Biomedical subjects

T Kudo

Publications and source records attributed to T Kudo.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

Serum C-reactive protein as a prognostic factor in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: It is well known that the serum level of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) correlates with the level of C-reactive protein (CRP). The purpose of this study is to determine the significance of CRP as a prognostic factor in epithelial ovarian cancer. STUDY DESIGN: The present study is comprised of 120 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer from 1985 to 1992. In this study, CRP levels above 50 mg/l were considered high CRP. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify clinicopathological variables associated with poor survival. RESULTS: The serum CRP value was significantly associated with the volume of ascites (P = 0.000004). Univariate analysis showed that the FIGO stage, primary tumour diameter, size of residual tumour, histologic grade, volume of ascites and high serum level of CRP were significant prognostic factors. Cox's multivariate proportional hazard model showed that histologic grade was the most important prognostic factor (P = 0.0026). FIGO stage and volume of ascites were also independent factors for 5-year survival (P = 0.0310 and P = 0.0216, respectively). However, the serum CRP value was not an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSION: CRP is an adverse prognostic factor in univariate analysis, but not in multivariate analysis.

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell↗

PubMed1999

Regional distribution of presenilin-1 messenger RNA in the embryonic rat brain: comparison with beta-amyloid precursor protein messenger RNA localization.

The messenger RNA expression of presenilin-1, an important gene responsible for early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease, was investigated in the embryonic rat brain with in situ hybridization histochemistry using an oligonucleotide probe specific to the messenger RNA. It was also compared with that of beta-amyloid precursor protein messenger RNA. Presenilin-1 and beta-amyloid precursor protein messenger RNA were abundantly expressed throughout the central nervous system in the embryonic day 13, 17 and 20 rat brain. Presenilin-1 messenger RNA was strongly expressed in both neuroepithelium and differentiating fields. In contrast, beta-amyloid precursor protein messenger RNA was preferentially expressed in differentiating fields, while low expression of beta-amyloid precursor protein messenger RNA was seen in neuroepithelium. Although the expression patterns of these two messenger RNAs were basically similar, there seemed to be a tendency that presenilin-1 messenger RNA was preferentially expressed in immature neurons, while beta-amyloid precursor protein messenger RNA was preferentially expressed in mature neurons, suggesting that presenilin-1 is expressed earlier than beta-amyloid precursor protein and that presenilin-1 is involved in beta-amyloid precursor protein processing. These data raise the possibility that presenilin-1 and beta-amyloid precursor protein co-operatively play pivotal roles in rat neurogenesis.

Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor↗

PubMed1999

Ictal paraphasia induced by language activity.

Four patients with ictal speech disturbance were studied. Their seizures featured isolated, or series of, brief episodes of fluent paraphasia, paragraphia, and comprehension deficit. These episodes were often induced by language activity. Six patients with ictal paraphasia or paragraphia, as a recurrent habitual seizure, are reported in the literature. All ten cases, including the four cases described here and the six cases reported in the literature, featured patients who uttered meaningless speech fluently or displayed paragraphia. The syllables uttered during seizures contained many neologisms and resembled the neologistic jargon of patients with fluent aphasias of the Wernicke type. Nine patients had clusters or status of brief seizures and four patients had auditory hallucination as an ictal event. The seizures in six patients were easily induced by the use of language. Seizure focus was on the left side in all patients mentioned. The possibility of another type of language-induced seizures than those seen in reading epilepsy or language-induced epilepsy is suggested in which myoclonias of the jaw and face, or upper extremities are the main seizure types.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Vascular endothelial growth factor is implicated in early invasion in cervical cancer.

The association between the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and clinicopathological factors has scarcely been examined in cervical cancer. This study examines the level of VEGF messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in invasive cervical cancer and its association with clinicopathological features including microvessel density. The level of VEGF mRNA was assessed by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using beta-actin as an internal control in 66 patients with stages Ia-IVb invasive cervical cancer. In 42 patients who underwent surgery, the microvessel count was also assessed by immunostaining for factor VIII-related antigen in the most neovascularised area of the specimen. The highest level of VEGF mRNA expression was observed in early invasive cervical cancers. Except for stage IVb, the stage of the disease inversely correlated with the level of VEGF mRNA (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the level of VEGF mRNA with respect to histological cell types. 38 patients with stages Ib-IIb cervical cancer underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. There was no significant difference in the level of VEGF mRNA with respect to lymph node metastasis, depth of stromal invasion, tumour size, parametrial involvement or vaginal involvement among these patients. A significant relationship was found between the microvessel density and the level of VEGF mRNA (P < 0.01). These findings provide evidence that the expression of VEGF is involved in the promotion of angiogenesis in cervical cancer and plays an important role in early invasion.

