Leukemia autopsies in Japan

For the purpose to know whether the annual increase of leukemia incidence in Japan is due to some leukemogenic factors or due to the increased detection rate, the authors made some statistical survey of autopsy cases in which the diagnosis is reliable and not any type of leukemias escape the detection. The results showed that acute leukemias, which are found mostly in younger age, is actually increasing. In addition, it has been deduced that among the suspected factors the increase in ionizing radiation will be one of the most probable factors for the increase in leukemia incidence</p

Impact of HBV Infection on Outcomes of Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy of Chronic Hepatitis C

Background: Most clinical trials of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have excluded hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection, and little is known about the effects of DAA on chronic hepatitis C patients with HBV coinfection. Recent studies have reported that DAA therapy for HCV can also cause HBV reactivation in patients with HBV and HCV coinfection. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of DAA on sustained virologic response (SVR) and HBV reactivation in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods: Participants comprised 199 chronic hepatitis C patients who received DAA therapy (96 men, 103 women; mean age, 66.7 ± 12.0 years). Results: Twelve patients were coinfected with HCV and HBV. Sixty patients were HBV surface antigen negative but positive for hepatitis B core antibody and/or hepatitis B surface antibody, and one hundred and twenty-seven patients had not been exposed to HBV. Rates of SVR in HBV and HCV coinfected patients, HBV prior infection, and no exposure to HBV were 100, 95, and 97%, respectively. Significant differences were seen between each group. No case showed HBV reactivation. Conclusions: DAA treatments were effective in patients with HBV coinfection or HBV prior infection, as well as HCV monoinfection. As the number of cases was small, we still suggest caution regarding HBV reactivation in HCV and HBV coinfected patients undergoing treatment with DAA

Topoisomerase I Protein Expression and Prognosis of Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Topoisomerase I (Topo I) is known as a target for chemotherapy in advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer. In order to prolong the survival of patients with colorectal cancer or to prevent ineffective chemotherapy, we evaluated clinicopathological characteristics of Topo I protein in colorectal cancer. Also, we estimated whether Topo I protein expression of primary tumors could be a parameter for chemosensitivity of Topo I inhibitor in patients with cancer recurrence. Immunohistochemical detection of Topo I protein was performed in 104 surgically obtained specimens. Topo I protein was detected in 45 of 104 patients (43.2%). Topo I protein expression closely correlated with tumor progression, histpathological differentiation and poor prognosis of patients. Sixteen patients with recurrent cancer had been treated with Topo I inhibitor. Topo I inhibitor significantly prolonged the survival of 12 patients who had Topo I-positive primary tumors. Topo I protein expression in colorectal cancer may be a biological marker for chemosensitivity of tumors against Topo I inhibitors

Adalimumab Dose-Escalation Therapy Is Effective in Refractory Crohn’s Disease Patients with Loss of Response to Adalimumab, Especially in Cases without Previous Infliximab Treatment

Background/Aims: Adalimumab dose escalation is one of the most important options in refractory Crohn’s disease patients with loss of response to adalimumab. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of adalimumab dose escalation in Crohn’s disease patients with loss of response to adalimumab, since there are few reports of adalimumab dose escalation, especially in East Asia. Methods: The clinical response to adalimumab dose escalation in Crohn’s disease patients with loss of response to adalimumab was evaluated retrospectively, using the Crohn’s disease activity index score, serum C-reactive protein levels, and endoscopic analyses. Results: Of the 203 Crohn’s disease patients treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor, 14 refractory Crohn’s disease patients with loss of response to adalimumab received adalimumab dose-escalation therapy. The C-reactive protein level was significantly reduced from the start to weeks 12 and 52 of adalimumab dose escalation in the whole group, although there were no significant reductions of Crohn’s disease activity index scores. Both Crohn’s disease activity index scores and C-reactive protein levels were significantly reduced from the start to weeks 12 and 52 of adalimumab dose escalation in patients without previous infliximab treatment, although C-reactive protein levels were positive in all cases with previous infliximab exposure at weeks 12 and 52. Endoscopic mucosal healing was achieved with adalimumab dose escalation in 2 cases without previous infliximab treatment. Conclusions: Adalimumab dose-escalation therapy is effective in refractory Crohn’s disease patients with loss of response to adalimumab, especially in cases without previous infliximab treatment

