Liquid phase immunoassay utilizing magnetic marker and high Tc superconducting quantum interference device

We have developed a liquid phase immunoassay system utilizing a magnetic marker and a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). In this system, the magnetic marker was used to detect the biological material called antigen. The magnetic marker was designed so as to generate a remanence, and the remanence field of the markers that bound to the antigens was measured with the SQUID. The measurement was performed in a solution that contained both the bound and free (or unbound) markers, i.e., without using the so-called bound/free (BF) separation process. The Brownian rotation of the free markers in the solution was used to distinguish the bound markers from the free ones. Using the system, we conducted the detection of biological material called IgE without BF separation. At present, we could detect the IgE down to 7 pg (or 39 amol

Ex vivo hepatic venography for hepatocellular carcinoma in livers explanted for liver transplantation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is supposed to have a venous drainage system to a portal vein, which makes intrahepatic metastasis possible. However, the mechanism of extrahepatic recurrence, including the possibility of a direct route to the systemic circulation from the HCC nodules, remains unclear. Therefore, we performed retrograde hepatic venography for HCC in livers that had been explanted for liver transplantation in order to explore the possible direct connection between the hepatic vein and HCC nodules.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Of 105 living-donor liver transplantations (LDLT) performed up to July, 2009 at the Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Hospital, dynamic hepatic venography was performed with contrast media under fluoroscopy for the most recent 13 cases with HCC. The presence of a tumor stain for each HCC case was evaluated and compared with the histological findings of HCC.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Hepatic venography revealed a tumor stain in 2 of 13 cases (15%). Neither showed any microscopic tumor invasion of HCC into the hepatic vein. In the other 11 cases, there were 4 microscopic portal venous invasions and 2 microscopic hepatic venous invasions. No patients have shown HCC recurrence in follow-up (median period, 13 months).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Using <it>ex vivo </it>hepatic venography, a direct connection to the hepatic vein from HCC in whole liver was revealed in 2 cases without demonstrated histopathological invasion to hepatic vein for the first time in the literature. The finding suggests that there is direct spillage of HCC cells into the systemic circulation via hepatic vein.</p

The role of infection in the development of non-valvular atrial fibrillation: Up-regulation of Toll-like receptor 2 expression levels on monocytes

SummaryMany studies have suggested that inflammation may participate in the pathogenesis of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it has been unknown by exposure to what the inflammation is caused. Recently, we reported that Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) level on monocytes was significantly up-regulated in viral and bacterial infections, but not in non-infectious inflammatory states. Our purpose was to test the hypothesis that expression of TLR2 levels may be up-regulated in patients with non-valvular AF. A total of 48 consecutive patients with non-valvular AF who were hospitalized for catheter ablation were enrolled in this study. TLR2 levels were assayed by using flow-cytometric analysis and compared with volunteers in sinus rhythm (control group, n=24). Additionally, C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were assayed, and the left atrial volume indexes (LAVI) in the non-valvular AF group were measured. The results demonstrated that TLR2 levels in the non-valvular AF group were significantly higher than in the control group (median, 4682 vs. 3866 sites/cell; P<0.01). Moreover, non-valvular AF patients had significantly higher IL-6 levels than controls. However, there was no significant difference in CRP levels between the two groups. It was observed in 44 AF patients, in whom pulmonary vein isolation was confirmed to be successful, that the LAVI significantly diminished 1 month after ablation (median, 33.6 vs. 29.5ml/m2; P<0.001), but not the TLR2 and IL-6 levels. Our results implied that an infectious inflammation may participate in the pathogenesis of non-valvular AF

Two-surgeon technique using saline-linked electric cautery and ultrasonic surgical aspirator in living donor hepatectomy: its safety and efficacy

Background: Saline-linked electric cautery (SLC) is introduced as an effective device to reduce blood loss in liver surgery. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of two-surgeon technique using SLC and Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator (CUSA) in living donor hepatectomy. Methods: Forty-three living donor right hepatectomies were enrolled in this study. The first 28 cases underwent liver transection with CUSA alone (CUSA group), while additional SLC was applied in the current 15 cases (two-surgeon technique, TS group). Results: Blood loss was significantly reduced by two-surgeon technique (1115.2±652.9g in CUSA group vs 732.3±363.6g in TS group, p<0.05). In the TS group, there was no bile leakage from the cut surface. The early graft function and postoperative recipient survival were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusions: According to our single center experience, blood loss and donor complications were significantly reduced by two-surgeon technique using CUSA and SLC, with maintaining the graft viability

Acute deterioration of idiopathic portal hypertension requiring living donor liver transplantation: a case report.

Case reports of severe idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) requiring liver transplantation are very rare. We report the case of a 65-year-old woman who was diagnosed as having IPH. At the age of 60 years, her initial symptom was hematemesis, due to ruptured esophageal varices. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed splenomegaly and a small amount of ascites, without liver cirrhosis. She was diagnosed as having IPH and followed-up as an outpatient. Five years later, she developed symptoms of a common cold and rapidly progressive abdominal distension. She was found to have severe liver atrophy, liver dysfunction, and massive ascites. Living donor liver transplantation was then performed, and her postoperative course was uneventful. Histopathological findings of the explanted liver showed collapse and stenosis of the peripheral portal vein. The areas of liver parenchyma were narrow, while the portal tracts and central veins were approximate one another, leading to a diagnosis of IPH. There was no liver cirrhosis. The natural history of refractory IPH could be observed in this case. Patients with end-stage liver failure due to severe IPH can be treated by liver transplantation

Bacterioplankton drawdown of coral mass-spawned organic matter

Coral reef ecosystems are highly sensitive to microbial activities that result from dissolved organic matter (DOM) enrichment of their surrounding seawater. However, the response to particulate organic matter (POM) enrichment is less studied. In a microcosm experiment, we tested the response of bacterioplankton to a pulse of POM from the mass-spawning of Orbicella franksi coral off the Caribbean coast of Panama. Particulate organic carbon (POC), a proxy measurement for POM, increased by 40-fold in seawater samples collected during spawning; 68% degraded within 66 h. The elevation of multiple hydrolases presumably solubilized the spawn-derived POM into DOM. A carbon budget constructed for the 275 µM of degraded POC showed negligible change to the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), indicating that the DOM was readily utilized. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry shows that the DOM pool became enriched with heteroatom-containing molecules, a trend that suggests microbial alteration of organic matter. Our sensitivity analysis demonstrates that bacterial carbon demand could have accounted for a large proportion of the POC degradation. Further, using bromodeoxyuridine immunocapture in combination with 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene, we surmise that actively growing bacterial groups were the primary degraders. We conclude that coral gametes are highly labile to bacteria and that such large capacity for bacterial degradation and alteration of organic matter has implications for coral reef health and coastal marine biogeochemistry