Using an actigraph and a long-term body temperature (BT) monitoring system, we simultaneously monitored rest-activity (R-A) and BT rhythms in patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer's type (SDAT; n = 20) or multi-infarct dementia (MID; n = 21) for 5-7 consecutive days. The SDAT group exhibited a well-organized BT rhythm with significantly higher amplitude compared with the MID group. The SDAT group also showed significant positive correlation between the total daily activity as well as percentage of nighttime activity and the degree of dementia, while no such tendency was observed in the MID group. The different properties of the biological rhythm disorders among the SDAT and MID groups possibly underlie their sleep and behavioral disorders.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Overexpression of transforming growth factor-beta1 in scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach correlates with decreased survival.

A retrospective study of 50 patients with scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach who had undergone surgery was performed to elucidate whether immunohistochemical overexpression of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) could predict the patients' survival. To evaluate the proliferative activity of the tumor, the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) index was used. Expression of TGF-beta1 was low in 27 patients and high in 23. Clinicopathological characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups with high and low TGF-beta1 expression. Tumors with higher TGF-beta1 expression had higher PCNA indices (p = 0.0467, unpaired Student's t test). The 5-year survival rate was 40.4% for the low TGF-beta1 group and 28.7% for the high TGF-beta1 group (p = 0.0388, log rank test). By multivariate analysis, pT, residual tumor, and TGF-beta1 were the independent prognostic factors. These results suggest that immunohistochemical expression of TGF-beta1 is one of the useful predictors for estimating the patients' survival in scirrhous carcinoma of the stomach particularly of the T3 and T4 stages.

Adenocarcinoma, Scirrhous↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Growth kinetic study of human hepatocellular carcinoma using proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Lewis Y antigen: their correlation with transforming growth factor-alpha and beta 1.

The factors which control the balance between proliferation and cell death in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. The kinetic state of the tumor growth was investigated in the present study with references to transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha and -beta 1 in 50 resected HCCs without preceding therapies. three-micrometer sections were cut from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumors. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Lewis Y antigen (LeY). TGF-alpha, and -beta 1 were immunohistochemically stained and quantitatively assessed with an image analyzer. By means of immunohistochemical staining, a reciprocal correlation was observed between PCNA and LeY. A similar pattern was found between TGF-alpha and -beta 1, although not so strikingly as in the case of PCNA and LeY. The expression of LeY and PCNA labeling index (LI) ranged from 0 to 56.1% and from 0 to 52.8%, respectively. A correlation was observed between LeY and tumor size (r = 0.302, p < 0.04), while there was no significant relationship between PCNA LI and tumor size (r = -0.048, p > 0.05). The positive area ranged from 0 to 61.6% for TGF-alpha, and from 0.6 to 71.5% for TGF-beta 1. Analysis of these data showed a significant correlation between TGF-beta 1 and tumor size (r = -0.327, p < 0.03). Among HCCs < 5 cm, PCNA LI positively correlated with tumor size (r = 0.399, p < 0.04), but negatively with TGF-beta 1 (r = -0.431, p < 0.03). In conclusion, the present investigation indicates that the simultaneous analyses of proliferating and apoptotic activities by means of PCNA and LeY could yield more accurate data to determine the kinetic state of the tumor growth compared with either alone. In addition, TGF-beta 1 might act as a suppressive factor in the growth of HCC < 5 cm.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Overexpression of metallothionein correlates with chemoresistance to cisplatin and prognosis in esophageal cancer.

