A case of breast milk-acquired cytomegalovirus infection in an extremely low birth weight infant.

INTRODUCTION: Although breast milk is considered the optimal nutrition for infants, it is also the primary cause of postnatal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Preterm infants with postnatal CMV infections are susceptible to a variety of life-threatening conditions. CASE SUMMARY: Twin male infants were delivered via emergency caesarian section at 27 weeks' gestation secondary to maternal complete uterine rupture. The Apgar scores at 1 and 5 min were 1 and 1 for the older twin (Twin A) and 0 and 3 for the younger twin (Twin B). Their birth weights were 1203 g (+ 0.65SD) and 495 g (- 3.79SD) respectively. On day 41, laboratory blood test results for Twin B showed a moderate elevation in C-reactive protein (CRP), thrombocytopenia. CMV quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) tests in Twin B's urine and blood as well as in the mother's breast milk were positive, but stored, dried umbilical cord CMV qPCR tests were negative. Twin B was diagnosed with a postnatal CMV infection secondary to infected breast milk and ganciclovir was commenced on day 52. Treatment was switched to valganciclovir at 74 days of age, but a negative CMV-DNA level in the blood was not achieved. Postnatal CMV infection in this infant led to an exacerbation of pre-existing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and he demised at 182 days of age. CONCLUSION: Postnatal cytomegalovirus infections may lead to exacerbations of BPD. Early use of raw breast milk in preterm infants should be done with careful consideration of this potential complication.

A heterozygous protein-truncating RFX6 variant in a family with childhood-onset, pregnancy-associated and adult-onset diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Recently, heterozygous RFX6 mutations including p.Arg377Ter were identified in individuals with maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY). Clinical analysis of 36 individuals suggested that RFX6 mutation-induced MODY is characterized by low penetrance and relatively late onset. However, given the small number of previous reports and the limited clinical information of each case, further studies are necessary to clarify the phenotypic characteristics of RFX6 mutations. CASE REPORT: We identified a previously reported p.Arg377Ter variant of RFX6 in a three-generation family with diabetes. The variant was detected through mutation screening for 30 diabetes-associated genes. The variant was not found in public databases and was predicted to encode a truncated protein or undergo nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. The proband showed glycosuria from 8 years of age and was diagnosed with MODY at 10 years of age, before the onset of puberty. She received basal and bolus insulin injection as initial therapy. The proband's mother exhibited glycosuria at 26 years of age when she conceived the first child. The mother was treated with insulin, oral hypoglycaemic drugs and diet. The proband and her mother were negative for islet cell autoantibodies. The maternal grandmother showed glycosuria around 50 years of age and was treated with oral hypoglycaemic drugs alone. CONCLUSION: This study provides supporting evidence for the causal relationship between heterozygous RFX6 mutations and MODY. Furthermore, our results indicate that phenotypic consequences of RFX6 mutations are highly variable even within a single family, and possibly include childhood-onset and pregnancy-associated non-autoimmune diabetes.

Low prevalence of maternal microchimerism in peripheral blood of Japanese children with type 1 diabetes.

AIM: To clarify the prevalence and degree of maternal microchimerism in Japanese children with type 1 diabetes, as well as its effect on phenotypic variation. METHODS: We studied 153 Japanese children with type 1 diabetes, including 124 children positive for ß-cell autoantibodies, and their 71 unaffected siblings. The number of circulating microchimeric cells per 105 host cells was estimated by the use of quantitative-polymerase chain reaction targeting non-transmitted maternal human leukocyte antigen alleles. The results were compared to previous data from white European people. Phenotypic comparison was performed between maternal microchimerism carriers and non-carriers with diabetes. RESULTS: Maternal microchimerism was detected in 15% of children with autoantibody-positive type 1 diabetes, 28% of children with autoantibody-negative type 1 diabetes, and 16% of unaffected siblings. There were no differences in the prevalence or levels of maternal microchimerism among the three groups or between the children with type 1 diabetes and their unaffected siblings. Furthermore, maternal microchimerism carriers and non-carriers exhibited similar phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal microchimerism appears to be less common in Japanese children with type 1 diabetes than in white European people. Our data indicate that maternal microchimerism is unlikely to be a major trigger or a phenotypic determinant of type 1 diabetes in Japanese children and that the biological significance of maternal microchimerism in type 1 diabetes may differ among ethnic groups.

