Loss of nuclear ribonucleoprotein antigens in human skin cancers. A preliminary report

Affinity-purified autoantibodies against nuclear ribonucleoprotein (nRNP) antigens were applied to fresh-frozen sections of benign tumors, carcinomas in situ, and carcinomas of the human skin. Using indirect immunofluorescence, the benign lesions showed speckled nuclear staining as seen in the normal epidermis. Invasive tumors such as basal cell epitheliomas and squamous cell carcinomas, in contrast, lacked immunoreactivity for nRNP antigens. Recently, ribonucleoprotein complexes defined by nRNP antigens have been postulated to be involved in the excision of intervening sequences of premessenger ribonucleic acids (RNAs). Our findings provide useful information for the understanding of the pathophysiology of human skin cancers.

[Radioactive nuclides in the marine environment--distribution and behaviour of 95Zr, 95Nb originated from fallout]

To investigate behaviour of 95Zr, 95Nb in the marine environment, various samples have been collected and measured by means of Ge(Li) gamma-ray spectrometry and/or radiochemical analysis during a period from 1974 to 1982 at coastal area of Tokai-mura, Ibaraki prefecture. Concentration of the nuclides in seaweeds increased remarkably after atmospheric nuclear detonation by P.R. of China, and the activity ratio between the nuclides changed by time was not fit well by the transient decay equation. Concentration variation in sea water was smaller than that in sea weeds, and the minimum change in sea sediment. Increase of concentration in these environmental samples was observed in chronological order of sea water, sea weeds then sediment after detonations, suggesting that the uptake of the nuclides by these sea weeds from sea water is faster than that via root. Observed concentration factors on the nuclides by sea weeds were calculated from the observed concentrations in sea water and sea weeds. Maximum values on 95Zr and 95Nb were 2110, 2150, respectively for Ecklonia cava and Eisenia bicyclis.

ABA-specific helper T cells in A/J mice bear the major cross-reactive idiotype

Attempts were made to induce azobenzenearsonate (ABA)-specific helper cell responses in A/J mice. These were measured by an increase in TNP plaque-forming cells following administration of the double hapten conjugate ABA-bovine serum albumin-TNP. Immunization with ABA coupled homologous immunoglobulin or spleen cells produced ABA-specific help only when the same carrier was used to boost. Hapten-specific help was achieved by two injections of ABA-N-acetyltyrosine in complete Freund's adjuvant 5 weeks apart. This help was passively transferable by T cells as shown by its elimination with anti-Thy 1.2 serum and complement treatment. The presence of the major ABA cross-reactive idiotype (CRI) on these T helper cells could be similarly shown by the elimination of help when the cells were treated with rabbit anti-CRI antibody and complement prior to passive transfer. The same treatment did not effect ABA-specific helper activity of CBA/J mice.

[Report on 15 cases of multiple primary cancers in our department]

Of 512 gynecological malignant cases treated in our department, 22 were suspected of multiple primary cancer; 15 were confirmed by clinical and pathological findings, representing an incidence of 2.9% (15/512) of all malignant cases. The most frequent sites of other cancers in patients with cervical cancer were intestinal (5/15), mammary (3/15) and urinary (2/15). Nine (60%) of 15 multiple primary cancers were noted within 12 months. Two rare combinations are also reported. There was a patient with Grawitz's tumor (kidney) and epidermoid cancer (uterine cervix) and one with leiomyosarcoma (uterine corpus) and epidermoid cancer (uterine cervix).

Hapten-specific T cell response to azobenzene-arsonate-N-acetyl-L-tyrosine (ABA-tyr) in Lewis rats. II. Induction and suppression of ABA-specific helper cell activity for antibody production

Immunization of Lewis rats with azobenzenearsonate-N-acetyl-L-tyrosine (ABA-tyr) in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), produces a hapten-specific helper T cell response measured by an increase in plaque forming cells (PFC) against a different hapten. The response seen is primarily direct (IgM) PFC unless B cells are primed by injection of trinitrophenylated keyhole limpet hemocyanin (TNP-KLH) prior to immunization with ABA-tyr. The response requires both ABA and TNP to be on the same carrier molecule which can be as diverse as bovine serum albumin (BSA), poly L-glutamine-lysine-tyrosine (L-GLT); however, a D-amino acid polypeptide does not work. The in vitro demonstration of such help was successful only with peritoneal exudate lymphocytes, not spleen or lymph node cells. Repeated pretreatment of rats by intraperitoneal injection of ABA-tyr in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) induced an unresponsiveness for helper activity to subsequent immunization with the same antigen in CFA. Passive transfer of lymphoid cells from spleens and lymph nodes from rats pretreated with ABA-tyr in IFA followed by boosting with ABA-tyr in CFA induced unresponsiveness to subsequent induction of hapten-specific help.

The increase of the electrophoretic mobility of platelets after laparotomy

A fully automatic instrument for the determination of electrophoretic mobility of colloidal particles was applied to human platelets. A significant increase in platelet electrophoretic mobility was observed one day after a laparotomy. This suggests that a selective consumption of platelets with smaller surface negative charge may occur during postoperative hemostatic plug formation or under surgical stress. In addition, the difference in electrophoretic mobility observed between males and females suggests an effect of estrogen on platelets.

