Haruo Kaneda

Morphologic spectrum of liver diseases among chronic alcoholics. A comparison between Tokyo, Japan and Cincinnati, U.S.A.

To deliniate the histopathological features of liver diseases seen in Japanese alcoholics, 130 Japanese alcoholic patients were studied in comparison with 238 American alcoholic patients. In Japan female alcoholic patients were extremely rare. The male to female ratio was 127 to 3 in Japan and 152 to 89 in U.S.A. Although all aspects of alcoholic liver disease did exist in Japan, typical cases of acute alcoholic hepatitis with alcoholic hyalins were remarkably smaller in number (9.2% in Japan versus 39.5% in the U.S.A.). The severity based on histopathological findings was also less in the Japanese cases. In contrast to this, 46 percent of Japanese alcoholic patients had chronic hepatitis, and the incidence of multilobular cirrhosis was much greater in Japan wherewith higher prevalence of viral hepatitides.

Early Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Lectin Electrophoresis of Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein

A sensitive procedure involving lectin affinity electrophoresis of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was established. AFPs electrophoresed on lectin-containing gels were blotted on nitrocellulose membrane which was precoated with the specific antibody to AFP and stained with peroxidase-labeled anti-AFP antibody. This method could detect as little as 4 micrograms/l of purified AFP dissolved in buffer, or 50 micrograms/l in serum specimens. A number of patients with liver disease have been followed for long periods in Nihon University Hospital, Tokyo. Serum specimens were collected serially and stored frozen. We have reinvestigated retrospectively 6 series of serum specimens by the lectin-immunoblotting technique and found 3 cases that revealed a hepatocellular carcinoma-specific AFP variant at a very early stage, in advance of any other evidence of hepatocellular carcinoma by clinical examination.

IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF α-FETOPROTEIN IN RAT EMBRYOS DURING ONTOGENESIS

In order to clarify the dynamics of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) during ontogenesis, the appearance and localization of AFP and albumin in rat embryos were immunohistochemically investigated. AFP began to appear in the embryos on day 9 in some of the cells constituting the embryonic ectoderm. From day 10, both AFP and albumin became strongly stained in the yolk sac. The formation of liver anlage started on day 11; here AFP alone was clearly apparent in the primitive hepatocytes and also in some other cells, such as somites, or those of the central nervous system. After further development of the embryos, AFP, albumin, and transferrin were detected by means of serial section examination in the same hepatocytes. Besides being found in the liver, AFP began to be stained in the dorsal pancreas and mesonephric vesicles on day 12, in the stomach on day 13, and in the lung anlage and metanephros on day 14. Albumin was also localized in the same sites in these tissues, but the intensity of albumin staining was not as strong as that of AFP. Therefore, we assume that AFP plays an important role in the rapid growth of rats during the early gestational stages.

THE α‐FETOPROTEIN‐PRODUCING CELLS IN THE EARLY STAGE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL LIVER CANCER

In the early stage of the experimental liver cancer caused by the azo-dye feeding of rats, an appearance of serum a-fetoprotein (AFP) was recognized by Hirai and his co-workers (the first response). So-called “oval cells” (OnoC et al.) were detectable only in this stage. There is speculation that the appearance of AFP in the first peak of DAB-induced hepatic carcinomas is produced by the so-called oval cells, and in the second peak by tumor cells. Therefore, in order to identify the AFP-producing cells, this study was made by the direct immunofluorescent antibody method.

Immunohistochemical Study on Alpha-Fetoprotein in Rats During Fetal and Post-Natal Life

Abstract In order to clarify the biological role of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) during ontogenesis, the immunolocalization of AFP, albumin, transferrin and IgG was investigated in rat embryos. From day 10, AFP and albumin began to appear in the yolk sac. AFP also began to be visible in many organ anlages, such as the liver, stomach, pancreas, lung and kidney. These results confirmed the significance of AFP during development and we can speculate that the circulating AFP was taken into tissues or cells by a certain mechanism. For further understanding of the dynamics of AFP in vivo, an attempt to investigate the corelation between AFP and estrogen in brain tissues was made immunochemically and histochemically. In conclusion, it can be assumed that AFP plays an important role in neuronal development, especially concerning the estrogen transport during early post-natal life.

A seroepidemiologic survey of hepatitis B infection among medical personnel

医療従事者におけるHBV感染の実態を明らかにするために,著者らは,日本大学医学部附属病院の教職員1642名を対象にしてHBV関連抗原・抗体の疫学的調査を行った.HBs抗原陽性率は,病院教職員(1.7%)と対照とした供血者(2.3%)との間に有意差は認められなかった.HBs抗体は,内科医(7.5%)や小児科医(5.9%)に比較して外科医(20.9%),産婦人科医(20.4%),眼科医(22.6%),看護婦(17.4%),放射線技師(18%)などが高い陽性率を示した.このことは,単に患者に接触することだけではなく,血液や汚染材料に触れることが,HBV感染の重要な危険因子であることが示唆された.一般にHBs抗体の頻度は,HBs抗原とは対照的に,加齢とともに増加するが,医療従事者では20歳代から30歳代にかけて,つまり医療活動を始めて5年ないし10年以内の間に急速に抗体陽性率が上昇して,以後プラトウになる傾向があって,この時期に感染の機会の多いことが推定される.

Clinical features of fulminant hepatitis

過去21年間に経験した生存例6例を含む59例の劇症肝炎について臨床的検討を行った.原因は,ウイルス性と考えられるものが47例で,残る12例は薬剤起因性が強く推定された.尚,59例中30例がなんらかの合併症ないし術後発症例であることより,重症化の要因として加齢の影響や合併症の存在は重要である.重篤な臨床症状の発現前にその劇症化を的確に予測しうる早期診断法を確立することは極めて重要であるが,高ビリルビン血症と間接ビリルビンの相対的増加,GOT, GPT (GOT>GPT)およびLDHの著増と酵素落下,cholinesteraseの低下,白血球増多などがある程度参考となる.しかし,prothrombin時間,α-fetoproteinおよび肝臓で生成され,生物学的半減期の短いα, β分画の各成分,就中haptoglobin, α1-acidglycoproteinなどの動向が早期診断並びに予後の予測により有効な指標となる.

Effect of anti-cancer drug on some components of serum in case of gastric cancer

Seventeen amino acids in the serum were determined on pat ients with gast r ic cancer and gastr ic ulcer, and on normal individuals by the chromatographic procedure. In the se rum of pat ients with gast r ic cancer, the amounts of serine, proline, glycine, alanine, valine, leucine and arginine were lower and those of glutamic acid and methionine higher than in normal individuals. Significant differences between postoperat ive gast r ic cancer cases and normal individuals were found for the amino acids serine, g lutamic acid, valine, methionine and hist idine. Between gastr ic cancer and gas t r ic ulcer cases, glycine and arginine levels were lower and meth ionine level was higher in gas t r ic cancer cases. The number of unknown peaks of n inhydr ine positive compounds other than amino acids were also studied. In the serum of gas t r ic cancer cases, significantly more peaks were observed as compared to the normal adults or gas t r ic ulcer patients . Clinical data, especially liver funct ion tes t showed normal . Histology of the l iver was also almost normal .