Genetic polymorphisms of alcohol metabolizing enzymes related to alcohol sensitivity and alcoholic diseases

Individuals with the atypical aldehyde dehydrogenase ALDH2 allele, both homozygous and heterozygous status, are alcohol sensitive and have a markedly reduced risk of developing alcoholic diseases. Genetic abnormalities of the ALDH1 locus are also associated with alcohol flushing. The ALDH3 and ALDHx loci are polymorphic and their variations may affect the development of alcoholic diseases. The variations of alcohol dehydrogenase ADH2 and ADH3 loci have no profound effects on alcohol sensitivity. The newly identified ADH6 gene has hormone response elements, and it may cause the gender difference in alcoholic problems.

Fabry-like laminated myelin body associated with IgA nephropathy

We present the first female patient to exhibit Fabry-like myelin bodies in the glomerular epithelial cell in association with IgA nephropathy. This previously healthy 36-year-old woman presented with proteinuria and hematuria without skin lesions. Renal biopsy showed typical IgA nephropathy, with paramesangial deposits, mesangial proliferation and scattered myelin bodies. The leukocytic alpha-galactosidase A activity was abnormally low. She had no family history of Fabry's disease nor the characteristic features, such as skin lesion, neuralgia, or hypohidrosis. Fabry's disease is diagnosed from the renal biopsy findings and the activity of alpha-galactosidase A in leukocytes and/or fibroblasts. We diagnosed the present case with Fabry' disease and IgA nephropathy from these results.

High incidence of HAM/TSP-like symptoms in WKA rats after administration of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-producing cells

We demonstrate a significantly high incidence of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy (HAM)-or tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP)-like symptoms in WKA rats after injection with HTLV-1-producing MT-2 cells, while no symptoms were observed in F344 rats injected with MT-2 cells or in control WKA rats. Five of the eight (63%) WKA rats injected with MT-2 cells showed HAM/TSP-like paraparesis at 105 weeks of age, but none of seven MT-2-injected F344 rats or eight control WKA rats showed symptoms. This high incidence of HAM/TSP-like symptoms in WKA rats was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Six of the eight (75%) WKA rats injected with MT-2 cells showed HAM/TSP-like paraparesis at 108 weeks of age. HAM/TSP-like symptoms were also observed in one of the two WKA rats injected with HTLV-1-producing Ra-1 cells at 128 weeks of age. HTLV-1 provirus was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in both WKA and F344 rats. The provirus was detected in the spinal cords of the HAM/TSP-like WKA rats that had severe neuropathological changes. WKA and F344 rats showed no significant difference in antibody response against HTLV-1 Gag antigen. However, the antibody response against the C-terminal half of gp46 HTLV-1 envelope protein was lower in WKA rats than in F344 rats. Pathological analysis of the HAM/TSP-like rats showed degeneration of the white matter of the spinal cord and peripheral nerves. These findings suggest that both the genetic background of the host and HTLV-1 infection are important in neuropathogenesis of HAM/TSP-like paraparesis in rats.

Membranous glomerulonephritis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

We investigated the cause of membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) in 24 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The class or stage of RA was diagnosed using the criteria of the American Rheumatism Association, and MGN was diagnosed using renal biopsy. Renal biopsy and laboratory findings, including serologic analysis, were evaluated. Eighteen patients had previously received one of the following antirheumatic agents: bucillamine (n = 13), D-penicillamine (n = 3), or gold (n = 2). The renal lesions of all 24 patients resembled lesions seen with idiopathic MGN on examination by light microscopy, electron microscopy, and immunofluorescence. We concluded that patients with RA are predisposed to develop MGN, whether or not they receive antirheumatic agents.

