[Primary Sjögren's syndrome with recurrent aseptic meningitis].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Ikuya Sakai.
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OBJECTIVE: Monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) play important roles in the immune response against infections and malignancies. Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infects monocytes and is reactivated in immunodeficient patients. To clarify the mechanisms of HHV-6-induced immunodeficiency, we investigated the effect of HHV-6 infection on differentiation of monocytes to DCs. METHODS: Monocytes were inoculated with or without HHV-6 and then allowed to differentiate to myeloid DCs in culture medium containing granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin (IL)-4. The expression of cell surface molecules on DCs and the capacity of the DCs for antigen capture were examined by flow cytometric analysis. Alteration of antigen-presenting capacity induced by HHV-6 infection was examined. RESULTS: The morphology of HHV-6-infected monocyte-derived DCs was distinctly different from that of the DCs derived from mock-infected monocytes. Although expression levels of DC-associated surface antigens, including CD80, CD83, and CD86, were significantly higher on HHV-6-infected monocyte-derived DCs than on DCs derived from mock-infected monocytes, antigen-presenting capacity was significantly lower in the former group. Addition of culture supernatant of HHV-6-infected monocytes resulted in suppression of the T-lymphocyte proliferative response, and anti-IL-10 neutralizing antibody partly inhibited this suppressive effect. The antigen-presenting capacity of DCs generated from a patient with severe HHV-6 reactivation was significantly lower than that of DCs generated from the same patient in the recovery phase. CONCLUSIONS: HHV-6 infection induces immunodeficiency via impaired differentiation of DCs. These results present a new concept for the pathogenesis of HHV-6-induced immunodeficiency.
A 75-year-old woman was given a diagnosis of malignant lymphoma (non-Hodgkin, diffuse large B cell type, stage IIA) at our hospital on August 2003. She received six courses of rituximab-based chemotherapy (R-CHOP regimen) and then she achieved complete remission. On August 16, 2004, she was readmitted in our hospital for difficulty in swallowing. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy reveled esophageal stricture and an ulcerative lesion on the esophageal mucosa. The X-ray examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract reveled a severe esophageal stricture with niches and hiatus hernia. No malignancy was seen on CT scanning, gallium radioisotope scanning and histological examination of biopsy specimens with the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The physical examination showed gibbosity, and MR imaging showed multiple compression spined fractures. Finally, we diagnosed benign esophageal stricture with reflux esophagitis. She underwent laparoscopic partial esophagectomy in September 21, 2004, and the postoperative course was satisfactory. The pathological findings showed benign esophageal stricture caused by esophagitis. We report here a case of esophageal stricture following complete remission after chemotherapy for malignant lymphoma in an elderly patient.
We report a rare case demonstrating the relationship between secondary amyloidosis and uterine leiomyosarcoma. A 59-year-old female with high fever was referred to our hospital. Laboratory tests revealed increased white blood cells, eosinophilia and an accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Endoscopic examination of the stomach and colon revealed amyloid deposits in their mucosa. The patient showed no symptoms that suggested amyloidosis. No other organs or tissues were surveyed for amyloid deposition. Ga scintigraphy, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging suggested necrotic infectious leiomyoma of the uterus, which was considered to be the cause of the fever. The patient underwent total hysterectomy. The histological diagnosis of the mass revealed a low-grade uterine leiomyosarcoma with necrosis. Amyloid deposits in the gastric mucosa disappeared 1 year after the operation. In this case, amyloid deposition was detected by endoscopic biopsy before clinical manifestations. The deposition was reversible and was successfully treated. Thus, it is logical and useful to undertake endoscopic mucosa biopsy to check for amyloid deposition in patients with systemic inflammation, whose serum amyloid A protein level has been high for several months. In addition, peripheral eosinophilia was also detected in this case. Although eosinophilia associated with malignant tumor has been recognized, it is an uncommon occurrence.
