Relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and smoking and drinking habits.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is a major cause of various gastroduodenal diseases. Some risk factors related to H. pylori infection have been reported; however, studies on the relationship between H. pylori infection and smoking or drinking habits have given conflicting results. In the present study, these relationships were investigated by collecting sera and information from 8837 subjects. METHODS: Serum H. pylori immunoglobulin G antibody was measured by an enzyme-linked immunoassay. In addition to sex and age, information on smoking and drinking habits was collected by questionnaire. Age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of smoking and alcohol consumption were calculated for H. pylori seropositivity using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Current smokers had a 0.82 (0.74-0.91)-fold greater risk of H. pylori seropositivity than those who had never smoked. Current cigarette consumption showed a dose-dependently negative association with H. pylori seropositivity, and the association between smoking and H. pylori infection was strong in younger subjects. Current drinkers had a 0.88 (0.79-0.98)-fold greater risk of H. pylori seropositivity than those who had never drunk alcohol. The volume of alcohol consumed showed a negative association with H. pylori seropositivity. CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, smoking was negatively associated with H. pylori infection. The risk of H. pylori seropositivity decreased linearly with cigarette consumption per day. Increased gastric acidity in the stomach through smoking may be a cause of the dose-dependently negative association between H. pylori and smoking. Drinking was negatively and dose-dependently associated with H. pylori positivity, although the effect of drinking was weaker than that of smoking.

An antibody specific to N-terminal amino acid sequence of human maternal serum cystine aminopeptidase and its applications.

An antibody directed against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the N-terminal sequence of human cystine aminopeptidase (CAP) present in maternal serum was prepared. Although the antibody did not immunoprecipitate the activity of CAP, it was useful for purification and immunoblot analysis of CAP protein. An antipeptide antibody-conjugated Sepharose 4B column was very effective in purifying a single CAP protein from partially purified enzyme preparation, and Western blotting confirmed the binding of the antibody to CAP protein.

Identification of an alanine aminopeptidase in human maternal serum as a membrane-bound aminopeptidase N.

In addition to cystine aminopeptidase (oxytocinase) alanine aminopeptidase is present at high levels in the serum of pregnant women. In this study we compared the enzyme with membrane-bound aminopeptidase N purified from human placenta. Comparison of catalytic and immunological properties and N-terminal sequence analyses revealed that the enzymes were differentially processed derivatives of the same protein, and that the N-terminal 68 residues of aminopeptidase N were deleted in the alanine aminopeptidase. The deleted sequence contains a small cytoplasmic region, a hydrophobic transmembrane domain and a junctional domain. These results suggest that the enzyme may be released into the maternal circulation as a result of lacking these three domains.

The association of smoking and drinking habits with serum pepsinogens.

BACKGROUND: The influence of smoking on serum pepsinogen I has been assessed. However, still to be assessed are the influences of smoking on pepsinogen II and drinking on serum pepsinogens. METHODS: Data were collected from 13,381 employees by questionnaire and serum tests. Multiple regression analyses were done with logarithms of serum pepsinogen I (LPI), pepsinogen II (LPII) or pepsinogen I/II ratio (LI/II) as a criterion variable and as categorized explanatory variables, sex, age, subjective symptoms in the stomach, past history of peptic ulcer, current smoking dose, past smoking amount, drinking habit and current drinking dose. RESULTS: Current smoking dose showed dose-dependent positive associations with LPI and LI/II: Past smoking amount yielded weakly dose-dependent negative associations with LPI and LI/II: Current drinking dose showed dose-dependent negative associations with LPI and LPII. CONCLUSION: Current smoking elevates pepsinogen I and the I/II ratio, and it may be necessary to consider the effect of smoking when pepsinogens are used as markers for gastric cancer. Drinking reduced pepsinogen I and II, but the effect was not so large.

Intracranial chondrosarcoma--case report.

The authors report the case of a 54-year-old male who was found to have a large intracranial chondrosarcoma at the site from which chondromas had been partially removed twice, 6 and 10 years previously. On the third admission, the second through tenth and the twelfth cranial nerves on the right side were involved. Computed tomographic scans showed a large mass in the right middle and posterior fossae and the right ethmoid sinus. Angiography demonstrated an extradural mass in the right middle fossa. The tumor in the middle and posterior fossae was subtotally removed, and second, third, and eighth cranial nerve function improved postoperatively. Histological examination of tumor specimens showed active proliferation of poorly differentiated cartilagenous cells, suggestive of sarcomatous transformation of the pre-existing chondroma. It is emphasized that chondromas should be removed as completely as possible and that patients must be followed carefully after surgery.

[The CT images of peripheral adenocarcinoma--comparison with the positive group and negative in pre-operative diagnosis].

