Endoscopic Mucosal Resection of Primary Anorectal Malignant Melanoma:A Case Report

Anorectal melanoma is a rare malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. However, several studies have reported cases of long-term survival. In this report, we present a patient with anorectal melanoma who has survived for 9 years after endoscopic mucosal resection. An 85-year-old man was referred to our hospital for further examination and treatment of an anal tumor 2cm in size. Endoscopic ultrasonography revealed that the depth of tumor invasion was confined to the submucosal layer. Endoscopic mucosal resection was performed, and the tumor was diagnosed as a malignant melanoma. The patient was followed without any additional treatment, which was per his wishes. Although melanoma recurred 4 times thereafter, endoscopic mucosal resection was performed for each recurrent lesion. Thus, he has been alive for 9 years since the first endoscopic mucosal resection without distant metastases. If the depth of tumor invasion is shallow, endoscopic mucosal resection is a useful option among other therapeutic modalities.</p

Phalloidin-induced alterations of bile canaliculi.

Phalloidin, a toxin from the plant Amanita phalloides, irreversibly polymerizes actin filaments and causes cholestasis. Three-dimensional structural changes induced by phalloidin in the bile canaliculi and the intra-acinar localization of these changes were studied in the rat liver by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. After 3 days of treatment, canalicular changes appeared mainly in zones 2 and 3 of Rappaport's acinus, but after 7 days of treatment changes occurred in bile canaliculi of the whole acinus. The changes in the bile canaliculi included tortuosity, saccular dilatation, loss of microvilli, bleb formation and elongation of canalicular side branches. Some side branches extended near to Disse's space, leaving only a thin cytoplasmic rim between the canalicular lumen and Disse's space. Kupffer cells were occasionally situated near such extended bile canaliculi and protruded their processes into the hepatic cord. These results suggest that bile canaliculi in zone 3 are more susceptible to phalloidin toxicity than those in zone 1 and that biliary constituents may leak from such altered bile canaliculi.</p

Three-dimensional arrangement of ductular structures formed by oval cells during hepatocarcinogenesis.

The three-dimensional arrangement of ductular structures formed by oval cells in rats fed 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of biliary tract casts and light microscopy of sections of liver injected with india ink via the biliary tract. Both resin and india ink were well injected up to bile ductules, and the findings of each method correlated with each other. By the second week after 2-AAF administration, a few oval cells appeared in the periportal areas forming ductular structures which connected with the portal bile ducts. At the 4th week, increased ductular structures occupied two thirds of the lobule and formed networks communicating with each other, and with the portal bile ducts. At the 8th week, such ductular structures were compressed around hyperplastic nodules and appeared like a basket in biliary casts examined by SEM. Although a histochemical study of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase revealed activity both on the luminal side of the ductular structures and hepatocytes in hyperplastic nodules, no transition was observed between these two cell populations. These results suggest that oval cells have characteristics more similar to those of biliary epithelia than of hepatocytes, and have no relation to the development of hyperplastic nodules.</p

Simple surrogate index of the fibrosis stage in chronic hepatitis C patients using platelet count and serum albumin level.

This study was conducted to develop a simple surrogate index comprised of routinely available laboratory tests to reflect the histological fibrosis stage. Clinical characteristics and laboratory data from 368 and 249 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C, a training cohort and a validation cohort, respectively, were retrospectively evaluated. Platelet (Plt) count and albumin (Alb) level contributed to the discrimination of the respective fibrosis stages. We derived the fi brosis index (FI), FI = 8.0-0.01 x Plt (10 multiply 3/microliter) - Alb (g/dl), from a multiple regression model. FI significantly correlated with the histological fibrosis stage in both the initial and validation cohort at p=0.691 and p=0.661, respectively (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, p&#60;0.0001). The sensitivity and positive predictive value of FI at a cutoff value &#60; 2.10 for predicting fibrosis stage F0-1 were 66.8% and 78.8% in the initial cohort and 68.5% and 63.6% in the validation cohort, respectively. Corresponding values of FI at a cutoff value &#62;- 3.30 for the prediction of F4 were 67.7% and 75.0% in the initial cohort and 70.8% and 81.0% in the validation cohort. The fibrosis index comprised of platelet count and albumin level reflected the histological fibrosis stage in patients with chronic hepatitis C.</p

pH-dependent Formation of Membranous Cytoplasmic Body-like Structure of Ganglioside GM1/Bis(Monoacylglycero)Phosphate Mixed Membranes