Wilms tumor gene 1 product (WT1) has been recognized as an attractive target antigen of immunotherapy for various malignancies including leukemia. Because tumor-associated antigen-specific CD4+ T lymphocytes undoubtedly play an important role in the induction of an antitumor immune response, we attempted to generate WT1-specific CD4+ T lymphocytes in vitro and examined their antileukemia functions. A CD4+ T-cell line, designated NIK-1, which proliferated and produced Th1 cytokines specifically in response to stimulation with the WT1-derived peptide, WT1(337-347) LSHLQMHSRKH, in an HLA-DP5-restricted manner was established. NIK-1 exhibited cytotoxicity against HLA-DP5-positive, WT1-expressing leukemia cells but did not lyse HLA-DP5-negative, WT1-expressing leukemia cells or HLA-DP5-positive, WT1-negative cells. NIK-1 did not inhibit colony formation by normal bone marrow cells of HLA-DP5-positive individuals. This is the first report to describe WT1-specific and HLA class II-restricted CD4+ T lymphocytes possessing direct cytotoxic activity against leukemia cells.
The t(1;21)(p36;q22) is a recurrent chromosome abnormality associated with therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Although involvement of RUNX1 has been detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis, the partner gene has not been reported previously. We identified a novel RUNX1 partner gene, MDS1/EVI1-like-gene 1 (PRDM16), in an AML patient with t(1;21). Alternative splicing of the fusion gene generates five different fusion transcripts. In two of them, the PRDM16 reading frame is maintained in the fusion with RUNX1, suggesting that the RUNX1-PRDM16 gene fusion results in the production of a protein that is highly homologous to the RUNX1-MDS1/EVI1 chimeric protein. It is suggested that PRDM16 and MDS1/EVI1 share a common molecular mechanism for the leukemogenesis of RUNX1-associated leukemia. Characterization of the RUNX1-PRDM16 fusion protein and comparison with the RUNX1-MDS1/EVI1 protein will facilitate the understanding of the mechanisms underlying RUNX1-associated leukemia.
OBJECTIVE: Because perforin is an essential cytolytic mediator of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), it is important to understand the regulatory mechanisms of perforin expression in CTLs. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between cytotoxic activity, perforin expression, and cell-activated status of CD4(+) and CD8(+) CTLs. METHODS: Herpes simplex virus-specific CD4(+) CTL clones and Epstein-Barr virus-specific CD8(+) CTL clones were established, and their cytotoxic activities were examined in both the activated and resting phases. Perforin mRNA expression was examined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction quantitatively. Transcriptional regulation of perforin was examined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. RESULTS: The degrees of cytotoxic activity of CD8(+) CTLs did not differ significantly between the two phases; however, CD4(+) CTLs in the activated phase appeared to be significantly more cytotoxic than those in the resting phase. Similarly, expression levels of perforin mRNA in activated and resting CD8(+) CTLs did not differ significantly, but activated CD4(+) CTLs appeared to express perforin more abundantly than resting CD4(+) CTLs. In addition, it appeared that binding of STAT5 to the perforin gene promoter was increased in activated CD4(+) CTLs compared to resting CD4(+) CTLs; however, there was no significant detectable difference of STAT5 binding activity to the perforin gene promoter between activated and resting CD8(+) CTLs. CONCLUSIONS: The present study has revealed a difference in the control of perforin expression between CD4(+) and CD8(+) CTLs; that is, perforin is expressed constitutively in memory CD8(+) CTLs, but is dependent on cell activation in memory CD4(+) CTLs.
Previously, we have demonstrated that constitutive expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS3) affects the sensitivity of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cell lines to interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). In the present study, we analyzed the expression of SOCS3 mRNA in bone marrow cells from patients with CML at diagnosis, with the aid of real-time polymerase chain reaction. SOCS3 mRNA expression in bone marrow cells from CML patients who responded well to IFN-alpha therapy was significantly lower than that in cells from healthy volunteers and patients who were resistant to IFN-alpha therapy. Methylation of SOCS3 promoter was absent in bone marrow cells from all CML patients examined. These results indicate that the expression of SOCS3 mRNA is inversely associated with the sensitivity to IFN-alpha both in vitro and in vivo and that differences in SOCS3 mRNA expression are not due to the methylation status of SOCS3 promoters.
