Construction of radiation-reduced hybrids and their use in mapping of microclones from chromosome 10p11.2-q11.2

Radiation-reduced hybrids for mapping of DNA markers in the pericentromeric region of chromosome 10 were developed. A Chinese hamster/human somatic cell hybrid (762-8A) carrying chromosomes 10 and Y as the only human material were exposed to 40,000 rads of irradiation and then rescued by fusion with non-irradiated recipient Chinese hamster cells (GM459). Southern hybridization analyses revealed that 10 of 128 HAT-resistant clones contained human chromosomal fragments corresponding to at least one marker locus between FNRB (10p-11.2) and RBP3 (10q11.2). These hybrids were then used to map micro-dissection clones previously isolated and roughly mapped to this chromosomal region by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Two of the six microclones studied could be mapped to the proximity of the D10-S102 locus. These radiation hybrids are useful for the construction of refined genetic maps of the pericentromeric region of chromosome 10.

Deletion mapping of chromosome 1p and 22q in pheochromocytoma

To identify the localization of tumor suppressor genes, 22 pheochromocytomas (9 hereditary and 13 sporadic) were examined for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on the short arm of chromosome 1 and on the long arm of chromosome 22 by using 11 polymorphic DNA markers on each chromosome arm. LOH on 1p was observed in 12 of 22 informative cases (55%) and on 22q in 8 of 20 informative cases (40%). There was no significant difference in the frequency of LOH on 1p or 22q between hereditary and sporadic cases. We could localize the commonly deleted regions as distal to D1S73 and proximal to D1S63 on 1p and distal to D22S24 and proximal to D22S1 on 22q. In addition, the relationship between LOH on 1p and 22q was studied in 20 pheochromocytomas which were informative for probes on both chromosome arms. Of eight tumors that showed LOH on 22q, allelic loss on 1p was also detected in seven. Thus, LOH on 22q was correlated significantly with LOH on 1p (P = 0.0249; Fisher's exact test). These results suggest that inactivation of multiple tumor suppressor genes may be required for development and progression of hereditary and non-hereditary pheochromocytoma.

Transient abnormal myelopoiesis in Down's syndrome

Recent data have elucidated the pathogenesis of transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM) to a great extent. TAM is a monoclonal disorder which resolves spontaneously and the target cell in this disorder is a multipotent stem cell which is capable of differentiating into megakaryocytes. The pathogeneses of TAM/AMKL (acute megakaryoblastic leukemia) appears to be closely associated with abnormal quality and quantity of a gene located on chromosome 21. AMKL developing after the regression of TAM appears to come from the same clone as the TAM, which apparently experiences some kind of genetic alterations. It seems that the gene responsible for TAM will soon be cloned in the near future. However, the mechanism of spontaneous regression of TAM has as yet not been clarified. The expanding clone in the transient physiological immunodeficient state, during the perinatal period, might be eliminated with the maturation of more mature immunosurveillance. Alternatively, the TAM clone might be destined to undergo spontaneous death, which is called "programmed cell death" (apoptosis). The mechanism of this phenomenon awaits further elucidation.

Inactivation of the p53 gene is not required for tumorigenesis of medullary thyroid carcinoma or pheochromocytoma

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-mediated RNase protection analysis was performed to detect subtle genetic alterations of p53 in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and pheochromocytoma. None of the 30 pheochromocytomas showed abnormal RNase protection patterns. Only one of 32 MTCs showed an abnormal pattern, and subsequent DNA sequencing of the PCR product revealed that it had a G to C transversion in codon 49 that resulted in a change from aspartic acid to histidine. However, this was a sporadic MTC with no specific clinicopathological characteristics. On the basis of a previous report that genes on chromosome 17p were not deleted in MTCs and were relatively infrequently deleted in pheochromocytomas, our results suggest that the p53 gene is not involved in tumorigenesis of MTC or pheochromocytoma.

