Minoru Hoshino

Effect of Human Fibroblast Interferon on Normal Human Monocyte Activation Induced by a Factor Found in Sarcoidosis Sera

Effect of human fibroblast interferon (IFN‐β) on normal human monocyte activation induced by the monocyte activating factor found in sarcoidosis sera was studied. Spreading was used as one indicator of monocyte activation. IFN‐β was shown to inhibit spreading of normal human monocytes induced by the activating factor. The inhibitory activity of IFN‐β against monocyte spreading was adsorbed with monoclonal antibody to human IFN‐β‐Sepharose beads. Increases in phagocytosis and glucose consumption of normal human monocytes induced by the activating factor was also inhibited by IFN‐β. Recombinant IFN‐β also showed similar inhibitions.

Monocyte‐modulating Activities in the Sera of Patients with Granuloma Annulare

Studies were performed to determine whether the sera of the patients with granuloma annulare had monocyte modulating activities. As indicators of monocyte modulation, spreading and aggregation were used. As a control, similar experiments were performed on pooled normal human sera. Normal human monocytes were incubated with either test sera or control sera. The percentage of spread cells was estimated at 6 hr of incubation and that of aggregated cells was estimated at 24 hr of incubation. The percentage of spread cells and aggregated cells in the monocytes incubated with granuloma annulare sera was higher than that of the cells incubated with pooled normal human sera. Thus, granuloma annulare sera may have a greater ability to induce monocytes to spread and aggregate than do normal human sera.

Burn scar squamous cell carcinoma presenting enormous tumors.

A 46-year-old male case of burn scar squamous cell carcinoma is reported. He got burnt in the scalp, when he was one year old. He developed a large tumor (25×17cm in size) on the burn scar. Histological examination revealed that the tumor consisted of irregularly proliferating malignant cells showing keratinization. The histological findings were consistent with squamous cell carcinoma.For the last 15 years (1978-1993), 59 patients with squamous cell carcinoma have visited our hospital. In 6 patients the tumor arised on the burn scar. We review these cases comparing the literature in Japan.