Human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 and Notch3 can predict gemcitabine effects in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDC) is one of the most lethal human carcinomas. Expression patterns of some genes may predict gemcitabine (GEM) treatment efficacy. We examined predictive indicators of survival in GEM-treated patients by quantifying the expression of several genes in pre-treatment endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) samples from patients with PDC. METHODS: The expressions of human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1), deoxycitidine kinase, ribonucleoside reductase 1, ribonucleoside reductase 2 and Notch3 in EUS-FNA tissue samples from 71 patients with unresectable PDC were quantified using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions and examined for correlations with GEM sensitivity. RESULTS: The log-rank test detected no significant differences in overall survival between GEM-treated patients with low and high mRNA levels of all genes examined. However, low Notch3 mRNA expression was significantly associated with longer overall survival in a multivariate analysis for survival (P=0.0094). High hENT1 expression level was significantly associated with a longer time to progression (P=0.039). Interaction tests for GEM administration and hENT1 or Notch3 mRNA expression were statistically significant (P=0.0054 and 0.0047, respectively). CONCLUSION: hENT1 and Notch3 mRNA expressions in EUS-FNA specimens were the key predictive biomarkers of GEM effect and GEM sensitivity in patients with unresectable PDC.

[Comparison of different methods for anti-HTLV-I assay].

In 130 patients, who were considered to be anti-HTLV-I positive or negative by the PA method, we compared the anti-HTLV-I detection rates and the specificity of the following three EIA methods: the Ei-test ATL and two new EIA methods using different recombinant antigens which recognize different sites. The results from the three EIA methods were consistent with the results from the PA method at a rate over 96.9%. The specificity and sensitivity of the three methods were excellent. In 8 (0.6%) of the 130 cases, however, the results from the four methods were not in agreement. All of these 8 cases had been classified (by the PA method) as weakly positive (low antibody titer). The use of the Ei-test ATL produced some false positive cases and some false negative cases (no false negative cases have been reported in tests for anti-HTLV-I antibody before). In 3 patients, the results of the two new EIA methods were not in agreement. Because all of these three patients had a low antibody titer, the discrepancy was difficult to explain based on the difference in the antigens used. Although the four methods had similar anti-HTLV-I detection rates, the results indicate a need to carefully evaluate the data in patients with low antibody titers. Therefore, it is recommended that a combination of multiple tests be used or that the results from one test be checked against those from another test.

[Significance of determination of the blood antibody level in Chlamydia trachomatis infection of the uterine cervix].

Kits for measurement of C. trachomatis specific antibody are not commercially available, but of the significance of determination of the serum antibody level has not been clarified. In this study, we first determined the C. trachomatis antibody level in patients considered to be free of C. trachomatis infection. Then, we evaluated the relationship between the presence or absence of antigen with the antibody level in patients at our department who were available for antigen examination. Anti-C. trachomatis IgA and IgG antibodies were detected in all age groups with a peak frequency in the 20's expect that IgA antibody was absent in the umbilical blood (IgG antibody was detected also in the umbilical blood). Concerning the relationship between the presence or absence of C. trachomatis antigen and the serum antibody levels, both IgA and IgG antibodies were significantly different (chi 2 test, p less than 0.01) between the antigen-positive group and the antigen-negative group. Because females infected by C. trachomatis were more often asymptomatic than infected males, and because antigen tests may produce false negative results, determination of the antibody level must be included in the clinical tests. Determination of the antibody level is considered to be valuable also in screening for mother-child infection and asymptomatic infection.

[Reliability of the lipid emulsion test for reticuloendothelial system].

The reticuloendothelial system is important as one of the self defense mechanisms. We performed two investigations to confirm the reliability of the lipid emulsion test for determining the reticuloendothelial system function. 1) The lipid emulsion serum clearance was contrasted with the counts of lipid emulsions phagocytosed by Kupffer cells in liver. 2) Lipid emulsion clearance was contrasted with the hepatic uptake rate of 99mTc-phytate. The result demonstrated a positive correlation among lipid emulsion clearance, the counts of lipid emulsions phagocytosed by Kupffer cells and the hepatic uptake rate of 99mTc-phytate. These results confirm that the lipid emulsion test is sufficient to reflect Reticuloendothelial system function.

Homocaldopentamine: a new naturally occurring pentaamine.

A new pentaamine was extracted from an extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus strain HB8, and its chemical structure was determined to be 1,16-diamino-4,8,12-triazahexadecane (see structure 1). A trivial name, homocaldopentamine, was proposed for the new naturally occurring polyamine.