Hypersensitivity Reaction to Carboplatin during Treatment for Ovarian Cancer: Successful Resolution by Replacement with Cisplatin

Development of hypersensitivity reactions to carboplatin (CP) during cancer treatment makes optimal chemotherapy difficult to achieve. Many approaches have previously been used following the development of reactions to CP. We report on a patient with ovarian cancer who developed a hypersensitivity reaction to CP. The patient was successfully treated following replacement of carboplatin with cisplatin.

Well-Differentiated Papillary Mesothelioma Involving the Peritoneal and Pleural Cavities: Successful Treatment by Local and Systemic Administration of Carboplatin

Well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma (WDPM) of the peritoneum is a rare form of epithelial mesothelioma. It usually shows an indolent course and no standard treatment is available. Only a few cases of WDPM in the pleural cavity have been reported. We report on a 56-year-old post-menopausal woman who presented with ascites and right pleural effusion. Laparotomy followed by biopsy established the presence of WDPM in the peritoneum and pleural cavity. The patient was successfully treated with local and systemic administration of carboplatin.

Microperforate hymen at 27 years of age diagnosed with withdrawal bleeding and hysterofiberscopy

Microperforate hymen is a congenital obstructive vaginal membrane with a tiny opening. It is usually detected long before menarche because of recurring vulvovaginitis and urinary tract infection. We report a case of microperforate hymen in a 27-year-old women presenting oligomenorrhea, in whom the location of the tiny opening on the hymenal membrane was detected by withdrawal bleeding without anesthesia, and definitively diagnosed preoperatively by using hysterofiberscopy.

An association study between the Cys311 variant of dopamine D2 receptor gene and schizophrenia in the Okinawan population

Neuroleptic drugs have a high affinity for the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2); therefore DRD2 is thought to be a candidate gene for schizophrenia. Arinami et al. have reported a positive association between schizophrenia and the Cys311 variant of the DRD2 gene. We determined the allele frequency of this polymorphism in 78 Okinawan schizophrenic patients and 112 control subjects. The patients and controls did not differ significantly in allele frequencies of Cys311.

Prediction of the development of atopic symptoms in early childhood by cord IgE-binding factors (soluble Fc epsilon R2)

The relationship of cord serum sFc epsilon R2 levels to the development of atopic symptoms in early childhood was studied. Cord sFc epsilon R2 was 444.2 +/- 235.1 pg/ml (n = 77), which was not significantly different from maternal serum sFc epsilon R2 (541.7 +/- 346.9 pg/ml, n = 42). However, there was no correlation between cord and maternal serum sFc epsilon R2, suggesting that most, if not all, of cord serum sFc epsilon R2 was produced by the fetus itself. Cord serum sFc epsilon R2 in infants who developed atopic symptoms later was significantly higher than that in infants who were free of atopic symptoms (P less than 0.01 at 7 and 13 months of age). The incidence of the development of atopic symptoms increased with the increase of cord serum sFc epsilon R2. These results suggest that sFc epsilon R2 is related to the development of atopic disorders and that the measurement of cord serum sFc epsilon R2 may be of value in predicting the development of atopic disorders in early childhood.

Uroporphyrinogen I synthase from human erythrocytes: separation, purification, and properties of isoenzymes

Uroporphyrinogen I synthase [porphobilinogen ammonia-lyase (polymerizing), EC 4.3.1.8] from human erythrocytes was separated into two active protein peaks (A and B on DEAE-cellulose, by ammonium sulfate fractionation, on Sephadex G-100, and on DEAE-Sephadex A-50 with a NaCl gradient. The final purification was 613 and 743 times for A and B, respectively. The corresponding yields were 2.2 and 3.4% Fraction A was separated further into two (A1 and A2) active protein bands and fraction B into three (B1, B2, and B3) on analytical polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis. Bands A1 and A2 were identical with B1 and B2; B3 represented a third isoenzyme. Molecular weights (mean +/- SEM), measured by gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, were 38,000 +/- 1000 for B1 and 40,000 +/- 1000 for B2 and B3. Isoelectric focusing on 4% polyacrylamide gel separated both fractions A and B into three active protein bands. Maximal activity of the enzyme was found in gel cuts (5-mm) at pH 5.6 for both fractions A and B.