Endothelial Growth Factors↗

PubMed1999

Asymmetric reduction of hydroxyacetone to propanediol in immobilized halotolerant microalga Dunaliella parva.

Cells of the halotolerant microalga Dunaliella parva immobilized in calcium-alginate gel showed morphological characteristics and photosynthetic activity similar to those of free cells. The photosynthetic activity in immobilized cells fell only about 20% during 2 weeks incubation at 5 degrees C in the light. The asymmetric reduction of hydroxyacetone to (R)-propanediol was first examined in batch reactions with both free and immobilized cells. Since the activity of immobilized cells was as high as that of free cells, the optimum conditions for the column reactor were investigated using immobilized cells. The productivity of propanediol in immobilized cells increased in proportion to increases in the light intensity, suggesting that NADPH regenerated through photosynthesis was used for the asymmetric reduction. Electron microscopic observation of thin sections of immobilized cells after the reaction suggested that NADPH used for asymmetric reduction in the dark was produced through the metabolism of starch granules. The use of a CaCO3-free medium in the column reactor markedly prolonged the period of reductive activity and photosynthesis.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1999

Trabecular remodeling processes in the ovariectomized rat: modified node-strut analysis.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the trabecular bone remodeling processes in ovariectomized rats, focusing on diminishing trabecular connectivity. We used modified node-strut analysis defining three areas in the trabecular surfaces for the three-dimensional understanding of trabecular resorption derived from two-dimensional conventional sections, in addition to conventional bone histomorphometry and node-strut analysis. Seven-month-old female Wistar rats were used and treated with bilateral ovariectomy (ovx) and sham operation. Six rats in each group were examined at 4 and 8 weeks. We prepared undecalcified sections from the left tibiae with Villanueva bone and Goldner stains. We divided the trabecular bone surfaces (BS) into three areas: node (Nd), terminus (Tm), and strut (St), and measured the bone resorption and formation parameters, including eroded surface (ES), osteoclast surface (Oc.S), osteoid surface (OS), and double-labeled surface (dLS) in each defined area. In conventional bone histomorphometry, the ovx group showed high turnover osteopenia compared with the sham operation group. In node-strut analysis, the ovx group showed significantly lower values for node-related parameters than did the sham operation group. In the modified node-strut analysis, bone resorption parameters in the ovx group showed significantly higher values, particularly for strut and terminus-eroded surfaces (StES/BS, TmES/BS), and for each area of osteoclast surface (NdOc.S/BS, TmOc.S/BS, and StOc.S/BS) compared with the sham operation group. Bone formation parameters in the ovx group also showed significantly higher values, particularly for strut and terminus osteoid surfaces (TmOS/BS, StOS/BS), and for each area of double-labeled surface (NddLS/BS, TmdLS/BS, and StdLS/BS) compared with the sham operation group at 4 weeks. At 8 weeks, each area of bone formation parameter in the ovx group showed significantly higher values than that in the sham operation group. These results suggest that in the ovx group, the trabecular plates became perforated and the perforative cavities progressively enlarged, and/or the edges of plates were eroded regardless of elevated bone formation, resulting in diminished trabecular connectivity, and the node area might not be influenced relatively by bone remodeling in the early resorption.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

The effect of ketamine on clinical endpoints of hypnosis and EEG variables during propofol infusion.

