Takaomi Mashiko

Analysis of the oligosaccharide chain of human serum immunoglobulin G in patients with localized or metastatic cancer

A quantitative imbalance between matrix metalloproteinases produced by cancer cells and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases produced by fibroblasts and other types of cells has been demonstrated to be a causative factor in invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. On the other hand, it is reported that sugar chains of adhesion molecules such as integrins and CD44 also influence the metastasis of cancer cells. Here, alterations of serum IgG oligosaccharide chain structure were investigated during tumor progression using the new method of fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis (FACE). The structure of serum IgG oligosaccharide chains from 22 cancer patients (11 localized cancer, 11 metastatic cancer) and 10 healthy controls was evaluated by FACE. It was clearly demonstrated that serum IgG oligosaccharide chains without galactose (agalactosyl IgG oligosaccharide) significantly increased with tumor progression of lung and gastric cancers. It is concluded that a marked increase of agalactosyl IgG oligosaccharide in these cancer patients is associated with carcinogenesis and metastasis. Therefore, the analysis of serum IgG oligosaccharide chain structure by FACE may be useful for evaluating diagnosis and prognosis in patients with these carcinomas.

The Effect of Anti-Platelet Aggregation to Prevent Pressure Ulcer Development: A Retrospective Study of 132 Elderly Patients

Background: As the number of bedridden elderly patients increases, prevention of pressure ulcers is becoming a more important issue. However, an approach to this problem using medication has not been considered sufficiently in the clinical context. Objective: To test the hypothesis that anti-platelet aggregation therapy administered to the elderly patients may be helpful in preventing pressure ulcer formation, the medical records of 132 bedridden elderly patients were analyzed. In addition, the propensity of platelets to aggregate was also measured in some of the bedridden patients. Methods: Patients were divided into two groups, with pressure ulcers (group P, 52 patients) and without (group N, 80 patients). Subsequently, six factors defining the clinical characteristics age and gender, underlying disease, cause of being bedridden, level of consciousness, mobility and activity as defined on the Braden scale, and frequency of anti-platelet aggregation medication were investigated in groups P and N. In addition, physical findings (three factors): body mass index, blood pressure (BP), and heart rate were investigated in both groups. Furthermore, laboratory data (seven factors): total protein (TP), albumin, total cholesterol, hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), platelets, and platelet aggregation were compared between two groups. Results: There were no significant differences in clinical characteristics between the two groups with the exception of the frequency of anti-platelet aggregation medication (23.1% of group P vs. 40.0% of group N, χ2 = 4.06, p < 0.05). There was also no significant difference in physical findings except a difference between systolic and diastolic BP (48.4 mm Hg in group P vs. 57.1 mm Hg in group N, p < 0.01). Values of TP, albumin, Hb, and Hct in both groups were lower than the normal range, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. The platelet count was significantly greater in group P than in group N after lying supine (p < 0.03), and platelet aggregation in group P was significantly higher compared with group N (p < 0.03). Conclusions: Although our hypothesis must be tested by a randomized prospective trial, these results indicate that increased platelet aggregation is possibly associated with the development of pressure ulcers; therefore anti-platelet aggregation therapy may prevent their occurrence in bedridden elderly patients.

Examination of Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte-Mediated Apoptosis Pathway in Peptic Ulcer Formation with or without H. pylori Infection

Perforin/granzyme and Fas/Fas ligand (Fas L) pathways are two known major pathways of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated apoptosis. We clinically studied whether CTL-mediated apoptosis associated with peptic ulcer formation may occur via either or both of these two pathways. In all mucosal biopsy specimens obtained from the peptic ulcer marginal zone endoscopically with or without Helicobacter pylori infection, perforin/granzyme B and caspase 3 were expressed consistently, but FasL was not. Apoptotic changes of target cells by perforin/granzyme B were then observed via immunohistochemistry. These results suggested that the main pathway of CTL-mediated apoptosis in peptic ulcer formation was the perforin/granzyme pathway.

News from the IAG

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the International Association of Gerontology. To celebrate this watershed occasion, the IAG Executive, Regional Chairs and Presidents of member associations will have the opportunity to meet in December and consider future strategic directions for the association and contribute to a United Nations’ project, ‘Research Agenda on Ageing for the 21st Century’ (RAA-21). Invitations to the meeting have been distributed. The Salsomaggiore Therme has generously offered to provide full accommodation and board for delegates for the 3 days of the IAG meeting and travel grant assistance is being provided by the Novartis Foundation for Gerontology for presidents whose travel cannot be funded by their associations. A full day will be devoted to discussion of future strategic directions for the IAG. The next half day will be a joint consultation when the IAG representatives and a panel of experts with an ongoing involvement in developing the Research Agenda will convene. Participants will also include the Officer in Charge, Dr. Alexandre Sidorenko, and others from the UN Office on Ageing. The UN and Expert Panel will continue their deliberations for a further 2 days in order to draft the final Research Agenda. The United Nations Research Agenda project is supported by the Novartis Foundation for Gerontology and is convened by the IAG in support of the UN Programme on Ageing. The Second Congress Planning Committee Meeting for the 2001 Vancouver Congress convened by Dr. Gloria Gutman, President-Elect of IAG, will precede the gathering of presidents and regional chairs. Hence the 50th anniversary of the IAG will represent an occasion when it will be possible to build upon the proud history of the association and vigorously pursue the further development and achievements of national and global gerontological activities into the opening years of the new century. An agenda will be set for the meeting in Salsomaggiore, Italy, that we are confident will engender vigorous and positive consideration and debate about the IAG’s future directions and will set goals and objectives to guide the organization through the coming years.