Endotoxin Metabolism Reflects Hepatic Functional Reserve in End-Stage Liver Disease.

BACKGROUND: The hepatic clearance of endotoxin (Et) may reflect hepatic functional reserve and ischemic injury to hepatocytes. Therefore, we examined the relationships between Et activity (EA) and the metrics Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease (PELD)/Model of End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels in the postoperative period. METHODS: We performed 8 living-donor liver transplantations (LDLTs) for biliary atresia at our center from April 2012 to December 2012. EA was measured by means of an Et activity assay (EAA) in samples collected from a vein 1 day before LDLT, from the portal vein during the intraoperative anhepatic phase, from an artery 1 hour after reperfusion, from an artery on postoperative day (POD) 1, and from an artery or vein at PODs 7 and 14. RESULTS: EAs generally remained at low levels. EA at the reperfusion period was significantly lowest. The correlation coefficient for the preoperative MELD/PELD score and the EAA was 0.837, and the corresponding P value was .009; thus, there was a significant relationship between the preoperative MELD/PELD score and the EAA. The correlation coefficients for ALT at POD 1 and EA during the anhepatic phase, at 1 hour after reperfusion, and at POD 1 were 0.64, 0.43, and 0.38, respectively, and the P values for these correlations were .08, .67, and .34. Thus, we observed that ALT and EA generally tended to be somewhat directly correlated, but no significant relationships between these 2 metrics were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Endotoxin metabolism reflects the hepatic functional reserve capacity of end-stage liver disease.

Antibody Drug Treatment for Steroid-Resistant Rejection After Pediatric Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Antibody drugs have been used to treat steroid-resistant rejection (SRR) after liver transplantation. Although anti-thymocyte globulin has been used for SRR after liver transplantation in place of muromonab-CD3 since 2011 in Japan, the effectiveness of anti-thymocyte globulin after pediatric living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has not yet been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of antibody drug treatment for SRR after pediatric LDLT in our single center. METHODS: Between May 2001 and December 2013, 220 pediatric LDLTs were performed. Initial immunosuppression after LDLT included tacrolimus and methylprednisolone therapy. Acute rejection was diagnosed by use of a liver biopsy and the administration of steroid pulse treatment, and SRR was defined as acute rejection refractory to the steroid pulse treatment. RESULTS: Acute rejection and SRR occurred in 74 (33.6%) and 16 patients (7.3%), respectively. The graft survival rates of non-SRR and SRR were 92.4% and 87.5%, respectively (P = .464). The median concentration of alanine aminotransferase before and after the administration of antibody drug was 193.5 mU/mL (range, 8-508) and 78 mU/mL (range, 9-655), respectively (P = .012). The median rejection activity index before and after the administration of antibody drugs was 5 (range, 2-9) and 1 (range, 0-9), respectively (P = .004). After antibody drug treatment, 12 patients had cytomegalovirus infections, 2 patients had Epstein-Barr virus infections, 3 patients had respiratory infections, and 1 patient had encephalitis. The cause of death in 1 patient with SRR was recurrence of infant fulminant hepatic failure. CONCLUSIONS: Antibody drug treatment for SRR after pediatric LDLT is safe and effective.