BACKGROUND: We studied the effect of variable doses of ketamine on the endpoints of hypnosis, e.g., unresponsiveness to verbal commands (UVC), loss of eyelash reflex (LER), and inhibition of body movement response with or without sneezing to nasal membrane stimulation (INBMR), and processed EEG variables, e.g., bispectral index (BIS), 95% spectral edge frequency (SEF) and median frequency (MF) during propofol infusion. METHODS: Forty-eight patients received either propofol infusion, 30 mg.kg-1.h-1 (Group P; n = 12) or ketamine bolus, 0.25, 0.5 or 0.75 mg i.v., followed by propofol infusion, 30 mg.kg-1.h-1 + variable dose ketamine infusion, 0.25, 0.5 or 0.75 mg.kg-1.h-1 (Groups PK0.25, PK0.5 and PK0.75; n = 12 each) until UVC, LER and INBMR. BIS, 95% SEF and MF values were monitored and recorded at the endpoints of hypnosis. Propofol and ketamine concentrations were measured at INBMR. RESULTS: Propofol infusion, 30 mg.kg-1.h-1, induced UVC, LER and INBMR at BIS: 65 +/- 2, 63 +/- 9 and 33 +/- 7; 95% SEF: 17 +/- 3, 17 +/- 4 and 14 +/- 3; and MF values of 5 +/- 2, 5 +/- 3 and 3 +/- 2, respectively. With adjunctive ketamine (Groups PK0.5 and PK0.75), the hypnotic endpoints were achieved at higher BIS and 95% SEF values and lower propofol doses and concentrations as compared to Groups P and PK0.25 (9.9 +/- 5.8 and 9.4 +/- 3.4 vs. 13.4 +/- 4.5 and 14 +/- 5.8 micrograms.ml-1). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest additive interaction between propofol and ketamine (Groups PK0.5 and PK0.75) for achieving the hypnotic endpoints; however, ketamine did not depress the EEG variables in proportion to its hypnotic effect. The paradoxically higher BIS and 95% SEF values at the hypnotic endpoints may be due to lower propofol concentrations and/or no effect of ketamine on the EEG variables.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Presenilin-1 mutations downregulate the signalling pathway of the unfolded-protein response.

Missense mutations in the human presenilin-1 (PS1) gene, which is found on chromosome 14, cause early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). FAD-linked PS1 variants alter proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein and cause an increase in vulnerability to apoptosis induced by various cell stresses. However, the mechanisms responsible for these phenomena are not clear. Here we report that mutations in PS1 affect the unfolded-protein response (UPR), which responds to the increased amount of unfolded proteins that accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) under conditions that cause ER stress. PS1 mutations also lead to decreased expression of GRP78/Bip, a molecular chaperone, present in the ER, that can enable protein folding. Interestingly, GRP78 levels are reduced in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. The downregulation of UPR signalling by PS1 mutations is caused by disturbed function of IRE1, which is the proximal sensor of conditions in the ER lumen. Overexpression of GRP78 in neuroblastoma cells bearing PS1 mutants almost completely restores resistance to ER stress to the level of cells expressing wild-type PS1. These results show that mutations in PS1 may increase vulnerability to ER stress by altering the UPR signalling pathway.

Alzheimer Disease↗

PubMed1999

Hypnotic endpoints vs. the bispectral index, 95% spectral edge frequency and median frequency during propofol infusion with or without fentanyl.

Hypnotic endpoints and/or EEG variables, e.g. bispectral index, 95% spectral edge frequency and median frequency, have been studied to monitor anaesthetic (hypnotic) depth during total intravenous anaesthesia. In this study, the relation between the hypnotic endpoints of unresponsiveness to verbal commands, loss of eyelash reflex and body movement response to mechanical nasal membrane stimulation vs. bispectral index, 95% spectral edge frequency and median frequency during propofol anaesthesia with or without fentanyl is presented. Forty-two patients were randomly assigned to receive either propofol infusion, 30 mg kg-1 h-1 (n = 22), or propofol infusion, 30 mg kg-1 h-1 + fentanyl bolus, 2 micrograms kg-1 i.v. (n = 20). Bispectral index, 95% spectral edge frequency and median frequency and propofol doses were monitored and recorded at unresponsiveness to verbal commands, loss of eyelash reflex and inhibition of nasal body movement response. The bispectral index values were significantly higher in the propofol + fentanyl compared with the propofol group, i.e. 74.7 +/- 10.9, 73.1 +/- 10.5 and 47.1 +/- 9.2 vs. 65.8 +/- 9.8, 59.6 +/- 10 and 33.8 +/- 5.7 at unresponsiveness to verbal commands, loss of eyelash reflex and inhibition of nasal body movement response respectively. Doses of propofol for achieving the hypnotic endpoints were significantly lower in the propofol + fentanyl compared with the propofol group. Plasma propofol concentrations at inhibition of nasal body movement response were lower in the propofol + fentanyl compared with the propofol group (9.2 +/- 2.0 micrograms mL-1 vs. 14.1 +/- 4.2 micrograms mL-1). Our results suggest that fentanyl pretreatment potentiates the effects of propofol and achieves the hypnotic endpoints at higher bispectral index values and lower propofol doses and concentrations (measured at inhibition of nasal body movement response).

