Retroviral vectors have become a standard tool for gene transfer technology. Compared with other gene transfer systems, retroviral vectors have several advantages, including their ability to transduce a variety of cell types, to integrate efficiently into the genomic DNA of the recipient cells and to express the transduced gene at high levels. The relatively well understood biology of retroviruses has made possible the development of packaging cell lines which provide in trans all the viral proteins required for viral particle formation. The design of different types of packaging cells has evolved to reduce the possibility of helper virus production. The host range of retroviruses has been expanded by pseudotyping the vectors with heterologous viral glycoproteins and receptor-specific ligands. The development of lentivirus vectors has allowed efficient gene transfer to quiescent cells. This review describes different strategies adopted for developing vectors to be used in gene therapy applications.

Animals↗

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Fetal renal arterial blood velocity waveforms detected with color-flow mapping and pulsed Doppler flowmetry in intrauterine growth retardation.

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Blood Flow Velocity↗

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Focal attenuation differences in pericystic liver tissue as seen on CT hepatic arteriography and CT arterial portography: observation using a unified helical CT and angiography system.

BACKGROUND: To investigate nontumorous focal enhancement (FE) with computed tomographic hepatic arteriography (CTHA) and perfusion defect (PD) with computed tomographic arterial portography (CTAP) in pericystic liver tissue. METHODS: Incidence, shape, and size of nontumorous FE on CTHA and PD on CTAP were examined in 100 consecutive noncirrhotic and 100 consecutive cirrhotic patients. RESULTS: FE was observed on CTHA in 77 noncirrhotic and 61 cirrhotic patients, whereas PD was observed on CTAP in 50 noncirrhotic and 51 cirrhotic patients. When both findings were visualized in both CT studies, the shape of the FE on CTHA was similar to the overlapping PD on CTAP in 81% of patients but was larger in 92% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: FE on CTHA and PD on CTAP are frequently noted in pericystic liver tissue. The size of FE on CTHA is often larger than PD on CTAP, although the shapes are generally the same. Size discrepancy suggests the presence of both portal supply and splanchnic venous drainage.

Chi-Square Distribution↗

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Complications following balloon-occluded arterial infusion chemotherapy for pelvic malignancies.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence and causes of complications associated with balloon-occluded arterial infusion chemotherapy (BOAI) for pelvic malignancies. METHODS: In 34 courses of BOAI in 22 patients with pelvic malignancies, we analyzed the incidence of complications as well as the effect of the dose of the anticancer drugs, the infusion site, and the number of BOAI administrations on these complications. Complications were divided into two categories: cystitis-like symptoms and neurological complications such as pain, numbness, and paresthesia of the lower extremities and the hip. RESULTS: Eleven patients (50%) suffered from complications, seven (31.8%) from neurological complications and four (18.2%) from cystitis-like symptoms. The complications appeared in 14 courses (42. 4%) of BOAI, neurological complications in 10 (30.3%) and cystitis-like symptoms in four (12.1%). A high dose of anti-cancer drugs and infusion from the anterior division tended to induce neurological complications more frequently; however, the cystitis-like symptoms were not related to any factors. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that a smaller dose of anti-cancer drugs should be infused from the bilateral internal iliac arteries for safer pelvic BOAI.

Aged↗

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Morphometric evaluation of neonatal brainstem development by means of the ultrasonographic method.

Development of the midbrain in 260 newborn infants was studied by means of the ultrasonographic method. The 260 infants were divided into four groups; 211 appropriate-for-date (AFD) infants without intracranial abnormalities or chromosomal disorders, 41 light-for-date (LFD) infants without intracranial abnormalities or chromosomal disorders, 5 cases of Down syndrome and 3 cases of trisomy 18. The midbrain area (MBA) was measured in transverse sections using a Sonos 1000 (YHP) within 24 h of birth. MBA of the 211 AFD infants was correlated with gestational age (GA), the standard curve being -0.0029(GA)2 + 0.2611(GA) -3.335 (r = 0.87, P < 0.0001). MBA of the other three groups were compared with this standard curve. Thirty-seven of the 41 LFD cases and all the Down syndrome infants showed MBA within 1.5 S.D. of the standard curve. However, all the infants with trisomy 18 had smaller MBA than -1.5 S.D. of the standard curve. The standard curve should be useful for assessing the gestational age of newborn infants and for detecting abnormal development of the brainstem in developmental disorders.