Relationship Between Graft Liver Function and the Change of Graft Liver and Spleen Volumes After Technical Variant Liver Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Although there have been a few reports describing the changes of graft liver and spleen volumes after liver transplantation (LT), little is known about the relationship between graft liver function and the changes of these volumes after technical variant liver transplantation (TVLT). We therefore performed a retrospective study to investigate the relationship between graft liver function and these volumes after TVLT. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated the cases of 140 TVLT procedures that were performed in our department between July 1987 and October 2012 and in which follow-up was conducted at our department. We calculated the graft liver volume to standard liver volume (GV/SLV) ratio, the spleen volume to standard spleen volume (SV/SSV) ratio, and the spleen volume to graft liver volume (S/L) ratio by CT volumetry. We clarified the relationship between graft liver function (according to the pathological findings) and the graft liver and spleen volumes at 2, 5, and 10 years after TVLT. RESULTS: In the normal liver function group, the GV/SLV, SV/SSV, and S/L ratios decreased until 6 months after TVLT and then converged at 10 years after TVLT to 0.95, 1.27, and 0.27, respectively. In the graft liver failure group, the GV/SLV, SV/SSV, and S/L ratios at 10 years after TVLT were 0.67, 5.01, and 1.55, respectively. A significant correlation was observed between the GV/SLV ratio and the presence of mild liver fibrosis at 2 and 5 years after TVLT (P = .03 and P = .04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Post-transplant CT-volumetry is a noninvasive and effective means of evaluating graft liver status.

Cancer stem-like cells of ovarian clear cell carcinoma are enriched in the ALDH-high population associated with an accelerated scavenging system in reactive oxygen species.

OBJECTIVE: In ovarian cancer cases, recurrence after chemotherapy is frequently observed, suggesting the involvement of ovarian cancer stem-like cells (CSCs). The chemoresistance of ovarian clear cell carcinomas is particularly strong in comparison to other epithelial ovarian cancer subtypes. We investigated the relationship between a CSC marker, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), and clinical prognosis using ovarian clear cell carcinoma tissue samples. Furthermore, we investigated the antioxidant mechanism by which CSCs maintain a lower reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, which provides protection from chemotherapeutic agents. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was performed to examine the CSC markers (CD133, CD44, ALDH1) using ovarian clear cell carcinoma tissue samples (n=81). Clear cell carcinoma cell lines (KOC-7C, OVTOKO) are separated into the ALDH-high and ALDH-low populations by ALDEFLUOR assay and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). We compared the intracellular ROS level, mRNA level of the antioxidant enzymes and Nrf2 expression of the two populations. RESULTS: High ALDH1 expression levels are related to advanced stage in clear cell carcinoma cases. ALDH1 expression significantly reduced progression free survival. Other markers are not related to clinical stage and prognosis. ALDH-high cells contained a lower ROS level than ALDH-low cells. Antioxidant enzymes were upregulated in ALDH-high cells. ALDH-high cells showed increased expression of Nrf2, a key transcriptional factor of the antioxidant system. CONCLUSIONS: ALDH-positive CSCs might have increased Nrf2-induced antioxidant scavengers, which lower ROS level relevant to chemoresistance in ovarian clear cell carcinoma.

Cytological nuclear atypia classification can predict prognosis in patients with endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Endometrial cancer is one of the leading causes of malignancy in females. Nuclear findings are important for patients with cancer, and can provide valuable information to treating oncologists. We investigated whether nuclear findings were a useful prognostic factor in patients with endometrial cancer. METHOD: We investigated 71 cases of endometrial carcinoma with paired histology and cytology at Kurume University Hospital. We classified endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EEC) G1 and G2 as type I carcinomas, and uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC), clear cell carcinoma (CC) and EEC G3 as type II carcinomas. For the establishment of the cytological nuclear atypia classification, we examined the following nuclear factors on the cytological smears: mitotic figures, prominent nucleoli, nuclear area and anisonucleosis. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in mitotic figures (P < 0.001) and anisonucleosis (P = 0.026) in cytological smears between type I and type II carcinomas. Based on these findings, we categorized cytological nuclear atypia into three groups, nuclear atypia-1 (57.7%), nuclear atypia-2 (19.7%) and nuclear atypia-3 (22.5%), and this classification system correlated well with prognosis in patients with endometrial cancer (P < 0.001). Furthermore, this classification system was able to extract patients with a good prognosis from those with high-grade carcinomas, such as UPSC+CC+EEC G3, and patients with a poor prognosis from those with EEC G1. CONCLUSIONS: Our system of cytological nuclear atypia classification based on endometrial cytology can predict patient prognosis. Cytological nuclear atypia classification and histological typing may be useful for the treatment and follow-up of patients with endometrial cancer, and should be routinely incorporated into cytological reports.

