The engraftment and differentiation of transplanted bone marrow-derived cells in the olfactory bulb after methimazole administration

Conclusion: Bone marrow-derived cells can be engrafted in the olfactory bulb and a few cells can differentiate into mitral/tufted cells in the olfactory bulb. Objectives: To investigate whether bone marrow-derived cells can be engrafted into the olfactory bulb and differentiate into neurons and glial cells after methimazole administration. Methods: Bone marrow of GFP (green fluorescence protein) mice was transplanted into lethally irradiated recipient mice. Immunostaining was performed to confirm the cell types of bone marrow-derived cells expressing GFP. Results: GFP-positive cells were observed in the olfactory bulb at 2 days after methimazole administration. The number of dendritic GFP-positive cells increased up to 30 days after methimazole administration and then decreased. Double immunostaining for GFP and Iba1 or TBX21 showed that a large population of the GFP-positive cells had characteristics of microglia/macrophages and a few cells had characteristics of mitral/tufted cells

Usefulness of measuring hepatic functional volume using Technetium-99m galactosyl serum albumin scintigraphy in bile duct carcinoma: report of two cases.

We report the usefulness of measuring functional liver volume in two patients undergoing hepatectomy. Case 1 involved a 47-year-old man with hepatitis B virus infection. The indocyanine green test retention rate at 15 min (ICGR15) was 14%. Liver uptake ratio (LHL15) by technetium-99 m galactosyl human serum albumin ((99m)Tc-GSA) liver scintigraphy was 0.91. The patient displayed hilar bile duct carcinoma necessitating right hepatectomy. After preoperative portal vein embolization (PVE), future remnant liver volume became 54% and functional volume by (99m)Tc-GSA became 79%. Although the permitted resected liver volume was lower than the liver volume, scheduled hepatectomy was performed following the results of functional liver volume. Case 2 involved a 75-year-old man with diabetes. ICGR15 was 27.4% and LHL15 was 0.87. The patient displayed bile duct carcinoma located in the upper bile duct with biliary obstruction in the right lateral sector. The right hepatectomy was scheduled. After PVE, future remnant volume became 68% and functional volume became 88%. Although ICGR15 was worse as 31%, planned hepatectomy was performed due to the results of functional volume. In the liver with biliary obstruction or portal embolization, functional liver volume is decreased more than morphological volume. Measurement of functional volume provides useful information for deciding operative indication

A20 (TNFAIP3) Deletion in Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Lymphoproliferative Disorders/Lymphomas

A negative regulator of the nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B pathway, A20 (TNFAIP3), is inactivated in several types of lymphomas; particularly in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), classical Hodgkin's lymphoma, and extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. These findings suggest that the NF-kappa B activation is related to A20 inactivation. Recently, A20 inactivation has also been observed in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related lymphomas; however, this occurrence has not been well investigated. Moreover, NF-kappa B is a key molecule in activated B-cell-like (ABC)-type DLBCL; EBV-associated DLBCL is of the ABC type. Therefore, we focused on A20 deletions in EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disorders/lymphomas. Using fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis, A20 deletions were identified in 4 of 13 samples from patients with pyothorax-associated lymphoma (PAL) (31%), 3 of 20 samples from nasal-type NK/T cell lymphomas (NKTLs) (15%), 1 of 8 samples of EBV-positive DLBCL of the elderly (DLBCL-e) (13%), but not in any of the 11 samples from individuals with methotrexate-related lymphoproliferative disorder (MTX-LPD) (0%). Among the samples with A20 deletions, EBV latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) expression was detected in all 4 of the PAL samples with A20 deletions and in the DLBCL-e sample with an A20 deletion, but not in any of the 3 NKTL samples. This finding indicated that A20 deletions were not directly related to the EBV latency pattern of lymphomas, although such deletions might be related to the diagnostic category. Immunohistologically, the A20 protein was absent in 2 (15%) of the13 PAL samples, 1 (9%) of 11 MTX-LPD samples, and in none of the 20 NKTL (0%) or 8 DLBCL-e samples. In conclusion, A20 deletion and/or dysfunctional expression are frequently associated with PALs, and A20 abnormalities may be related to the pathogenesis of PAL