Renal complications during pregnancy in a patient with diabetes mellitus

We present a 23-year-old woman with a 7-year history of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) who became pregnant. At the 23rd week of pregnancy she exhibited the signs and symptoms (hypertension, edema, proteinuria) of both diabetic nephropathy and preeclampsia. A cesarean section was successfully performed. The proteinuria persisted for more than 3 months after delivery. Renal biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of diabetic glomerulosclerosis together with the renal findings attributable to preeclampsia. The rapid acceleration of diabetic nephropathy in this patient was attributed to preeclampsia. We therefore recommend that patients with DM be followed closely during pregnancy in an attempt to prevent the acceleration of renal damage by preeclampsia.

Synaptotagmin I is essential for Ca(2+)-independent release of neurotransmitter induced by alpha-latrotoxin

alpha-Latrotoxin causes massive release of norepinephrine from clonal rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, in the absence of external Ca2+, by an unknown mechanism. The effect almost disappeared in PC12 variant cells deficient in synaptotagmin I, a synaptic vesicle protein, and was rescued by transfecting the synaptotagmin I gene. These results indicate that synaptotagmin I is essential for the Ca(2+)-independent action of alpha-latrotoxin in PC12 cells.

Cloning and characterization of the gene encoding mouse mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase

The mitochondrial (mt) aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) in liver has been considered to play a major role in the detoxification of alcohol in humans. Using the human ALDH2 cDNA and synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides (oligos) as probes, the mouse ALDH2 (mALDH2) gene was isolated and characterized. Nucleotide (nt) sequence analysis revealed an open reading frame (ORF) of 1560 bp encoding a protein of 519 amino acid (aa) residues. The gene is composed of 13 exons and 12 introns and spans approx. 26 kb of the mouse genome. The deduced aa sequence, when compared to the mtALDH2 of human, rat, horse and bovine, revealed 95.8, 99.0, 95.6 and 93.6% aa identity, respectively. Primer extension and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) experiments showed that the transcription start point (tsp) was 105 bp upstream from the start codon. The promoter region of mALDH2 is devoid of a TATA consensus sequence motif, but putative regulatory elements, including a CAAT box, Sp1-binding site and glucocorticoid-response element (GRE), are present in the promoter region. Northern blot hybridization demonstrated the existence of a high level of mALDH2 mRNA in mouse liver and a low level in mouse kidney.

Endometrial carcinogenesis induced by concurrent oral administration of ethylenethiourea and sodium nitrite in mice

Endometrial carcinogenesis induced by concurrent oral administration of ethylenethiourea (ETU) and sodium nitrite (NaNO2) was investigated in ICR (Crj:CD-1) female mice. A mixed solution of ETU (100 mg/kg) and NaNO2 (70 mg/kg) was given to animals orally once a week for up to 6 months and all surviving animals were killed at 12 months of study. During the study, estrous cycle was monitored by vaginal smear and five or 10 selected animals were subjected to interim killing at 3 month interval to observe time-related carcinogenic responses of the uterus. Treatment with ETU and NaNO2 resulted in development of endometrial adenocarcinomas in the uterine horn and the incidence reached 42% in the surviving animals at 12 months. Prior to the development of the tumor, atypical hyperplasia of endometrial glands was frequently observed and regarded as the precancerous lesion. Immunohistochemistry for bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation revealed higher labeling indices in both hyperplastic and neoplastic endometrial glandular cells, and the index in the adenocarcinoma was more than 20% on average at any stage of the estrous cycle. Overexpression of p53 protein, which is frequently demonstrated in virulent phenotypes of human corpus cancers, was seen in three out of eight (38%) adenocarcinomas, but not in the atypical hyperplasia or normal endometrial glands. There were no treatment-related changes in the estrous cycle on vaginal smears at any interval of the study. The analyses for plasma ovarian hormones at 12 months disclosed a marked depression of progesterone in the treated animals, while the 17 beta-estradiol (E2) level was comparable to the controls. These results suggest that endometrial carcinogenesis by ETU and NaNO2 could be initiated with atypical hyperplasia of the endometrial gland and a decrease in plasma progesterone level may play an important role in the development of endometrial carcinogenesis. In addition, inactivation of the p53 gene may play a significant role in the malignant transformation of endometrial epithelial cells in mice.