Designing slanted soil system for greywater treatment for irrigation purposes in rural area of arid regions.

To solve the unpleasant disposal of greywater in rural area and allow its collection for reuse in gardening, a slanted soil treatment system (SSTS) was designed and installed in two households. Granitic gravel of 1-9 mm size was used as the filter medium. The aim of this study was to design a SSTS and assess its suitability as a treatment system allowing greywater reuse in gardening. The efficiency of the SSTS was assessed based on organic matter and bacterial pollution removal. The developed SSTS allowed the collection of greywater from three main sources (shower, dishwashing and laundry) in rural area. The SSTS is efficient in removing at least 50% of suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand and biological oxygen demand. The study highlighted that, contrary to the common perception, greywater streams in rural area are heavily polluted with faecal indicators. The removal efficiency of faecal indicators was lower than 2 log units, and the bacteriological quality of the effluents is generally higher than the WHO reuse guidelines for restricted irrigation. Longer retention time is required to increase the efficiency. The possibility of reusing the treated greywater as irrigation water is discussed on the basis of various qualitative parameters. The SSTS is a promising greywater treatment system for small communities in the rural area in the Sahelian region. To increase the treatment efficiency, future research will focus on the characteristics of the SSTS, the grain size and the establishment of a pretreatment step.

Prediction of acute cellular rejection by peripheral blood eosinophilia in pediatric living donor liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Acute cellular rejection (ACR) is a common cause of morbidity following liver transplantation. Several reports have evaluated the predictive value of peripheral blood eosinophilia as a simple noninvasive diagnostic marker for ACR. This study examined whether the relative eosinophil counts (REC) predicted ACR in pediatric living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). METHODS: One hundred three patients underwent LDLT between May 2001 and December 2007. ACR were diagnosed based on the pathological findings. RESULTS: The incidence of ACR was 46.6% (48/103); ACR was diagnosed an average of 13.5 days after LDLT. The average REC at 4 and 2 days before the onset ACR (n = 39) within 30 postoperative day (POD) was 4.3% and 7.3%, respectively, and 9.0% at the onset. Patients with ACR showed significantly higher levels of REC compared with those free of ACR (P = .039). REC thresholds of 10% at POD 7 displayed a sensitivity and specificity of ACR detection of 80% and 75%, respectively. Moreover, the accumulated morbidity ratio of ACR within 30 POD was significantly higher with REC >10% at POD 7 (P = .007). CONCLUSION: ACR within POD 30 should be considered when REC is >10% at POD 7 after LDLT.

Fate of nitrogen during volume reduction of human urine using an on-site volume reduction system.

This study was carried to assess the effect of a mixture of salts, urea and creatinine on water evaporation from urine using an on-site volume reduction system in long-term experiments. Subsequently, the fate of nitrogen during volume reduction of urine was also assessed. The water evaporation rate, salt accumulation in the gauze sheet, concentrations of urea and ammonia-N, and pH of urine were measured periodically. Based on the results, a mass balance of nitrogen in concentrated urine was calculated for a moderate evaporating condition. The results revealed that steady-state evaporation was observed throughout the experiment period without any inhibition due to salt accumulation. Salt concentration in the gauze sheet reached steady-state illustrating the possibility of salt falling back to the tank from the sheet. No significant reduction of urea was observed for a moderate evaporating condition, which indicates inhibition of urea hydrolysis by the high concentration of the mixture of salts, urea and creatinine in the urine. In contrast, for a low evaporating condition, the pH of the urine increased to 8.9, which indicates early urea hydrolysis, causing an offensive odour and ammonia loss to the air. In simple storage experiments, a mixture of salts, urea and creatinine amounting to 227-334 g L(-1) in urine inhibited urea hydrolysis, even with faecal contamination, at 25 degrees C, while urine samples containing a mixture of salts, urea and creatinine at less than 227 g L(-1) did not provide strong inhibition of hydrolysis.