Membrane structures of the mixtures of ganglioside GM1 and endosome specific lipid, bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP, also known as lysobisphosphatidic acid, LBPA) were examined at various pH conditions by freeze-fracture electron microscopy and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). At pH 8.5 – 6.5, a GM1/BMP (1/1 mol/mol) mixture formed small vesicular aggregates, whereas the mixture formed closely packed lamellar structures under acidic conditions (pH 5.5, 4.6) with the lamellar repeat distance of 8.06 nm. Since BMP alone exhibits a diffuse lamellar structure at a broad range of pH values and GM1 forms a micelle, the present results indicate that both GM1 and BMP are required to produce the closely stacked multilamellar vesicles. These vesicles resemble membranous cytoplasmic bodies (MCB) in cells derived from patients suffering from GM1 gangliosidosis. Similar to GM1 gangliosidosis, cholesterol was trapped in BMP vesicles in GM1- and in a low pH-dependent manner. Studies employing different gangliosides and a GM1 analog suggest the importance of sugar chains and a sialic acid of GM1 in the pH-dependent structural change of GM1/BMP membranes

Radioligand Assay-Based Detection of Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in Hospital Workers Treating Patients with Severe COVID-19 in Japan.

This study aimed to clarify whether infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is prevalent among the staff of a hospital providing treatment to patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using radioligand assay (RLA). One thousand samples from the staff of a general hospital providing treatment to patients with severe COVID-19 were assayed for SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (N) IgG using RLA. Nine patients with COVID-19 who had been treated in inpatient settings and had already recovered were used as control subjects, and 186 blood donor samples obtained more than 10 years ago were used as negative controls. Four of the 1000 samples showed apparently positive results, and approximately 10 or more samples showed slightly high counts. Interestingly, a few among the blood donor samples also showed slightly high values. To validate the results, antibody examinations using ELISA and neutralizing antibody tests were performed on 21 samples, and chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) was performed on 201 samples, both resulting in a very high correlation. One blood donor sample showed slightly positive results in both RLA and CLIA, suggesting a cross-reaction. This study showed that five months after the pandemic began in Japan, the staff of a general hospital with a tertiary emergency medical facility had an extremely low seroprevalence of the antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Further investigation will be needed to determine whether the slightly high results were due to cross-reactions or a low titer of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The quantitative RLA was considered sensitive enough to detect low titers of antibodies

Multidetector-CT findings of dissecting aortic aneurysum and coronary artery disease. Based on the case of dissecting aortic aneurysum and coronary artery disease.

2000年になり多列検出器高速CT (Multi-detector CT,以下MDCT)が出現し,大動脈疾患や心電図同期での冠動脈狭窄病変診断への臨床応用が開始された.当院でも2001年7月からMDCTが稼動し,日常臨床診療に貢献している. 今回,解離性上行大動脈瘤(DeBakeyII)(以下DAA)と冠動脈疾患(LAD# 7の閉塞)を合併した患者を診療した.MDCTによるCT - Angiography (以下CTA)が両者の診断に非常に有用であった.患者の負担は100mlの末梢静脈内への造影剤の投与と約数十秒間の呼吸停止だけで,解離性大動脈瘤並びに冠動脈狭窄病変の診断にそれぞれ非常に有用であった.三次元診断の鮮明な画像が得られ,かつ低侵襲度のMDCT並びにCTAは,今後益々臨床の場で血管造影検査の強力なファーストチョイスの診療手段になると考える.Multidetector-CT (MDCT) and CT-Angio hase proven to be extremely useful in diagnosis of dissecting aortic aneurysum (DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD) . We report a case of DM complicated with CAD which was diagnosed by new MDCT

The level of plasma BNP continued remarkably high in the elderly presented with old myocardial infarction.

