Kei Yamaguchi

Immunohistochemical localization of aldehyde and xanthine oxidase in rat tissues using polyclonal antibodies

Tissues from male Wistar rats, fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and embedded in paraffin, were studied with immunoperoxidase techniques using polyclonal antibodies raised against aldehyde oxidase or xanthine oxidase purified from rat liver. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that aldehyde oxidase-bearing cells were strongly stained in renal tubules, esophageal, gastric, intestinal and bronchial epithelium as well as liver cytoplasm. Weak but positive immunoreactivity was observed on the pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells, gastric glands and intestinal goblet cells. In contrast, it was demonstrated that cells with xanthine oxidase were strongly stained in renal tubules, esophageal, gastric, and small and large intestinal and bronchial epithelia etc. Positive immunostaining was also found in adrenal gland, skeletal muscle, spleen and cerebral hippocampus. Immunoreactivity againt aldehyde oxidase was not found in adrenal gland, spleen, mesentery or aorta, while immunoreactivity against xanthine oxidase was not found in mesentery or aorta. Although the significance of this ubiquitous and similar localization of aldehyde and xanthine oxidase seems unclear at present, these results may provide a clue as to the full understanding of the pathophysiological role of these oxidases in tissues.

Increased plasma alpha (1 --> 3)-L-fucosyltransferase activities in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Alpha(1 → 3)-l-fucosyltransferase (α1,3FT) activity was determined in plasma of patients with chronic liver diseases, namely, chronic hepatitis (CH), liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The plasma α1,3FT activity was significantly higher (p<0.01) in chronic liver diseases than that in normal controls. The enzyme activity in plasma of patients with HCC was also significantly higher than that in LC (p<0.05) or that in CH (p<0.01). However, no significant difference was observed in the enzyme activity between LC and CH. Plasma α1,3FT activity in patients with HCC was not significantly changed before and after transcatheter arterial embolization. In addition, the enzyme activity in the homogenate of the cirrhotic liver tissue was higher than that in the preparation of the hepatoma tissue in the same patient. These results suggest that the increased plasma α1,3FT activity in patients with HCC reflects mainly the enzyme activity of cirrhotic liver tissue, not that of hepatoma tissue. The significance of the elevated levels of plasma α1,3FT and its decreased hepatoma tissue activity in patients with HCC, compared with that in LC, remains to be clarified.

Aspartate aminotransferase-linked immunoglobulin complexes in serum of a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis

A 51-year-old woman who had been treated for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of unexplained, isolated, persistently increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity. Results of laboratory tests on admission showed: AST 171 KU, alanine aminotransferase 28 KU, and anti-mitochondrial titer 1/1280. Results of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) and hepatitis C virus antibody (HCV Ab; C100-3) assays were negative. Histology of a liver biopsy specimen was compatible with a diagnosis of PBC (stage III of Scheuers classificiation). The molecular size of serum AST was estimated to be more than 500 000 by high-performance size-exclusion liquid chromatography. Electrophoretic analysis showed an abnormal band of AST between supernatant AST (sAST) and mitochondrial AST (mAST), which band was characteristic of AST-immunoglobulin complexes (AST-Ig). Ouchterlony double-diffusion and immunoprecipitation tests identified the immunoglobulin component as IgM. The presence of AST-Ig appeared to be responsible for the elevated serum AST.

Recurrence of Small Cell Lung Cancer after 7-Year Remission.

初回治療後約7年間の寛解の後再発した肺小細胞癌の一例を経験したので報告した.症例は73歳女性.昭和58年4月, 左S8の肺小細胞癌で入院, アクラシノマイシン, エンドキサン, ビンクリスチンによる化学療法と放射線療法にて寛解し, 以後約7年間にわたって再発なく経過していた.平成2年5月初旬より咳漱, 食思不振出現してきたため当院受診した.胸部X線写真で左中肺野に腫瘤陰影が認められ, 同部よりの経皮的吸引細胞診により肺小細胞癌の再発と診断した.エトポシド, アドリアマイシン, シスプラチンによる化学療法と放射線療法を施行し, 再び寛解した.現在も生存中で外来にて経過観察中である.

Patterns of recurrence in responders to combination chemotherapy of small cell lung cancer.

多剤併用癌化学療法により奏効が得られた肺小細胞癌 (n=22) の再燃様式につき検討した.臨床的に初めて再発を認めた部位は骨 (55%) および脳 (45%) が多く, 次に肺 (32%) であった.CR導入後, 放射線による強化療法 (RT) を行った症例には局所再発は少なく遠隔転移が多かったのに比べ, PR後にRTを行った症例では局所再発が多かった.化学療法のみの治療を行った10例中4例の死因は腫瘍の局所再発に起因する呼吸不全であったのに比べ, 化学療法にRTを併用した群にはそのような死亡は認められなかった.