Increased Serum KL-6 Levels Induced by Pulmonary Mycobacterium Avium Complex Infection in a Patient with RA-associated Lung Disease

KL-6 is a glycoprotein found predominantly on type II pneumocytes and alveolar macrophages, and often shows increased serum levels in patients with interstitial pneumonia. We report a case of mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection whose disease activity was correlated with KL-6 levels in serum. During treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) with prednisolone, chest image findings improved in association with decreased KL-6 levels. Following tapering of prednisolone, chest image findings deteriorated again as levels of KL-6 increased, suggesting recurrence of RA-ILD. Bronchoscopic examination revealed active MAC infection. Treatment of MAC infection not only improved chest image findings but also decreased KL-6 levels in serum, suggesting that KL-6 was increased by active MAC infection by itself, not by recurrence of RA-ILD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documentation of KL-6 elevation in serum in association with active MAC infection

Fundamental Studies on Measurement of Plasma lα,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol Concentration by Radioreceptor Assay

It is well known that 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(lα,25 (OH)2D) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of bone and calcium metabolism. In present paper, we established a relatively convenient assay system, using radioreceptor assay, for lα,25 (OH) 2D. Fundamental studies showed that this assay system had good sensitivity enough to detect 2 pg of lα,25 (OH) 2D per tube, and had good reproducibility. Therefore, it was shown that this assay system could be applied for clinical use. The plasma concentrations of lα,25(OH)2D, measured by this assay system, in healthy young males and females, and in aged females were 55.7±16.1, 44.8±22.1 and 23.5±13.0 pg/ml (mean±s.d.), respectively. Thus, the aged females showed significantly lower (p<0.005) lα,25 (OH)2D levels than the young group. This fact suggests that vitamin D deficient state might exist in aged females

Post-load hyperglycemia as an important predictor of long-term adverse cardiac events after acute myocardial infarction: a scientific study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Diabetes mellitus (DM) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) are risk factors for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, it is unknown whether hyperglycemic state is associated with increased major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after AMI. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between glucometabolic status and MACE in patients after AMI, and determined the critical level of 2 h post-load plasma glucose that may be used to predict MACE.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>AMI patients (n = 422) were divided into 4 groups as follows: normal glucose tolerance (NGT) group, IGT group, newly diagnosed DM (NDM) group, and previously known DM (PDM) group. MACE of the 4 groups were compared for 2 years from AMI onset.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The NDM group had a significantly higher event rate than the IGT and NGT groups and had a similar event rate curve to PDM group. The logistic models analyses revealed that 2 h post-load plasma glucose values of ≥160 mg/dL was the only independent predictor of long-term MACE after AMI (p = 0.028, OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.07-3.21). The 2-year cardiac event rate of patients with a 2 h post-load hyperglycemia of ≥160 mg/dL was significantly higher than that of patients with 2 h post-load glucose of <160 mg/dL (32.2% vs. 19.8%, p < 0.05) and was similar to that of PDM group (37.4%, p = 0.513).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>NDM increases the risk of MACE after AMI as does PDM. Particularly, post-AMI patients with a 2 h post-load hyperglycemia ≥160 mg/dL may need adjunctive therapy after AMI.</p

Effects of Treatments for Experimental Bone Tumor on Prostaglandin E Level and Bone Scintigrams

The role of Prostaglandin E (PgE) level was studied experimentally as follows: 1) intrahepatic implantation of VX-2, 2) intravenous injection of VX-2, 3) effect of treatments on intramedullary implanted VX-2. The levels of PgE in intrahepatic and intravenous transplantation were not higher than that of intramedullary transplantation. Mitomycin C (MMC) did not reduce the PgE level and appearance time of bone scan abnormality was the same as that of untreated animals. A combination of indomethacin and MMC caused a delay in appearance time of bone scan abnormalities