Hepatic arterial buffer response after pediatric living donor liver transplantation: report of a case.

BACKGROUND: Excessive portal pressure at an early stage after living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) can damage sinusoidal endothelial cells and hepatocytes through shear stress leading to graft failure, or hepatic arterial complications due to low hepatic artery flow from a hepatic arterial buffer response. We encountered a case in which excessive portal vein flow was observed from an early stage after pediatric LDLT. The hepatic artery flow decreased due to a hepatic arterial buffer response. CASE REPORT: A 6-month-old boy with biliary atresia showed excessive portal vein flow early after LDLT with a decreasing hepatic artery flow without anastomotic stenosis from postoperative day 3. The PV flow gradually exhibited a decrease at approximately postoperative day 8 and, similtaneously, hepatic artery flow exhibited improvement. CONCLUSION: Because excessive portal pressure after LDLT is reversible, it has been suggested that it may be possible to prevent the progress of hepatic arterial complications if temporary portal pressure modulation can be performed for cases among the high-risk group for hepatic arterial complications.

Differential impacts of CYP2C19 gene polymorphisms on the antiplatelet effects of clopidogrel and ticlopidine.

We examined the influence of CYP2C19 polymorphisms on the antiplatelet effects of clopidogrel and ticlopidine. The platelet aggregation induced by 20 µmol/l adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and CYP2C19 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (*2 and *3) was determined in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who were taking aspirin alone (n = 21), aspirin plus clopidogrel (n = 97), or aspirin plus ticlopidine (n = 47). The degree of platelet aggregation in the clopidogrel group, although not in the ticlopidine group, depended on the CYP2C19 polymorphism, and the maximal platelet aggregation in poor metabolizers (PMs) taking clopidogrel was equivalent to that in the group taking aspirin alone. After being switched from clopidogrel to ticlopidine, all seven of the PMs showed markedly lower platelet aggregation. These results suggest that CYP2C19 polymorphisms have a profound impact on the antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel but not on that of ticlopidine. Ticlopidine may be an effective therapeutic option for CYP2C19 PMs.

Living-donor liver transplantation in 126 patients with biliary atresia: single-center experience.

OBJECTIVES: To describe our experience with 126 consecutive living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) procedures performed because of biliary atresia and to evaluate the optimal timing of the operation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between May 2001 and January 2010,126 patients with biliary atresia underwent 130 LDLT procedures. Mean (SD) patient age was 3.3 (4.2) years, and body weight was 13.8 (10.7) kg. Donors included 64 fathers, 63 mothers, and 3 other individuals. The left lateral segment was the most commonly used graft (75%). Patients were divided into 3 groups according to body weight: group 1, less than 8 kg (n = 40); group 2,8 to 20 kg (n = 63); and group 3, more than 20 kg (n = 23). Medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Follow up was 4.5 (2.7) years. RESULTS: All group 3 donors underwent left lobectomy, and all group 1 donors underwent left lateral segmentectomy. No donors required a second operation or died. Comparison of the 3 groups demonstrated that recipient Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease score in group 1 was highest, operative blood loss in group 2 was lowest (78 mL/kg), and operative time in group 3 was longest (1201 minutes). Hepatic artery complications occurred more frequently in group 1 (17.9%), and biliary stenosis (43.5%) and gastrointestinal perforation (8.7%) occurred more frequently in group 3. The overall patient survival rates at 1, 5, and 9 years was 98%, 97%, and 97%, respectively. Five-year patient survival rate in groups 1,2, and 3 were 92.5%, 100%, and 95.7%, respectively. Gastrointestinal perforation (n = 2) was the primary cause of death. CONCLUSIONS: Living-donor liver transplantation is an effective treatment of biliary atresia, with good long-term outcome. It seems that the most suitable time to perform LDLT to treat biliary atresia is when the patient weighs 8 to 20 kg.

