Simulations of rf glow discharges in SF6 by the relaxation continuum model: Physical structure and function of the narrow-gap reactive-ion etcher.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to N Nakano.
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The patient was a 66-year-old man. An abnormal mass on his chest X-ray was pointed out during a regular check-up in November 1991. He was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaint of productive cough in January 1992. With the diagnosis of lung cancer, right middle and lower lobectomy with lymph node resection and partial resection of the pericardium was carried out. The pathological examination revealed pulmonary plasma cell granuloma infiltrating the pericardium. Postoperative course was uneventful. No recurrence was seen 17 months after operation. As pulmonary plasma cell granuloma is histologically benign, this was a very rare case with extra-pulmonary extension. Up to present, only 8 cases including this case has been reported in the literature. We reviewed these 8 cases.
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Before operation, we evaluated the usefulness of ultrasonically guided needle biopsy to detect histologically invasion of the chest wall by tumor in patients with lung cancer. Ultrasonically guided needle biopsy, computed tomography, and ultrasonography were done in 29 patients with lung cancer. In all of them, chest wall invasion was histologically confirmed by thoracotomy. As for the diagnosis of chest wall invasion, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of ultrasonically guided needle biopsy diagnosis were 61.5%, 100%, and 82.8%, respectively; for diagnosis by computed tomographic scan these figures were 69.2%, 75.0%, and 72.4%, respectively; and for diagnosis by ultrasonography they were 76.9%, 68.8%, and 72.4%, respectively. We had no false-positive cases in the ultrasonically guided needle biopsy assessment and no fatal complications or implantation metastases. Our results indicate that ultrasonically guided needle biopsy is safe and useful for preoperative histologic diagnosis of chest wall invasion in cases in which combined chest wall resection is being considered in patients with lung cancer.
The case of a chronic alcoholic patient with Wernicke's encephalopathy accompanied by passing blindness is reported and the alcoholic amblyopia is discussed in this study. The patient was a 39 year-old male who had been a heavy drinker for 13 years, and was habitually inebriated for the last one year. Disturbance of consciousness ataxia of gait, nystagmus and blindness were manifested on admission. Decreased level of serum vitamin B1 was also recognized at admission. The symptoms diminished from about a month after admission except for horizontal nystagmus. Since the patient had racket-like scotoma in his central visual field, his blindness was thought to be alcoholic amblyopia. Although alcohol dependence is associated with many physical disabilities, there are few reports about Wernicke's encephalopathy with alcoholic amblyopia. This case demonstrates the importance of careful physical examination for understanding alcohol-related disabilities and alcohol dependence.
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We studied the possibility that during incremental exercise anaerobic threshold (AT) is associated with an increase in breathlessness in subjects with increased impedance or respiratory system. Six patients with chronic lung diseases (CLD) and six healthy subjects performed cycle ergometer exercise under two conditions; with free resistive loading and with 9 cmH2O/l/sec of inspiratory resistive loading (IRL). Ventilation, respiratory pattern, VO2, VCO2, were measured every 15 sec by a metabolic cart, Minato Respiromonitor RM 300. AT was determined by V-slope method. Mouth occlusion pressure (P0.1) was also measured in six subjects during exercise. The subjects selected a number of modified Borg scale (psi) to express their breathlessness during exercise by pushing a electrically potentiated remote button. Slopes of changes in psi with increasing work-load, delta psi/delta watt-slope, were calculated before and after V-slope AT, and each inflection point of VE, respiratory rate, VT/Ti, and VCO2. In order to evaluate which parameters are the most responsible for a change in psi, statistical significance (P-value) in changes of slope of each parameters were compared. The delta psi-slope increased with the highest significance after AT point. Under IRL the significance was more pronounced. There was a highly significant linear correlation between P0.1 and psi during exercise both under free resistive loading and IRL. In addition the increase of P0.1 with incremental exercise was characterized by a presence of inflection at a workload of V-slope AT in most of the subjects. From these results it was concluded that anaerobic threshold was closely associated with an increase of breathlessness during exercise via enhancing respiratory motor command.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Five islet-reactive T cell clones were established from islet-infiltrating T cells of non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. All clones expressed CD4, but not CD8, and responded to islet cells from various strains of mice in the context of I-ANOD. They could induce insulitis when transferred into disease-resistant I-E+ transgenic NOD mice. The T cell receptor (TCR) sequences utilized by the clones were determined. Their usage of TCR V and J segments was not restricted but was rather diverse. One of the clones utilized V beta 16. The expression of V beta 16 was significantly reduced in I-E+ transgenic NOD, suggesting the possibility that the islet-reactive T cell clone expressing V beta 16 may be deleted or inactivated by I-E molecules. This clone might be one of the candidates that triggers insulitis.
