Adult T-cell leukemia observed at Niigata University Hospital

Eight patients with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) were observed at Niigata University Hospital during the last seven years. They had typical hematological findings of ATL. All patients tested possessed both natural antibody against ATL-associated antigens (ATLA) in the serum and ATLA in peripheral mononuclear cells. These findings agree with the results of virological analysis in patients with ATL in other areas of Japan and human T-cell leukemia (HTL) in the U.S.A. Six out of the eight patients were native residents of Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture. They showed somewhat different clinical features from patients in other endemic areas and a variety of skin lesions. It was noticeable that the skin lesion regressed spontaneously in two patients. In view of the fact that the total population of this island is about 80,000, the incidence of ATL is thought to be high. Immunological studies were performed in our patients and the immunological background of ATL is discussed.

[Clinical studies on long acting amoxicillin in the field of urology]

Long acting amoxicillin (L-AMPC) was studied in the treatment of 40 patients with urinary tract infections. The dosage administered was 1,000 mg/day (b.i.d.) consecutively for 3 days in acute simple UTI and 5 days in chronic complicated UTI. Clinical efficacy was assessed according to the criteria established by the UTI Committee in Japan. Accordingly the response to therapy in 27 patients with acute simple cystitis was excellent in 17, moderate in 8 and poor in 2 cases and for chronic complicated UTI was excellent in 2, moderate in 3 and poor in 6 cases. Thus the overall clinical efficacy ratios for acute simple cystitis and chronic complicated UTI were 93% and 45% respectively. The bacteriological elimination ratios were 25 out of 27 of the causative organisms (93%) for acute simple cystitis and 6 out of 11 for chronic complicated UTI (55%). No side effects of significance were observed. The results obtained demonstrated the usefulness of the b.i.d. administration of L-AMPC and were considered, in the light of previous experience to be similar to those obtained with conventional amoxicillin dosage schedules.

[Studies of the concentration of cefoxitin in oro-maxillary tissues and serum (author's transl)]

We studied cefoxitin (CFX) concentration of oro-maxillary tissues in rats and in 18 patients by means of bioassay method. In rats, the highest peak concentrations were observed in the gingiva and buccal mucosa followed by the tongue, submaxillary gland, lower jaw bone and the masseter muscle in the order listed. In patients, the highest peak concentrations were observed in the maxillary sinus mucosa and peak concentrations in oro-maxillary tissues were from 1/5 to 2/3 of the corresponding serum concentrations. Further study is needed to elucidate the reason for the high peak CFX concentration in the maxillary sinus mucosa and the apparent delayed peak concentration in the salivary gland.

An electron microscopic study on the extraocular muscles of a lamprey, Lampetra japonica

This paper reports an EM study on the observations of the extraocular muscles of the lamprey, Lampetra japonica. Individual muscles consisted of numerous subunits, each being surrounded by a common external lamina and containing two, S- and F-types, of muscle fibers. A subunit contained an average of 8.25 muscle fibers consisting of 5.58 S-type fibers and 2.67 F-type fibers. In a rectus anterior muscle, the total number of the S-type fiber was 852, the average cross-sectional area being 144 micrometer 2. The total number of the F-type fiber was 397, the average cross-sectional area being 300 micrometer 2. The S-type fiber was characterized by the arrangement of myofibrils as a single layer in the cortical sarcoplasm as well as by the development of peripheral couplings. The F-type fiber was characterized by the presence of central myofibrils in the juxtanuclear sarcoplasm in addition to peripheral myofibrils and by the development of the T-system and triads at the level of the Z line. M lines appeared distinct in the F-type fibers and less distinct in the S-type fibers. Muscle fibers within individual subunits were separated from each other by a space about 20 nm, but no membrane specializations such as gap junction or desmosome have been determined to exist between adjacent muscle fibers.

[Studies on the appropriate frequency of the cervical cancer screening (author's transl)]

A total of 73,897 cases of women above 30 years old were screened for their cervical cancer by Pap smear in Niigata prefecture in 1978 and 1979. From them 37 cases of invasive cancer (0.05%) including a case of endometrial adenocarcinoma, stage II, 30 cases of carcinoma in situ (0.04%), and 52 cases of dysplasia (0.07%) were detected. From the correlation between the check up frequency of these patients and the cervical malignancy detected, the following were pointed out: 1) No invasive cancer but carcinoma in situ were detected from those patients who were cytoscreened by successive annual visits. 2) Stage Ia but not more advanced cervical cancer were detected from those patients who were screened at 2 years interval. 3) Stage Ib or farther advanced cervical cancer were detected from those patients who visited at 3 years or more years interval just like from those patients who visited for the first time. To detect cervical cancer in its preinvasive stage, annual Pap smear of adult women over 30 years old should be continued.

Paired optical-fiber switch for optical data-bus systems

A new type of optical switch, which is suitable for application to data paths with a loop bus-line configuration, is described. The switching action is obtained by moving a fiber directly. The insertion loss in the bypass mode is as low as 0.82 dB. Results of temperature, durability, and vibration tests are also described.