The aim of this study was to determine the correlation of metallothionein (MT) expression with resistance to cisplatin and to identify prognostic factors in esophageal cancer. Immunostaining for MT was performed on the specimens of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus resected from 68 patients with curative intent. The expression of MT was evaluated in terms of clinicopathologic variables, effect of cisplatin, and the patients' survival. Overexpression of MT in the tumor was found in 70.6% of the patients. Stage III and IV tumors were more common in MT-positive tumors (p = 0.0282) but there was no difference in other clinicopathologic variables between MT-positive and MT-negative groups. Stage, cisplatin therapy, and tumor length were the independent prognostic indicators by multivariate analysis. Among 43 patients treated with cisplatin, the 5-year survival rate was 56% for MT-negative and 26% for MT-positive patients (p = 0.0277). In the MT-negative patients, multivariate analysis revealed that curability, stage, cisplatin therapy, and tumor length were the independent prognostic factors. These findings suggest that MT expression in squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus is a major determinant of the chemoresistance to cisplatin and may be a predictor of poor prognosis.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic significance of the expressions of metallothionein, glutathione-S-transferase-pi, and P-glycoprotein in curatively resected gastric cancer.

Although experimental studies indicate that overexpression of metallothionein (MT), glutathione-S-transferase-pi (GST-pi), or P-glycoprotein (P-GP) is related to the drug resistance of cancer cells, the clinical significance of the overexpression remains to be elucidated. The expressions of MT, GST-pi, and P-GP wre evaluated immunohistochemically in 74 specimens of gastric adenocarcinoma in T1-3N1-2 stages which were resected with curative intent. Fluorinated pyrimidines, mitomycin C, and Adriamycin were prescribed in 73, 54, and 2 patients, respectively. The staining characteristics were investigated in relation to the clinical results. The cell-proliferative activity was studied with anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen antibody. Expressions of GST-pi and P-GP correlated with the staining intensity of normal mucosa. Five-year disease-free survival rates (DFSRs) of GST-pi-negative and GST-pi-positive groups were 75.0 and 49.0%. The 5-year DFSRs of P-GP-negative and P-GP-positive groups were 68.2 and 38.6%. Concurrent expression among the three proteins was associated with the survival: 5-year DFSR of no- or one-protein-positive group was 75.0%, while those of 2- and 3-protein-positive groups were 56.0 and 38.9%, respectively. Tumors concurrently expressing 2 or 3 proteins have a high proliferative activity. Expressions of MT, GST-pi, and P-GP by the tumor are associated with a poorer prognosis of the patients.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Another anti-allergic mechanism: antibody IgE deglycosylation induced by a substance extracted from human urine.

Enzymically-deglycosylated antibody IgE lost its allergic activity in mouse systemic anaphylaxis, though the IgE kept its antibody activity. IgE antibody obtained from mice treated with a substance extracted from human urine was deglycosylated. This IgE also lost the allergic activity on the systemic anaphylaxis but kept its antibody activity. These findings strongly suggest that glycosylation of IgE has a close relation to the binding of the Fc receptor and that humans have another antiallergic mechanism: in vivo IgE antibody deglycosylation induced by the substance.

Allergens↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Interstitial pneumonitis after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation following total body irradiation.

The records of 40 patients who received allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) at Hyogo College of Medicine under the same conditioning regimen using cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation (TBI) from January 1984 to August 1989 were analyzed. The dose rate of TBI was 10 cGy per minute, and the total dose was 10 Gy (2.5 Gy daily for 4 days). Interstitial pneumonitis (IP) occurred in 13 of 40 patients, and was fatal in five patients. The probability of developing IP during the first year was 31%. We performed univariate analysis on the following factors but did not find any significant risk factors for IP: age and sex of patient, sex mismatch, ABO mismatch, grade of acute graft-versus-host disease, post immunosuppression regimen, and number of marrow cells transfused.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Radiotherapy of postoperative residual tumor of bile duct carcinoma.

The case of a patient with bile duct carcinoma who had a postoperative residual tumor treated with high-dose-rate intraluminal brachytherapy (HDRIBT) following external radiotherapy is presented. Following radiotherapy, he has been alive and well without signs of recurrence for two years and eleven months as of this writing. HDRIBT following external irradiation is recommended for the treatment of postoperative small residual tumors of the bile duct.

Adenoma, Bile Duct↗