[Effect of sevoflurane on blood flow velocity in the vertebral artery]

Blood flow velocity in the vertebral artery was measured using transcranial Doppler sonography during sevoflurane anesthesia in 12 patients in the knee-chest position. The correlation between mean arterial blood pressure (MBP) and mean blood flow velocity in the vertebral artery (Vmean) was significant in each patient. Normalized data expressed as a percentage of the individual arithmetic means permitted a composite analysis of data from all patients. Linear regression of normalized MBP (%MBP) on normalized Vmean (%Vmean) showed %Vmean = 24.8 +/- 0.75 %MBP (r = 0.78, P < 0.01). The results of the present study suggest that fluctuations in systemic blood pressure may lead to fluctuations in cerebral blood flow. Therefore, the use of sevoflurane anesthesia must be accompanied by careful management of blood pressure during surgery.

Morphology and synaptic connections of slowly adapting periodontal afferent terminals in the trigeminal subnuclei principalis and oralis of the cat

Previous studies suggest that sensory information from primary afferent fibers is processed in a distinct manner in the individual subnuclei of trigeminal sensory nuclear complex. The present study has addressed this issue by using intra-axonal labeling with horseradish peroxidase to examine the ultrastructure and synaptic organization of axon terminals from slowly adapting (SA) periodontal afferents in the ventral subdivision (Vpv) of principalis and the rostro-dorsomedial part (Vo.r) of oralis. Our observations are based on complete or near-complete reconstructions of 139 synaptic boutons in Vpv and 105 in Vo.r. All the labeled boutons contained clear, spherical, synaptic vesicles and were presynaptic to unlabeled dendrites, and they were frequently postsynaptic to unlabeled axon terminals containing pleomorphic synaptic vesicles (P-endings). The P-endings frequently formed axodendritic synapses on dendrites which received axodendritic synapses from labeled boutons (synaptic triads). On the basis of the number of contacts, synaptic arrangements associated with the labeled boutons could be subgrouped into simple (one or two contacts), intermediate (three or four contacts), and complex (five or more contacts) types. The labeled boutons varied from round to elongated forms with smooth to more irregular or scalloped contours. The boutons with scalloped contour were much more frequent in the complex type. The boutons of the intermediate type were significantly smaller than the complex type and larger than the simple type. The SA periodontal afferent terminals participated in each type of synaptic arrangements in Vpv, but were mostly of the simple type in Vo.r. The size of labeled boutons was significantly larger in Vpv than in Vo.r. The total number of axodendritic and axoaxonic contacts per labeled bouton was significantly higher in Vpv than in Vo.r. Another difference was the more frequent occurrence of synaptic triads in Vpv than in Vo.r. These observations provide evidence that sensory information from primary afferent fibers is processed in a different manner in the two subnuclei.

Cholera toxin can ADP-ribosylate Gs as well as Gi in ACTH-unresponsive human adrenocortical cancer

It is well known that cholera toxin (CT) stimulates ADP-ribosylation of Gs and also pertussis toxin (PT) does Gi. Each GTP-binding protein has its own action in the regulation of adenylate cyclase. A human non-functioning adrenocortical cancer tissue showed an unresponsiveness in adenylate cyclase to ACTH although ACTH and CT activated adenylate cyclase in a non-functioning adrenal adenoma tissue. CT ADP-ribosylated 43 kDa protein of the plasma membrane of the cancer tissue while CT and PT could ADP-ribosylate 43 kDa and 38 kDa protein in the adenoma tissue, respectively. Immunoblotting analysis of the cancer tissue demonstrated that 40 kDa protein was detected by anti-Gs antibody as well as by anti-Gi antibody. The present experiments demonstrated that CT could ADP-ribosylate Gs which has stimulatory action on adenylate cyclase and also Gi which inhibits adenylate cyclase. Thus it is suggested that CT can activate the ADP-ribosylation of Gs and also Gi in a human adrenocortical cancer tissue, partly resulting in abnormal regulation of adenylate cyclase which may be crossly related to ACTH-unresponsiveness.

