Hideyo Natori

Chromatographic analysis of human erythrocyte pyrimidine 5′‐nucleotidase from five patients with pyrimidine 5′‐nucleotidase deficiency

Human erythrocyte pyrimidine 5′‐nucleotidase (P5N) was separated into two subclasses, P5N‐I and P5N‐II, by DEAE Bio‐Gel A column chromatography. Their enzymological properties were studied using five normal subjects and five patients with different P5N deficiencies. Study of the normal subjects showed that P5N‐I and P5N‐II have distinctive properties, and P5N‐II is similar to the 5′‐nucleotidase in rat liver cytosol. The P5N‐II from the five subjects with this deficiency had normal activity and other normal enzymological properties. However, the P5N‐I from these patients had abnormal properties, including reduced activity. These variant enzymes had a high Michaelis constant for substrate cytidine 5′‐monophosphate and were heat stable. The optimum pH was shifted towards the acidic side in two patients, towards the basic side in one, and was unchanged in the other two. These results strongly suggest that the main cause of P5N deficiency is an abnormality of P5N‐I, probably arising from a structural gene mutation.

Rapid and sensitive diagnosis of cytomegalovirus and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with haematological neoplasia by using capillary polymerase chain reaction

We attempted the simultaneous detection of cytomegalovirus DNA (CMV‐DNA) and Pneumocystis carinii (carinii‐DNA) in sputum samples obtained from 20 patients with haematological neoplasm with pneumonia, using rapid cycle DNA amplification (capillary PCR). We used a thermal cycler for capillary PCR which featured recirculation of hot air for rapid temperature control of 10 μl reaction samples in thin glass capillary tubes.

HTLV-I-Associated Myelopathy and Adult T-Cell Leukemia Cases in a Family

Familial cases of HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM) and adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), developing in a daughter and father, respectively, are reported. The coexistence of both diseases in a family has not been reported before. This supports the recent findings that ATL and HAM may be brought about by an identical virus on an apparently different immunogenetic background.

A new action mechanism of intravenous immunoglobulin for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

Blood samples were obtained from 20 healthy donors and 20 patients with ITP. Patients comprised 10to 45-year-old women (12) and men (8). The preparation of platelet suspension has been described previously [ 11. (PA-IgG). The percentage of platelets with an elevated level of PA-lgG (% PA-lgG) was measured by an immunofluorescent assay using a flow cytometer (Spectrum I l l , Ortho Diagnostic System). FITC-conjugated anti-human IgG (Behring Inc.) was used as the second antibody. We have previously reported [ 2 ] that the % PA-lgG is elevated by neuraminidase treatment of the platelets of ITP patients. The platelet suspension was incubated with neuraminidase (final conccntration 0.02 U1 ml, Type V, Sigma Chemical Co.) for 30 min at 37°C. In Paticnts with ITP. the %PA-IgG was found to be 53 f 20% after treatment with neuraminidase and 7.0 t 5.3% without this treatment. In controls. the values were found to be 4.0 ? 1.5 and 3.0 * 1.X%, respective. ly, When the patients platelets previously treated with neurarninidase were incubated with immunoglobulin (final concentration: 20 mglml) for 30 min at 37°C. the % PA-IgG was decreased. However, when after the incubation with immunoglobulin, the platelets were retreated with neuraminidase, the % PA-IgG was again increased (fig. 1). And

A randomized phase II trial of low-dose aclarubicin vs very low-dose cytosine arabinoside for treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes

We performed a randomized phase II trial comparing low-dose aclarubicin (LC-ACR) with very low-dose cytosine arabinoside (VLD-AC) in 39 consecutive untreated patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), including refractory anemia (RA), RA with excess of blasts (RAEB) and RAEB in transformation (RAEB-t). Nineteen patients received the VLD-AC therapy; 2 good responses (GR) and 2 partial responses (PR) were obtained in 11 patients with RAEB and RAEB-t, while 2 PR were obtained in 8 RA patients. Eighteen patients received the LD-ACR therapy; 2 GR and 4 PR were obtained in 11 RAEB/RAEB-t patients while 2 PR in 7 RA patients. There was no significant difference in the therapeutic effects and survival between these two groups of patients. These observations suggest that the LD-ACR therapy is effective in some patients with MDS and can be used as an alternative to the low-dose Ara-C therapy.

Salvage chemotherapy of refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with aclacinomycin, behenoyl ara-C, etoposide, and prednisolone.

SummaryA total of 40 patients with recurrent non-Hodgkins lymphoma were treated with ABEP combination chemotherapy (aclarubicin,N4-behenoyl-1-β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine, etoposide, and prednisolone). A complete remission (CR) was achieved in 37.5% of the patients and partial remission, in 15.0%. The ABEP regimen proved to be effective in T-cell as well as B-cell lymphoma. It appears that the ABEP regimen may be partially non-cross-resistant with front-line doxorubicin-containing combinations. Survival for 39 months was achieved in 42.0% of the CR responders compared with 6.7% of partial responders (PRs) and nonresponders (NRs) (P<0.01). Diesease-free survival for 45 months was seen in 66% of the CR patients. The ABEP regimen was effective in the treatment of patients with recurrent or refractory lymphoma, enabling hope for long-term survival in the majority of CR cases.