Mixed phenotype of blasts in acute megakaryocytic leukaemia and transient abnormal myelopoiesis in Down's syndrome

Blasts from eight cases with acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia (AMKL) and seven with transient abnormal myelopoiesis in Down's syndrome (TAM) were investigated to clarify their phenotypic characteristics. CD41 and CD7 were the most frequently expressed in both disorders. CD41 was positive in six TAM and five AMKL cases, and CD7 was positive in five TAM and five AMKL cases, respectively. CD33 was detected in four TAM and five AMKL cases. Other myeloid-lineage associated antigens such as CD13 and CD11b could not be found in TAM but were expressed in five AMKL cases. Interestingly, CD56, a neural adhesion molecule, was expressed in three of four TAM and one of five AMKL cases. Cytoplasmic CD3 antigen was also noted in three of five examined cases. A short-term culture study was conducted on blasts from two TAM cases and five AMKL cases. In two cases in which CD41 was not expressed before culture, the expression of CD41 was enhanced after culture with or without 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA). The expression of CD7 remarkably was depressed, while that of CD13 was enhanced after culture with TPA. These findings suggest that blasts of TAM and AMKL originate from very immature cells and represent a mixed phenotype. In the present study, distinction of phenotypical differences between blast in TAM and AMKL was not possible.

Clinical significance of CD7-positive stem cell leukemia. A distinct subtype of mixed lineage leukemia

Ten leukemia cases with mixed phenotype were investigated in terms of clinical characteristics and cellular origin. Three patients were infants and six patients were older children. Six of them had a high leukocyte count and a mediastinal mass was found in three cases. All but one showed hepatosplenomegaly and/or lymphoadenopathy. In spite of intensive chemotherapy, most of them responded poorly. Cytochemical analysis of their leukemic cells revealed a low percentage of positivity for myeloperoxidase reactivity (less than 25%) in two cases and electron microscopic platelet peroxidase reactivity was found in one of three analyzed cases. Phenotypically, these cells all expressed CD7, and other T-lineage-associated, B-lineage-associated, and/or myeloid-associated antigens were also detected to some extent. In addition, three cases expressed CD41 and one case expressed CD56. The T-cell receptor (TCR) genes and immunoglobulin gene were in the germline configuration in seven cases. In three rearranged cases, two showed only the TCR-delta gene rearrangement, and one had both TCR-gamma and delta gene rearrangements. Cell culture studies with 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) revealed differentiation to the T-lineage in two cases and to a myeloid lineage in one case. Megakaryocytic differentiation was detected in two cases in culture without TPA. These results suggest that the cells from these cases arose from stem cells capable of both lymphoid and nonlymphoid differentiation. Although the cells were heterogeneous with regard to their potency of differentiation, they have similar clinical characteristics. Because of poor prognosis, it is important to identify this type of leukemia, and allogenic or autologous bone marrow transplantation should be considered.

Monoclonal nature of transient abnormal myelopoiesis in Down's syndrome

Neonates with Down's syndrome occasionally show an excess of blasts in their peripheral blood. This disorder spontaneously resolves within several months and is called transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM) or transient myeloproliferative disorder. It has been uncertain whether the excess of blasts in TAM is a result of a clonal proliferation or a polyclonal reactive condition. The clonality of cells in females can be examined by analysis of the methylation patterns of the X chromosomes of proliferating cells using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Using this strategy, we studied three females with Down's syndrome accompanied by TAM who showed heterozygosity in RFLP of either the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase or phosphoglycerate kinase gene. Analysis of the methylation patterns of these genes demonstrated a clonal nature for blasts in three patients. Thus, TAM is a clonal proliferative disorder. In addition, lymphocytes with a normal appearance contained in analyzed samples from these patients also showed a monoclonal pattern, suggesting that TAM may be a disorder of multipotent stem cells.

In vivo and in vitro expression of myeloid antigens on B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells

The expression of myeloid antigens has been extensively examined using two-color analysis in 43 children with B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). On pre-culture cells, CD33 expression was frequently observed in CD19+, CD10- B-precursor ALL, and CD14 was expressed only on the cells from B-precursor ALL expressing CD19, CD10 and CD20, and B-ALL. After 2 or 3 days of culture without TPA, CD13 emerged on the cells from 21 of 29 patients irrespective of the presence or the absence of fetal calf serum in the culture. Of four patients with CD10+ B-precursor ALL, which showed no expression of CD13 after culture, two had T-cell associated antigens. Whereas the addition of TPA to the culture enhanced the expression of CD13 on the cells from acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL), TPA reduced the expression of this antigen on B-precursor cells. These findings suggest that the regulatory mechanism of CD13 expression may be different between B-precursor ALL and ANLL. Co-culture with cycloheximide mostly abrogated the induction of CD13, suggesting that CD13 expression was mainly dependent on de novo protein synthesis.