Management of intra-abdominal drain after living donor liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: There have been few reports on the management of intra-abdominal drains after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We retrospectively investigated changes in ascitic data related to management of an intra-abdominal drain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between March 2008 and June 2009, we performed 28 LDLT. On the first and the fifth postoperative day (POD) after LDLT, we examined the number of ascites cells and cell fractions as well as performed biochemical examination and cultures. RESULTS: The day of removal of the drain for massive ascites (10 mL/kg/d or more) was 14.2 ± 5.4 POD; for less than 10 mL/kg/d it was 8.7 ± 1.9 POD (P < .001). Nine patients were ascites culture positive; long-term placement of the drain caused an infection in two patients. CONCLUSIONS: When the amount of ascitic fluid on the fifth POD after LDLT was small, it was important to assess the properties of the ascitic fluid because of the possibility of a drain infection or of poor drainage. If the ascitic neutrophil count is less than 250/mm(3) or the examined ascites is normal, intra-abdominal drains should be removed.

Living donor liver transplantation for neonates using segment 2 monosubsegment graft.

The prognosis of liver transplantation for neonates with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) continues to be extremely poor, especially in patients whose body weight is less than 3 kg. To address this problem, we have developed a safe living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) modality for neonates. We performed LDLTs with segment 2 monosubsegment (S2) grafts for three neonatal FHF. The recipient age and body weight at LDLT were 13-27 days, 2.59-2.84 kg, respectively. S2 or reduced S2 grafts (93-98 g) obtained from their fathers were implanted using temporary portacaval shunt. The recipient portal vein was reconstructed at a more distal site, such as the umbilical portion, to have the graft liver move freely during hepatic artery (HA) reconstruction. The recipient operation time and bleeding were 11 h 58 min-15 h 27 min and 200-395 mL, respectively. The graft-to-recipient weight ratio was 3.3-3.8% and primary abdominal wall closure was possible in all cases. Although hepatic artery thrombosis occurred in one case, all cases survived with normal growth. Emergency LDLT with S2 grafts weighing less than 100 g can save neonates with FHF whose body weight is less than 3 kg. This LDLT modality using S2 grafts could become a new option for neonates and very small infants requiring LT.

Expression of activated signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 predicts poor prognosis in cervical squamous-cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Stat3 is a member of the Janus-activated kinase/STAT signalling pathway. It normally resides in the cytoplasm and can be activated through phosphorylation. Activated Stat3 (p-Stat3) translocates to the nucleus to activate the transcription of several molecules involved in cell survival and proliferation. The constitutive activation of Stat3 has been shown in various types of malignancies, and its expression has been reported to indicate a poor prognosis. However, the correlation between the constitutive activation of Stat3 and the prognosis of cervical cancer patients has not been reported. METHODS: The immunohistochemical analysis of p-Stat3 expression was performed on tissues from 125 cervical squamous-cell carcinoma patients who underwent extended hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy, and the association of p-Stat3 expression with several clinicopathological factors and survival was investigated. RESULTS: Positive p-Stat3 expression was observed in 71 of 125 (56.8%) cases and was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, lymph vascular space invasion, and large tumour diameter (>4 cm) by Fisher's exact test. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that p-Stat3 expression was statistically indicative of a poor prognosis for overall survival (P=0.006) and disease-free survival (P=0.010) by log-rank test. CONCLUSION: These data showed that p-Stat3 expression in cervical cancer acts as a predictor of poor prognosis.

