Yukikazu Awaya

Alteration in length of telomeric repeats in lung cancer

We investigated the relationship between telomere length and various characteristics of tumor cells in 46 lung cancer specimens (40 primary lesions and six metastatic lesions). Three variant patterns of telomere length were observed in 16 cases (34.8%): reduction in 13 cases, elongation in two cases, and convergence in one case. These variant patterns were frequently observed in small cell carcinomas, in metastatic lesions, and in cases which possessed the S-type allele of the L-myc gene. All three cases with telomere elongation or convergence were associated with a poor prognosis. This is compatible with the previous report suggesting that telomerase activity may be an indicator of immortality in vitro. In adenocarcinoma, telomere reduction or elongation was also observed in the early stages with a low percentage of cells in the S-phase, while in cases with other histologic types, these changes were observed only in late stage, in metastatic lesions, or in cancerous tissues with a high percentage of cells in the S-phase. Although the reduction of telomere length in these tissues may be a result of many cell divisions, it may represent another stage of carcinogenesis in early-stage adenocarcinoma.

Telomere shortening in peripheral blood cells was related with aging but not with white blood cell count

SummaryTelomeres in somatic cells are progressively shortened with aging. We investigated the relationship between the telomere length and other factors which may affect the frequency of cell divisions, in peripheral blood cells. Shortening of telomeric repeats was correlated with aging (p<0.0001), but not with white blood cell count, neutrophil count, and smoking habit. Not only the number of cell divisions, but also some other factors, such as upregulation level of telomerase activity concomitant with the cell division in hematopoietic progenitor cells, might affect the length of telomeric repeats in blood cells.

KL-6 as an indicator for lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP) in a human T-lymphotrophic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) carrier

A 59-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital complaining of a productive cough, dyspnea on effort, and low-grade fever. Although chest X-rays showed no marked abnormalities, her level of serum KL-6 was extremely high. We therefore suspected the presence of interstitial pneumonia. High-resolution computed tomography (CT) scan revealed infiltrative shadows in S6 of the right lung, and her serum was positive for antihuman T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) antibodies. From the clinical symptoms, radiographic findings, and histological findings, the diagnosis was probable lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP). After high-dose corticosteroid therapy, the level of serum KL-6 decreased rapidly. We conclude that KL-6 is a convenient and reliable marker for evaluating the activity of pulmonary manifestations in HTLV-1 carriers and that it is especially useful in monitoring the effectiveness of treatments.

Duplication polymorphism within the third intron of the p53 gene is a rare event in Japanese population

Duplication polymorphism within the third intron of the p53 gene is a rare event in Japanese population

ANALYSES OF BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE FLUID (BALF) IN MRL-LPR/LPR MICE

We performed bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in MRL-lpr/lpr (MRL/l) and MRL- +/+ (MRL/n) mice and evaluated various cellular and humoral components of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) to clarify the pathogenic mechanism of pulmonary fibrosis in MRL/l mouse. The numbers of macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes, N-Acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (beta-NAG), and fibronectin increased in the BALF from MRL/l mice than that from MRL/n mice, but no significant differences were observed in total protein, beta-glucuronidase, acid phosphatase, or phospholipid level. Increased fibronectin level in the BALF from MRL/l mice may be related with pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis.