Biomedical subjects

T Utsunomiya

Publications and source records attributed to T Utsunomiya.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2002

Nerve sheath myxoma of the tongue in a child.

Nerve sheath myxoma (NSM) is a benign peripheral nervous system tumour that rarely occurs in the oral cavity. Among 17 cases of oral NSM described in the literature (average patient age 33 years), only two, including the present case, have been reported in children. The present case occurring in an 8-year-old boy was therefore extremely rare. Histopathologically, the tumour was found as multinodules under the mucosal epithelium, and was composed of spindle- or stellate-shaped cells with a myxoid background that stained with alcian blue and toluidine blue. Immunohistochemically, the tumour cells were strongly positive for S-100 beta protein and neuron-specific enolase. These results suggested that the tumour originated from Schwann cells.

Child↗

PubMed2001

Pharmacological profile of hydroxy fasudil as a selective rho kinase inhibitor on ischemic brain damage.

The neuroprotective property and the effects on hemodynamics of hydroxy fasudil, an active metabolite of an antispastic drug, fasudil, were examined. In rats, hydroxy fasudil was found following intravenous infusion or intraperitoneal administration of fasudil, and the maximum plasma concentration of hydroxy fasudil was approximately 25 or 40% of the parent drug, respectively. The i.v. administration of hydroxy fasudil produced significant increases in regional cerebral blood flow in dogs. Hydroxy fasudil relaxed the KCl, PGF2alpha or U-46619-induced contraction in canine basilar or middle cerebral arterial strips, concentration-dependently. The neuroprotective property of hydroxy fasudil was examined on delayed neuronal death in gerbils. Hydroxy fasudil (3 mg/kg) significantly protected against the ischemia-induced neuronal loss. To further clarify the effect on neurological impairments, hydroxy fasudil was tested in a rat model of microembolization stroke. Intravenous administration of hydroxy fasudil improved neurological functions, significantly reduced the size of the infarct area and prevented the accumulation of neutrophils. The present findings suggest that hydroxy fasudil has an efficacy to improve the hemodynamic function and to inhibit neutrophil-mediated damage, and contributes to the potency and long duration of the cytoprotective properties of fasudil on ischemic brain damage, and also suggest a critical role for rho kinase in the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemic injury, and the potential utility of rho kinase inhibitor as a therapeutic agent in stroke.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗

PubMed2001

Glycyrrhizin restores the impaired IL-12 production in thermally injured mice.

Mice 6 days after thermal injury (TI-mice) did not respond to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation for production of serum interleukin 12 (IL-12; 2 h after LPS stimulation, <20 pg/ml in TI-mice; 1091+/-162 pg/ml in normal mice). However, 2 h after LPS stimulation, 1456+/-118 pg/ml of IL-12 were demonstrated in sera of TI-mice previously treated with a 10 mg/kg i.p. dose of glycyrrhizin (GR). IL-12 was not induced by LPS in sera of normal mice inoculated with burn-associated type 2 T cells (IL-4/IL-10-producing CD8+CD11b+TCRgamma/delta+T cells isolated from spleens of TI-mice). However, IL-12 production was induced by LPS in sera of these mice previously treated with GR or a mixture of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for type 2 cytokines. Also, IL-12 production was induced by LPS in TI-mice inoculated with CD4+T cells from spleens of GR-treated normal mice (GR-CD4+T cells, 5x10(6)cells/mouse). Since GR-CD4+T cells have been shown to be antagonistic cells against production of type 2 cytokines by burn-associated type 2 T cells, these results indicate that IL-12 unresponsiveness shown in TI-mice is recovered by GR through the regulation of burn-associated type 2 T cell responses.

Adoptive Transfer↗

PubMed2001

Localization of IQGAP1 is inversely correlated with intercellular adhesion mediated by e-cadherin in gastric cancers.