Adjuvants, Anesthesia↗

PubMed1999

Relation between bispectral index and plasma catecholamines after oral diazepam premedication.

The efficacy of anaesthetic premedication has been assessed using sedative scores or a visual analogue scale. However, in both it may be difficult to exclude evaluators' subjectivity or a placebo effect. Plasma concentration of catecholamines may also be useful for the assessment of patient anxiety. Recently bispectral electro-encephalographic analysis has been developed, and the bispectral index monitor has been reported to give measurements which correlate well with the depth of sedation. In the present study, we have examined the relation between bispectral index values and plasma catecholamine concentrations after oral diazepam premedication. Twenty-eight patients scheduled for elective surgery were randomly assigned to one of two groups: diazepam premedication group (group D(+), n = 14) and no premedication group (group D(-), n = 14). The patients were premedicated orally with diazepam 10 mg and roxatidine 75 mg in group D(+), and with roxatidine 75 mg only in group D(-) 90 min before arrival in the operating theatre. After patients arrived in the operating theatre, the bispectral index monitor was applied. Venous blood samples (6 mL) were collected in the case of patients in group D(+) for the measurement of plasma catecholamines levels using high-performance liquid chromatography. The bispectral index level (mean +/- SD) in group D(+): 93.5 +/- 773.5 was significantly lower than that in group D(-): 96.1 +/- 1.8 (P < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between bispectral index and plasma norepinephrine levels (r = 0.567, P < 0.05). The present study suggests that the bispectral index monitor may detect the effect of oral diazepam premedication.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1999

Formation of a chiral acetoinic compound from diacetyl by Escherichia coli expressing meso-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase.

L-Acetoin (L-AC) was produced from diacetyl (DA) by Escherichia coli JM109/pBUD119 containing the meso-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase (D-AC forming) gene. However, when the strain was cultured in the presence of isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalacto-pyranoside, the enzyme formed catalysed not only D-AC but also L-AC. L-AC was further reduced to L-2,3-butanediol (BD). The yield of L-AC or L-BD from DA (3 gl-1) was about 70% (w/w).

Acetoin↗

PubMed1999

Adaptation of Comamonas testosteroni TA441 to utilization of phenol by spontaneous mutation of the gene for a trans-acting factor.

Comamonas testosteroni TA441 adapts to utilization of phenol upon incubation with phenol as the major carbon source. Strain TA441 has a cluster of genes (aphKLMNOPQB) encoding the catabolic enzymes phenol hydroxylase and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase, and a divergently transcribed regulatory gene (aphR), but these genes are silent until adaptation occurs. We found another regulatory gene (aphS) downstream of aphR. AphS belongs to the GntR family of transcriptional regulators. All adapted strains were found to have mutations in the aphS gene or in the aphR-aphS intervening region. The adapted strains expressed phenol hydroxylase and catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase activity in the presence of phenol. The transcriptional activity of both the aphK and the aphR promoters was elevated in the adapted strains. A strain whose aphS gene was artificially disrupted was found to be able to grow using phenol, and the cells showed high levels of the above-mentioned transcriptional and enzymatic activities, indicating that adaptation was caused only by the mutation in the aphS gene. Gel retardation analysis revealed that AphS bound to two specific sites in the promoter region between aphK and aphR. These results indicate that the active aphS gene product acts as a trans-acting factor and represses transcription of the aph genes in strain TA441.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1999

Quantitative analysis of neurofilament proteins in Alzheimer brain by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay system.

The abnormality of cytoskeletal proteins is related to Alzheimer's disease. Because neurofilament proteins (NF) are major cytoskeletal components of neurones, abnormality of NF may be involved in the pathology of disease. In this study, insoluble NF in the grey matter of temporal lobes of Alzheimer and control brains were dissolved in a urea buffer and quantitatively measured by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay system. No apparent quantitative changes of NF-L and NF-H were found between the Alzheimer and control brains, and there were also no significant differences in the mean molar ratio of NF-L to NF-H between them. However, the relative amount of phosphorylated NF-H in Alzheimer brains was increased in comparison with that in control brains. These results suggest that the increase of phosphorylated NF-H might be accompanied with Alzheimer's disease.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Accumulation of murine amyloidbeta42 in a gene-dosage-dependent manner in PS1 'knock-in' mice.