An 80-year-old man presented to the internist with fever, fatigue and leukocytosis up to 66.8 x 10(3)/microl. Although a chronic myelogenous leukemia was initially suspected, he was diagnosed as metastatic bone marrow tumor with bone marrow necrosis from primary prostate cancer on the basis of the clinical and pathological findings. The serum concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were mildly elevated to 65.0 pg/ml and, 54.0 pg/ml respectively. It is probable that these humoral factors were partially responsible for the leukemoid reaction although other factors induced by the bone marrow necrosis with bone marrow metastasis of prostate cancer are also likely involved.
Imatinib mesylate and rituximab are molecularly targeted drugs against the BCR-ABL fusion protein and the CD20 antigen, respectively. Although these drugs have excellent anticancer effects, a major concern is drug resistance. We have investigated the case of a patient with Philadelphia chromosome-positive and CD20+ acute lymphocytic leukemia who acquired resistance to imatinib and rituximab. Imatinib therapy resulted in prompt cytogenetic remission, but resistance developed shortly thereafter. Sequencing of the kinase domain of the ABL gene and allele-specific polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed a point mutation resulting in an E255V substitution that was present before the therapy. After the patient received mild chemotherapy followed by rituximab administration, hematologic and cytogenetic remission was sustained for 5.5 months. The recurrent leukemic cells after the rituximab therapy showed not only the E255V mutation in the ABL gene but also loss of the CD20 antigen due to impaired transcription of the CD20 gene. The results of 2-color flow cytometry analysis showed that a small population of CD20(-) leukemic cells existed before the imatinib therapy. These results suggest that leukemic subclones carrying a genetic perturbation of the targeted molecules for both imatinib and rituximab were present before the therapies. The preexistence of primary resistant clones suggests the inability of combination therapy with 2 molecularly targeted drugs to overcome drug resistance in leukemia.
A 54-year-old woman with a 21-year history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was admitted to the Matsuyama Red Cross Hospital due to subcutaneous and gingival hemorrhaging. She was diagnosed with acquired factor VIII inhibitors based on a prolonged activated partial-thromboplastin time (APTT) and factor VIII inhibitors. Steroid pulse and factor VIII plasma concentrate were administered to her, not long after which she was transferred to Ehime University Hospital due to gallbladder hematoma. Although her APTT and factor VIII activity were improved after treatment with human factor VIII, she died of multiple organ failure. The autopsy demonstrated a ruptured gallbladder.
We encountered a case of a 59-year-old female who simultaneously contracted a non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and a plasma cell neoplasm. The patient consulted her physician about her abdominal tumor and anemia in March 1999. She was diagnosed as having NHL (follicular center lymphoma, grade I, stage IIA) after an open tumor biopsy, and treated by cycles of CHOP chemotherapy which resulted in complete remission. However, the patient's abdominal tumor appeared again in March 2000 and she was hospitalized at the Ehime University Hospital. A tumor biopsy was performed laparoscopically at that time. Follicular lymphoma (with positive LCA, L-26, and bcl-2 immuno-staining) with the development of retroperitoneal fibrosis was diagnosed again. When a bone marrow puncture was performed because of a condition of monoclonal gammopathy which had continued for two years, a smoldering myeloma was additionally diagnosed. This diagnosis was made after the presence of IgG-lambda M protein when the marrow showed an increase in the number of plasma cells. In a Southern blot analysis which studied the abdominal tumor and the bone marrow cells, each B-cell tumor had a different IgH gene rearrangement pattern. Therefore, this case was diagnosed as an example of the simultaneous existence of two different B-cell tumors. Double cancers in hematological malignancies are very rare and this was thought to be an interesting case.