Birth Weight↗

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Recurrent and pre-eruptive acute cerebellar ataxia: a rare case of varicella.

This is a report of an unusual case of acute cerebellar ataxia in which the ataxia recurred after a 6 week interval and the second episode of ataxia antedated the varicella exanthem by 19 days, suggesting the direct invasion of the central nervous system by the varicella virus.

Cerebellar Ataxia↗

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Efficacy of thyrotropin-releasing hormone in the treatment of cerebellar ataxia.

We report a 9-year-old girl with cerebellar ataxia in whom the administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone was effective in the treatment of a prolonged neurologic deficit. Ataxia persisted 18 months after its acute onset of unknown origin. Concentrations of homovanillic acid and 5-hydroxy-indoleacetic acid in the cerebrospinal fluid were measured repeatedly. Changes in the 5-hydroxy-indoleacetic/homovanillic acid ratio were observed, suggesting that thyrotropin-releasing hormone improved symptoms by influencing serotonin metabolism in the central nervous system.

Cerebellar Ataxia↗

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Globus pallidus calcification in Down syndrome with progressive neurologic deficits.

We report a 10-year-old Down syndrome patient who developed dystonia, choreoathetosis, dysarthria, and dysphagia beginning with hemiparesis. Cranial computed tomography disclosed bilateral calcification in the globus pallidus which resembled a sign of premature aging. Conversely, the clinical course and magnetic resonance imaging findings resembled those of Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome.

Bone Marrow↗

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Etiologies and distribution of neonatal leukomalacia.

Neonatal leukomalacia was classified into 4 groups: focal (F), widespread (W), diffuse (D), and multicystic encephalomalacia (MCE) according to the distribution of ischemic necrosis in the cerebral hemisphere. The highest and lowest values of PaCO2, PaO2, and pH and the lowest systolic and diastolic blood pressures were compared among each group and controls. The lowest PaCO2 values were significantly lower in MCE than in the F, W, and D (F + W + D) group or controls. The lowest values of systolic and diastolic blood pressures in the W and F + W + D groups were significantly lower than in the controls; therefore, hypocarbia can be an etiologic factor of MCE rather than periventricular leukomalacia. Hypotension may be closely related to a causal factor of neonatal leukomalacia.

Blood Pressure↗

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Neuropathologic study of newborns with prenatal-onset leukomalacia.

The distribution of leukomalacia and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive glial cells in prenatal- and postnatal-onset leukomalacia were compared and diagnosed histologically in 128 autopsied infants and the different pathogeneses were examined. Prenatal-onset leukomalacia was diagnosed in 12 of 71 still-births and neonates surviving less than 3 days (16.9%). All 4 preterm infants of less than 32 gestational weeks had widespread white matter necrosis and 4 of 5 term infants had focal necrosis. GFAP-positive glial cells were more increased in the deep and intermediate white matter in both forms of leukomalacia than in the controls, although in the subcortical white matter they were less increased in prenatal- than postnatal-onset leukomalacia. These differences may indicate different pathogeneses, including vascular maturity and causal factors, in prenatal- and postnatal-onset leukomalacia.

Brain Chemistry↗

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Development of neurons and synapses in ochratoxin A-induced microcephalic mice: a quantitative assessment of somatosensory cortex.

Ochratoxin A (a mycotoxin) is known to cause cell death in the developing brain of embryos 1-2 days after treatment. Microcephaly was observed with high frequency in mice by prenatal treatment with ochratoxin A. Using a stereological method, the numerical densities of neurons and synapses were investigated in the somatosensory cortex of 6-week-old microcephalic mice. The numerical density of neurons in ochratoxin A-treated mice represented a 39% increase compared to the control mice, but there was no difference in the numerical density of synapses. The somatosensory cortices of control mice had about 13,000 synapses per neuron, whereas ochratoxin A-treated mice had about 9,400 synapses per neuron. The deficits in synapse-to-neuron ratios seen in ochratoxin A-induced microcephalic brain seemed to result from a reduced dendritic growth.

Animals↗