[Successful resection of giant hepatocellular carcinoma with hypoglycemic attack]

We experienced a 68 years-old male who had frequent hypoglycemic attacks. The diagnosis of a giant hepatoma associated with hypoglycemia was established by oral glucose tolerance test (O-GTT), angiography and computed tomography. The cavography demonstrated the invasion or depression of the tumor. It was ascertained by an operative exploration that the tumor occupied most of the right trisegments of the liver and infiltrated into a part of the left lateral segment. The right hepatic trisegmentectomy along 1.5cm left side line apart from the falciform ligament was performed. Resected tumor showed 11 X 13 X 10cm in size and 1200g in weight. Microscopic findings demonstrated hepatocellular carcinoma as Edmondson's Type II. After the operation, this patient became free from the hypoglycemic attack. A fasting blood sugar became within normal limits and O-GTT demonstrated a normal blood sugar level and insulin response. No concentration of immuno-reactive insulin was found in the resected tumor, however, the blood sugar in rats which received the intravenous injection of the tumor extracts was remarkably decreased in 20 minutes. From these observation, hypoglycemia in this patient seemed to depend mainly on the factor of insulin-like activity of the tumor. In the literature, the hepatocellular carcinoma associated with paraneoplastic phenomenon, e.g. hypoglycemia, has rarely been resected because of accompanied liver cirrhosis or giant size of the tumor. This is the second patient in our country in whom the tumor was fortunately resected and the paraneoplastic syndrome disappeared postoperatively.

Phylogeny and geographical distribution of the genus Boettcherisca Rohdendorf (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)

The phylogeny of the genus Boettcherisca Rohdendorf was investigated by numerical techniques. The phenetic and phyletic dendrograms were obtained by mean character difference (MCD) and Russell and Rao's coefficient (SRR) proximity analyses and unweighted pair-group (UPGA) cluster analysis, and then related to the classification of the species group and the geographical distribution of the group. Two monophyletic and one paraphyletic groups were recognized: peregrina-group, septentrionalis-group and karnyi-group, respectively. A biological evolution was postulated commencing with a hypothetical ancestor having occurred in Sundaland and involving two lines of specialization, the peregrina-group found in and around Sundaland and the septentrionalis-group in Far East, Walacea and Papualand. On the basis of the cladogram and the present geographical distribution, a Sundaland origin was postulated for the genus.

Seroepidemiologic studies of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis virus (enterovirus type 70) in West Africa. II. Studies with human sera collected in West African countries other than Ghana

Human sera were collected in Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Dahomey, Liberia, Gabon and Togo during the pre-epidemic period of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) from 1965 to 1969, and tested for virus neutralizing (VN) antibody to enterovirus type 70 (EV70). Of these, 1109 (91%) were antibody negative (less than equal to 1:4), 116 (9%) neutralized at a dilution of 1:8 or over, and 45 (4%) at dilutions of at least 1:16. The distribution pattern is not significantly different from that of sera collected from Kenya in 1967 or from army recruits in the United States, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia in the 1960s. Sera collected during the post-epidemic period (1970 to 1977) in Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mali, Upper Volta, Chad, Niger and Gabon were also examined; 1573 (68%) were VN antibody negative (less than or equal to 1:4), while 733 (32%) and 433 (19%) had titers of 1:8 or greater and 1:16 or over, respectively. There is a significant difference in distribution between pre- and post-epidemic antibody titers (p less than 0.001), although the incidence of AHC was lower in these countries than in Ghana and Southeast Asia. The prevalence of VN antibodies tends to be lower in the dry, hot inland areas and thus humid coastal monsoonal climates and dense populations seem to favor the spread of AHC.

