Evaluation of large airway specimens obtained by transbronchial lung cryobiopsy in diffuse parenchymal lung diseases

Background

The difference in diagnostic yield between surgical lung biopsy and transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) in diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLD) has been reported to be due to differences in the rate of interpathologist agreement, specimen size, and specimen adequacy. In TBLC, the specimens containing large airway components are generally believed as inadequate specimens for histological evaluation, but the detailed characteristics of TBLC specimens including the large airway and the impact on histological diagnostic rates of DPLD have not been investigated.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the specimen characteristics of patients with DPLD who underwent TBLC.

Results

Between February 2018 and January 2020, 74 patients and 177 specimens were included. There were 85 (48.0%) large airway specimens (LAS) that contained bronchial gland or bronchial cartilage. The ideal specimen ratio was significantly lower in the LAS-positive group than that in the LAS-negative group (5.8% vs. 45.6%), and the proportion of bronchioles, alveoli, and perilobular area were similarly lower in the LAS-positive group. The presence of traction bronchiectasis and diaphragm overlap sign on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) were also significantly higher in the LAS-positive group than those in the LAS-negative group. We observed a statistically significant trend in histological diagnostic yield (40.7% in LAS positive group; 60.8% in LAS positive and negative group; 91.6% in LAS negative group) (Cochran-Armitage trend test).

Conclusion

LAS is a specimen often collected in TBLC and contains a low percentage of bronchioles, alveoli, and perilobular area. Since the histological diagnostic yield tends to be higher in cases that do not contain LAS, it may be important to determine the biopsy site that reduces the frequency of LAS collection by referring to the HRCT findings in TBLC.

Nocarimidazoles C and D, antimicrobial alkanoylimidazoles from a coral-derived actinomycete Kocuria sp.: application of 1 J C,H coupling constants for the unequivocal determination of substituted imidazoles and stereochemical diversity of anteisoalkyl chains in microbial metabolites

Chemical investigation of secondary metabolites from a marine-derived actinomycete strain of the genus Kocuria, isolated from a stony coral Mycedium sp., led to the identification of two new alkanoylimidazoles, nocarimidazoles C (1) and D (2) as well as three known congeners, nocarimidazoles A (3) and B (4) and bulbimidazole A (5). Structure analysis of 1 and 2 by NMR and MS revealed that both are 4-alkanoyl-5-aminoimidazoles with a 6-methyloctanoyl or decanoyl chain, respectively. Two possible positions of the amino group on the imidazole rings (C-2 and C-5) posed a challenge in the structure study, which was settled by the measurement of ¹J_C,H coupling constants for comparison with those of synthetically prepared model imidazoles. The absolute configurations of the anteisoalkanoyl group present in 1, 4, and 5 were determined by low-temperature HPLC analysis of the degradation products labeled with a chiral anthracene reagent, which revealed that 1 is a mixture of the R- and S-enantiomers with a ratio of 73:27, 4 is the pure (S)-enantiomer, and 5 is the (S)-enantiomer with 98% ee. The present study illustrates the diversity in the stereochemistry of anteiso branching in bacterial metabolites. Compounds 1−4 were moderately antimicrobial against Gram-positive bacteria and fungi, with MIC ranges of 6.25–25 μg/mL.

Bulbimidazoles A-C, Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Alkanoyl Imidazoles from a Marine Gammaproteobacterium Microbulbifer Species

Three new alkanoyl imidazoles, designated bulbimidazoles A-C (1-3), were found from the culture extract of the gammaproteobacterium Microbulbifer sp. DC3-6 isolated from a stony coral of the genus Tubastraea. The absolute configuration of the anteiso-methyl substitution in 1 was established to be a mixture of (R)- and (S)-configurations in a ratio of 9:91 by applying the Ohrui-Akasaka method. Compounds 1-3 displayed unique broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria and fungi with MICs ranging from 0.78 to 12.5 μg/mL. They also exhibited cytotoxicity toward P388 murine leukemia cells with IC₅₀ in the micromolar range.

Autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis developed during immunosuppressive treatment in polymyositis with interstitial lung disease: a case report

Background

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is characterized by the accumulation of surfactant proteins within the alveolar spaces. Autoimmune PAP (APAP) caused by elevated levels of GM-CSF autoantibodies (GM-Ab) is very rarely associated with systemic autoimmune disease. Here we report a case of APAP manifested during immunosuppressive treatment for polymyositis with interstitial lung disease.