Males in rural Bangladeshi communities are more susceptible to chronic arsenic poisoning than females: analyses based on urinary arsenic.

Spot urine samples were collected from the inhabitants of two rural communities in northwestern Bangladesh. We compared arsenic levels in the urine samples ([As](u); n = 346) with those in water from tube wells ([As](tw); range < 1-535 microg/L; n = 86) on an individual basis. The small variation of [As](u) within subjects and highly positive correlation with [As](tw) indicate that [As](u) is a useful indicator of exposure. Analyses of [As](u) showed that creatinine correction was necessary, that [As](u) only reflected recent exposure, and that there were substantial interindividual differences for a given [As](tw) level. To evaluate the toxic effects of arsenic exposure, we constructed a system for rating skin manifestations, which revealed distinct sex-related differences. Comparison of males and females in the same households confirmed that skin manifestations were more severe in the males, and in the males of one community a dose-response relationship between [As](u) and the degree of skin manifestation was evident. The results of this study indicate that [As](u) in spot urine samples can be used as an exposure indicator for As. They suggest that there might be sex-related, and perhaps community-related, differences in the relationship between [As](u) and skin manifestations, although several confounding factors, including sunlight exposure and smoking habits, might contribute to the observed sex difference. The existence of such differences should be further confirmed and examined in other populations to identify the subpopulations sensitive to chronic arsenic toxicity.

Dantrolene ameliorates delayed cell death and concomitant DNA fragmentation in the rat hippocampal CA1 neurons subjected to mild ischemia.

The present study investigated whether dantrolene, which inhibits the Ca(2+) release from the intracellular Ca(2+) store sites, reduced nuclear DNA fragmentation and produced neuronal protection in a model of global forebrain ischemia. Male Wistar rats were subjected to four-vessel occlusion (4VO) for 5 min and then infused continuously with dantrolene or vehicle into the cerebral ventricle for 3 days. The intact rats did not undergo any intervention. The number of viable and DNA nick-end-labeled neurons in the hippocampal CA1 were evaluated 4 days after the ischemia. The number of viable neurons in the dantrolene-treated rats was significantly higher than that in the vehicle-treated rats and lower than that in the intact animals (P<0.01 and <0.05, respectively). The number of DNA nick-end-labeled nuclei was significantly lower in dantrolene-treated rats compared with the vehicle-treated animals (P<0.0001). No nick-end labeling was observed in the intact animals. A linear correlation was found between the number of viable cells and nick-end labeled nuclei in the CA1 (r=0.91, P<0.0001). These results suggest that the postischemic intraventricular dantrolene is effective in precluding neuronal death and concomitant nuclear DNA fragmentation following transient global ischemia.

Mutational analysis of BRCA1 and BRCA2 and clinicopathologic analysis of ovarian cancer in 82 ovarian cancer families: two common founder mutations of BRCA1 in Japanese population.

We analyzed genetic alterations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes among 82 ovarian cancer families in Japan. The clinical characteristics of BRCA-associated ovarian cancer patients were compared with cases carrying no mutations as well as with population controls. Using a direct sequencing method, 45 of the 82 ovarian cancer families were found to carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 germ-line mutations (40 with BRCA1 and 5 with BRCA2). In 24 independent mutations of BRCA1, 5 recurrent mutations were found and 2 of them, the L63X and Q934X mutations, were detected in seven and eight independent families, respectively. In addition, 16 mutations of BRCA1 and 3 mutations of BRCA2 have never been described previously. In consideration of clinicopathological features, there was a significantly higher proportion of tumors with serous adenocarcinoma and of cases of advanced stages in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 cases than in those of the controls. On the other hand, there were no differences of mean age at diagnosis between patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and those of the controls. Our results indicate that the features of BRCA-associated ovarian cancer in Japan appear to be similar to those in Western countries, and the L63X and Q934X mutations of BRCA1 appear to be common founder mutations unique to the Japanese population.