Takashi Itoga

Fine structural study of annulate lamellae complexes in human tumors.

Specific intracytoplasmic organelles, annulate lamellae and radial clsternae, have been studied In several human tumors. Annulate lamellae are observed In all cases of leiomyoma, leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and malignant melanoma, whereas radial clsternae are only found in a case of leiomyosarcoma. Annulate lamellae are characterized by stacks of parallel arrayed long clsternae showing alternative arrangement of annuli and sacs. Some of these clsternae are connected directly with rough‐surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and there is continuity with the lumen and membrane. Radial clsternae are mainly composed of two structures: numerous short clsternae, which are a variant of annulate lamellae, and numerous spherical particles derived from the clsternae. The clsternae are arranged parallel or radially around particles measuring up to 1100 A in diameter. These particles consisting of an amorphous high electron dense material without distinct limiting membrane are organized in groups and vary In number. There is no evidence of a direct relationship between these structures and viral infection.

GIANT LYMPH NODE HYPERPLASIA IN EXTRATHORACIC LYMPH NODES‐REPORT OF TWO CASES WITH A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Two cases of giant lymph node hyperplasia occurring in extrathoracic regions are reported, one on the right side of the supra‐and infraclavicular fossa, pectoral muscle and axilla, and the other in the right groin. In both cases enlarged masses were removed several times having arisen from slow growing preexisting smaller masses. The histological features of all masses were identical, although removed at different times during the course of the disease. Both cases were characterized by marked proliferation of lymphoid follicles and capillaries, and infiltration of plasma cells. Fibrous thickening and hyalinization of the capillaries varied somewhat in severity from one case to the other. It is thought that the histogenesis of the lesion is related to chronic inflammation rather than to a hamartoma.

Food Intake and Food Consumption Patterns of Hospital Workers in the Dominican Republic

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death according to official mortality statistics in the Dominican Republic. The purpose of this study was to assess food intake and food consumption patterns of Dominicans and to discuss CHD risks related to nutrient intake. The subjects were 22 men and 81 women voluntarily recruited among 230 hospital workers in Santo Domingo. The mean nutrient intake and food consumption were estimated from a single 24-hour recall method administered by trained persons who elicited each subject’s previous day’s intake from midnight to midnight. The mean energy intake was 2030 kcal. The mean intake of total protein, total fat and carbohydrates were 66.3g, 89.1 g and 248g, respectively. Percentage of energy from total fat was 39.5%, which was higher than WHO recommendations. But, the percentage of animal fat per total fat was 46.8%. Especially, the value in the low income group was 31.7%. Moreover, we analyzed the food consumption structure in order to understand the Dominican dietary pattern, and three factors were found to explain the characteristics on the basis of factor analysis.The low percentage of animal fat was due to the diets rich in vegetable oil. Our results suggested that it was difficult to assume that CHD risks increased as a result of the Dominican dietary pattern. This was consistent with our previous findings that the average serum cholesterol level of Dominicans was generally low.

Statistical observation of anemia on the patients with digestive diseases

There were 20 deaths after discharge f rom all causes, 14 of which had had concomitant malignant diseases at the time of initial operation. Therefore, there were only 6 deaths from other causes than cancer. Of the 6 deaths, 4 were not related to the calculous disease intheir cause of deaths to make a death rate after discharge from the calculous disease less than 1%, When the postoperative courses were studied in detail excluding the cases associated with malignancy, pain was the commonest complaint and the postoperative jaundice was noted only in 2. Of the 19 cases of intrahepatic calculi, 14 were free from symptoms, one was unchanged and none had died after discharge. Further questionnaires were sent to those patients with postoperative complaints to find out their physical activities in daily work. They were divided into three groups; one with normal activity, one with light work with occasional rest and one that can not conduct daily work because of their physical conditions. The latter two groups comprised 4.9% of all pat ients and included 4% of cholesterol stone patients, 8.1% of calcium bilirubinate stone cases and 3.8% of pure pigment stone cases. Of the 6 cases of the 3rd group, 4 cases or 1.9% of the total were found after careful laboratory examinations to need re-admission because of biliay tract calculous diseases. As mentioned above, the hospital death rate was low at 2.2%. Among the 260 cases who furnished answeres to the questionnaires, there were 6 deaths from other causes than cancer, the mortali ty rate f rom the calculous disese itself being less than 1%. There were no deaths of intrahepatic calculi patients af ter discharge, al though 5 patients had died during the initial hospital stay. From the stand point of the physical activity merely 4 cases or 1.5% of the 265 cases, were unable to work because of the physical handicaps. But, it should be remembered that there were a few working patients in spite of some postoperative symptoms, to whom our fur ther attention must be paid in the future.