[Near infrared spectrophotometric monitoring for cerebral ischemia during the occlusion of the internal carotid artery at CEA]

Near infrared spectrophotometry provides noninvasively real-time information on cerebral oxygenation and cerebral blood volume. Using this method of spectrophotometry we investigated the adequacy of collateral circulation during cross-clamping of the internal carotid artery in patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy. In 15 patients, oxy-hemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin and total hemoglobin were monitored continuously by near infrared spectrophotometry at the ipsilateral frontal area on the operated side. Changes in these parameters following temporary cross-clamping of the internal carotid artery were evaluated. The stump pressure of the internal carotid artery was measured in every patient. Only the maximum decrease in oxy-hemoglobin during cross-clamping of the internal carotid artery correlated significantly with the stump pressure of the internal carotid artery. Changes in oxy-hemoglobin during cross-clamping of the internal carotid artery demonstrated three patterns; no change or minimally decreased (4 patients), decrease with recovery (4 patients), and decrease without recovery (7 patients). The stump pressure of the internal carotid artery in patients who had no recovery of their decreased oxy-Hb was significantly lower than that in any other pattern (p < 0.01, Mann-Whitney U analysis). Patients who experience decrease in oxy-Hb without recovery following cross-clamping of their internal carotid artery may have poor collateral circulation and therefore may develop cerebral ischemia.

Two major types of premotoneurons in the feline trigeminal nucleus oralis as demonstrated by intracellular staining with horseradish peroxidase

Previous studies suggest that neurons in the dorsomedial subdivisions of trigeminal nucleus oralis (Vo) may contribute to reflex control of jaw movements and to modulation of sensory information. The present study has addressed this possibility by the use of intracellular staining with horseradish peroxidase of physiologically identified neurons in Vo to examine functional and morphological properties of these neurons. Of 14 labeled neurons, eight had axon collaterals terminating exclusively in the dorsolateral subdivision of the trigeminal motor nucleus (DL neurons) and four in its ventromedial subdivision (VM neurons); axon collaterals of two neurons were not traced. Both groups of neurons sent terminal arbors into other nuclei of the lower brainstem. The DL neurons were distinguishable from the VM neurons in their receptive field (RF) location, neuronal position, somadendritic architecture, and projections to other brainstem nuclei. All neurons, except for two that were exclusively activated by noxious stimuli applied to the tongue, were responsive to light mechanical stimulation of peri- and intraoral structures. The RFs of the DL neurons were located in more posterior oral structures than those of the VM neurons. The RF of nearly all low-threshold DL neurons was located in the maxillary region, and that of the VM neurons, in contrast, involved the mandibular region. The VM neurons were located medial or ventral to the DL neurons. The soma size of the VM neurons was significantly larger than that of the DL neurons. Dendritic arbors of both groups could be separated into medial and lateral components. The ratio of the dendritic transverse areas in the medial vs. lateral component was significantly higher in the VM neurons than in the DL neurons. The DL neurons also issued collaterals that terminated in larger brainstem areas than those of the VM neurons. These observations provide new evidence on the morphological and functional properties of Vo neurons that contribute to reflex control of jaw and facial movements and modulation of sensory information.

c-Fos induction in the rat spinal dorsal horn partially deafferented by dorsal rhizotomy

The 4th and 5th segments of the lumbar (the L4 and L5) dorsal horn receive primary input from the sciatic receptive fields through the L4 and L5 dorsal roots. Noxious stimulation of the hindpaw with formalin induces c-Fos in neurons in superficial laminae (I and II) of these dorsal horn segments. Rhizotomy of the L5 dorsal root 2 days before stimulation resulted in a marked reduction in the number of neurons with c-Fos protein-like immunoreactivity (fos-neurons). At 3 weeks after the L5 rhizotomy, the number of fos-neurons in laminae I and II significantly increased compared to that at 2 days post-rhizotomy. This result indicates that chronic partial deafferentation by dorsal rhizotomy increases responsiveness of superficial dorsal horn neurons to spared primary input.

