A 64-year-old male visited our hospital complaining of epigastric pain, and was diagnosed as esophageal cancer with multiple liver metastases. Histological examinations revealed squamous cell ...carcinoma. He had serious liver dysfunctions and his general conditions were severe, expressed as 3 of the performance status. He was treated using radiotherapy and chemotherapy with low-dose nedaplatin and 5-fluorouracil after the fully sufficient informed consent was taken. As for adverse events, Grade 2 of thrombocytopenia was only observed. Liver tumors responded to anticancer drug treatment immediately, and liver functions were almost normalized. The chemotherapy using low-dose nedaplatin and 5-FU combined with the radiotherapy was feasible and effective to patients with poor conditions.
We examined the effects of complement activation on the biological responses of cellulose acetate (CA) beads. Peripheral blood containing the complement activation inhibitor nafamostat mesilate (NM) ...or heparin was incubated with CA beads in vitro. Thereafter, the fraction of adsorbed granulocytes as well as the generation of complement activation fragments (C3a and C5a) and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) were measured. Granulocyte adsorption, complement activation, and IL-1ra release were significantly inhibited in the presence of NM. Adsorption was significantly increased onto CA beads pretreated with plasma containing heparin even in the presence of NM and adding C3a or C5a enhanced IL-1ra release. These results suggested that bound complement fragment (e.g., C3b) on CA beads plays a central role in granulocyte adsorption to CA beads and that C3a and C5a augment the release of anti-inflammatory substances. We therefore conclude that complement activation is involved in these biological responses of leukocyte apheresis.
Cytapheresis with extra-corporeal circulation for ulcerative colitis is effective but its mechanisms are still unclear. Granulocytecolony stimulating factor (G-CSF) strongly mobilizes bone ...marrow-derived cells and serves as antiinflammatory factor. We investigated plasma levels of G-CSF during granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GCAP).
Nineteen cases of ulcerative colitis were measured plasma concentration of G-CSF during the first session of GCAP therapy.
G-CSF were significantly increased in the column inflow at 30 min compared with the baseline (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.01), and also increased through the column (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.01). The ratio of the increase in the column outflow at 60 min was 1.5-fold compared with the baseline. However, we could not show a significant relation between G-CSF level and clinical efficacy.
This is the first report concerning G-CSF during CAP. G-CSF is increased due to GCAP and appears to be a candidate which should be further investigated.
The main topic of this study is a shape design of structure considering various load conditions. In order to evaluate such a performance, we formulate a criterion based on the norm of the stiffness ...matrix of the structure to be designed. A shape design of crane-hook is introduced as an example. We formulate a multi-objective optimization problem based on an FEM analysis. The displacement at the specified force applying point, the ratio between the total displacement against various load conditions and the structural volume of the crane-hook are adopted as the evaluation items to be minimized. The cross-section and the contour shape are adopted as the design variables. Continuous change of these design variables is expressed in terms of orthogonal polynomials and the Fourier series. The Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is used as the optimization method. The obtained crane-hook design has a taperd shape similar to those of existing designs.
We investigated the significance of rapid turnover proteins (retinal-binding protein, pre-albumin and transferrin) in protein-losing gastroenteropathy.
We evaluated the levels of these proteins in 12 ...patients with protein-losing gastroenteropathy.
The protein-losing gastroenteropathy patients showed very low level of total serum protein of 4.3 +/- 0.7 g/dL, albumin 2.1 +/- 0.4 g/dL, and IgG 682 +/- 232 mg/dL. However, retinal-binding protein was 4.4 +/- 1.9 mg/dL (normal range; 2.5-8.0 mg/dL), pre-albumin 29.3 +/- 7.9 mg/dL (21-43 mg/dL) and transferrin 226 +/- 62 mg/dL (205-370 mg/dL). The levels of rapid turnover proteins, particularly retinal-binding protein and pre-albumin were almost preserved within the normal range, despite hypoproteinemia.
If there is a patient with severe hypoproteinemia and preserved levels of rapid turnover proteins, protein-losing gastroenteropathy should be suspected and we get a strong proof to do the following examinations such as a fecal clearance of alpha-1 antitrypsin.
Musashi-1 (Msi-1), an RNA-binding protein, had been proposed to be a specific marker for neural stem/precursor cells. Msi-1 expressing cells in the intestinal epithelium are also strongly considered ...as potential stem/precursor cells. To clarify the behavior of those cells in the injury or regeneration phase, we investigated Msi-1 expressing cells of intestinal mucosa in the murine model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Immunohistochemically, Msi-1-positive cells were found in the area just along the layer of Paneth's cells in the small intestine and in the bottom layer of crypts in the large intestine. During DSS administration, the number of PCNA-positive cells in the large intestine increased markedly. In contrast, the number of Msi-1-positive cells decreased slightly with DSS but returned to normal after DSS administration was stopped. The level of mRNA for Msi-1 was consistent with the result of immunohistochemical examinations. Conclusively, we could describe the behavior of intestinal stem/precursor cells during inflammation using Msi-1.
Primary orbital adenocarcinoma is very rare. There are not any reports about the treatment of this disease, except for surgery. We experienced a case of primary orbital adenocarcinoma, which we ...successfully treated by chemoradiation using 5-FU and cisplatin. It is very important to collect and record cases of rare diseases responding to certain chemotherapy regimens.
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