The establishment of an animal model with a missense mutation of presenilin-1 (PS1) is an initial step toward understanding the molecular pathogenesis of familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) and developing therapeutic strategies for the disease. We previously described a Japanese family with FAD caused by the I213T mutation of PS1, in which typical signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease were observed at the age of 45 +/- 4.2 years [Hardy, J. (1997) Trends. Neurosci., 20, 154-159; Kamino, K et al. (1996) Neurosci. Lett., 208, 195-198]. Here, we report the establishment of 'knock-in' mice with the I213T PS1 missense mutation. Northern blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses showed that the mutated PS1 allele was expressed at the same level as the endogenous PS1 allele, demonstrating that the PS1 missense mutation was successfully introduced into the mouse PS1 locus, and therefore that the situation mimics that in FAD patients bearing PS1 missense mutations. Amyloid beta (Abeta) 42(43) peptide, but not Abeta40 peptide, accumulated in 'knock-in' mice at the age of 16-20 weeks. A clear gene-dosage effect on the increase of Abeta42(43) was observed in 'knock-in' mice: the percentage increase of Abeta42(43) in mice with mutations in both alleles was twice as high as that in mice with a single allele. These results indicate that the level of the mutated PS1 gene expression is likely to be critically involved in the production of highly amyloidogenic Abeta42(43), and confirm that PS1 mutation has an important effect on amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing, in proportion to the level of the expression of the mutant gene.

Alleles↗

PubMed1999

Anticoagulation after valve replacement: a multicenter retrospective study.

Anticoagulant therapy after cardiac valve replacement was evaluated retrospectively in 1,200 patients attending 8 cardiac surgery clinics in the Tokyo area as part of the Tokyo Area Study on Anticoagulation After Cardiac Valve Replacement Using PT-INR (TAS). A prospective trial is also in progress and will be reported later. The prothrombin time international normalized ratio (PT-INR) was determined at the time of thromboembolic and bleeding complications in 1,200 patients. During the 5 year study period, thromboembolisms occurred in 21 patients, and bleeding complications occurred in 15 patients. In 71% of patients with thromboembolism and 47% of those with bleeding complications, the PT-INR was within the range of 1.6 to 2.8, which is the accepted therapeutic range in Japan. Therefore, the correct PT-INR therapeutic range for Japanese patients with mechanical heart valves needs to be reexamined, and data from the prospective TAS trial that is currently underway will be used for this purpose.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

I.v. lidocaine worsens histamine-induced bronchoconstriction in dogs.

We have assessed the effect of lidocaine (lignocaine) on histamine-induced bronchoconstriction by direct visualization with a superfine fibreoptic bronchoscope. Seven mongrel dogs were anaesthetized with pentobarbital (pentobarbitone) 30 mg kg-1 followed by 2 mg kg-1 h-1 and pancuronium 200 micrograms kg-1 h-1. The trachea was intubated with a tracheal tube containing a second lumen for insertion of a 2.2-mm fibreoptic bronchoscope. This allowed estimation of the bronchial cross-sectional area (BCA) of the third bronchial bifurcation of the right lung. We used NIH image, a public domain image processing and analysis program. Bronchoconstriction was produced with a bolus dose of histamine 10 micrograms kg-1 i.v. followed by continuous infusion of 500 micrograms kg-1 h-1. After 30 min the following i.v. doses of lidocaine were given: lidocaine 0 (saline), 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 and 10 mg kg-1 at 10-min intervals. BCA was assessed 90 s after each dose. Arterial blood sampling was performed for measurement of plasma catecholamines. Lidocaine 1.0 and 10 mg kg-1 significantly reduced histamine-decreased BCA from 69.7 (SEM 4.1)% to 59.8 (7.3)% and 34.3 (6.8)%, respectively. Plasma concentrations of catecholamines decreased significantly after lidocaine 10 mg kg-1 i.v. In addition, there was a significant correlation between percentage decreases in plasma concentrations of epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and reduction in %BCA (epinephrine-BCA, P < 0.01, r = 0.674; norepinephrine-BCA, P < 0.01, r = 0.510). This study suggests that i.v. lidocaine may exacerbate histamine-induced bronchoconstriction by a sympatholytic effect. This may have therapeutic implications for patients with acute asthma or anaphylactic shock who may become dependent on circulating catecholamines.