Differential effects of gangliosides on Ig production and proliferation by human B cells

The effects of gangliosides on human B-cell responses were studied. Of various gangliosides tested, only GM2 and GM3 inhibited production of IgG subclasses and IgM, but not IgA subclasses, and thymidine uptake by human B cells stimulated with SAC plus interleukin-2 (IL-2). In contrast, GM1, GD1a, GD1b, GD3, GT1b, and GQ1b were without effects. GM2- and GM3-induced inhibition were specific, because each was blocked by a corresponding antibody. Of various cytokines tested, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) alone counteracted GM2- and GM3-induced inhibitions of Ig production and thymidine uptake, whereas other cytokines including IL-1 beta, IL-3, IL-5, IL-6, and interferon-gamma each failed to do so. Moreover, anti-TNF-alpha antibody, but not control IgG, blocked the counteraction of inhibition by TNF-alpha. GM2 and GM3 each inhibited Ig production, thymidine uptake, and TNF-alpha production by surface IgG1+ (slG1+), sIgG2+, sIgG3+, sIgG4+, and sIgM+ B cells without affecting IL-2 binding or TNF-alpha binding to B cells, but had no such inhibitory effects on sIgA1+ or sIgA2+ B cells. These findings indicate that GM2 and GM3 inhibit Ig production and thymidine uptake by human sIgG1+, sIgG2+, sIgG3+, sIgG4+, and sIgM+ B cells by inhibiting endogenous TNF-alpha production.

NADPH-diaphorase in the spinal trigeminal nucleus oralis and rostral solitary tract nucleus of rats

NADPH-diaphorase histochemical staining demonstrated a distinct neural group that might synthesize nitric oxide in the lower brainstem of rats. The NADPH-diaphorase stain revealed a Golgi-like network in the dorsomedial spinal trigeminal nucleus oralis and rostrolateral solitary tract nucleus, whereas this network was more dense in the latter nucleus. The distribution of NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons in these areas overlapped with parts of central terminations from the chorda tympani nerve, as demonstrated with transganglionic transport of wheatgerm agglutinin conjugated horseradish peroxidase. The number of NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons changed after chorda tympani nerve lesion relative to the contralateral side. The control value (%) was 106.0 +/- 4.9 (mean +/- S.E.M.). One hour after the nerve lesion, the value increased to 115.2 +/- 9.1 (P > 0.05). It then decreased to 83.9 +/- 5.2 two days after the lesion (P < 0.05), and remained at this reduced level for one or two weeks, 83.2 +/- 3.0 (P < 0.01) and 83.7 +/- 2.3 (P < 0.01), respectively. This statistically significant reduction recovered to control level 103.4 +/- 2.9 four weeks after the lesion. These results show that NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons in the lower brainstem could be regulated trans-synaptically by primary afferents, possibly gustatory inputs.

Induction of cytochrome P-450s and expression of liver-specific genes in rat primary hepatocytes cultured on different extracellular matrices

Freshly isolated hepatocytes were cultured on an EHS-gel prepared from EHS-tumor, poly-N-p-vinylbenzyl-D-lactonamide (PVLA), and type I collagen (TIC). Hepatocytes on EHS-gel showed a spherical shape and much more strongly maintained the inducible expression of cytochrome P-450 genes which were lost on PVLA and TIC. Further, the expression of liver-specific genes were maintained on EHS gel at the highest level, and then higher on PVLA than TIC.

