PD-L1 expression is associated with the spontaneous regression of patients with methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorders

Background Most patients with methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorder (MTX-LPD) show diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) types. Patients with MTX-LPD often have spontaneous remission after MTX discontinuation, but chemotherapeutic intervention is frequently required in patients with CHL-type MTX-LPD. In this study, we examined whether programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression levels were associated with the prognosis of MTX-LPD after MTX discontinuation. Methods A total of 72 Japanese patients diagnosed with MTX-LPD were clinicopathologically analyzed, and immunohistochemical staining of PD-L1 was performed in 20 DLBCL-type and 24 CHL-type MTX-LPD cases to compare with the clinical course. Results PD-L1 was expressed in 5.0% (1/20) of patients with DLBCL-type MTX-LPD, whereas it was expressed in 66.7% (16/24) of the patients with CHL-type MTX-LPD in more than 51% of tumor cells. Most CHL-type MTX-LPD patients with high PD-L1 expression required chemotherapy owing to exacerbations or relapses after MTX discontinuation. However, no significant differences in clinicopathologic findings at diagnosis were observed between PD-L1 high- and low-expression CHL-type MTX-LPD. Conclusion PD-L1 expression was significantly higher in patients with CHL-type than DLBCL-type MTX-LPD, suggesting the need for chemotherapy in addition to MTX discontinuation in CHL-type MTX-LPD patients to achieve complete remission. No association was observed between PD-L1 expression levels and clinical findings at diagnosis, suggesting that PD-L1 expression in tumor cells influences the pathogenesis of CHL-type MTX-LPD after MTX discontinuation

High resolution imaging polarimetry of HL Tau and magnetic field structure

We present high quality near infrared imaging polarimetry of HL Tau at 0.4 to 0.6 arcsec resolution, obtained with Subaru/CIAO and UKIRT/IRCAM. 3-D Monte Carlo modelling with aligned oblate grains is used to probe the structure of the circumstellar envelope and the magnetic field, as well as the dust properties. At J band the source shows a centrosymmetric pattern dominated by scattered light. In the H and K bands the central source becomes visible and its polarisation appears to be dominated by dichroic extinction, with a position angle inclined by ~40 degrees to the disc axis. The polarisation pattern of the environs on scales up to 200 AU is consistent with the same dichroic extinction signature superimposed on the centrosymmetric scattering pattern. These data can be modelled with a magnetic field which is twisted on scales from tens to hundreds of AU, or alternatively by a field which is globally misaligned with the disc axis. A unique solution to the field structure will require spatially resolved circular polarisation data. The best fit Monte Carlo model indicates a shallow near infrared extinction law. When combined with the observed high polarisation and non-negligible albedo these constraints can be fitted with a grain model involving dirty water ice mantles in which the largest particles have radii slightly in excess of 1 um. The best fit model has an envelope structure which is slightly flattened on scales up to several hundred AU. Both lobes of the bipolar outflow cavity contain a substantial optical depth of dust (not just within the cavity walls). Curved, approximately parabolic, cavity walls fit the data better than a conical cavity. The small inner accretion disc observed at millimetre wavelengths is not seen at this spatial resolution.Comment: Accepted by MNRAS, 21 pages, 10 figure

ニイミ,ヒデカズ/ カマダ,チカ / ドイ,ミサト/ナカニシ,カズキ / ニシボリ,サキ / ニシヤマ,ジュン / ヒサタケ,タカマサ / マツウラ,ケンゴ / ヤマカワ,アカネ

本稿では,大学のゼミ活動の一環として実践した「河童を用いた想像遊び」について報告した.活動の具体的内容は,ある学童保育で実践している活動(NPO 法人芹川子育て支援部門,2013)を参考にして原案を作成し,活動の場となった幼稚園の園長先生及びクラス担任との協議を経て決定した.協議の結果,5回の活動時間が与えられることとなった.1回あたりの活動時間は30分〜1時間,頻度は週に1回であった.第1回は彦根にいるとされる妖怪を紹介し,第2回と第3回では河童の絵本を読み,第4回目には河童への絵手紙を園児たちに作成させ,第5回目には河童からの返事を手渡した.5回の活動が終了した後,保護者に対し自由記述のアンケートにとったところ,園児たちはすっかり河童の存在を信じ込んだこと,また休日などに親子で河童を探しに近所を散策したことなどが報告された.最後に,今回の活動が園児に及ぼした影響,保護者に及ぼした影響および,本稿執筆者たちに及ぼした影響について論じた

Synthesis of 11C-labeled retinoic acid, [11C]ATRA, via an alkenylboron precursor by Pd(0)-mediated rapid C-[11C]methylation

Retinoids are a class of chemical compounds which include both natural dietary vitamin A (retinol) metabolites and active synthetic analogs. Both experimental and clinical studies have revealed that retinoids regulate a wide variety of essential biological processes. In this study, we synthesized 11C-labeledall-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), the most potent biologically active metabolite of retinol and used in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. The synthesis of 11C-labeled ATRA was accomplished by a combination of rapid Pd(0)-mediated C-[11C]methylation of the corresponding pinacol borate precursorprepared by 8 steps and hydrolysis. [11C]ATRA will prove useful as a PET imaging agent, particularly for elucidating the improved therapeutic activity of ATRA (natural retinoid) for acute promyelocytic leukemia by comparing with the corresponding PET probe [11C]Tamibarotene (artificial retinoid)