UV survival of human mycoplasmas: evidence of dark reactivation in Mycoplasma buccale

The inactivation by ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation of mycoplasma cells of five human strains was monitored by investigating the colony-forming ability. The survival curves of five strains tested indicated that the cells of Mycoplasma buccale only are single and homogenously susceptible to UV light. The effect of the repair inhibitor, caffeine, on the colony-forming ability of UV-irradiated cells was investigated with M. buccale because of its homogenous susceptibility to UV light. The colony formation of irradiated cells was markedly depressed by post-irradiation treatment with caffeine at concentrations that had little or no effect on the colony formation of unirradiated cells. The colony-forming units (CFU) of UV-irradiated cells which were kept in broth without caffeine in the dark increased without a lag as the time in the dark increased. The colony-forming ability of the irradiated cells completely recovered after 3 hr in the dark. However, when irradiated cells were kept in the presence of caffeine, no increase in their CFU was observed. The mode of action of caffeine on UV-irradiated cells closely resembles that described for other organisms which possess dark reactivation systems for UV-induced damage in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Thus, the results obtained provide evidence for the existence of a dark repair function in M. buccale.

Soft x-ray imaging with toroidal mirrors

The fabrication of small toroidal mirrors in tandem for x-ray imaging is discussed. First, a male mandrel is made by grinding and polishing a molybdenum rod. Then. a glass replica is cast and lightly polished. The method of polishing the male mandrel is described. A photograph of a copper mesh taken with a 8.3-A x ray is shown.

Detection of IgE insulin antibody with radioallergosorbent test

An in vitro method for detecting IgE insulin antibody using the principle of the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) is described. In six patients with insulin allergy, the RAST values were higher than in normal persons or insulin-treated diabetics without insulin-allergy. No differences were observed between normal persons and insulin-treated diabetics without insulin-allergy. Moreover, it was observed that in one patient treated with highly-purified insulin, there was a gradual decrease of RAST value parallel to the radioinsulin binding activity and clinical allergic symptoms. The RAST value of insulin is slightly inhibited by non-IgE antibodies and is, therefore, a semiquantitative value. However, the RAST is simple to perform and reproducible; It therefore is very useful in the detection of IgE insulin antibodies.

Molecular weight estimation of bovine brain mitochondrial monoamine oxidase

The molecular size of bovine brain mitochondrial monoamine oxidase (MAO) was investigated Mitochondria were solubilized with an anionic detergent. Emarl 20C, and fractionated by ammonium sulfate. Ammonium sulfate-fractionated MAO was subjected to detergent-containing gel chromatography and detergent-containing gel electrophoresis. MAO activity appeared as single symmetrical peak in gel chromatography in the presence of 1% Emarl 20C, and the molecular weight was estimated to be 44,000. Polymerization of MAO was observed when gel chromatography was performed in lower (0.1%, 0%) concentrations of Emarl 20C. Activity staining of MAO after electrophoresis on a gel containing 0.1% Emar 20C was successful. The molecular weight of MAO estimated from the mobility of this stained band was 89,000. It is suggested that the molecular weight of MAO is 44,000 and that it recombines in low concentrations of the detergent to form complex particles with molecular weights of 89,000 or more.

Untreated ocular hypertension. A long-term prospective study

A prospective study was designed to determine the course of ocular hypertension without visual field loss if untreated and to estimate the value of various clinical findings in prediction the course of ocular hypertension. Seventy-five patients with intraocular pressure greater than 21 mm Hg but without demonstrable visual field defects were followed up without glaucoma therapy for a minimum of nine years. While under observation, seven of 75 ocular hypertensives developed typical glaucomatous visual field defects. Both the sensitivity and the specificity of each clinical finding in the individuals who later developed visual field defects were determined, and none of the clinical findings was found to be a good predictive indicator.

Common bile duct obstruction by hepatoma

Two cases of hepatoma are presented in which the clinical manifestations of biliary obstruction resulted from growth of hepatoma into the extrahepatic bile duct. Recognition of such a manifestation of the hepatoma may allow for surgical extirpation of the tumor combined with radiation therapy, which may result in long survival.

Relation of food consumption to cancer mortality in Japan, with special reference to international figures

The present study was designed to examine the epidemiological association of food consumption with cancer mortality in Japan, if any, in comparison with similar examinations in developed countries including Japan, in a search for dietary factors in cancer etiology. Whereas food consumption patterns in Japan was believed to be specific among developed countries, this study revealed that the correlation matrix among major foods both for international and Japanese data made it possible to categorize these foods into two groups with some similar patterns, since there should be observed a positive or negative correlation for each pair of foods. The patterns for correlation of food consumption to cancer mortality in Japan were found to be considerably different from those in developed countries, and this suggested that the epidemiological association between the two in Japan, if any, could be specifically evaluated from that in develop countries. The urban-type region for food consumption in Japan, however, indicated a possible westernization for the relation of food consumption to cancer mortality as well as for food consumption patterns, whereas the traditional Japanese region for food consumption did not indicate any similarity with westernization for the relationship between food consumption and cancer mortality, as well as for food consumption patterns. The above findings also suggested that there might be a possible significance for the regionalization of Japan in such studies, and that the urbanization of food consumption patterns in Japan would show that this country has a similar pattern of association between food consumption and cancer mortality as observed among developed countries in Europe and/or North America.

A case of secondary aldosteronism induced by pheochromocytoma

A case of secondary aldosteronism caused by a pheochromocytoma containing a large amount of norepinephrine is described. The increased level of angiotensin induced by norepinephrine seems to play an important role in the development of secondary aldosteronism.