Down-regulation of E-cadherin function is characteristic of cancer cells and might involve the small G-protein Rho family, including Rac1 and Cdc42. IQGAP1 has been reported to be one of the target proteins of Rac1 and Cdc42. To elucidate the role of IQGAP1 in cancer-cell adhesion, its expression was investigated in 47 cases of human gastric cancer by immunohistochemistry and Western blot upon protein fractionation, especially in comparison with E-cadherin and catenin expression. In the non-cancerous columnar epithelium of the stomach, IQGAP1, as well as E-cadherin/catenin, was expressed at the cell-cell boundary. IQGAP1 was frequently observed diffusely in the cytoplasm in intestinal-type tumors (20/22 cases) but was expressed at the cell membrane in diffuse-type tumors (19/25 cases), thus showing significant association with tumor differentiation (p < 0.01). Interestingly, membranous expression of IQGAP1 was inversely correlated with that of E-cadherin (p < 0.05) or alpha-catenin (p < 0.001). These observations were consistent with the Western blot results following protein fractionation. IQGAP1 was dominantly expressed in the soluble fraction in differentiated tumors; however, in undifferentiated tumors, it was mostly in the insoluble fraction. In contrast, both E-cadherin and alpha-catenin were detected only in the insoluble fraction. Thus, subcellular localization of IQGAP1 from the cytoplasm to the cell membrane was correlated with E-cadherin dysfunction and tumor dedifferentiation in gastric carcinogenesis.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2001

Characteristics of normal prostate vascular anatomy as displayed by power Doppler.

BACKGROUND: To define the vascular anatomy of the normal prostate as depicted by power Doppler and to provide baseline data for evaluation of this modality in the diagnosis and management of prostatic disease. METHODS: The vascular anatomy of 40 subjects was studied. Power Doppler images were correlated with corresponding gray-scale images. Doppler spectral waveform measurements were obtained for the vessels identified. RESULTS: Separate branches of the capsular vessels were visualized clearly, distributed radially in the peripheral and central zones and converging toward the center of the gland. Urethral vessels were visualized in the transition zone coursing from bladder neck to verumontanum. The neurovascular bundles were identified posterolaterally along the length of the gland. No significant difference between the resistive indexes of the urethral and capsular vessels was identified (P = 0.595), although there was a significant difference between the resistive index of the neurovascular bundles and that the prostatic vessels (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The vascular anatomy of the normal prostate as displayed by power Doppler demonstrates a reproducible and symmetric flow pattern. Power Doppler is highly sensitive in depicting blood flow, the number, course, and continuity of vessels more readily than other imaging modalities, such as color Doppler. These data should allow comparison of the vascular anatomy of the normal prostate with that of the prostate with diseases such as prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

A mechanism of interleukin-12 unresponsiveness associated with thermal injury.

An unresponsive state for the production of interleukin-12 (IL-12) is commonly observed in animals and patients with severe thermal injuries. In the present study, the participation of corticosteroids, prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), and type 2 cytokines, which appeared in association with thermal injury, on the burn-associated IL-12 unresponsiveness was studied. These substances have been described as inhibitors of IL-12 production. Less than 20 pg/ml serum IL-12 was produced in thermally injured mice (TI-mice) after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), while 1037 pg/ml IL-12 was detected in sera of unburned mice equally stimulated with LPS. Almost complete restoration of the impaired IL-12 production was witnessed in TI-mice after treatment with soluble IL-4 receptor (50 ng/mouse, 2 h and 2 days after thermal injury). However, IL-12 was not induced by LPS stimulation in TI-mice treated with an inhibitor of PGE(2) (indomethacin, 0.1-5 mg/kg) or an inhibitor of corticosteroid production (ketoconazole, 10 mg/kg). LPS-stimulated IL-12 production was also impaired in normal mice inoculated with burn-associated type 2 T cells. In addition, in the presence of 1 microg/ml LPS, naive macrophages cocultured with burn-associated type 2 T cells did not produce IL-12 in their culture fluids, while IL-12 was produced by LPS-stimulated naive macrophages that were cocultured with naive splenic CD8(+) T cells. These results suggest that the IL-12-unresponsive state demonstrated in TI-mice is associated mainly with type 2 cytokines released from burn-associated type 2 T cells.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

PubMed2001

Characteristics of multicentric hepatocellular carcinomas: comparison with intrahepatic metastasis.

Characteristics of multicentric hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) remain obscure. We therefore aimed to clarify them and compare them with HCC with intrahepatic metastases. A series of 118 patients who had definite hepatitis C viral status and multinodular HCC were divided into two groups: a multicentric occurrence (MO) group (n = 38), with multicentric HCCs; and an intrahepatic metastasis (IM) group (n = 80), with HCC having intrahepatic metastases. Clinicopathologic variables, including the patient's survival and disease-free survival rates, were compared between the MO and IM groups. Univariate analysis revealed the presence of esophageal varices, the presence of hepatitis C virus infection, a platelet count of less than 10 x 10(4)/microliter, hepaplastin test, gamma-globulin, the histologically active hepatitis, tumor size, des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin > 0.1 AU/ml, positive portal vein invasion, and histologic grade as discriminating factors. The MO score to differentiate multicentric HCCs from intrahepatic metastatic HCCs was determined using the following four independent factors selected by a stepwise regression analysis: the presence of hepatitis C virus infection, a platelet count of less than 10 x 10(4)/microliter, tumor size, and histologic grade. The sensitivity and specificity of the MO scores using those factors were 84% and 70%, respectively, when the cutoff value was 0.4. The disease-free survival rate in the MO group was similar to that in the IM group, whereas the survival rate in the MO group was significantly better than that in the IM group. The multivariate analysis revealed the multicentric occurrence of HCC as one of the independent prognostic factors. Clinicopathologic factors differentiating multicentric HCCs from intrahepatic metastatic HCCs were the presence of hepatitis C virus infection, a platelet count of less than 10 x 10(4)/microliter, small tumor size, and low histologic grade.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

PubMed2001

Clinical significance of K-Ras mutations in intraoperative tumor drainage blood from patients with colorectal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent and metastatic carcinoma of the colorectum remains a major problem. This may be ascribed to the presence of micrometastasis at diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to analyze prospectively the clinical value of detecting K-ras mutations in the perioperative circulating blood from patients with colorectal carcinoma. METHODS: Twenty-four patients whose tumor carried mutations in codon 12 of the K-ras gene were studied for the presence of cancer cells in perioperative blood samples, in particular, tumor drainage samples. A detection assay using CD45 immunomagnetic separation plus nested mutant allele specific amplification (MASA) was performed. RESULTS: K-ras mutations in CD45 negative cells in tumor drainage blood were detected in 7 (29.2%) of 24 patients. There was no significant relationship between the presence of a K-ras mutation and clinicopathological features. Four (57.1%) of the seven patients with a positive K-ras mutation in drainage blood had early recurrent disease. Of the 17 patients with no K-ras mutation, none developed metastatic disease. The recurrence rate of the K-ras mutation positive group was higher than that of the K-ras mutation negative group (P < .01). There was a significant difference, regarding prognosis, between K-ras mutation positive and negative groups (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study demonstrates that the detection of circulating cancer cells in the tumor drainage blood by our new assay system may provide a predictor of recurrence and metastasis of colorectal cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2001

Antianginal effects of hydroxyfasudil, a Rho-kinase inhibitor, in a canine model of effort angina.

1. The effects of Rho-kinase inhibitor, fasudil, and of a more specific Rho-kinase inhibitor, hydroxyfasudil, on pacing-induced myocardial ischaemia were determined in anaesthetized open-chest dogs. 2. The dogs were subjected to left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) stenosis producing a sufficient ischaemia as measured by ST-segment depression on electrocardiograms only when the hearts were paced 60 beats min(-1) above the baseline. After a recovery (nonpacing) period, drugs or saline were infused intravenously over 30 min. The animals were again subjected to 5 min of pacing 25 min after the initiation of the treatment. 3. Hydroxyfasudil (0.1 and 0.3 mg kg(-1)) and fasudil (0.3 mg kg(-1)) suppressed the ST-segment depression. Hydroxyfasudil and fasudil also increased the regional blood flow of the LAD perfused endomyocardium region in the canine model of effort angina. 4. To determine the flow profile for hydroxyfasudil in dogs, blood flow in three vascular beds was measured. Hydroxyfasudil (0.3 mg kg(-1) for 30 min) significantly increased coronary blood flow and vertebral blood flow, without significantly changing the femoral blood flow. 5. Hydroxyfasudil had no inotropic or chronotropic effect on the isolated hearts of guinea-pigs. Hydroxyfasudil (2 mg kg(-1) for 20 min) did not affect the PR or QTc interval in anaesthetized dogs. 6. Inhibition of Rho-kinase appears to protect myocardium subjected to pacing-induced ischaemia through the increase in the regional myocardial blood flow. Hydroxyfasudil may be categorized as a novel type of anti-anginal drug, without any inotropic or chronotropic effects.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗

PubMed2001

Preclinical and therapeutic utility of HVJ liposomes as a gene transfer vector for hepatocellular carcinoma using herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase.

Although gene therapy has been suggested to be a novel strategy to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), no study showing the clinical feasibility of vectors to treat HCC has been reported. In this preclinical study, we show evidence indicating that hemagglutinating virus of Japan (HVJ) liposomes are a feasible vector to treat HCC in a clinical setting using ganciclovir (GCV) and herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk), which is driven by the cytomegalovirus immediate early enhancer/promoter (plasmid pcDNA3/HSV-tk). In in vitro experiments, almost complete tumor cell regression was achieved with the optimal GCV concentration (100 microg/mL) and more than 1/3 regression was seen even with a 20% transduction ratio using HuH7 HCC cells stably transformed by HSV-tk. HVJ liposomes showed a 19.7% (mean) transduction rate of the lacZ gene in a relatively large mass of more than 300 mm3 in vivo, which is a clinically detectable size, implanted into SCID mice. Moreover, a single HSV-tk injection of HVJ liposomes followed by GCV treatment inhibited tumor growth at least within a week, and repeat administration was more effective. Furthermore, subcutaneous injection of an HVJ liposomes vehicle induced no apparent inflammatory response in C3H/HeN mice, whereas lacZ gene transfection resulted in inflammatory pathology, suggesting a lower immunogenicity of the HVJ envelope protein than those of bacteria-derived plasmid DNA or the beta-galactosidase gene product. From these findings, we conclude that HVJ liposomes are a clinically safe and effective gene transfer vector to treat HCC.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of thoracic esophagus: feasibility and outcome of large regional field and high-dose external beam boost irradiation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility and outcome of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CT-RT) with large regional field and high-dose external beam boost irradiation in thoracic esophageal cancer. METHODS: Patients with clinical stage T1 (submucosal)-4N0-1M0 (UICC 1997) squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus were eligible. Radiotherapy consisted of regional irradiation (extending from supraclavicular fossa to the paracardial area) with 39.6 Gy followed by high-dose external beam boost up to 66.6 Gy (1.8 Gy/day, five times per week). Two-hour infusion of cisplatin (80 mg/m(2) on day 1) and continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (800 mg/m(2)/day on days 2-6) were administered concurrently with radiotherapy, every 3-4 weeks, for two cycles. RESULTS: Thirty patients (stage I, 3; stage II, 11; stage III, 16) were entered into the study. Twenty-one patients (70%) completed the planned treatment. In elderly (> or = 70 years) patients, four of six withdrew. Grade 3 and 4 toxicities (NCI-CTC) were observed in 20 (67%) and three (10%) patients, respectively. Major toxicities were blood, gastrointestinal (i.e. nausea and esophagitis) and pulmonary. There was no grade 5 (fatal) toxicity. The median follow-up period for surviving patients was 27 months (range: 9-49 months). The median survival time was 21 months. The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 65 and 49% for all 30 patients. The incidence of esophageal stricture (grade 1-2: RTOG) was 21%. No patient suffered fistula formation. CONCLUSIONS: Despite poor compliance for elderly patients and frequent severe toxicities, our concurrent CT-RT resulted in a favorable outcome in thoracic esophageal cancer.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Increased survival after cecal ligation and puncture in mice consuming diets enriched with sesame seed oil.

OBJECTIVES: Lignans that present in the nonfat portion of sesame seed oil (SSO) can inhibit delta-5 desaturase activity, resulting in an increase in the accumulation of dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid and, subsequently, decrease the production of proinflammatory dienoic eicosanoids with a concomitant increase in the secretion of less inflammatory monoenoic eicosanoids. DESIGN: Female Balb/c mice were fed diets supplemented with 5wt% SSO or a physical mixture of oils (control) whose fatty acid composition resembled that of SSO for 3 wks. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: During a 4-day observation period after cecal ligation and puncture, only 20% of the controls and as many as 65% in the SSO group survived. Furthermore, the levels of cytokines and dienoic eicosanoids produced in response to an intraperitoneal injection of a nonlethal dose (50 microg/mouse) of endotoxin were measured in both groups. The interleukin (IL)-10 levels were markedly higher in mice fed SSO diets compared with the controls. However, the plasma concentrations of prostaglandin E1 + 2, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-6, and IL-12 did not differ significantly between the two groups of mice. CONCLUSIONS: Because the fatty acid composition is almost similar between the two diets, sesamin, sesamol and other lignans in SSO appear to be responsible for an increase in survival after cecal ligation and puncture and also for an increase in the IL-10 levels in response to a nonlethal dose of endotoxin in mice.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Correlation of beta-catenin and cyclin D1 expression in colon cancers.