Anesthetics, Intravenous↗

PubMed1999

Relaxant effect of propofol on the airway in dogs.

Propofol has been suggested to produce airway relaxant effects in vivo, although the mechanism is unclear. We have evaluated the bronchodilating effect of propofol using a direct visualization method with a superfine fibreoptic bronchoscope. We studied 21 mongrel dogs anaesthetized with pentobarbital 30 mg kg-1 i.v. and pancuronium 0.2 mg kg-1 h-1. The animals were allocated randomly to one of three groups (n = 7 in each): propofol group, atropine-propofol group and histamine-propofol group. The trachea was intubated using a tracheal tube that had a second lumen for insertion of the bronchoscope to monitor continuously bronchial cross-sectional area (BCA). BCA was measured using the NIH Image program. In the propofol group, dogs were given the following doses of propofol at 10-min intervals: 0 (saline), 0.2, 2.0 and 20 mg kg-1 i.v. In the atropine-propofol group, saline, atropine 0.2 mg kg-1 and propofol 20 mg kg-1 were given at 10-min intervals. In the histamine-propofol group, bronchoconstriction was elicited with histamine 10 micrograms kg-1 and 500 micrograms kg-1 h-1 until the end of the experiment. Thirty minutes after the start of infusion of histamine, propofol (0, 0.2, 2.0 and 20 mg kg-1) was administered. Changes in BCA were expressed as percentage of basal area. Histamine decreased BCA by 39.2 (SEM 5.4%). Propofol increased significantly basal and histamine-decreased BCA in a dose-dependent manner by 18.4 (4.5%) and 15.8 (4.9%), respectively after 20 mg kg-1 i.v. However, propofol following atropine i.v. did not increase BCA (129.9 (8.2)% after atropine vs 125.7 (8.9)% after propofol). Therefore, the relaxant effect of propofol may be a result of reduction in vagal tone.

Anesthetics, Intravenous↗

PubMed1999

UDP-GlcNAc:Galbeta1-->3GalNAc (GlcNAc to GalNAc) beta1-->6N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase holds a key role on the control of CD15s expression in human pre-B lymphoid cell lines.

Expression mechanism of CD15s (sialyl-Lex, sLex) antigen has been investigated using human B lymphoid cell lines. sLexstructures were not expressed in mature B lymphoids but highly expressed in pre-B leukemia and pre-B lymphoma cell lines. The expression site was mainly on the O -linked oligosaccharide chains and E-selectin mediated-cell adhesion capability of sLex-positive cells were significantly suppressed by benzyl-alpha-GalNAc treatment. Subsequently, the bases of the sLexexpression control mechanism were examined at the levels of enzymatic activities and transcripts of glycosyltransferases. (1) The activities of alpha1-->3fucosyltransferase, alpha2-->3sialyltransferase, beta1-->4Gal-transferase, and elongation beta1-->3GlcNAc-transferase, did not correlate with sLexexpression levels. (2) The transcripts of Fuc-TVII were not parallel with sLexexpression, and those of ST3Gal IV and beta1-->4Gal-transferase were constitutively detected in all cell lines tested. (3) There was no detectable enzyme activity for core 3 and 4 backbone structure synthesis in human B cell lines. (4) By contrast, the enzyme activities and transcripts of UDP-GlcNAc:Galbeta1-->3GalNAc (GlcNAc to GalNAc) beta1-->6 N -acetylglucosaminyltransferase (Core2GnT) had significant correlation with the cell surface expression of sLexantigen. (5) Moreover, Western blot analysis revealed the presence of a major approximately 150 kDa glycoprotein that carries O -linked oligosaccharides recognized by anti-sLexmonoclonal antibody in sLex-positive pre-B leukemia cell lines. This correlation of Core2GnT with CD15s expression suggests that Core2GnT is a regulator of the cell surface expression of sLexin human pre-B lymphoid cells.

Antigens, CD↗