Overexpression of Serpin Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigens in Psoriatic Skin

Squamous cell carcinoma antigen belongs to the serpin family and is used for the diagnosis and management of squamous cell carcinoma. We investigated the involvement of squamous cell carcinoma antigen in psoriasis, as it is always detected in the sera of patients with psoriasis. Squamous cell carcinoma antigen localization in psoriatic epidermis varied depending on its concentration in the patient's sera. When its level was low in serum, weak and scattered staining was observed in the granular layer. With a high concentration of squamous cell carcinoma antigen, strong staining through the suprabasal to granular layer and condensed staining around the plasma membrane or intracellular space was detected in the affected epidermis. Interestingly, squamous cell carcinoma antigen was abundant in nuclei of the granular layer cells and elongated rete ridges. Immunoelectron microscopy confirmed the localization of squamous cell carcinoma antigen in the nuclei as well as in the periphery of the cell membrane. A cDNA library was constructed from psoriatic epidermis and both clones, SCCA1 and SCCA2, were obtained. Attempts to raise specific antibodies or to prepare cRNA probes for SCCA1 and SCCA2 were unsuccessful because of their nearly identical structures. A primer pair from each reactive site sequence enabled us to give a distinctive product for SCCA1 and SCCA2 by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Analysis using these primers demonstrated that the SCCA2 transcript was specifically expressed in psoriatic skin tissues. Our results suggest that overexpression of squamous cell carcinoma antigens is associated with the disease activity of psoriasis

Toxicity of tetramethylammonium hydroxide to aquatic organisms and its synergistic action with potassium iodide

The aquatic ecotoxicity of chemicals involved in the manufacturing process of thin film transistor liquid crystal displays was assessed with a battery of four selected acute toxicity bioassays. We focused on tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH, CAS No. 75-59-2), a widely utilized etchant. The toxicity of TMAH was low when tested in the 72 h-algal growth inhibition test (Pseudokirchneriellia subcapitata, EC50 = 360 mg L−1) and the Microtox® test (Vibrio fischeri, IC50 = 6.4 g L−1). In contrast, the 24 h-microcrustacean immobilization and the 96 h-fish mortality tests showed relatively higher toxicity (Daphnia magna, EC50 = 32 mg L−1 and Oryzias latipes, LC50 = 154 mg L−1). Isobologram and mixture toxicity index analyses revealed apparent synergism of the mixture of TMAH and potassium iodide when examined with the D. magna immobilization test. The synergistic action was unique to iodide over other halide salts i.e. fluoride, chloride and bromide. Quaternary ammonium ions with longer alkyl chains such as tetraethylammonium and tetrabutylammonium were more toxic than TMAH in the D. magna immobilization test

An Autopsy Case of Hypoplastic Anemia occurring during the Treatment with Dilantin (Aleviatin)

The authors report a case of hypoplastic anemia which suddenly attacked a female, age 23, under the treatment with Dilantin (Aleviatin), an anticonvulsant and drove her to death three weeks after the onset of the disease in spite of various therapies. The chief complaints were a high fever, subcutaneous and gingival bleeding and pharyngealgia. On admission severe hyperchromic anemia, severe leukopenia with lymphocytosis (95%), thrombopenia, hemorrhagic diathesis, angina and typical myelogram were noticed. At autopsy the bone marrow showed hypoplasia and maturation arrest. It is emphasized that the single treatment with Dilantin may produce severe hematopoietic disturbance such as hypoplastic anemia that have not been reported

Peripartum Serial Echocardiographic Findings in a Patient with Life-threatening Peripartum Cardiomyopathy

A 35-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for the management of acutely decompensated heart failure due to peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). Generally, cardiac examinations are performed after the manifestation of heart failure in patients with PPCM. Thus, reports of serial cardiac examinations before the onset of PPCM are scarce. In this case, we were able to document the serial echocardiographic findings before the onset of life-threatening PPCM. We found that the left ventricular systolic function was preserved at 35 weeks of gestation but declined acutely after delivery at 38 weeks. Although speculative, these findings suggest that left ventricular dilation might precede the onset of PPCM

Electron-Hopping Brings Lattice Strain and High Catalytic Activity in the Low-Temperature Oxidative Coupling of Methane in an Electric Field

Detailed reaction mechanisms for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) over Ce₂(WO₄)₃ catalysts at low temperatures in an electric field were investigated. The influence of Ce cations in the Ce₂(WO₄)₃ catalyst was evaluated by comparing the OCM activity over various Ln₂(WO₄)₃ (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, and Dy) catalysts in an electric field. The electronic states of Ln and W cations and the relationship between the distorted Ce₂(WO₄)₃ structure and methane activation were examined using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements and first-principles calculations. The results reveal that the Ln₂(WO₄)₃ catalysts with redox-active Ln cations (Ce, Pr, Sm, Eu, and Tb) show OCM activity. First-principles calculations indicate that Ce³⁺ species in the Ce₂(WO₄)₃ structure are oxidized to Ce⁴⁺ species in an electric field by extracting electrons from the Ce 4f orbitals near the Fermi level; as a result, its structure is distorted. The results indicate that the redox reaction of Ln cations in Ln₂(WO₄)₃ induced by an electric field brings lattice strain and a high OCM activity in an electric field

Transthyretin derived amyloid deposits in the atrium and the aortic valve: insights from multimodality evaluations and mid-term follow up

Abstract Background Recent studies have reported atrial involvement and coexistence of aortic stenosis in transthyretin (ATTR) cardiac amyloidosis (CA). However, pathological reports of extraventricular ATTR amyloid deposits in atrial structures or heart valves are limited, and the clinical implications of ATTR amyloid deposits outside the ventricles are not fully elucidated. Case presentation We report 3 cases of extraventricular ATTR amyloid deposits confirmed in surgically resected aortic valves and left atrial structures, all of which were unlikely to have significant ATTR amyloidosis infiltrating the ventricles as determined by multimodality evaluation including 99mtechnetium-pyrophosphate scintigraphy, cardiac magnetic resonance, endomyocardial biopsy and their mid-term clinical course up to 5 years. These findings suggested that these were extraventricular ATTR amyloid deposits localized in the aortic valve and the left atrium. Conclusions While long-term observation is required to fully clarify whether these extraventricular ATTR amyloid deposits are truly localized outside the ventricles or are early stages of ATTR-CA infiltrating the ventricles, our 3 cases with multimodality evaluations and mid-term follow up suggest the existence of extraventricular ATTR amyloid deposits localized in the aortic valve and left atrial structures