OBJECTIVE: Beta-catenin activates transcription by TCF/LEF and has been regarded as an oncogene in a wide range of malignant tumors. Among various molecules regulated by beta-catenin/Tcf, cyclin D1 is the most likely candidate for stimulation of the oncogenic pathway. The association between beta-catenin and cyclin D1 was investigated using clinical samples from colorectal cancers. METHODS: The expression of beta-catenin and cyclin D1 was investigated by immunohistochemical analyses of samples from 70 patients with colorectal cancers. In 28 of the fresh tumor samples, beta-catenin protein was separated into soluble and insoluble fractions and quantitatively correlated with cyclin D1 protein by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Compared with noncancerous epithelium, beta-catenin and cyclin D1 were overexpressed (+) in 35 (50%) and 30 cases (43%), respectively. Cyclin D1 (+) was observed in 74% (26/35) of beta-catenin (+) cases, but only in 11% (4/35) of the beta-catenin (-) cases. Thus, there was a strong association between the expression of beta-catenin and that of cyclin D1 (p < 0.001). In the Western blot analysis, the amount of cyclin D1 correlated well with beta-catenin expression in the soluble fraction (p = 0.0016), but not with beta-catenin in the insoluble fraction or with E-cadherin expression. Beta-catenin (-)/cyclin D1 (-) cases displayed less tumor invasion than the remaining cases. However, there were no significant differences in lymph node metastasis or other clinicopathological findings. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that beta-catenin overexpression in the cytoplasm may promote malignant transformation by triggering cyclin D1 expression in colorectal cancers.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2001

Osteochondroma of the mandibular condyle: a case report and review of the literature.

Osteochondroma is rarely found in the oral and maxillofacial regions. A rare case of osteochondroma affecting the mandibular condyle of a 46-year-old Japanese woman is reported. Clinical examination revealed facial asymmetry, malocclusion, and a palpable hard mass in the right temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Radiologically, the lesion was visualized as a radiopaque mass in the same region, but no destructive features were evident. Three-dimensional computed tomography was employed for estimating the stereographic extension of the lesion, which seemed to develop from the anterior portion of the condylar neck, and extend to the condylar head. The patient underwent tumor excision and condyloplasty under a clinical diagnosis of benign TMJ tumor. The histopathological diagnosis was osteochondroma of the mandibular condyle, and the lesion consisted of proliferative bony and hyalinized cartilage-like tissues. Moreover, a cartilage cap, a characteristic feature of osteochondroma, was also observed. Thirty-eight cases of osteochondroma of the mandibular condyle described in the English literature, including the present case, were reviewed. The mean patient age was 39.7 years with a peak in the fourth decade, which was older than patients with tumors in the axial skeleton. There was no sexual predominance for tumors in either the mandibular condyle or axial skeleton. The histopathogenesis of this tumor developing in the mandibular condyle was also discussed.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2001

Ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint caused by rheumatoid arthritis: a pathological study and review.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in a 59-year-old Japanese woman is reported, including details of clinical, histopathological and radiological findings. The patient had been diagnosed as having RA of the right knee joint 41 years previously, and suffered from arthralgia of the right TMJ. Radiological examination showed a radiopaque lesion of the mandibular head and mandibular fossa in the right TMJ and ankylosis of the right TMJ was diagnosed on the basis of the clinical and radiological findings. Condylectomy was performed. Pathological examination of material from the joint region revealed a marked increase of collagen fibers associated with slight capillary dilatation and hemorrhage. The final diagnosis was ankylosis of the right TMJ due to RA. The literature on TMJ ankylosis secondary to RA is reviewed and discussed.

Ankylosis↗

PubMed2000

The role of des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin levels in hepatocellular carcinoma and liver tissues.