Changes in platelet aggregability after ovariectomy

Changes in platelets in 48 patients with uterine myoma before and after hysterectomy with and without ovariectomy were examined. Bilateral ovariectomy in 25 cases (ovariectomized group) and unilateral or non-ovariectomy in 23 cases (control group) were performed at the hysterectomy. Platelet count and an appearance rate of secondary aggregation decreased at one day after and increased at one week after the operation, similarly in both the ovariectomized and the control group. The appearance rate of secondary aggregation was reflected in an intensity of aggregation at 5 min after the addition of reagent to PRP. At one month after the operation, the appearance rate of secondary aggregation induced by 3 microM ADP showed a statistically significant decrease in comparison with the preoperation value (P less than 0.05) and the enhancement of 5-min aggregation was still observed in the control group, while ceased in the ovariectomized group. The difference between the two groups was significant (P less than 0.05). There was almost no change in the speed and intensity of primary and secondary aggregation during the observation period. No significant differences in collagen-induced aggregation were noted between the two groups. The results suggest that ovarian hormones, mainly estrogen, facilitate platelet activation which is mediated by the so-called secondary aggregation.

Decrease in Platelet Adenine Nucleotides Content In Patients With Dic, Thrombosis and After Operation

Conditions which induce platelet release reaction in vivo are not yet obvious. To detect the conditions, platelet ATP and ADP content (firefly luciferase method) and plasma beta-thromboglobulin level were measured in 51 healthy young volunteers, 10 patients with typical DIC syndrome during time course of cancer, 27 patients in acute stage of thrombosis in cerebral, coronary and femoral arteries, 29 patients in recovery stage of thrombosis and 69 patients one day before, and one day, one week and one month after a laparotomy. Platelet count and volume were counted by a Coulter Counter and Channelyzer. Platelet aggregation induced by ADP, adrenaline and collagen was also measured. In the healthy, platelet mode volume was 4.21 ± 0.08 μ3 (mean ± SE). beta-TG was 29.9 ± 5.9 ng/ml, and ATP and ADP contents were 5.81 ± 0.17 and 3.19 ± 0.09 μmoles/1011 platelets and ATP/ADP was 1.82 ± 0.05. In DIC, acute stage of thrombosis and one week after laparotomy, platelet volume became to smaller and ADP content decreased significantly. Changes in beta-TG level were rather variable. Platelet aggregation increased in thrombosis and postoperative state, while it decreased in DIC. In DIC, decrease in ATP and ADP content was marked as compared with other groups. It suggests that ADP content In platelets may reflect release reaction in vivo. Following the release reaction, platelet aggregability may increase. However, platelets with large decrease in adenine nucleotides content may have hypofunction.

Antigenic determinants of hen egg-white lysozyme in delayed hypersensitivity. II. Antigenicity and immunogenicity of the N- and C-terminal peptide

Various small fragments of (see article) which is one of the immunodominant groups of hen egg-white lysozyme (HL), were tested for macrophage migration inhibition (MMI) of peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) from guinea pigs immunized with HL. P17 was split in the middle with cyanogen bromide. The terminal portion of (see article) showed positive MMI, whereas the non-terminal half of P17, P17i (sequence 13-27) only showed very weak MMI activity. A fragment derived from the middle portion of P17, P17m (sequence 11-22), was inactive. When P17 were reduced and alkylated, one of the resultant peptides, P17N (sequence 1-[CM-Cys-6]-27) still has MMI activity with PEC taken from guinea pigs immunized with HL, although no antibody reacting with it was detected, but P17C (sequence 123-[CM-Cys-127]-129) was inactive. The peptides P17 and P17N were both immunogenic in guinea pigs in respect to the delayed hypersensitivity response. Again P17t and P17N were immunodominant groups, but the reactivity of P17i in MMI assay of this group of animals was greater than that in guinea pigs immunized with HL. The reactivities of HL with PEC taken from guinea pigs immunized with P17 or P17N were generally weaker than those of the antigens used for immunization.

Antigenic determinants of hen egg-white lysozyme in delayed hypersensitivity. I. Macrophage migration inhibition activities of lysozyme fragments

Five kinds of fragments of hen egg-white lysozyme (HL) were tested by macrophage migration inhibition (MMI) assay using peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) of guinea pigs immunized with HL in complete Freund's adjuvant. (See article). These four kinds of HL fragments were also shown to be composed of the immunodominant groups of the HL molecule for circulating antibody against HL in guinea pigs. The relationships between the antigenic sites related to circulating antibody and the cellular recognition sites are discussed.

The size of the corpus luteum during pseudopregnancy and pregnancy in the rat

The corpus luteum in mature Sprague Dawley rats was weighted at the various stages of pseudopregnancy and pregancy. The average size of these corpora lutea was 1.0 +/- 0.10 mg, 1.61 +/- 0.69 mg, 1.90 +/- 0.25 mg, 3.69 +/- 0.36 mg, and 4.37 +/- 0.50 mg on day 2 of diestrus, on days 10-15 of psuedopregnancy, on days 9-10, 14, and 20 of pregnancy, respectively. The fact that the average size of the corpus luteum on days 10-15 of pseudopregnancy was larger than that on day 2 of diestrus is thought to drive from prolonged exposure of the corpus luteum to prolactin. The average size of the corpus luteum on days 9-10 of pregnancy had a tendency to be larger than that on days 10-15 of pseudopregnancy and this seems to demonstrate that the placenta secreted placental lactogen by this stage of pregnancy. The average size of the corpus luteum on day 14 of pregnancy was larger than that on days 9-10 of pregnancy. This phenomenon might be attributed to the presence of large amounts of placental lactogen secreted from the placenta between days 10 and 14 of pregnancy. Furthermore, it was noted that the size of the corpus luteum on day 20 of pregnancy was larger than that of day 14, which suggests that further secretion of placental lactogen continued after day 14 of pregnancy. As there was a remarkable decrease in the number of fetuses on day 20 of pregnancy when overiectomy was performed on day 14 of pregnancy, the ovary was considered indispensable in maintaining pregnancy in the rat.