Seroepidemiologic studies of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis virus (enterovirus type 70) in West Africa. I. Studies with human sera from Ghana collected eight years after the first outbreak

In 1969 and early 1970, during the pre-epidemic period of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) in the upper north regions of Ghana, 191 human sera were collected. In 1977, eight years after the first epidemic of AHC in Ghana, 1008 human sera were also collected in various regions of Ghana. These sera were examined for virus neutralizing (VN) antibody against the J670/71 strain of enterovirus type 70 (EV70). In the pre-epidemic 1969-1970 sera, a low prevalence rate (6%) of VN antibody, with a titer of greater than or equal to 1:8, was found; the geometric mean titer (GMT) was also very low (1:1.85). In the post-epidemic 1977 sera, a high prevalence rate (53%) of VN antibody was found in the Ghanaian population, and the calculated GMT was also high (1:7.36). A higher antibody prevalence was detected in coastal (Accra: prevalence rate of 58% and GMT of (1:7.84), forest (Kumasi: 58% and GMT 1:7.52) and peri-forest (Tamale: 51% and GMT 1:7.46) areas than in the tropical savanna area (Bolgatanga: 41% and GMT 1:5.13). The demonstration of VN antibody in children under seven years of age showed that EV70 was still widely distributed and highly active in Ghana. The VN antibody found in human sera was predominantly IgG.

Studies on medically important flies in Thailand VII. Report on 42 species of calliphorid flies, including the taxonomic keys (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

The calliphorid flies collected from different localities in Thailand were examined to study their medical importance as well as to study from the zoogeographical standpoint of view. Fourty-two species of 15 genera, Bengalia, Caliphora, Catapicephala, Chrysomya, Hemipyrellia, Hypopygiopsis, Lucilia, Melinda, Onesia, Phumosia, Pollenia, Polleniopsis, Tainanina, Tricycleopsis and Verticia belonging to both the subfamilies Calliphorinae and Chrysomyinae were found in Thailand. Many species are newly recorded from this country. The little known species, which are redescribed in detail with the illustration of the male genitalia and female ovipositors, and the key, which is revised to the genera and species, are also presented in this paper.

Induction of pupal diapause and photoperiodic sensitivity during early development of Sarcophaga peregrina larvae

Effects of long day and short day treatments during the embryonic and larval stages on induction of pupal diapause were studied on a diapausing race of Sarcophaga peregrina. Two long day (15L 9D) cycles during 2 days before or after the larviposition completely stopped the induction of pupal diapause on larvae which grow in short day condition before and after the long day treatment. The sensitivity appeared to decrease during the early stage of the third instar and to increase again to some extent in the prepupal stage.

A preliminary key to the common calliphorid flies of peninsular Malaysia (Insecta: Diptera)

A key to the common Calliphorid flies of Peninsular Malaysia is presented. Illustrations of the genitalia of some rare species, list of new localities, altitudes and other ecological data are also presented. The following species were recorded for the first time from Peninsular Malaysia; Catapicephala sinica, C. kurahashii, Taninanina javanica, Hemipyrellia tagaliana, Lucilia sinensis, Blaesoxipha kasterni, Boettcherisca javanica, Parasarcophaga misera, P. orchidea, P. albicephs, Sarcosolomonia crinita, Thyrsocnema bornensis, Sarcorohdendorfia antilope and Lioproctia pattoni.

Studies on medically important flies in Thailand II. Record of four species of Lucilia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

As for the genus Lucilia, only one species, Lucilia papuensis Macquart, has been recorded by R. Senior-White el al. in Thailand. During our survey in Thailand in 1975, we found newly 3 more species belonging to the genus Lucilia. These are L. cuprina (Wiedemann), L. porphyrina (Walker) and L. sinensis Aubertin. The female of L. sinensis has never been reported. Therefore, the female genitalia of L. sinensis are illustrated in this paper and compared with those of L. papuensis. The male genitalia of L. sinensis and L. papuensis are also illustrated in this paper.

Crossing between nondiapausing and diapausing races of Sarcophaga peregrina

The temperate race (D) of S. peregrina undergoes pupal diapause in response to certain environmental conditions of photoperiod (13L:11D-11L:13D) and temperature (under 20 degrees C). The tropical race (ND) does not do so under the same circumstances. The tendency toward diapause was suppressed 30-40% of the hybrids of crossings D female x ND male and ND female x Dmale even under such short day and low temperature conditions as 11L:13D-9L:15D, 20 DEGREES C. For entering diapause, the hybrids rrequire a shorter day length (13L:11D) than that of (D) parents (15L:9D).

Studies on medically important flies in Thailand. I. discovery of Calliphora species first in Thailand (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Species of flies, Calliphora vomitoria (Linné) and C. pattoni Aubertin, found for the first time in Thailand are reported, together with detailed illustrations of genitalia. These are known to be Palearctic species, which are commonly found in Europe or northern parts of Asia. These flies were found in Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand, which belongs to the Oriental region.