Interferons (IFNs) are well known both as antiviral proteins and as potent regulators of cell growth and differentiation. In fact, IFNs inhibit growth of various normal and transformed cell types. Previously, a nuclear factor, IRF-1 (interferon regulatory factor 1), which binds to type I IFN and some IFN-inducible gene promoters, was identified and cloned. Since the IRF-1 gene is both virus and IFN inducible, an intriguing issue is raised as to whether the IRF-1 gene is functioning in IFN-mediated regulation of cell growth and differentiation. In this study, we generated transgenic mice carrying the human IRF-1 gene linked to the human immunoglobulin heavy-chain enhancer. In the transgenic mice, all the lymphoid tissues examined showed a dramatic reduction in the number of B lymphocytes (B cells). Preparation and analysis of bone marrow cells from the chimeric mice indicated that the bone marrow is the effective site for specific depletion of the B-cell population. In fact, transgenic bone marrow cells cocultured with a bone marrow-derived stromal cell line revealed an altered B-cell maturation pattern.
The present study was designed to clarify whether Fc epsilon R2 can be induced on lymphocytes of patients with bronchial asthma by stimulation with specific antigen. Expression of Fc epsilon R2 on freshly isolated lymphocytes (at 0 hour) was significantly higher in both patients with mite-allergic asthma and those with nonmite-atopic asthma than in healthy individuals. In addition, expression of Fc epsilon R2 on lymphocytes was still higher in patients during acute asthma. Marked induction of Fc epsilon R2 on lymphocytes was observed 48 hours or more after addition of mite-allergen in patients with mite-allergic asthma while no Fc epsilon R2 expression was induced in patients with nonmite-atopic asthma or healthy individuals. Induction of Fc epsilon R2 expression was not observed at 30 minutes, two hours, and five hours, which are equivalent in kinetics to immediate asthmatic response and late asthmatic response in allergen inhalational challenges.
In order to unify interlaboratory clinical enzyme data, a reference method and reference material are necessary for each enzyme. Although reference methods recommended by various societies of clinical chemistry including JSCC are now available for some routinely measured clinical enzymes, the availability of secondary enzyme references or calibrators, limits the practical application of standardization concept for minimizing present interlaboratory variation of enzyme data. Since control sera prepared by adding enzymes from human cell cultures to a pool of human serum may meet the requirements as candidates for such reference materials, we attempted to assign values to 6 enzymes present in the materials by mainly the IFCC reference methods following the procedures as strictly as possible and yet with modifications where necessary. This paper describes each step of the value assignment for accuracy control purposes.
Three distinct T-cell precursors: bone marrow cells that express low levels of the Thy-1 antigen but no lineage markers (Thy-1-lo/BM); CD4-, CD8-, and CD3- thymocytes that express low levels of the Thy-1 antigen (Thy-1-lo/Thym); and CD4-, CD8-, and CD3- thymocytes that express high levels of the Thy-1 antigen and the IL-2 R alpha chain (Thy-1+/IL2R+) were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). These three populations expanded with different kinetics in the thymus of irradiated recipient mice after intrathymic transfer. When a high dose of human recombinant IL-2 (r-IL-2) or human recombinant IL-6 (r-IL-6) was administered, r-IL-6 accelerated donor Thy-1+/IL2R+ to differentiate, whereas r-IL-2 blocked normal differentiation and expansion of donor Thy-1-lo/Thym, but did not show any significant effect on donor Thy-1+/IL2R+. Neither r-IL-2 nor r-IL-6 worked directly on donor Thy-1-lo/BM in this transfer system.
A randomized study with and without bestatin, a new biological response modifier, was conducted in order to evaluate its survival effect on resected lung cancer. A total of 153 patients (72 with squamous cell carcinoma, 66 with adenocarcinoma, and 15 with other types of cancer) were evaluated. Among the patients with squamous cell carcinoma, the bestatin-treated group had significantly prolonged survival compared to the control group. No significant difference between the two groups was seen in adenocarcinoma.
