気管支喘息の臨床分類とその細胞性および液性因子の特徴

Characteristics of each asthma type classified by clinical symptoms and　findings were studied in 72 patients with bronchial asthma. 1. Ventilatory function tests showed that the values of % MMF, % V(50) and % V(25) were significantly lower in patients with bronchiolar obstruction (type II) compared to the values of those with simple bronchoconstriction type (type Ia) and those with bronchoconstriction + hypersecretion (type Ib). 2. The proportion of neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was significantly higher in type II than in type Ia and type Ib. Several　patients with type Ib showed higher proportion of BAL eosinophils. 3. The release of LTC(4) from leucocytes was significantly lower in type II compared with type Ia and type Ib. There was no significant difference in the release of histamine and LTB(4) among the three asthma types.気管支喘息72例を対象に,その臨床病態の特徴を,気道炎症性の細胞および化学伝達物質の観察により検討した｡1.気道反応の特徴を換気機能の面から検討すると,II細気管支閉塞型において,MMF,V(50)やV(25)などの小ないし細気管支領域の換気障害を示すパラメーターの値は,Ia型,Ib型に比べ 有意の低下を示した｡2.気道細胞反応では,II型において,他の臨床病型に比べ,BAL液中好中球の出現頻度の有意の増加が観察された(Ia, p<0.001 ; Ib, p<0.01)｡好酸球の出現頻度は,Ib過分泌型において著しい増加傾向を示す症例が見られたが,その平均出現頻度には3病型間に有意の差は見られなかった｡3.好中球からのメジェー夕ー遊離では,ヒスタミン遊離は,Ia単純性気管支撃縮型において最も高い値が示されたが,推計学的には3病型間に有意の差は見られなかった｡ロイコトリエンC(4)では,Ia型においてII型に比べ有意に高い遊離が観察された(p<0.05)｡ロイコトリエンB(4)遊離には,3病型間に差は見られなかった

Interstitial lung disease in gefitinib-treated Japanese patients with non-small cell lung cancer – a retrospective analysis: JMTO LC03-02

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Japan, high incidences of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and ILD-related deaths have been reported among gefitinib-treated patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We investigated the efficacy of gefitinib, the incidence of ILD and risk factors for ILD in these patients.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>We obtained patient data retrospectively using questionnaires sent to 22 institutions. We asked for demographic and clinical data on NSCLC patients for whom gefitinib treatment had begun between July 2002 and February 2003. Data from a total of 526 patients were analyzed. The patient characteristics were as follows: 64% male, 69% with adenocarcinoma, 61% with a performance score of 0–1, and 5% with concurrent interstitial pneumonitis. The objective response proportion was 80/439 (18.2%; 95% CI: 14.7–22.0). ILD developed in 17 patients (3.2%; 95% CI 1.9–5.1%), of whom 7 died. According to multivariate analysis, female sex, history of prior chemotherapy, low absolute neutrophil count before gefitinib treatment, and adenocarcinoma histology were associated with response to gefitinib treatment. None of the factors we evaluated were associated with the development of ILD.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results of this study are consistent with previously published values for treatment response proportions and incidence of ILD during gefitinib treatment in Japanese patients. Future studies should be aimed at identifying factors indicating that a patient has a high probability of receiving benefit from gefitinib and a low risk of developing ILD.</p

Pilot Study on Clinical Effectiveness of Autofluorescence Imaging for Early Gastric Cancer Diagnosis by Less Experienced Endoscopists

This study aimed to assess and compare effectiveness of Autofluorescence imaging (AFI) in diagnosis of early gastric cancer (EGC) between experienced and less experienced endoscopists. Fifty selected images (20 neoplastic lesions and 30 benign lesions/areas) of both white light endoscopy (WLE) and AFI were blindly reviewed by two groups; first consisted of five experienced endoscopists and second included five less experienced endoscopists. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 70%, 78%, and 75%, respectively, for AFI and 81%, 76%, and 78%, respectively, for WLE in the experienced group. In the less experienced group, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 80%, 81% and 80%, respectively, for AFI and 65%, 77%, and 72%, respectively, for WLE. Interobserver variability for the less experienced group was better with AFI than WLE. AFI improved sensitivity of endoscopic diagnosis of neoplastic lesions by less experienced endoscopists, and its use could beneficially enhance the clinical effectiveness of EGC screening

気管支喘息における複合温泉療法と気道炎症反応

Efficacy of complex spa therapy was studied in 55 patients with bronchial asthma. Complex spa therapy was effective in 47 (85.5%) of the 55 patients with bronchial asthma : marked efficacy was observed in 15 (27.3%), moderate in 32 (58.2%), slight in 6 (10.9%) and no efficacy in 2 patients (3.6%). Improvement of clinical symptoms and findings by complex spa therapy was more clearly observed in patients with an increased proportion of BAL lymphocytes, neutrophils and eosinophils. These findings suggest that complex spa therapy more affects cell infiltration in the airways than bronchoconstriction induced by chemical mediators. Improvement of ventilatory function represented by FEV1.0% value was higher in patients with a low proportion of BAL neutrophils, suggesting that patients with increased number of BAL neutrophils require longer complex spa therapy than those without BAL neutrophilia.気管支喘息55例を対象に,複合温泉療法(温泉プール水泳訓練+ヨードゾル吸入+鉱泥湿布療法)を試み,その臨床効果と気道炎症反応との関連について,若干の検討を加えた｡1.複合温泉療法の臨床効果では,著効15例(27.3%),有効32例(58.2%),やや有効6例,無効2例であり,明らかに有効と判断された症 例は,55例中47例(85.5%)であった｡2.複合温泉療法は,気管支肺胞洗浄液(BALF)中の細胞成分(リンパ球,好中球,好酸球など)が多い症例,すなわち気道炎症反応がより強い症例により有効であった｡このことは,複合温泉療法が,単純性の(化学伝達物質による)気管支攣縮よりも,気道炎症反応をともなった病態により強く影響を及ぼすことを示している｡3.複合温泉療法による換気機能の改善(1秒量)は,BAL液中の好中球数が少ない症例においてより高度であった｡このことは,BAL液中に高度な好中球増多が見られる症例に対しては,より長期的な複合温泉療法が必要であることを示しているものと考えられた