Case presentation

A 52-year-old woman treated at our hospital because of polymyositis with interstitial pneumonia had maintained remission by immunosuppressive treatment for 15 years. She had progressive dyspnea subsequently over several months with her chest CT showing ground-glass opacities (GGO) in bilateral geographic distribution. Her bronchoalveolar lavage fluid with cloudy appearance revealed medium-sized foamy macrophages and PAS-positive amorphous eosinophilic materials by cytological examination. We diagnosed her as APAP due to an increased serum GM-CSF autoantibody level. Attenuating immunosuppression failed to lead GGO improvement, but whole lung lavage (WLL) was effective in her condition.

Conclusions

PAP should be considered as one of the differential diseases when the newly interstitial shadow was observed during immunosuppressive treatment. WLL should be regarded as the treatment option for APAP concurred in connective tissue disease (CTD).

Fluorometric Determination of Total and Bound Sulfite in Wine by N-(9-Acridinyl)maleimide

N-(9-Acridinyl)maleimide (NAM) reacts with sulfite in wine and gives strong fluorescent derivatives that lead to highly sensitive fluorometry of both total and bound sulfite in wine. Values of free and bound sulfite in wine determined by the NAM method and the modified Rankine method agreed. Sulfite was determined in <200 μL wine within 2 h.

Selective extraction of Pd(ii) by p-tert-butylcalix[4]arenedicarboxylic acid

p-tert-Butylcalix[4]arenedicarboxylic acid, in which two distal hydroxy groups of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene are replaced with carboxy groups, shows extraction selectivity toward Pd²⁺ ions by the formation of a 2 : 2 (M/L) complex.

Synthesis of the Four Stereoisomers of 2,6-Dimethyloctane-1,8-dioic Acid, a Component of the Copulation Release Pheromone of the Cowpea Weevil,Callosobruchus maculatus

A diastereomeric mixture and the four stereoisomers of 2,6-dimethyloctane-1,8-dioic acid (2), a copulation release pheromone of the cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus, were synthesized. The stereoisomeric purities of the four synthetic isomers of 2 were determined by the HPLC analyses of their bis-2-(2,3-anthracenedicarboximide)-1-cyclohexyl esters.

Development of Highly PotentD-Glucosamine-Based Chiral Fluorescent Labeling Reagents and a Microwave-Assisted β-Selective Glycosidation of a Methyl Glycoside Reagent

We synthesized new chiral fluorescence labeling reagents having a 2,3-anthracenedicarboximide group from D-glucosamine, and it was possible to introduce target alcohols at the anomeric positions of the reagents with beta-selectivity by glycosidations. Especially, it was possible to use methyl glycoside reagent as a glycosyl donor with a Lewis acid and microwave irradiation, and it gave selectively beta-glycoside while the reaction without microwave irradiation gave alpha- and beta-mixed glycosides. Those reagents showed very high chiral discrimination ability, and they made it possible to separate the eight stereoisomers of 4,8,12,16-tetramethylheptadecanol by HPLC after derivatizations.

Crystalline Structure ofN-(S)-2-Heptyl (1R,2R)-2-(2,3-Anthracenedicarboximido)cyclohexanecarboxamide That Differs from Its Preferred Conformation in the Solvent Used for Crystallization

The crystalline structure of N-(S)-2-heptyl (1R,2R)-2-(2,3-anthracenedicarboximido)cyclohexamide (1), which was crystallized from methanol, was determined by an X-ray analysis and had a different conformation from its preferred one in CD3OD by a 1H-NMR analysis. Inter- and intra-molecular CH-pi interaction in a crystal plays a very important role in crystal packing. The preferred conformation of the amide derivative in a solution allows us to exploit (1R,2R)-2-(2,3-anthracenedicarboximido)cyclohexanecarbonyl chloride as a conversion reagent to determine the absolute configuration of chiral amines by 1H-NMR.