[Evaluation of parasternal (Ps) and supraclavicular (Sc) node dissection combined with targeting chemotherapy (activated carbon particle adsorbing aclarubicin) in breast cancer with Ps node involvement--usefulness of extended surgery for improvement of prognosis]

We treated breast cancer patients with Ps node involvement using an extended surgery (Ps+Sc, n = 17, group A) combined with targeting chemotherapy and compared the survival rate by this method with that by the dissection of the Ps node alone (n = 23, group B) to assess the prognosis of advanced breast cancer by extended surgery. 1) Overall patients: The disease-free survival rate was significantly higher in group A, while the overall survival rate was not significant. 2) Survival rate in relation to the number of metastatic Ps nodes or axillary (Ax) nodes: In patients with Ps = 1 or Ax < or = 3, the difference in the overall and disease-free rates were not significant. In patients with Ps > or = 2 or Ax > or = 4, both overall and disease-free rates were significantly higher in group A. It was therefore suggested that extended surgery should be performed if metastasis is found in 2 or more Ps nodes in the frozen section intraoperatively. The result of this study, although it is not a randomized trial, suggested a possibility that extended surgery may improve the prognosis of advanced breast cancer.

Expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) in anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid

Although the incidence is very low, the prognosis of anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid is very poor regardless of the results of various therapeutic trials. We found that the mechanism of anti-cancer drug resistance in anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid was not explicable only in terms of expression of the mdr1 and its gene product, P-glycoprotein. Therefore, expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) mRNA was examined in 11 anaplastic thyroid carcinomas and eight anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cell lines. High MRP mRNA expression was recognized in 7/11 and 8/8, respectively. Our results may contribute to elucidation of the mechanism of anti-cancer drug resistance in this neoplasm.

Effect of harringtonine on apoptotic cell death and cell cycle progression in human leukemia HL60 cells

The mechanism of cell killing induced by harringtonine (HT) was investigated in HL60 cells by metabolic labeling studies, light and transmission electron microscopy, agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA and flow cytometry. At concentrations higher than 0.02 microM HT showed significant inhibition on cell growth and protein and DNA synthesis. Following exposure to HT, typical apoptotic cell death was observed from 1.5 to 4 h and it increased in both dose-and time-dependent fashion. This process was prevented by an intracellular calcium ion chelator. In addition, at 0.04 microM of HT the nonapoptotic cells delayed the progression of cell cycle through S and G2 phase and finally arrested in G1 phase. These results are important to understand the mechanism of action of HT and to improve the effect of HT in cancer chemotherapy.

Identification and characterisation of alcohol-induced flushing in Caucasian subjects

The prevalence of the alcohol-flushing reaction was assessed in a group of healthy Caucasian medical students (200) by self-reporting and was found to occur in approximately 50% of female and 8% of male subjects. In most of the alcohol flushers there were other family members similarly affected. The presence of this side-effect after a small quantity of alcohol did not necessarily decrease the amount of alcohol consumed. A test dose of ethanol (0.4 g/kg body weight) confirmed the presence of the alcohol-induced flushing, which was of much shorter duration and intensity than that of the Oriental alcohol-induced flusher, as measured by laser Doppler velocimetry, and was not associated with high circulating concentrations of acetaldehyde. Topical administration of 5 M acetaldehyde showed an enhanced erythema in Caucasian flushers compared to non-flushing controls. This effect was not observed with topical ethanol. Low erythrocyte ALDH1 activity was found in all Caucasians (n = 30) who showed the alcohol-induced flushing reaction.

[Ruptured distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysms presenting with acute subdural hematoma: report of two cases]

Two cases of ruptured distal anterior cerebral-artery aneurysms presenting with acute subdural hematoma are reported. Case 1 was a 55-year-old male, who showed abrupt disturbance of consciousness. An emergency CT revealed acute subdural hematoma at the right parietal convexity and interhemispheric fissure with moderate midline shift. There was no evidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Right carotid angiography showed an aneurysm at the right distal anterior cerebral artery. An emergency external decompression was performed and the aneurysm was clipped successfully through the interhemispheric fissure. In the operative field, subarachnoid hemorrhage could not been seen, and the patient had uneventful recovery. Case 2 was a 66-year-old female, who complained of severe headache. She deteriorated rapidly and become comatous with development of anisocoria. An emergency CT revealed acute subdural hematoma on the bilateral parietal convexities and interhemispheric fissure with severe midline shift. There was no evidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Carotid angiography showed right distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysm. An emergency external decompression was performed, then the aneurysm was clipped successfully. She recovered with disorientation and hemiparesis. Ruptured distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysms presenting with acute subdural hematoma without subarachnoid hemorrhage are rare. It is suggested that CT scans and history of patients are most important but an emergency angiography was prerequisite for correct diagnosis. Surgical treatment should be the best management in such cases.

