Indium-111 leukocyte imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

This study evaluates the usefulness of labeled leukocyte imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In 33 patients, the incidence of pain and swelling in 66 wrist joints and 66 knee joints was compared with the accumulation of [111In]leukocytes. No accumulation of [111In]leukocytes was seen in any of the patients' wrists (0/12) or knee joints (0/14) when both pain and swelling were absent. In contrast, 93% (25/27) of wrist joints and 80% (24/30) of knee joints with both pain and swelling were positive by [111In]leukocyte scintigraphy. There was little correlation between the stage of the disease, as determined by radiography, and [111In]leukocyte accumulation. This study suggests that [111In]leukocyte imaging may be a reliable procedure for monitoring the activity of rheumatoid arthritis, especially for confirming the lack of an ongoing inflammatory response.

[Intracavitary high dose rate afterloading irradiation of inoperable malignant bile duct obstruction]

After decompression of the bile duct with PTCD, seven patients with carcinomas of the bile ducts were submitted to an intracavitary Ir-afterloading irradiation performed according to the high-dose-rate method with a Buchler device. Most of the patients were irradiated with 30 Gy in two fractions. Five patients were also exposed to percutaneous radiation with 40 to 50 Gy. Local control was achieved in six patients. One patient developed a locoregional recurrence which was possibly due to a so-called "geographic miss". In one patient a benign fibrotic stenosis of the bile duct was found at the site of most intensive irradiation. Intracavitary irradiation is very important in the treatment of malignant obstruction of bile ducts. However, there is an urgent need of research with regard to the combined method with percutaneous irradiation and to the optimum fractionation of intracavitary high dose rate irradiation.

Functional role of interleukin 1 in periodontal disease: induction of interleukin 1 production by Bacteroides gingivalis lipopolysaccharide in peritoneal macrophages from C3H/HeN and C3H/HeJ mice

Hot phenol-water-extracted lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Bacteroides gingivalis 381 was purified by Sephadex G-100 chromatography with Tris buffer supplemented with sodium deoxycholate and EDTA (B-LPS). In the present study, B-LPS was examined for its ability to induce interleukin 1 (IL-1) production, a mitogenic response, and macrophage activation in LPS high-responder C3H/HeN and low-responder C3H/HeJ mice. A significant increase in IL-1 production was observed in C3H/HeN and C3H/HeJ peritoneal macrophages treated with various doses (1.0 to 50 micrograms/ml) of B-LPS. IL-1 production by C3H/HeN macrophages treated with B-LPS (10 micrograms/ml) was about seven times greater than that by C3H/HeJ macrophages. However, the IL-1 production induced by B-LPS (10 micrograms/ml) in C3H/HeN macrophages was four times lower compared with that induced by Escherichia coli O111 B4 LPS. Also, a significant increase in IL-1 production was found in human monocytes stimulated with B-LPS. That B-LPS-induced IL-1 exhibits some molecular weight heterogeneity was indicated from Sephadex G-75 gel filtration profiles. A significant, high mitogenic response by whole spleen cells with 1 X 10(5) to 5 X 10(4) cells of either mouse strain per well treated with B-LPS (10 to 50 micrograms/ml) was observed. However, the response of C3H/HeJ mice was less than that of the C3H/HeN strain. Also, glucose consumption assays indicated that enhanced macrophage activation occurred in C3H/HeN but not in C3H/HeJ mice treated with B-LPS. In light of recent studies showing that IL-1 stimulates bone resorption in a mouse calvaria system and collagenase production in fibroblasts, we suggest that B-LPS-induced IL-1 may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of adult periodontal disease.

Spontaneous production of interleukin-1-like cytokine from a mouse osteoblastic cell line (MC3T3-E1)

We have investigated the role of interleukin-1 in the regulatory mechanisms of a bone remodeling system. Osteoblastic cell line (MC3T3-E1) established from newborn mouse calvaria spontaneously produced interleukin-1-like cytokine. Although the interleukin-1-like activity was not observed in culture supernatants of the cells during their exponential phase of growth, a most remarkable interleukin-1-like activity was detected in the supernatants of cells cultured in serum-free alpha-MEM on day 5 after the cells had formed a confluent monolayer. Gel filtration analysis indicated that the interleukin-1-like cytokine exhibits some heterogeneity in size.

Modulation of the visuo-ocular reflex by the vestibulo-ocular reflex in peripheral vision

Peripheral OKN was produced by stimulating the visual field with a special device, designed by Miyoshi et al. Stimuli to induce peripheral OKN and rotatory nystagmus (RN) were applied to the same subject simultaneously. The results obtained were as follows. 1) In the case of the whole visual field, with a target velocity of 30 degrees/sec the combined slow-phase velocity of OKN and RN was also a constant 30 degrees/s in any phase of rotation of the subject and with any combinations of the rotationary directions of subject and target. 2) In the case of the peripheral visual field; when both OKN and RN were in the same direction, the slow-phase velocity of the combined OKN was 10-20% greater than that of the peripheral OKN alone. However, the combined OKN never exceeded the velocity of the target. In contrast, when OKN and RN directions were opposed, combined OKN was correspondingly decreased by about the same 10-20% amount.