A 29-year-old man developed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in a subpectoral pacemaker pocket that 6 years previously had been created in the chest for a titanium-covered pulse generator. The patient had an 8-cm-diameter dark red tumor with necrotic tissue on a keloidal surgical scar in the left side of the chest. Left axillary lymphadenopathy also was present. Laboratory studies showed an increased level of soluble interleukin 2 receptor and a normal level of lactose dehydrogenase. A biopsy specimen showed a diffuse large B-cell phenotype and monoclonal immunoglobulin H gene rearrangement. A gallium scintigraphy study showed abnormal accumulation in the left chest and left axilla. On the basis of these findings, we diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, stage II. The patient received THP-COP chemotherapy (pirarubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisolone) and radiotherapy, achieved complete remission, and was free of disease for 16 months after treatment. This case suggests that there was a relationship between the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the presence of chronic inflammation in the pulse generator pocket.
We describe a case of hypocellular acute promyelocytic leukemia with a tetraploid clone characterized by two t(15;17). The large leukemia cells had a bizarre nuclear configuration and multiple Auer rods. A bone marrow biopsy specimen revealed a markedly hypocellular marrow (<10% cellularity) in the absence of myelofibrosis. Myelodysplastic features were not detected. Chromosome analysis of marrow cells revealed a karyotype of 92,XXYY,del(2)(q?),t(15;17)(q22;q21)x2. Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that the marrow cells were composed of a tetraploid clone carrying double t(15;17) and normal diploid cells. The leukemia responded well to all-trans retinoic acid. We think that the tetraploidy could be caused by endoreduplication or endomitosis of the diploid clone with single t(15;17). The unique karyotype largely contributed to the cell morphology and marrow hypoplasia, while it may not have affected on the prognosis of the acute promyelocytic leukemia.
A 45-year-old man visited the first hospital complained of high fever on January 2003. He was diagnosed as having Influenza virus type A infection and prescribed of Oseltamivir. He was afebrile next day, but severe myalgia of neck, shoulder, lumbar region and right femoral region was appeared. His illness was considered as polymyalgia rheumatica and started of oral steroid therapy. His symptom was deteriorated and transferred to our hospital. Echography, Ga scintigraphy, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed the multiple abscesses and the diagnosis of pyomyositis was made. Pyomyositis following Influenza virus infection must be considered as a differential diagnosis of myalgia after Influenza virus infection.
Because suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins are negative regulators of cytokine-induced signaling, it has been hypothesized that aberrant SOCS expression confers resistance against cytokine therapy. This study reports on the constitutive expression of SOCS3 in most chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cell lines, which are resistant to treatment with interferon alpha (IFN-alpha). In contrast, the KT-1/A3 cell line, in which constitutive expression of SOCS3 is barely detectable, is sensitive to IFN-alpha treatment. Forced expression of SOCS3 in the KT-1/A3 cell line confers resistance to IFN-alpha treatment. Furthermore, most of the blast cells from patients in CML blast crisis, which are usually resistant to IFN-alpha therapy, showed constitutive expression of SOCS3. These findings indicate that constitutive SOCS3 expression affects the IFN-alpha sensitivity of CML cell lines and blast cells from patients with CML blast crisis.
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A 77-year-old man was admitted to a hospital because of a left cervical tumor. He was initially diagnosed as having non-Hodgkin lymphoma, diffuse large cell type, Ann Arbor stage IV, and transferred to our hospital for chemotherapy. Flow cytometric analysis of the left axillary lymph node cells derived from a biopsy specimen showed that in addition to lymphoid surface markers (CD5, 7, 21), myeloid surface markers (CD11b, 33, 34) were also positive. The diagnosis of malignant lymphoma was therefore confirmed. The patient, was treated with THP-COP therapy, which proved very effective. Thereafter, a biopsy specimen was found to be positive for MT1 (CD43) staining but negative for myeloperoxidase and chloroacetate esterase staining on immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, no rearrangement of the IgH JH, TCR C beta 1 or TCR J gamma gene was detected by Southern blot analysis. On basis of these findings and the previous results of flow cytometry, we changed the diagnosis from malignant lymphoma to granulocytic sarcoma. THP-COP therapy was continued, and complete remission was achieved. Two months later, however, the patient developed acute myelocytic leukemia (AML M1) and received DCP therapy, but he died of pneumonia.