Effect of Ascorbic Acid on the Chemiluminescence of Polyphenols

The chemiluminescence of gallic acid by hydrogen peroxide had completely inhibited by the presence of ascorbate. After ascorbate had disappeared by oxidation, chemiluminescence returned. The concentration of gallic acid was virtually unchanged by presence of ascorbate, but started to decrease after the disappearance of ascorbate. This might be attributable to the rapid reduction of quinone, which was the first product of the chemiluminescence reactions, to gallic acid by ascorbate or the donation of proton to the phenoxy radical from ascorbate to stop the chemiluminescence reaction at the first stage. The effects of ascorbate on the chemiluminescence of other polyphenols depended on their oxidation rate.

Chiral Discrimination of Branched-chain Fatty Acids by Reversed-phase HPLC after Labeling with a Chiral Fluorescent Conversion Reagent

Anteiso fatty acids having 16 to 29 carbon atoms were labeled with the chiral fluorescent conversion reagents, (1R,2R)- and (1S,2S)-2-(2,3-anthracenedicarboximido)cyclohexanol. The diastereomeric esters of anteiso acids having up to 20 carbon atoms were separated into two peaks in an ODS column under low column-temperature conditions, while those having more than 21 carbon atoms were not separated. A C30 column made it possible to separate diastereomeric esters up to C29 anteiso acid. It was possible to predict the absolute configuration of each acid by the elution order of the derivatives.

Anatomical localization and stereoisomeric composition of Tribolium castaneum aggregation pheromones

We report that the abdominal epidermis and associated tissues are the predominant sources of male-produced pheromones in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum and, for the first time, describe the stereoisomeric composition of the natural blend of isomers of the aggregation pheromone 4,8-dimethyldecanal (DMD) in this important pest species. Quantitative analyses via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that the average amount of DMD released daily by single feeding males of T. castaneum was 878 ± 72 ng (SE). Analysis of different body parts identified the abdominal epidermis as the major source of aggregation pheromone; the thorax was a minor source, while no DMD was detectable in the head. No internal organs or obvious male-specific glands were associated with pheromone deposition. Complete separation of all four stereoisomers of DMD was achieved following oxidation to the corresponding acid, derivatization with (1R, 2R)- and (1S, 2S)-2-(anthracene-2,3-dicarboximido)cyclohexanol to diastereomeric esters, and their separation on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography at -54°C. Analysis of the hexane eluate from Porapak-Q-collected volatiles from feeding males revealed the presence of all four isomers (4R,8R)/(4R,8S)/(4S,8R)/(4S,8S) at a ratio of approximately 4:4:1:1. A walking orientation bioassay in a wind tunnel with various blends of the four synthetic isomers further indicated that the attractive potency of the reconstituted natural blend of 4:4:1:1 was equivalent to that of the natural pheromone and greater than that of the 1:1 blend of (4R,8R)/(4R,8S) used in commercial lures.

Determination by HPLC fluorescence analysis of the natural enantiomers of sex pheromones in the New World screwworm fly, Cochliomyia hominivorax

Bioassays of six racemic synthesized candidate sex pheromone compounds against male New World screwworm Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) flies showed that the most potent bioactivity was found with 6-acetoxy-19-methylnonacosane and 7-acetoxy-15-methylnonacosane compared with four other isomeric acetoxy nonacosanes and a larger aliphatic ketone. As all these methyl-branched compounds have two asymmetric carbons and four possible enantiomers, characterization of the natural enantiomers was essential. All four enantiomers for the two most bioactive isomers of the natural sex pheromone were synthesized for bioassay. Hydrolysis and derivatization of these enantiomers with different fluorescent reagents was followed by column-switched high-performance liquid chromatography. The use of two linked, reversed-phase columns of different polarity held at sub-ambient temperatures allowed good separation of each enantiomer. This analysis applied to natural material was successful, as (6R,19R)-6-acetoxy-19-methylnonanocosane, and (7R,15R)- and (7R,15S)-7-acetoxy-15-methylnonanocosane were detected in extracts of recently colonized female flies.

Direct Determination of the Stereoisomeric Composition of Callosobruchusic Acid, the Copulation Release Pheromone of the Azuki Bean Weevil, Callosobruchus chinensis L., by the 2D-Ohrui-Akasaka Method

The stereoisomeric composition of the copulation release pheromone of the azuki bean weevil, Callosobruchus chinensis L., was determined to be R:S=3.3-3.4:1 by the 2D-Ohrui-Akasaka method.