Relationship of flow-volume curve pattern on pulmonary function test with clinical and radiological features in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background:The flow-volume (FV) curve pattern in the pulmonary function test (PFT) for obstructive lung diseases is widely recognized. However, there are few reports on FV curve pattern in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In this study, we investigated the relationship between FV curve pattern and clinical or radiological features in IPF.Methods:The FV curves on PFTs and chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images of 130 patients with IPF were retrospectively evaluated. The FV curves were divided into four groups based on the presence or absence of the convex and concave patterns: convex/concave, non-convex/concave, convex/non-concave, and non-convex/non-concave. Using a computer-aided system, CT honeycombing area (%HA) and subtracted low attenuation area (%sLAA) were quantitatively measured. To assess the distribution of CT findings, the lung area was divided into upper, lower, central, and peripheral areas. The relationships of FV curve patterns with patient characteristics, spirometry results, and quantitative CT findings were evaluated.Results:The patients with convex pattern was identified in 93 (71.5%) and concave pattern in 72 (55.4%). Among the four groups, patients with the convex/non-concave pattern had significantly lower forced vital capacity (FVC) and higher %HA of the upper/peripheral lung area (p = 0.018, and p = 0.005, respectively). The convex/non-concave pattern was a significant predictor of mortality for IPF (hazard ratio, 2.19; p = 0.032).Conclusions:Patients with convex/non-concave pattern in FV curve have lower FVC and poorer prognosis with distinct distribution of fibrosis. Hence, FV curve pattern might be a useful predictor of mortality in IPF

Colossal Magnetoresistant Materials: The Key Role of Phase Separation

The study of the manganese oxides, widely known as manganites, that exhibit the ``Colossal'' Magnetoresistance (CMR) effect is among the main areas of research within the area of Strongly Correlated Electrons. After considerable theoretical effort in recent years, mainly guided by computational and mean-field studies of realistic models, considerable progress has been achieved in understanding the curious properties of these compounds. These recent studies suggest that the ground states of manganite models tend to be intrinsically inhomogeneous due to the presence of strong tendencies toward phase separation, typically involving ferromagnetic metallic and antiferromagnetic charge and orbital ordered insulating domains. Calculations of the resistivity versus temperature using mixed states lead to a good agreement with experiments. The mixed-phase tendencies have two origins: (i) electronic phase separation between phases with different densities that lead to nanometer scale coexisting clusters, and (ii) disorder-induced phase separation with percolative characteristics between equal-density phases, driven by disorder near first-order metal-insulator transitions. The coexisting clusters in the latter can be as large as a micrometer in size. It is argued that a large variety of experiments reviewed in detail here contain results compatible with the theoretical predictions. It is concluded that manganites reveal such a wide variety of interesting physical phenomena that their detailed study is quite important for progress in the field of Correlated Electrons.Comment: 76 pages, 21 PNG files with figures. To appear in Physics Report

好中球の顆粒形成と機能に関する形態学的研究 第一編 幼若好中球顆粒形成に関する形態学的研究

In an attempt to clarify the formation of neutrophile granules, electron microscopic studies have been made on the granulocytes in the bone marrow cf mouse and rabbit. In myelocytes and metamyelocytes, an active formation of neutrophile granules occures. Terminal endings of the Golgi lamellae extend irregularly into the cytoplasm surrounding Golgi area. Electron dense materials appear in various forms, such as dumb-bell, short rod, oval and round, and also varied sizes. It is considered that the cut surfaces of the Golgi endings on the way of granule formation must take the above mentioned shapes. Consequently, the process of granule formation can be traced morphologically by reconstructing the pictures, appearing on the cut surfaces. Thus it is concluded that neutrophile granules ars produced in the endings of Golgi lamellae in the simillar ways as in the secretary granules of the secretory cells like pancreas, exocrine and endocrine cells. The granular substances accumulate at the ending of Golgi lamella, grow into round electron dense particles, and finally drop off from the Golg lamellae and scatter diffusely into cytoplasm. Acid phosphatase activity may be seen in both Golgi lamellae and in some neutrophile granules, showing the properties analogous to lysosome

好中球の顆粒形成と機能に関する形態学的研究 第二編 好中球顆粒の機能に関する形態学的研究

For the purpose to clarlify the function of neutrophile granules the mature neutrophiles in the circulating blood and bone marrow of rabbit were fed with carbon particles and the relation of phagocytosized carbon particles and neutrophile granules were observed on the sections with or without acid phosphatase reaction. The pictures demonstrate that the phagocytosized carbon particles fuse with neutrophile grnules and by this fusion the acid phosphatase is strikingly activated in the phagocyjotic vesicles. The similar process was also observed in both phagocytotic vesicles and the granules of the bone marrow. The picture suggest that neutropnile granules possess many hydrolytic enzymes inside the granules and release them into the phagocytotic vesicles to lyse the phgocytosized foreign bodies