We aimed to clarify the clinical significance of des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) levels in both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver tissues with a special reference to the relationship between DCP level in non-cancerous parts of the liver and the multicentric occurrence of HCC. Twenty-eight patients with HCC, who underwent hepatectomy, were studied. Surgical specimens were obtained from both HCC and non-cancerous liver of each patient. After the preparation of the liver tissues, including tissues with HCC, the DCP levels both in HCC and non-cancerous liver tissue were measured using an electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay. The correlation was investigated between DCP levels and other clinicopathological factors. The DCP level of HCC ranged from 55 to 77735 U/0.1 g tissue weight, with a median of 2801, while the DCP level of non-cancerous parts of the liver ranged from 24 to 721 U/0.1 g tissue weight, with a median of 86. The DCP level in the liver tissue in patients having a multicentric occurrence of HCC was significantly higher than that in patients without multicentric occurrence of HCC. The logarithm of the plasma DCP level correlated with that of the DCP level in HCC (correlation coefficient =0.46; P<0.05). No significant correlation was found between the DCP level in HCC and other clinicopathological parameters. The DCP level in non-cancerous parts of the liver with simultaneous multicentric occurrence of HCC was significantly higher than that in the liver without multicentric HCC. Furthermore, the DCP level in non-cancerous parts of the liver was one of the most important predictable factors of the multicentric occurrence of HCCs among various clinicopathological factors. Therefore, the DCP level may have an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

Glycyrrhizin improves the resistance of MAIDS mice to opportunistic infection of Candida albicans through the modulation of MAIDS-associated type 2 T cell responses.

Compared with normal mice, MAIDS mice (mice infected with LP-BM5 murine leukemia virus) exhibited an increase up to 100 times greater in susceptibility to infection with Candida albicans. The impaired resistance of MAIDS mice to the infection was recovered to levels observed in normal mice by the administration of glycyrrhizin (GR), an active component of licorice roots. MAIDS mice inoculated with CD4(+) T cells from GR-treated mice were also resistant to C. albicans infection. Normal mice inoculated with CD4(+) T helper type 2 cells (Th2 cells) from MAIDS mice were susceptible to C. albicans infection at the same levels shown in MAIDS mice. The susceptibility of normal mice inoculated with type 2 T cells was reversible by (i) administration of GR and (ii) inoculation of CD4(+) T cells from GR-treated mice and injection of a mixture of mAbs targeted against type 2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10). Type 2 cytokines were not detected in sera of MAIDS mice inoculated with CD4(+) T cells from GR-treated mice, while they were present in sera of MAIDS mice treated with saline. These results suggest that, by inducing CD4(+) T cells which suppress type 2 cytokine production by MAIDS-associated Th2 cells, GR improves the resistance of MAIDS mice to C. albicans infection.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed2000

Hepatic sclerosing hemangioma mimicking a metastatic liver tumor: report of a case.

We present herein the case of a sclerosing hemangioma of the liver which was extremely difficult to differentiate from liver metastasis of rectal cancer, in a 67-year-old woman. All the radiological findings were compatible with liver metastasis; however, marginal pooling of the tumor revealed by computed tomographic angiography and magnetic resonance imaging scans was inconsistent with a diagnosis of liver metastasis. At laparotomy, the tumor was macroscopically unusual in that it was yellowish elastic-hard with a very clear margin, and thus, it did not have the appearance of a metastatic tumor. Mile's operation and a partial hepatectomy were performed, followed by an uneventful postoperative course and no signs of recurrence. The carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level in the peripheral blood was not elevated at any time. The postoperative pathological diagnosis was a rare hepatic tumor, namely, a "sclerosing hemangioma," based on the findings of cellular fibrous stroma containing vascular channels with flattened endothelial cells. Preoperatively differentiating between sclerosing hemangioma and a metastatic liver tumor from colorectal cancer may be very difficult; however, this case demonstrated some interesting characteristics, namely, the serum CEA level was not elevated, marginal pooling of the tumor was found in the enhanced radiological findings, and the tumor was macroscopically unusual. Therefore, the possibility of sclerosing hemangioma should be borne in mind when considering the differential diagnosis of patients suspected of having colorectal liver metastasis. A preoperative biopsy should be carried out and when a laparotomy is performed under the misdiagnosis of colorectal liver metastasis, it is advisable that either an intraoperative needle biopsy or a frozen histological analysis be undertaken to avoid unnecessary extended hepatic resection of this rare benign hepatic tumor.

Aged↗