physiologic parameters but the automated electronic anesthesia record is reliable and accurate. Disadvantage of the automated electronic anesthesia record is some practice required to input clinical events such as drug administration. The handwritten anesthesia record is easy to use and economical. Ergonomic problems still remain to be solved for wider acceptance of the automated electronic anesthesia record in clinical practice. At the end of the operation, intraoperative data are sent to a host computer and the anesthesia record is printed. We can use this database for clinical research and retrospective case reviews. The implementation of the automated electronic anesthesia record in anesthesia practice will improve quality of patient care.

Effect of inhaled indomethacin in asthmatic patients taking high doses of inhaled corticosteroids.

BACKGROUND: Cyclooxygenase products of arachidonic acid may play a part in bronchoconstriction and airway inflammation in asthma. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the effect of inhaled indomethacin on asthma control and asthma exacerbations during reduction of inhaled corticosteroids in patients with moderate-to-severe steroid-dependent asthma. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, multicenter study in 38 patients with asthma taking high doses (> or =1500 microg/d) of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP). After a run-in period, patients were assigned inhaled indomethacin (50 mg/d) or placebo for 6 weeks, during which the daily doses of BDP were reduced to half at week 2 and then to one third of the baseline dose at week 4. RESULTS: Data were available from 34 patients. After the reduction of BDP doses, FEV(1), peak expiratory flow, asthma symptoms, and exhaled nitric oxide concentrations deteriorated in both treatment groups, but these effects were less pronounced in the indomethacin group compared with the placebo group. During the 6-week treatment period, 89% of the patients receiving placebo had relapse of asthma, whereas only 38% of those receiving inhaled indomethacin did so (P =.003). CONCLUSION: Inhalation of indomethacin can reduce asthma exacerbations induced by reduction of high-dose inhaled corticosteroid in steroid-dependent asthma.

Effect of cromolyn on adenosine-induced airway microvascular leakage in sensitized rats.

Inhalation of adenosine causes bronchoconstriction in asthmatic subjects, but the effect of this purine nucleotide on airway vascular permeability is unknown. In order to determine whether adenosine produces airway microvascular leakage and, if so, to examine the effect of cromolyn (sodium cromoglycate (SCG)) on this extravasation of Evans blue was measured in the airways of ovalbumin-sensitized Brown Norway rats. Inhaled adenosine caused microvascular leakage in sensitized but not in non-sensitized rats, and the response was abolished by capsaicin pretreatment or the tachykinin neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist FK888. Adenosine-induced vascular leakage became apparent in nonsensitized rats when treated with phosphoramidon, and airway neutral endopeptidase activity was lower in sensitized than in non-sensitized animals. The extravasation induced by adenosine in sensitized rats was dose dependently inhibited by SCG aerosols, SCG likewise inhibited microvascular responses to substance P, but had no effect on those to platelet-activating factor. These results suggest that: 1) adenosine induces airway microvascular leakage in sensitized rats through stimulation of neurokinin-1 receptors; 2) this effect is associated with a sensitization-induced decrease in neutral endopeptidase activity; and 3) sodium cromoglycate inhibits adenosine-induced extravasation, presumably via functional antagonism of tachykinins.

[Risk factor of liver disorders caused by flutamide--statistical analysis using multivariate logistic regression analysis].

The antiandrogenic drug, flutamide (Odyne), is widely used in the treatment of carcinoma of prostate. It is well known that flutamide has adverse effects of liver disorders. To ascertain the risk of liver disorders before administering this drug, past history and lifestyle preferences were resurveyed in 123 patients who had been treated with flutamide. The results obtained were assessed in relation to the occurrence of liver disorders by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The incidence of liver disorders was 26% (33/123), with 64% of the disorders occurring within 9 months. The chi-square test for dependent variables revealed that three variables, i.e., body mass index, past history of liver disorders and elevated glutamic-pyruvic transaminase levels were significantly related to the incidence of liver disorders (p > 0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that a history of liver disorders and elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were related to a higher incidence of liver disorders. Elevated ALT levels were associated with a higher incidence of liver disorders and smoking was related to a lower incidence of the liver disorders.

Effect of azelastine on platelet-activating factor-induced microvascular leakage in rat airways.

To determine the effect of the antiallergic drug azelastine on airway mucosal inflammation, we studied airway microvascular permeability in response to platelet-activating factor (PAF) in pathogen-free rats. Vascular permeability and neutrophil accumulation were assessed by the percent area occupied by Monastral blue-labeled blood vessels and by myeloperoxidase-containing granulocytes, respectively, in whole mounts of the trachea and main bronchus. Intravenous PAF caused dose-dependent increases in the area density of Monastral blue-labeled vessels and neutrophil influx, and the former effect was inhibited by depletion of circulating neutrophils by cyclophosphamide or treatment with the neutrophil elastase inhibitor ONO-5046. Pretreatment with azelastine inhibited PAF-induced vascular leakage without affecting neutrophil accumulation. This inhibitory effect of azelastine was not seen in neutropenic rats and ONO-5046-treated rats. PAF increased neutrophil elastase contents in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, an effect that was inhibited by azelastine. Therefore, azelastine attenuates PAF-induced airway mucosal microvascular leakage, probably involving inhibition of the release of neutrophil elastase from activated neutrophils.

[High-dose chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transfusion in the treatment of advanced testis cancer].

Four patients with advanced testis cancer were treated by high-dose chemotherapy supporting by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. High-dose chemotherapy (carboplatin 250 mg/m2 or nedaplatin 200 mg/m2, etoposide 1,500 mg/m2, ifosphamide 7.5 g/m2 was given and peripheral blood stem cell transfusion was performed 72 hours after the last dose of chemotherapy. High-dose chemotherapy. was given followed by 1 or 2 cycles of pre high-dose therapy consisting of cisplatin 100 mg/m2 or carboplatin 500 mg/m2, etoposide 450 mg/m2, ifosphamide 6 g/m2. All 4 patients were evaluable. Three patients obtained a complete response and one showed a partial response. The partial responder was given RPLND. The RPLND specimen showed necrotic tissue.

[Effect of heparin on airway goblet cell secretion in sensitized guinea pigs].

Heparin and related proteoglycans are released from mast cells and possess anti-inflammatory and anti-complement activities. To elucidate whether heparin affects goblet cell secretion in asthmatic airways and, if so, what the mechanism of action is, we studied guinea pigs sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) by determining the mucus score (MS) of tracheal goblet cells stained with Alcian blue and PAS. Inhalation of OVA caused a rapid decrease in MS in a dose-dependent manner, with the maximal decrease being from 545 +/- 26 to 192 +/- 35 (p < 0.001), indicating an increase in goblet cell mucus discharge. This effect was selectively inhibited by the histamine H2 receptor blockade with cimetidine. Prior inhalation of heparin inhibited OVA-induced goblet cell secretion in a dose-dependent fashion, but had no effect on histamine-induced goblet cell secretion. The OVA-induced histamine release from the tracheal tissue was likewise inhibited by heparin. These results suggest that allergic challenge stimulates airway goblet cell secretion mainly through the release of histamine and the concomitant activation of histamine H2 receptors on goblet cells, and that heparin protects against this effect by inhibiting the histamine release from mast cells.