心不全が比較的良好にコントロールされているのにもかかわらず,高齢の陳旧性心筋梗塞後患者等で脳性ナトリウム利尿ペプチド(BNP)の異常高値が持続する場合がある.今回,また超高齢の心不全患者で同所見を認めたので,考察を含めて報告する. 93歳高齢の陳急性心筋梗塞患者で,BNP1600-1200の著明な高値が持続した.主に心尖部と一部の前側壁の陳旧性心筋梗塞症であったが,利尿薬等による治療によって心不全はコントロールできており,救急入院時を除いては,鬱血性心不全の状態ではなかった.心願超音 波検査でも心内圧の上昇や下大静脈の拡張も認めなかった.利尿薬を増量するとむしろ脱水による腎機能障害の増悪を認めていた. 入院中に狭心痛を認めることがあり,心筋逸脱酔素の軽度の上昇を認めた.BNPの著明な高値持続は,陳旧性心筋梗塞後の心臓機能障害や左室肥大,僧帽弁閉頚不全等による慢性心不全･心負荷のための心筋でのBNP合成･分泌元進の他に,新たな小梗塞(非貫壁性心筋梗塞)や持続する無症候性の心筋虚血による心筋でのBNP合成･分泌亢進,高齢によるBNPクリアランスの低下と分泌の持続的亢進,慢性腎機能障害によるBNPクリアランスの低下,心筋障害後の心筋再構築(リモデリング)の訳節と心筋繊維化抑制の為に合成が元進していると考えられる.更に,いわゆる老人肺･慢性呼吸機能低下による右心系の負荷による心室からの分泌元進,ステロイドホルモン内服による鉱井コルチコイド作用,貧血,低栄養状態等の様々な要因が重なっているものと考えられた. 心臓でBNPの産生･分泌が亢進するのは,心不全に伴う全身の体液量バランスや血行動態等の悪化を改善,調節するためだけではなく,心臓自身のリモデリングの調節･抑制,再構築の調薪のため,さらには心臓･心筋の繊維化や拡張障害の増悪を抑制するための自己防衛 機構としても機能している.心臓は,単に循環系のポンプではなく,利尿ペプチドホルモンを分泌する内分泌器官でもある. 一般的に加齢に伴いBNPは上昇してくる.特に70歳以上の高齢者では顕著になる.考察ではその点についても新たな文献的考察も含めて報告し,高齢者のBNPの捉え方と治療についても述べる.The level of plasma BNP (Brain Natriuretic Peptide) increases with many factors, especially among the elderly. The heart increases the secretion of BNP to improves and maintains body fluid balance and hemodynamic state. Furthennore, BNP works as the mechanism for self-protection in order to control remodeling the heart itself as well as to protect the heart from fibrotic progression and dyastolic dysfunction. The heart acts not only as the cardiovascular pump but also as the endocrine organ which secretes diuretic peptide honnones

The Effect of Medical Cooperation in the CKD Patients: 10-Year Multicenter Cohort Study

Introduction: While chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the most important contributors to mortality from non-communicable diseases, the number of nephrologists is limited worldwide. Medical cooperation is a system of cooperation between primary care physicians and nephrological institutions, consisting of nephrologists and multidisciplinary care teams. Although it has been reported that multidisciplinary care teams contribute to the prevention of worsening renal functions and cardiovascular events, there are few studies on the effect of a medical cooperation system. Methods: We aimed to evaluate the effect of medical cooperation on all-cause mortality and renal prognosis in patients with CKD. One hundred and sixty-eight patients who visited the one hundred and sixty-three clinics and seven general hospitals of Okayama city were recruited between December 2009 and September 2016, and one hundred twenty-three patients were classified into a medical cooperation group. The outcome was defined as the incidence of all-cause mortality, or renal composite outcome (end-stage renal disease or 50% eGFR decline). We evaluated the effects on renal composite outcome and pre-ESRD mortality while incorporating the competing risk for the alternate outcome into a Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model. Results: The medical cooperation group had more patients with glomerulonephritis (35.0% vs. 2.2%) and less nephrosclerosis (35.0% vs. 64.5%) than the primary care group. Throughout the follow-up period of 5.59 +/- 2.78 years, 23 participants (13.7%) died, 41 participants (24.4%) reached 50% decline in eGFR, and 37 participants (22.0%) developed end-stage renal disease (ESRD). All-cause mortality was significantly reduced by medical cooperation (sHR 0.297, 95% CI 0.105-0.835, p = 0.021). However, there was a significant association between medical cooperation and CKD progression (sHR 3.069, 95% CI 1.225-7.687, p = 0.017). Conclusion: We evaluated mortality and ESRD using a CKD cohort with a long-term observation period and concluded that medical cooperation might be expected to influence the quality of medical care in the patients with CKD