Chronic toxicity and tumorigenicity study of aluminum potassium sulfate in B6C3F1 mice

The tumorigenic potential of aluminum potassium sulfate [A1K (SO4)2 12H2O, APS], a compound which exists widely in the environment, was investigated in B6C3F1 mice. APS was administered in the diet for 20 months at dose levels of 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0% (w/w). One group receiving the basal diet served as the control. Body weight gain in both sexes was decreased in the 10.0% APS treated group, and increased in the 1.0 and 2.5% APS treated groups. The survival rates at the end of the dosing period were 73.3% (male) and 78.3% (female) in the control group, and 86.7-95.0% (male) and 86.7-91.7% (female) in the APS treated groups. The survival rate showed a tendency to increase in both sexes in all the APS treated groups. In the tumor pathology, the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly decreased in the males in the 10% APS treated group. The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly decreased in females in all groups including the control group. As regards the nontumorous pathology, the incidence of myocardial eosinophilic cytoplasm showed a significant dose-dependent decrease in males in the APS treated groups. A comparison between the sexes revealed a significant decrease in the incidence of hepatocytic anisonucleosis, myocardial eosinophilic cytoplasm and acinar cell vacuolation of the submandibular gland in the females; and lymphocyte infiltration in renal cortex and pelvis, and vacuolation of cerebellar white matter were noted in the males. The results of the present study indicate that long-term administration of APS does not exert tumorigenic or any other toxic actions in B6C3F1 mice.

Association of HLA-DR with progressive systemic sclerosis in Japanese

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the contribution of HLA-DR genes to the susceptibility to progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS).

METHODS

HLA-DR typing was carried out in 36 Japanese patients with PSS, 42 with systemic lupus erythematosus and 104 healthy subjects by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using specific primers and by PCR-SSCP (single-standard DNA conformation polymorphism) method.

RESULTS

A haplotype DRB1*1502-DRB5*0102 was significantly increased in PSS (50.0%, p < 0.00004, pc < 0.001), especially in antitopoisomerase I antibody (a-Scl-70) positive patients (62.5%, p < 0.00003, pc < 0.001) and PSS with diffuse scleroderma (75.0%, p < 0.00001, pc < 0.0001). In addition, DRB1*0802 was also increased in DRB1*1502 negative patients with a-Scl-70, (50.0%, p = 0.033, pc = not significant) and in DRB1*1502 negative patients with diffuse scleroderma (75.0%, p = 0.008, pc = not significant). Thus, 81.3% of a-Scl-70 positive patients, and 93.8% of patients with PSS with diffuse scleroderma showed either HLA-DRB1*1502 or 0802.

CONCLUSIONS

Our observations show the extreme difference of genetic background of a-Scl-70 positive PSS, with regard to HLA-DR, between Japanese and other ethnic groups including Caucasian and American black persons. The increase in DRB1*1502-DRB5*0102 haplotype supported the hypothesis of Reveille, et al that uncharged polar amino acid residue at position 30 of HLA-DQB1 allele was important for a-Scl-70 positive PSS because close association of the haplotype with DQB1*0601 was well established in Japanese; listed as a hypothetical candidate of PSS susceptible DQB1 allele. DRB1*0802 were also associated with hypothetical candidates of DQ alleles. Furthermore, the sharing of the particular amino acid sequence: valine38 and phenylalanine67-lysine68-glutamic acid69-asparic acid70-arginine71, by DRB5*0102, DRB1*0802 and DR11 (associated with Caucasian PSS) also suggests a contribution of the sequence in HLA-DR molecules to the pathogenesis of PSS according to the shared epitope hypothesis.