We searched for a new cell aggregation factor for hepatoma AH109A cells, and found one we called HAF in the culture filtrate of Streptomyces sp. strain No. A-6143 isolated from a soil sample. HAF was purified by salting-out with ammonium sulfate. DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, gel filtration on Sephadex G-100, and hydroxylapatite column chromatography, HAF was glycoprotein which had a molecular weight of about 73,000. HAF was stable from pH 6 to 8 at 37 degrees C and up to 40 degrees C at pH 8.0 and the aggregation activity of HAF was maximum around pH 8 at 30 degrees C. The activity was not influenced by some saccharides, but it was inhibited by EDTA and EGTA: moreover HAF activity was restored by the addition of calcium ions. HAF aggregated hepatoma AH136B and COS-7 cells as well as hepatoma AH109A cells, but it was inert to other cancer cells and human erythrocytes. These properties proved that HAF is completely different from other aggregation factors for cancer cells so far reported.
To demonstrate the clinical usefulness of the treadmill exercise test in patients with chronic lung diseases (CLD), 272 consecutive tests done from Jan. 1986 to Dec. 1988 were analyzed. The subjects mainly consisted of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and interstitial lung disease (ILD). With the present incremental treadmill protocol the maximal stage attained by a patient or distance walked were closely related to the patient's maximal oxygen uptake. Comparing symptoms and cardio-pulmonary response, and exercise performance between patients with COPD and those with ILD, there was an evident difference in the exercise limiting factor (s): in the former ventilatory limitation was the most important whereas in the latter gas exchange and oxygen transport was critical. Assessment of breathlessness during the exercise test using the Borg scale was useful in evaluating various therapeutic modalities such as oxygen supplementation. In conclusion, the exercise performance in patients with CLD was properly assessed with the present treadmill protocol and the information derived thereby was of great clinical significance.
A 64-year-old lung cancer patient combined with angina pectoris was admitted to our hospital. Chest roentgenogram showed a coin lesion in the left upper lobe. Broncho-fiberscopic examination proved adenocarcinoma. Coronary angiography revealed 90% stenosis of the left circumflex artery. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was done and resulted in success. Eight days after PTCA, left upper lobectomy for lung cancer was undergone. Postoperative course was uneventful. Compared with coronary artery bypass grafting, PTCA was very useful for the patient having malignant disease combined with angina pectoris because of little surgical stress and no delay of operation.
mAb and polyclonal antibodies against human IL-6R were prepared by using a murine transfectant cell line expressing the human IL-6R and a synthetic oligopeptide made on the basis of the deduced amino acid sequence as immunogens. Immunoprecipitation of radiolabeled IL-6R with these antibodies showed that the Mr of a mature IL-6R was 80 kDa and its value was reduced to 50K after treatment with O- and N-glycanase and neuraminidase, indicating that IL-6R is a glycoprotein. Two mAb recognizing different epitopes were prepared. One, PM1 inhibited the binding of 125I-IL-6 to the receptor and blocked the IL-6-dependent growth of a T lymphoma line, KT3. PM1 could not bind to IL-6R when it was saturated with IL-6, indicating that this antibody recognizes the IL-6 binding or the adjacent site on IL-6R. The other, MT18 was not inhibited by IL-6 for its recognition of IL-6R, therefore, this could be used for cytofluorometric staining of normal cells. Nonstimulated B cells expressed undetectable amount of IL-6R regardless of the expression of surface IgD. However, after the stimulation with PWM, IL-6R was observed on IgD- B cells with a relatively large size, but subtly on IgD- small B cells and not on IgD+ B cells, fitting the function of IL-6 which acts on activated B cells to induce Ig production. In contrast, IL-6R was detected on non-stimulated CD4+/CD8- and CD4-/CD8+ T cells. The level of IL-6R on both T cell subpopulations was not significantly changed after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin.
Interleukin 6 (IL-6) has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of polyclonal and monoclonal plasma cell abnormalities. To address this possibility, transgenic mice carrying the human IL-6 genomic gene fused with a human immunoglobulin heavy chain enhancer were generated. High concentrations of human IL-6 and polyclonal increase in IgG1 (120- to 400-fold) in sera of all transgenic mice were observed. A massive plasmacytosis in thymus, lymph node, and spleen and an infiltration of plasma cells in lung, liver, and kidney were observed. However, the plasma cells were not transplantable to syngeneic mice and were found not to contain chromosomal aberrations including c-myc gene rearrangements. The evidence indicates that deregulated gene expression of IL-6 can trigger polyclonal plasmacytosis but cannot induce plasmacytoma. It is suggested that additional genetic changes may be required for the generation of plasma cell neoplasia. Other interesting findings in these transgenic mice were the development of mesangio-proliferative glomerulonephritis and an increase in megakaryocytes in bone marrow.