The authors compared CT images of the patients where confirmed diagnosis was able to obtain with bronchoscopy adenocarcinoma occurring at the periphery before operation, particularly of adenocarcinoma of T1, with those of the patients where confirmed diagnosis was unable to obtain, and in the results we were unable to find the difference between both CT images. It was considered accordingly that X-ray CT was useful for the diagnosis of the peripheral type pulmonary adenocarcinoma, especially that with small shadows, and that it may become one of the influential methods for the diagnosis of small lung cancer.

Analysis of urinary aldosterone metabolites in the rabbit by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

After a large amount of aldosterone was injected into a male rabbit, urine was collected for 48 h. Separation of urinary aldosterone metabolites into monoglucosiduronate fraction and monosulphate fraction was carried out by a combination of countercurrent distribution and DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column chromatography. Each fraction was hydrolyzed with enzyme and free steroids released were separated by Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. The free steroid was then identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In monoglucosiduronate fraction, 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone and 3 beta, 5 alpha-tetrahydroaldosterone were found. On the other hand, 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone was the only aglycone detected in monosulphate fraction. These findings comfirmed results in the preceding paper, where the free steroid was characterized on the basis of the mobility of the steroid and its derivatives on paper chromatography.

The metabolism of aldosterone and 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone in the rabbit.

Analysis of urinary metabolites of [1, 2-3H]-aldosterone and [1, 2-3H]-3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone was performed in male rabbits. The preliminary separation of urinary metabolites was carried out by submitting these metabolites to countercurrent distribution. Further separation of each fraction thus obtained was achieved by means of DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column chromatography. The separated peak was then hydrolyzed with the enzyme and the free steroid released was identified on the basis of the mobilities of the steroid and its derivatives on paper chromatography. After the injection of [1, 2-3H]-aldosterone, a major urinary metabolite was characterized as monosulphate of 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone. In addition, a small amount of the monoglucosiduronate fraction was found in the urine. 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone and 3 beta, 5 alpha-tetrahydroaldosterone were detected as aglycones in this fraction. After the injection of [1, 2-3H]-3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone, a similar pattern of urinary radiometabolites was observed. The close similarity between the profile of urinary metabolites of [1, 2-3H]-aldosterone and that of [1, 2-3H]-3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone suggests that the conversion of aldosterone to 3 alpha, 5 beta-tetrahydroaldosterone is needed before the conjugation processes take place.

Tryptophan fluorescence of human hemoglobin. II. Effect of inositol hexaphosphate on the T-R transition.

Fluorescence spectra of tryptophan residues of human hemoglobin in the absence and presence of inositol hexaphosphate were measured at room temperature. The tryptophan fluorescence intensity of deoxy HbA was observed to decrease in accordance with the binding with inositol hexaphosphate. The fluorescence intensity of HbA, Hb Kempsey (beta 99 Asp-Asn), Hb Chesapeake (alpha 92 Arg-Leu) and NES-des-Arg Hb (des-141 alpha Arg and beta 93 Cys-N-ethylsuccinimide derivative) in the presence of inositol hexaphosphate exhibits a considerable decrease in the deoxy to oxy transition, while no or slight fluorescence intensity change was observed in the deoxy to oxy transition of Hb Kempsey and NES-des-Arg Hb in the absence of inositol hexaphosphate. The tryptophan fluorescence behavior suggest that the inositol hexaphosphate-induced structural change in these hemoglobins is attributable to the formation of a different T type of structure from that of the normal T-R transition.

The metabolism of estriol-3-glucosiduronate and estriol in the rabbit.

Urinary metabolites of [6,7-3H]-estriol-3-glucosiduronate and of [6, 7-3H]-estriol in intact female rabbits were analyzed. The separation of urinary metabolites was performed by countercurrent distribution followed by DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column chromatography. Each conjugate was then hydrolyzed with the enzymes and the aglycone thus liberated was identified. In either case, major urinary metabolites were found to be diconjugates, a considerable part of which was glucosiduronate-N-acetylglucosaminide of 17-epiestriol. In addition, estriol-16-glucosiduronate or monoglucosiduronate of 17-epiestriol was identified as a minor urinary metabolite of [6,7-3H]-estriol. From these results, it was concluded that the greater part of the estriol-3-glucosiduronate was converted to diconjugates and that estriol-3-glucosiduronate was probably an intermediate metabolite in the conversion pathway from estriol to diconjugates in this species.

The metabolism of 17beta-estradiol-3-glucosiduronate and estrone-3-glucosiduronate in the rabbit.

[6, 7-3H]-17beta-Estradiol-3-glucosiduronate, [6, 7-3H]-estrone-3-glucosiduronate or [6, 7-3H]-estrone was administered intravenously into the rabbit, and analysis and identification of the urinary metabolites were carried out. In either case, the major urinary metabolite was found to be a diconjugate. The sequential enzymic hydrolysis indicated that this diconjugate was glucosiduronate-N-acetyglucosaminide of 17alpha-estradiol. From these results, the conversion of the estrogen glucosiduronate into a diconjugate was thought a rather universal phenomenon in the rabbit.