[Studies on immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) in ovarian tumors]

The value of IAP was measured in 64 patients with ovarioncus. The results obtained were as follows: The value of IAP in patients with malignant ovarioncus increased with the clinical progress of the disease. There was, however, no significant difference between the value in patients with malignant tumor in stage I or II and those with benign tumor. Therefore, the value has little usefulness for early diagnosis. In tissue typing of malignant ovarioncus, IAP was not positive in the case of intimoidal cancer, but it was almost on the same level in other cases. In terms of the relationship between IAP and plasma proteins or the immune index involved in various kinds of cancers, the value was closely correlated with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and levels of CRP and mucoprotein, but not with the level of CEA, the LDH isozyme M/H ratio, or WBC and PPD skin reaction. Regardless of whether the tumor was benign or malignant, the value transiently increased postoperatively and then gradually decreased. Prognosis was poor in most cases with malignant ovarioncus, where the level of IAP remained high or rose again postoperatively. The level of serum IAP was almost correlated with the progress of the disease and is therefore useful as a marker in making a prognosis.

Production of d -Tagatose from Dulcitol by Arthrobacter globiformis

A process for the bacterial oxidation of dulcitol to d -tagatose has been developed. The strain Arthrobacter globiformis ST48 used in this fermentation was isolated from soil. The yield of d -tagatose accumulated in the medium from dulcitol was as high as 85%. About 14 g of d -tagatose crystals was isolated from 1 liter of 2% dulcitol medium.

Potentiation of cytotoxic effects of 5-fluorouracil by inosiplex on cancer cells

The antitumor effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was significantly enhanced by inosiplex which has been developed as a drug possessing antiviral activity. The enhancement of antitumor effect of 5-FU was demonstrated by experiments both in vitro and in vivo, viz. depression of the colony formation rate in cultures of HeLa cells (an established cell line of human cervical carcinoma), and prolongation of the survival of mice bearing transplanted Ehrlich ascites tumor of murine mammary carcinoma origin. The HeLa cell colony formation was synergistically decreased in the presence of 0.5-2.0 micrograms/ml of 5-FU combined with 100 micrograms/ml of inosiplex. Inosiplex did not cause any appreciable inhibition of cell growth at this concentration when added alone to the culture. The mean duration of survival of tumor-bearing mice was 18.2, 20.3, 31.9 and 47.1 days in the control group and groups receiving inosiplex, 5-FU, or a combination of 5-FU and inosiplex, respectively; hence significantly prolonged in the combined therapy regimen group as compared with the control and the 5-FU treated group (P less than 0.01).

[Potentiation of cytotoxic effects of 5-fluorouracil by inosiplex on cancer cells]

Inosiplex, a 3:1 molarcomplex of N, N-dimethylamino-2-propanol-p-acetamidobenzoate and inosine, which has been reported to exhibit antiviral activity in vitro and in vivo, enhanced cytotoxic effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Effects of inosiplex on the potentiation of cytotoxicity of 5-FU were investigated in vitro and in vivo. In vitro studies demonstrated that cytotoxic effects of 5-FU on cloning efficiency of HeLa cells were prominently enhanced by inosiplex, while inosiplex alone showed no cytotoxicity at the concentrations examined. Further, the survival time of mice intraperitoneally inoculated with Ehrlich ascites tumor cells was investigated. The mean survival time of mice treated with the combination of 5-FU and inosiplex significantly prolonged as compared with that of control animals or mice treated with inosiplex alone or 5-FU alone. Since inosiplex has been clinically studied as an antiviral agent and proved to be harmless to humans, the present results indicate that a combined administration of 5-FU and inosiplex may be effective in the treatment of human cancers.

An experimental study on cellular immunity and protein-calorie malnutrition

The effect on cellular immunity of the administration of the non-specific immunopotentiator BCG and/or a streptococcal agent was studied in 90 non-cancer bearing Wistar rats under different nutritional support. The number of immunocompetent cells and the non-specific function of the immunocompetent cells significantly decreased in acute malnutrition. The non-specific immunopotentiator BCG and streptococcal agent activated the peritoneal macrophages, to a remarkable extent, but depressed spleen cell blastoid transformation, thymus index and peripheral lymphocyte count in the starved rat group. In rats who received BCG under intravenous hyperalimentation (IVH), the absolute macrophage counts went down as the quantity of amino-acid administered decreased. The acquired immunodeficiency due to acute malnutrition is evident and the effect obtained with an immunopotentiator is considered to be related to the nutritional status of the host. The adequate administration of protein-calorie is required for the effective use of the immunopotentiator.